Loving the Navy Seal Read online

  Grant scrubbed a hand over his face. He didn’t want Sara to hear he was in town from someone else. It might be easier, but it wasn’t honorable. A decade had passed. Those feelings he’d harbored for Sara were long forgotten. And his aunt was right. There was no such thing as keeping a low profile in Hidden Hollows.

  Grant would pop into the library and say hello. Keep things simple. Friendly. He pulled the keys to his SUV out of his pocket. “Do you need anything from town, Aunt Suzie?”

  “No, dear.” She smiled. “Drive carefully.”

  He glanced at his mother’s home. With any luck, she’d agree to go to treatment within the next couple of days, and he’d leave Hidden Hollows.

  This time for good.

  3

  Grant

  Late afternoon sunlight glinted off the shops lining Main Street. Not much had changed in Hidden Hollows as far as Grant could tell. The diner, the craft store, and the bakery were all where he remembered them ten years ago. The movie theater had gotten a facelift but retained its original features. Betty’s Hair Hut had changed to Hailey’s Hair Hut.

  Small Town, USA. Time moved slower here.

  It was comforting and pinching at the same time. Like an old favorite shoe that didn’t fit anymore. Probably because he wasn’t the same. After close to a decade in the military and numerous deployments, Grant barely recognized the reckless, ambitious eighteen-year-old that blasted out of town determined to make his own path in the world.

  Now…now he felt every one of his twenty-eight years.

  He turned off Main Street and circled around to a side street leading to the library parking lot. The only vehicle in the lot was a Honda Civic. Sara’s? He pulled up next to it, and a smile tugged at his lips. A stuffed goat dangled from a chain on the rearview mirror. Definitely Sara’s vehicle. She’d always had a thing for baby goats. Well, goats in general, but especially baby ones.

  He exited the SUV. The temperature was dropping with the sun, but Grant didn’t have a light jacket to ward against the chill. It didn’t matter. He was used to roughing it.

  He jogged to the library doors. Locked. He cupped his hands over the glass but couldn’t see much inside. Chances were, Sara was working late since her car was in the parking lot.

  The logical thing to do would be to delay seeing her until tomorrow, but Grant was already here. Aunt Suzie’s warning rang in his ears. He didn’t want Sara finding out from someone else he was in town. Besides, when Grant started something, he saw it through to the end.

  There was another entrance on Main Street. Maybe those doors were open. Grant jogged on the sidewalk, taking a sharp turn at the corner of the building, and ran smack into someone.

  Not someone. A woman. Sara.

  She yelped, and a box flew from her hands. It smashed to the asphalt before Grant could catch it. Sara stumbled backward in her high heels, pinwheeling her arms to catch herself before she hit the ground as well, but the weight of the giant purse on her shoulder made it impossible.

  His hands shot out, closing around her trim waist. Grant kept his grip firm enough to stop her momentum but was careful not to hurt her. Sara’s hands instinctively landed on his biceps. Her hair flew into her face, a riot of golden curls the same shade as the sun streaking across the desert in the Middle East.

  “I’m sorry, Sara. I was hoping to run into you, but not literally. Are you okay?”

  She lifted her face, tossing the curls out of her eyes. Sara blinked. And blinked again, as if she was seeing a mirage. “Grant?”

  He grinned. “Last time I checked.”

  The confusion melted from her expression, and her eyes lit up as her beautiful lips spread into a broad smile. Grant’s breath caught. Man, she was gorgeous. All that hair, a smattering of faint freckles across her nose, and when she smiled…it was like a punch to the solar plexus.

  She rose on her tiptoes and hugged him. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? Welcome home.”

  He embraced her back, his heart thumping against his chest so loud Grant was sure Sara could hear it. The scent of her shampoo, or maybe her perfume, curved around him. It was floral and feminine, but not overpowering. She smelled like springtime.

  Her hug was meant to be friendly—Sara had never seen him as anything other than a friend—but for half a second, Grant allowed himself to hope for something deeper.

  So much for long-forgotten feelings.

  Cool your jets, Edwards.

  He released Sara, taking a step back. He refused to meet her eyes in case some of his emotions were reflected there. If Sara was anything like her teenage self, she was intuitive, and Grant was out of practice with hiding his attraction.

  Instead, his gaze went to the box lying on the ground. The contents were smashed, a variety of colors stark against the black asphalt. “I ruined your…cake?”

  “Cupcakes.” She bent to retrieve one, and her purse thumped as it hit the ground. She tossed a cupcake into the damaged box. “Ben has baseball practice tonight, and they were for the teammates.”

  “Did you get them from the bakery down the street?” He scooped up the box, glancing at the name across the top. Yep. The sweets were from Born and Bread. “Let me replace them.”

  She rose. “No, it’s not necessary—”

  “I insist.” He tossed the box in the nearby dumpster. “It’ll give us a chance to catch up anyway. Unless, you’re in a hurry?”

  “I have time.” Sara hauled her purse over her shoulder.

  Grant’s mouth twitched. “Headed to Siberia?”

  She laughed, light and musical, as a flush tinged her cheeks. “You would think so with all the stuff I haul around. No, having a five-year-old means I have several toys in my purse at all times. Along with snacks and a bottle of water.”

  “How is Ben?”

  “Good. He started kindergarten this year. Loves his teacher.”

  Sara started walking, and Grant fell into step beside her. He was careful to keep an appropriate distance between them. “Aunt Suzie mentioned you’re the head librarian now. Congrats. Sara, your grandmother would be so proud.”

  “Thanks. It’s been more work than I expected, and there are some challenges, but I’m happy to have a job that carries on Nana’s legacy. When did you get into town?”

  “A few hours ago. The first stop was to see my mom and aunt.”

  “Of course. They must be thrilled to have you home, especially after ten years. What kept you away so long?”

  He shrugged. “The navy. My deployment schedule is hectic, and when I’m not overseas, I’m training. It’s not easy to get away, and visiting home brings back a lot of memories of my dad. And Jared.”

  She nodded. Grant realized it was nice to talk with someone and not have to explain every detail. Sara knew he’d been close to his father and Jared and understood how deeply their deaths would cut.

  “How long are you staying?” she asked.

  “Not long. A few weeks max, and most of that will be spent with my aunt and mom.”

  Her brow furrowed. “I haven’t seen your mom around lately. Is everything okay with her?”

  This was the part he hated. Lying ate at him, but the weight of the promises he’d made to his father stopped him from telling the truth. It mingled with the long-buried fear and shame in his gut. As kind as Sara was, would she really understand his mother’s hoarding? It disgusted Grant. Walking into the house, seeing the old food, and smelling—

  No. Pop had been right. It was better to keep it a secret. For his mother’s sake. And selfishly, for his own. Learning the truth would change the way Sara—and the rest of the town—saw him and his family.

  “Mom’s fine.” Grant tucked his hands in his pockets. “She’s been busy organizing and redecorating the house.”

  “Ugh.” Sara wrinkled her nose. “There’s nothing worse. It starts out as a simple project. Paint a room and organize the closet. Next thing you know it’s three weeks in, and you have half the room painted and thing
s are multiplying in the closet. Utter nightmare.”

  “Yeah. Something like that.”

  Grant shuddered to think of how much effort it would take to turn his mother’s house back into something livable. He was willing to do the work, but all of it would be for nothing if she didn’t get treatment.

  Helping Hands was the best place in the country for individuals suffering from depression and hoarding. Grant knew. He’d spent hours researching, and several more talking to different treatment centers. Maybe he should’ve intervened a long time ago, but Mom always refused help. Like she was now. But this time, things had spiraled so far out of control it wasn’t possible to accept her answer at face value. Grant needed to push her. All he wanted—all he’d ever wanted—was for his mom to get better and be happy.

  They’d reached the bakery, and Grant pulled the door open for Sara. Bells jingled overhead. Lucinda wasn’t behind the register. Instead, it was a younger woman he’d never seen before. A pretty red-head with a friendly smile.

  “Back again so soon, Sara?” The woman’s gaze shot to Grant. “And who is this with you?”

  “We had a bit of a mishap with the cupcakes, Millie.” Sara waved a hand in Grant’s direction. “Allow me to introduce Grant Edwards. We went to high school together. He’s April Edwards’ son.”

  Recognition lit in Millie’s eyes. “Ah, the military man. Marines?”

  “Navy SEAL,” Grant corrected. He held out his hand for her to shake. “Pleasure to meet you, Millie.”

  “Likewise.”

  Millie wiped her hand on her apron before taking his. Her grip was firm and confident, and she paired it with a bright smile. After dropping his hand, Millie turned her attention to Sara. “Now, what kind of mishap did you have with the cupcakes?”

  Sara leaned on the counter. “They ended up on the ground. Can you give me the same order?”

  Grant’s eye snagged on the line of Sara’s leg as she lifted it slightly behind her. His gaze lingered a bit too long, but land’s sake, that skirt should’ve been illegal. It hugged her curves in all the right places. And those high heels only did her long legs a favor.

  Millie’s brows arched slightly, and Grant’s gaze skittered away as he realized the woman had caught him gawking like a teenager. He scrubbed a hand over his face, silently berating himself. Jared might not be alive, but that didn’t give Grant license to check out his wife.

  He used to be better at this. Time had weakened his shields and diminished his ability to keep his attraction buttoned up.

  Millie bustled off to the display case near the window, and within a few minutes, a new box of cupcakes was paid for. Along with some bagels and fresh bread Grant decided would be perfect for Aunt Suzie.

  They stepped out into the lingering sunshine. Grant was careful to keep the bakery box even. He didn’t want the cupcakes to end up on the ground a second time. “Millie seems nice. Did Lucinda retire?”

  “She did. Millie is her grand-niece and moved to town to take over the bakery. She and Luke St. Clair are engaged. You know he’s the sheriff now, right? And his wife died several years ago?”

  “Aunt Suzie fills me in on town news from time to time, but there are long gaps when we can’t speak because of my deployments. I didn’t know Luke had lost his wife.”

  Sara tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “It was terrible for him. Luke turned into a different person, a real grump. But he met Millie, and everything changed. It’s wonderful to see him happy again.”

  Her voice held a wistful note. Grant’s heart skipped a beat. “Do you think about getting married again?”

  As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he wished to snap them back. First of all, it was none of his business. Not really. And second…well, Grant wasn’t sure how he would feel about any answer Sara gave. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”

  “No, it’s okay.” Sara was quiet for a long moment, her gaze drifting across the shops. “In theory, I think about it from time to time. But in actuality…” She shrugged. “It seems impossible. I loved Jared very much.”

  “I know you did.”

  They both had. Grant and Jared had been best friends since grade school. There wasn’t a place in town that didn’t hold memories of their shared childhood.

  They used to hang out at the ice cream store on the corner. Jared would get boring vanilla. Grant would never get the same flavor twice. Pop’s car repair shop was at the end of the street. Grant had worked there during the summer and after school. He and Jared had taken apart their first engine under Pop’s supervision.

  Even the library was a reminder. Jared used to drag Grant there. His best friend was head over heels for Sara and could never wait until her shift was over at the library to see her. They used to pretend to study so that Jared could chat with Sara if she had free time between helping patrons.

  The memories ripped into him, opening old wounds that had scarred but never truly healed. Grant didn’t know how Sara did it. How could she live in Hidden Hollows alongside the ghosts of the past?

  She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “What about you? Anyone special in your life?”

  He let out a half-laugh. “No. Constant deployments make it impossible to build any kind of meaningful relationship.” He shrugged. “I’ve dated here and there, but nothing stuck.”

  Was that by fate or by choice? Yesterday, Grant would’ve said fate. The timing had always been off, or he hadn’t found the right woman yet. But today, walking next to Sara, he was tempted to believe it’d been by choice. That maybe he’d purposefully kept his relationships casual because his heart was still stuck on someone else.

  On Sara.

  They reached their vehicles. Grant handed over the box of cupcakes. Their fingers brushed, and an arc of electricity raced up his arm.

  He was in trouble. It was time to say goodbye and stay away from Sara for the remainder of his visit. Dredging these old feelings up wasn’t good for him. It wasn’t good for anyone.

  Grant shoved his hands in his pockets. “Thank you for sending the care packages during my deployments. They meant a lot.”

  More than she would ever know. His aunt was too busy taking care of his mom to send things. But Sara had. Every few months for the last ten years, she’d shipped something. Homemade cookies. Magazines. There were dark days, times when he’d lost a brother-in-arms or the mission had gone sideways, and Grant would pull out one of the notes she’d enclosed in those packages and re-read it. He would run his fingers over the indentations made by her pen on the paper and feel a connection to someone back home.

  Sara’s lips curved into a smile. “You don’t need to thank me. That’s what friends do.”

  No, that’s what she did. None of his other friends had sent him care packages. But Sara thought it was normal, because that’s who she was.

  No matter how much Grant wished otherwise, Sara had this ability to slip under his armor, grab ahold of his heart and squeeze. It wasn’t her good looks—although she was stunning—it was her natural kindness that did him in.

  Sara glanced at her car. “I’d better go. Ben has baseball practice tonight, and knowing my son, he’s already announced I’m bringing cupcakes. The kids will be expecting these.”

  “Of course.”

  She tilted her head. “Do you want to come with me?”

  Alarm bells clanged in his head, an internal warning system sent from his head to his heart.

  She was Jared’s wife. He wasn’t staying in Hidden Hollows.

  There were a thousand other logical reasons why spending time with Sara was a terrible idea, but for some asinine reason, when Grant opened his mouth to say no, yes came out instead.

  4

  Sara

  What was she thinking?

  Sara hadn’t been thinking. Obviously. Extending the invitation to attend baseball practice had come out spontaneously. Grant was her friend, and he’d been Jared’s best friend. It seemed natural he’d want to see Ben.
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  But it also meant she might have to drive. She internally winced at the idea of Grant getting into her Honda. It’d started making a knocking noise the other day, and she hadn’t had the time to take it for repair. Or the money.

  When she’d taken over running Hidden Hollows Library six months ago, Sara had discovered it was in dire financial shape. She’d stopped taking a salary immediately to stem the bleeding and buy time, but the decision put a strain on her personal finances. The meager savings she’d squirrelled away over the years was dwindling.

  Which was exactly what she didn’t want Grant to discover. It would be utterly humiliating if he learned how badly Sara had been handling life lately. Jared had valued Grant’s opinion a great deal. Seeing disappointment in Grant’s eyes…well, that might break her.

  Sara shifted the bakery box in her hands. “Would you mind driving? I’d like to keep the cupcakes in one piece.”

  He chuckled. It was deep and vibrated through Sara in a way that she didn’t quite understand. Almost like attraction. But that was silly. Romance had never been part of their friendship.

  Grant wiggled his brows. “Are you afraid I’ll smash them all over your car if you brake too fast?” He reached for the passenger side door handle on the SUV. “Come on, Sara. It’s time for you to admit I’m the better driver.”

  The old joke brought a smile to her lips. “Dream on, Edwards.”

  Sara slid into the seat, careful to keep from crushing the sweets. Grant shut the door behind her and jogged around to the other side of the vehicle. She watched as he climbed in. Catching her gaze, he winked.

  Her cheeks heated. There it was. The famous Edwards charm. That, coupled with his good looks and sense of humor, had left all of Sara’s friends in high school breathless. Well, goodness, the women of Hidden Hollows were going to lose it when they caught sight of him now. As impossible as it seemed, in the last ten years, Grant had grown more attractive.