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“Hi!” The brunette called out. She had a huge, welcoming smile—friendly, boisterous, probably accrued boyfriends faster than Wolf’s mama could flip pancakes.
The blonde drew his attention like a moth to a flame. The blonde’s smile was sweet but there was a tinge of sass there. Her blue eyes radiated charity, warmth, and welcome.
He couldn’t drag his gaze from her. The oddest sensation washed over him, as if this was no chance meeting and this was no ordinary woman. This was the woman he should’ve been looking for all his life.
He shot that thought down and quick. Crazy thinking like that had no place in his life. He wasn’t looking for a woman. Especially not at this moment.
He’d have to blame his mamacita watching over him from heaven. He could just imagine the tiny Spanish spitfire that he’d adored trying to instill fanciful and romantic thoughts that couldn’t factor into his life right now. He was grateful being a SEAL with one of the most elite units in the world was so demanding of his time and focus.
Mamacita and Mama both believed happily ever after with an angelic sweetheart was still on the horizon for him. Optimistic angels the pair of them. Idealistic, optimistic, and unrealistic. He’d think his mama would realize if he was anything like his dad he should never let down his guard and fall in love.
“Hi,” he managed to get out and then the ladies were past him.
Wolf’s heart was racing out of control, and it had nothing to do with his run. He wanted to whip around, jog with them for a stretch, ask the blond her name, her number, her ring size …
He shook his head and wished Cap or Chaos were here to thump some sense into him or Preach was chomping at the bit to quote him a scripture. Was there anything in the Bible warning a man not to pursue a woman he would never see again? It wouldn’t be fair to her or to him as he was not viable boyfriend material and he was leaving in the morning.
There was plenty in the Bible about adultery and his dad should be preparing to visit purgatory in his mind.
‘You’re just like your dad’.
No. He wasn’t. He would prove it by staying far away from all women. No matter how appealing or kind they seemed.
Dang those blue eyes and that radiant smile. He wanted to bask in the sweetness of her smile and soak up the warmth radiating from her gaze.
He couldn’t be that weak. It was better, or at least wiser, to just hold that sweet face in his memory. He didn’t know her from Eve and he’d probably not be as smitten if he got to know her … or he could become too smitten to walk away.
That could never happen. His SEAL team and their mission was his life and focus. Especially now. His poor Mama bemoaned missing him all the time. If he couldn’t settle down to keep his beloved Mama happy, and especially to stay by her side through the worst trial she’d faced, no way was he settling down for a beautiful woman.
The blonde was miles past appealing—intoxicating, mesmerizing, enthralling, fascinating … Please stop, he begged his mind. Could he blame this on too much time away from his SEAL unit? Cap kept him grounded, Chaos kept him laughing, and Preach kept him uplifted. Being around his family the past two weeks had been a slice of heaven, until he’d found his dad and the church secretary naked in the back of that truck yesterday.
“Hey!” A female voice yelled from behind him. “A little help!”
Wolf whipped around, and he couldn’t possibly hide his grin. The brunette was hanging on to the blonde’s waist and trying to drag her to a stop as the blonde struggled to free herself and keep moving away from him.
“Everything all right?” he asked, striding back toward them and laughing at their tug-of-war. This could turn out to be interesting. Maybe Mamacita was working overtime and really wanted him to meet this girl.
The blonde looked around, froze in her struggle, and her cheeks tinged a becoming pink. “Hattie,” she hissed. “Stop it.”
Hattie, apparently, stopped tugging on her gorgeous friend as Wolf approached. The blonde straightened her shirt, licked her lips, and fluffed her ponytail. She looked embarrassed and irresistible.
They all faced each other and Wolf didn’t know if he should say something. He imagined the brunette would take care of any lead-in for him. The brunette, Hattie, would not only know how to secure her own boyfriends she was a good wingman, or wingwoman. If the blonde was actually interested in him.
“My cousin, Sadie, thinks you are ‘the most beautiful man the good Lord has ever created’,” Hattie said, grinning widely.
Wolf’s brows went up and heat filled him, delicious, tantalizing heat that he didn’t want to tamp down. Sadie. He liked the name—pretty, sweet, and a little sassy. Did it fit the woman?
“‘I’m going to cut your tongue out with a spoon’,” Sadie threatened in a low, husky voice that he could listen to all day.
“‘Why a spoon cousin?’” Hattie asked, playing along and obviously thinking she, and the entire interaction, was hilarious.
“‘It’ll hurt worse’,” his new dream woman said. Yes, her name fit.
“Robin Hood.” Wolf chuckled at their teasing and slight adaptation of the Sheriff of Nottingham’s line. They both smiled, but Sadie still seemed embarrassed her cousin had told him what she’d said about him.
Time to be far more transparent than he should, but what did a little harmless flirtation hurt? He could enjoy flirting for a minute without risk of injury. Or could he? Is that how it had started for his dad? He shoved all thoughts of his dad away.
“I think Sadie is the most beautiful woman the good Lord has ever created so I guess we’re even,” Wolf said to Hattie, not taking his gaze off of Sadie.
