“I thought everything in that box was fancy.”
She smiles up at me. “Thank you. I hope you have a lovely evening with your mates.”
“I’ll only be gone for a couple of hours.”
“Take all the time you want. I’m certainly not going anywhere, and I’m quite sure you gave your staff precise instructions for my safety.”
“Maybe.”
Her smile spreads wider. “See? I’m perfectly safe. Go, enjoy.”
“Why are you trying so hard to get rid of me?”
“So I can invite my secret lover over and have my way with him.”
When my eyes narrow and my jaw clenches, Ellie laughs and stands to give me a proper hug.
“You deserve a night off. Relax. Enjoy yourself. I’m just going to have a hot shower and watch the telly for a while.”
“Be good,” I whisper with my lips in her hair. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
She nods and blows me a kiss when I walk down the stairs and lock the door of the boathouse behind me.
“Have fun,” Baxter says. He’s guarding the door of the boathouse. He opted to work an extra shift, earning more money for that trip he wants to take with his wife. “Have a beer for me. It’s been so long since I drank, I don’t remember what it tastes like.”
“You have plenty of free evenings,” I remind him.
“I’m married,” he says, but he’s smiling. “I want to stay home with her. So, you go have fun. And if you drink too much, one of us will come and pick you up.”
“I won’t need a designated driver,” I assure him. “See you in a few hours.”
I hurry up to my car and head into town.
Chapter 9
~Liam~
I’d rather be with her.
“God, you suck at this game,” I say with a cocky grin as Sam stands back from the table and his missed shot. “Some things never change.”
“I’m just having an off night,” Sam replies. Hanging out with my old friend and a few of the guys from the fire hall has been fun. But I can’t get Ellie off my mind. I’d rather be curled up on the couch with her, watching something stupid on television, than sitting here. I’ve been blatantly hit on at least three times since I walked through the door.
And I’m not fucking interested.
“So, what’s it like working for the royal family?” Hunter Maddox is a firefighter and another hometown boy. He’s a few years younger than Sam and me, but I still remember him.
“I enjoy it.” I sip the one beer I’ve been nursing all evening. “It has its challenges, but at the end of the day, it’s like any other security detail. The goal is the same. Keep everyone alive.”
“Makes sense.” Hunter nods. “That Eleanor is a beauty.”
That’s all it takes for my body to tense up. “She’s hot,” another man agrees.
“Hunter should ask her out,” Sam says. “He’s young, nice, quite a catch. You’re totally her type.” My friend glances my way, and I clearly must not have my poker face in place, because he raises a shoulder and says, “Or not.”
I shrug, shake my head, and notice a group of guys come into the bar and start a pool game at a nearby table.
“You know what, guys? I think I’d better get back.”
“You’ve only been here an hour,” Sam says.
I don’t know how to explain to him that I hate the noise in here, the crowd. I can’t hear well. I just want to head back and do my job.
Not to mention, I want to see Ellie.
“I’ll be sure to call you this week,” I reply. “I’ll see you soon. Nice to meet you all.”
I wave and walk across the room, stopping by Ty Sullivan and his friends, Josh and Zack King.
“Hey, it’s good to see you, man,” Ty says, holding out his hand for a shake. “You remember Josh and Zack King?”
“Of course.” I shake the twin brothers’ hands. They’ve been familiar faces in Cunningham Falls for as long as I can remember, and Zack is one of the reasons I went into the Army in the first place.
“How are you?” Zack asks, watching me carefully.
“I’m great.”
He narrows his eyes for a moment. I know he’s taking my measure. He was also a Ranger, saw the same kind of scary shit that I did, and I know he’s asking if I’m okay. But I’m not about to spill my guts here in the middle of this loud, crowded bar and tell him about the shit in my head.
It’s not the time or place for that.
“Call me anytime,” he says. “I mean it.”
“I will. So, you all busted away from the wives to play pool?”
“We were kicked out,” Josh says. “They’re having book club night with some of their friends, and we aren’t invited.”
“I’m fine with that,” Zack replies. “That’s a lot of estrogen in one place.”