Silent Love(6)

They were taken to a corner table and sat down across from each other in  the booth. Beth opened her menu before ordering a drink and didn't  notice the waitress approach. Immediately this concerned Sean. If she  wasn't paying attention to her surroundings and she couldn't hear, she  left herself vulnerable to harm. It would seem to him that someone who  couldn't hear would be more aware of their environment.

Sean reached across the table and gently tugged on the menu. Her eyes  swung up, and he jerked his head in the direction of the waitress.

"What can I get you to drink?" the young girl asked politely.

"Ummm," she looked to him.

"I'll take whatever bottled beer you have on special tonight," he answered.

Beth turned back to the girl. "I'll take a margarita on the rocks."

Unexpectedly she turned to him as if asking for approval. Nodding his  encouragement, he considered how odd that was for a woman who was  extremely independent, as far as he could tell.

When the waitress left, he couldn't help himself, he had to ask, "Do you live alone?"

She tilted her head to the side, confused by the question. Absolutely adorable. She furrowed her brow. "Yes, why do you ask?"

"Curious," he answered factually. Clearly self-sufficient, yet she sought approval. Why?

They perused the menu for a few minutes, and when the waitress returned  with their drinks, they both ordered steaks for dinner. Sean was  impressed Beth decided on a healthy meal. How many women had he gone out  with who ate like rabbits?

After the waitress left, Sean and Beth settled in. For the first time in  years, Sean felt his palms and pits sweat. What. The. Hell. Closing his  eyes, he calmed himself. When he opened them, he caught Beth scanning  the room until her gaze swung back to him. Those full lips curved upward  in a small smile. Man, he wanted a real taste of her. Those small pecks  were nothing more than horrible teases.

"How long have you worked at the hospital?" she asked, her voice quiet.

"Ummm … " How long had it been since he started at the hospital? "A little over five years now."

She nodded. "Do you like it?"

"I do, though there are times when it's exhausting." He leaned back a  bit, feeling more comfortable and less anxious. Funny he could take down  a group of terrorists without blinking an eye, but come face to face  with this gorgeous woman, and he lost his common sense. "My cousin is  pushing me to open my own clinic so I don't have to work the awful  hours, but I'm not sure I want to take on that task at my age."

"Thirty-nine isn't old," she argued.

"Said the beautiful woman eleven years younger," he joked.

Beth smiled bashfully and looked away. "It really wouldn't be that hard  for you. Depending on where you decided to open an office, you could do  quite well."         

     



 

Caught up in her soft, angelic tone and her profile, he considered she  should model. Well, except for the fact she barely registered five feet  tall. But her striking look he could see on magazine stands everywhere.

While he stared, her face turned a lovely pink, which he noticed  happened often. The poor thing wouldn't be able to hide any  embarrassment. "How long have you worked at the hospital?" he asked,  when she turned back to him.

"Eight years," she answered. "I started right after I graduated from  business school. I worked as an administrative assistant for the  president."

What was she doing working in the insurance department? Wasn't that a  demotion? He wanted to ask, but wasn't sure he wanted to know the  answer. Change the subject. "Do you have any siblings?"

She shook her head. "No. I'm an only child." She smiled indulgently, her  eyes lighting up, causing the blue to look as if it glowed. "I'm a  daddy's girl. He worries about me. If I don't check in at least every  other day, he'll hunt me down, scream and yell. It only took one time  for that to happen for the lesson to be learned."

Sean chuckled with her. "My brother and I are mamma's boys. She's the  best. We felt terrible leaving her when we went into the navy together,  but she handled it well. She's a tough woman."

Beth grinned. "I like that in a mom."

"Absolutely," he agreed. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Pulling  it out, he checked the caller ID. Courtney. Shit, she was going to be  pissed. He'd canceled on her again tonight. Afraid of her wrath, he'd  done it by email instead of calling. It was a dick move, but he knew her  too well to know the guilt trip that would be laid on him. Well, maybe  if he explained what his plans were she'd understand. He should give her  the benefit of the doubt. Courtney did have her moments of  compassion...recently.

"You can take that if you need to," Beth said softly.

They were in the middle of a date, but she didn't pitch a fit over his  phone call like the countless women he'd gone out with tended to do. She  probably considered it was the hospital, yet she was all right with  that.

"It's just my cousin. I'll call her back later," he said.

"Are you close to your cousin?" she asked.

"Very. She's more like a sister to me. We grew up together and took on  the big brother roles while my uncle was away in the Marines. We were  raised to watch over her. Of course that changed when we went into the  Navy. But when we returned, we picked up like we'd never left. Ryan and I  are the godfathers to her two kids. I love those two," he said. He  could hear the joy in his own tone as he spoke of Courtney and her two  babes.

While he spoke, he watched her keep a close on his mouth. He liked that...a lot.

"I'm not very close to my cousins," she said, her voice hushed. Was that a result of her hearing loss?

"That's too bad," Sean said.

Shrugging, she said, "They all live in different places throughout the  US, and my parents didn't like to travel, so I never really got to know  them."

"We lived within biking distance of each other," he said.

"Are your mothers sisters?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No, our fathers are brothers. They're just as close  as Ryan and I are." Which was why he and his brother were bonded the way  they were. Their dads instilled it into them since the day Ryan was  born. In fact, they re-enforced that at every opportunity. Sean and Ryan  did everything together while growing up. Football, puberty, baseball,  dating, weight lifting. At a young age, they'd decided to share a  bedroom even though it wasn't necessary. They worked at the same  supermarket together while in high school. He wanted money for his  mustang, and Ryan wanted money for whatever he felt like blowing it on.  As they grew, their bond grew stronger, like they shared one mind. They  woke at the same time in the mornings. They became tired at the same  time at night. They finished each other's sentences and even knew what  the other was thinking without having to speak a word. When Sean needed  to join the military, the only way he could afford his medical  doctorate, it was a no-brainer that Ryan would follow. Sean would have  done the same if the roles were reversed. They were two halves of a  whole that couldn't be separated.

She glanced away, a small downturn of her mouth. "I wish I had a  brother. You know, someone who I could go to when I need to talk. A  brother who'd wrap me up when I got picked on in school, then beat up  the jerk. A guy who I could call to fix the toilet or change the oil in  my car." She snorted and turned back to him. "Kind of wrong, huh?"         

     



 

"Not at all," he said. Ryan would totally fit that bill. Hold up. Where  did that come from? "You wouldn't want a sister?" Courtney would totally  fill that role. WTF, Sean? Knock off the nonsense thoughts. It's only  one date.

Beth toyed with the wrapped silverware. "I don't get along with women too well."

That didn't surprise him. Look at her. A raven-haired beauty with a voluptuous hourglass figure. Women could be wicked jealous.

They were interrupted by the waitress serving their salads. They  continued light conversation throughout dinner, but Sean didn't really  learn too much about Beth. She refused to divulge any mundane, detailed  information about herself. They did discuss minute topics like favorite  tv shows and favorite movies, though he felt himself sadden at the fact  she hadn't been to a movie theater in over four years. She admitted she  waited for DVD's to come out and rent the movies with subtitles.

"It's difficult for me to read lips on someone when they're not right in front of me. I'm still learning," she said.

"Excuse me for asking," he said hesitantly. "How long ago did you lose your hearing?"

"Not long over four years ago," she answered.

"I see," he said.

Thankfully the waitress interrupted with their dessert. Sean watched in  total fascination as Beth dug into her rich chocolate cake, took a huge  bite, then moaned and closed her eyes in sheer delight. Fork held still  in mid air, his warm apple crisp steamed and melted the vanilla ice  cream. He watched her take another bite, oblivious that she held his  attention. She was centered on that piece of chocolate. Another small  moan escaped her lips, and this time the sound made his body stand at  attention. The way her lips wrapped around that fork was purely sensual.  He could envision her mouth doing the same to him, down on her knees,  while he pushed inside that mouth, those full lips sucking him while  that pink tongue laved at him.