She waggled her brows. “A mansion. Ooh. Impressive.”
He shrugged. “It’s a place to crash, and as long as nobody is shooting at us, it’s all good.” Sadie blanched white, and Ren wanted to rip his tongue out. “I’m sorry, honey. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No, no. Don’t apologize, Ren. I’m not stupid. I know that you put your life on the line every day. I always knew you’d do something amazing.”
Ren looked at her, hoping his disbelief didn’t show in his eyes. “What the fuck, Sadie? I was the son of the town drunk who thought nothing of using his fists on his wife and kid. I had loser written all over me.”
Sadie looked appalled. “Don’t say that! You were never a loser. You just had a hell of a lot of bad breaks, Ren. But I saw through that big, fat chip you wore on your shoulder. You were smart, too. Just look at what you’ve done with yourself and with no help, mind you.”
Going silent, he studied his scarred hands, just another bit of evidence of the violence of his life then looked at the one person on the planet who had ever seen through him. To most folks in town he’d been poor white trash. But not to Sadie. His heart squeezed at the love he felt for her, and he mourned the fact that he couldn’t have been man enough to deserve her. “You were the only person who believed that, honey. That’s the plain, unvarnished truth. Have I ever said thanks for that?”
Instantly, her eyes filled and Ren sharply regretted his words. Taking things into such heavy territory probably wasn’t the best idea. It might be best to just joint the others in the nearest bar and find a willing woman who didn’t know quite so much about his awful past.
He shook his head and swallowed the remains of his beer. “Want to get out of here and take a walk?”
Sadie could feel him pulling away from her, and she didn’t want that. For the first time in forever, she knew exactly what she wanted. The sad, scarred boy she’d known and loved was now a man. No less damaged but so perfect in every way to her that she wanted to fling herself against him, hug him tight, and never let go. The years since she’d last seen him yawned wider than the Grand Canyon, and when she’d learned he would be here in Key West, if only for a few days, she’d sprung into action and booked a flight. It would be a pathetic thing to not reach for what she wanted, to see if he might have feelings other than friendship for her. Sadie knew she was brave. She could do this. Deep inside, she believed she would forever regret not letting him know he was the only man she would ever truly love.
And what a man!
It was more than obvious that Navy SEALs had it all going on. Strength, brains, and a massive love of country. True heroes with enough sex appeal to make any woman’s heart go pitty pat. She certainly wasn’t immune.
That gangly young kid who’d climbed carelessly into her bedroom window when things got bad at home had grown into a beast of a man, all brawn and muscle. Easily six-three, he wore his black hair cut short and a layer of dark stubble covered his strong jaw line. His eyes, solemn and filled with secrets, were a sharp piercing gray rimmed with thick lashes. She wanted to ask him if he was happy. She needed to know if there was any softness left in him for the girl he’d left behind all those years ago. Instead, she reached out and laced her fingers with his. For now, it had to be enough.
“Are you happy?” she asked as they walked together and took in the sites. It was her first visit to The Sunshine State and Key West, and she wanted to take in every last detail. The fact that Ren was here with her was delicious icing on the cake.
Ren squeezed her fingers gently as he looked her way. “Yeah, I guess so. The work is hard but satisfying. Gives me a sense of purpose. It’s a dangerous world out there, and taking out just one more bad guy makes me sleep a lot better at night.”
Sadie shivered. She couldn’t think of a more dangerous and scary occupation. “It’s funny how most of us are worlds removed from what you guys do every day. We get up, go to work, and hang with friends, seldom thinking about how much it costs to keep us free to do those simple things.” She shrugged. “I know it probably sounds lame, but thanks, Ren. You are a real hero, and I personally feel a whole lot safer knowing you are out there doing such an excellent job.”
“It’s a nice thing to say, honey, but there is a world full of heroes out there. Including you. You take care of little kids. Not too shabby.”
Laughing, she stopped in the center of the sidewalk and hugged him. “You’ve always known just what to say to make me feel tons more important than I am.”