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  He took off his flip-flops and reached out. “I’ll hold them.”

  “Just because I have one hand doesn’t mean I can’t hold my own shoes.”

  He swiped her flip-flops anyway. “Just because you can hold them doesn’t mean I don’t want to do the gentlemanly thing and hold your shoes. You could just say thank you.”

  “Oh, that’s what you are, are you? A gentleman?”

  Sputtering, he wondered for a moment why he was even messing with trying to date this girl. She had such a chip on her shoulder. Then he thought of when she’d started giggling in the car earlier when all the horns were honking. It’d been the most beautiful thing he’d heard in a long time. Honest, raw, truthful. Not the silly patronizing laughter from the women he usually dated. He never knew if their laughter was real or not. “Yes, I am a gentleman.”

  “Hmm.”

  They fell into step down the beach. His feet sank into the sand, and the waves barely reached his feet. “Not that you’re a lady.”

  “Pshh. What are you talking about?”

  He scoffed. “As I said earlier, you left me dancing in the middle of that Sloane Kent song. That was not nice.”

  Regret washed over her face, and she was quiet for a few moments. She sighed. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

  Not saying anything, he focused on walking next to her. He leaned in. “Is that lemon?”

  Her head jerked her head to his. “Are you seriously smelling me?”

  He roared out a laugh at her horrified reaction. “Yes, woman, that’s what men do. They smell women.” He widened his eyes. “It’s how we decide if we want to eat them.”

  Narrowing her eyes, she stepped a bit away from him. “It’s a lotion I use.”

  He stepped closer. “I like it.”

  She laughed. “You’re … blunt.”

  “Russell would say I come on too strong when I want something.”

  Kennedy stared at him, startled and confused. “Why would you say that?”

  “Because I’m clearly chasing you, girl, in case you didn’t notice.”

  “You … you’re …” She trailed off, slowed to a stop, and looked out to the ocean. “You’re different.”

  He stood next to her, looking out too. “Why?”

  Silence reigned for a bit, and he wondered if she was going to shut down, as was the pattern he’d gotten from her.

  After a while, she turned and stared into his eyes. “My last boyfriend,” she said sarcastically, “seemed like he was really into me too. But one day he told me that he just couldn’t get over the fact that I only had one hand. He just couldn’t live with it.” She scoffed. “Like I’m some cripple, ya know?”

  Ouch. Kyle’s heart softened. This woman was brave and fierce, but at the moment, she was so fragile. He just wanted to hold her, but he knew she didn’t want that. He’d discovered that sometimes people just need to be heard and validated. “I’m sorry. That guy was a jerk.”

  She blinked and looked up at him. “You’re right. He was.”

  He waited for a bit before taking her hand. “In my experience, some people with great disadvantages in life will do more than others who seem to have everything will ever do.”

  Her lips turned up. “I like that.”

  “It’s about time you liked something about me,” he said. She frowned at him, which made him smile. This girl was tough, and he liked a challenge. “I plan to sweep you completely off your feet during this trip, so be prepared.”

  Carefully, she pulled her hand back. “The only thing that sweeps me off my feet is a surfboard.”

  Chapter 8

  When Kennedy got home, she immediately changed her clothes and started to pack. It didn’t take that long. After all, she was only staying three nights, but she had no idea what she really needed, so she threw in a bunch of stuff. While she packed, she couldn’t seem to calm down. She was so nervous. She was going on a date to Jackson with Kyle Bones?

  Just a trip, she reminded herself.

  Puttering into the kitchen, she noticed a note from her roommates taped to the milk: “Try to have fun this summer, Kenns. Love you. Carrie and Jenna.”

  Ah, she did love her roommates.

  Whipping out her phone, she texted them. You’re not going to believe it. I’m going to Jackson, WY this weekend with Kyle Bones. I can’t believe you got me into this, Carrie!

  Carrie texted back almost immediately. What?

  Hahaha, that’s awesome! Jenna replied.

  You won! I’m jealous! Carrie emojied a million things: hearts, dolphins, and butterflies.

  Kennedy had never been good at confrontation with her roommates. They felt like sisters, and she didn’t like ticking them off. Sorry it’s not you. She knew how much Carrie would want this.

  Have fun! Carrie wrote back.

  Yes! Jenna said.

  Kennedy took out a glass and gulped back a drink. She had two hours before Kyle picked her up. She mulled over their not-date, thinking of his hand in hers while they walked briefly on the beach and what he’d said about only having one hand.

  It was stupid, but it was her life. She’d lived with a missing hand since the accident. The first year had been awful, but her grandmother had helped her move on.

  Grandmother. She wished she could call her at a time like this.

  Her mind flashed back to Kyle. The unsettling thing was how this gorgeous man, more of a man than anyone she had ever even thought of dating, wanted to go out with her.

  She leaned against the counter and sighed. Why would he want to date her so badly? It wasn’t like a guy like that would be hurting for women. She didn’t know much about him, but she realized just then she wanted to know more.

  Out of guilty curiosity, she Googled him. The first few hits were all the recent coverage of him in the media for this Sparring for Vets project. He was shaking hands with a man by the name of Scar Walker. Both of them were built. That was for sure.

  She found assorted articles about him and gyms he’d opened around Florida. She liked his logo of a big bone and a guy chopping it in half. Bones Gyms.

  Then she found exactly what she’d been looking for: an article about him coming back from the dead, about how he’d been captured and his team had fought their way out of the jungle. It was horrifying.

  In a few pics, she could see hints of the winding tattoo she knew was on his back and that came over his shoulder. She wanted to ask about it. What did it mean?

  She studied his eyes in the shot. Those eyes held lots of secrets. Secrets she was pretty sure she might not be able to handle. Russell had mentioned how hard it had been, but Kennedy knew there was so much she didn’t know.

  She read the piece about how things hadn’t worked out with Cassidy Stone. Inevitably, there was some press on that, especially since Cassidy had married NFL star Anthony Kincaid. She brought up a recent article that had a picture of Anthony, Cassidy, and their small toddler. Now, Cassidy was pregnant again. They would be there this weekend too? Dang. It mystified her. That could be Kyle. He was old. It was only seven years, but reading all of this, it felt like a lot.

  A smile played on her lips. When hanging out with him in the car, eating ice cream, and walking on the beach, it hadn’t felt like he was that much older. It was true: he was more of a gentleman than she’d ever met before. Ever really imagined existed.

  She snapped her fingers. She didn’t read romance novels, but Jenna did. He was like one of those strong, ripped guys on the covers of them.

  Nervous butterflies filled her. What would he plan for Jackson? And how was she supposed to report this on The Ray Ray Show on Tuesday?

  Her phone buzzed. She picked it up, expecting it would be one of her roommates.

  To her delight, Kyle’s name lit up the screen. Be ready for anything, surf girl. Please make sure you pack shorts, T-shirts, and tennis shoes. Bring a swimsuit, and a summer dress. An outfit for the all-stars concert. Picking you up in an hour.

  Adrenaline shot t
hrough her. She texted back. Ok. The butterflies that had been in her stomach now thrummed up into her chest.

  He texted back a dancing salsa girl.

  Unexpectedly, she laughed. Kyle Bones was preparing to sweep her off her feet.

  * * *

  Kennedy was ready when he knocked. As she threw back the door, she noticed how Kyle looked like a Greek god in Under Armour gear with Top Gun sunglasses. The side of his lip was quirked up. “Ready?” He put his hand out.

  “I’m not taking your hand.”

  He dropped it and shrugged nonchalantly. “Okay, let’s go.”

  She locked up the apartment, and he took her bag off her shoulder.

  “Don’t argue about it,” he said.

  They went down to his car, where he put her luggage in the back seat. He opened the passenger door, and she got in. Before she knew it, they were getting on the freeway and speeding toward the airport.

  “This is crazy.” She felt excited and a bit out of breath. All she could think about was how much he smelled like an amazing cologne she wanted to know the name of, but she would never ask. That was too weird. It had been weird when he’d done it to her. “Would you tell me the itinerary for the weekend?”

  “Uh-uh. You’ll have to wait and see, surf girl.”

  The man seemed utterly focused. His blond hair was all messy and gelled. He had the perfect amount of facial hair today, and when she saw his Under Armour shirt stretching around his shoulders and biceps in all the right places, she forced herself to look away.

  No, no, no. She shouldn’t be attracted to this man. She squeezed her eyes shut for a second, trying to resist. He was older. He was rich. Dang, this should be Carrie’s guy. She bit her lip and turned to look out the window, watching the freeway fly beneath them.

  He wasn’t her type. Her mind flashed to her ex: computer nerd Evan. Was he her type? He didn’t even surf. No, but she faltered, unable to come up with a reason Kyle couldn’t be her type.

  Kyle didn’t turn in to the general parking. He went to a special gate and showed a badge, and they let him through.

  “Where are we going?”

  He grinned at her. “I have a plane, so we’ll just go straight to it.”

  Kennedy realized again it wasn’t just the years between them. She thought about the millions of dollars between them, and wilted. “Oh my gosh, you seriously need to take me back home.”

  Glancing at her, he easily navigated to a small, tan plane. “Why? The fun is just beginning.”

  “That’s right. You’re spending way too much on this.”

  He parked and burst into laughter. “You have something against spending money?”

  Overwhelmed, she gave a little shake of her head. “Uh, I don’t know. I guess not.”

  “Money doesn’t make a man. Money is just a tool.” He sighed. “I never thought I’d be able to do what I’ve done with my gyms, but people are crazy for MMA right now. God has helped me a lot.”

  “So you believe in God?” she asked, though she wasn’t sure why.

  The side of his lip tugged up. “You don’t go through what I’ve been through and not believe in God.”

  She nodded, liking him even more, which annoyed her. She didn’t want to like him. She wanted to like him less.

  “Do you believe in God?” he asked quietly.

  She blinked and felt vulnerable, unsure whether she should answer or not. “I used to.”

  Hesitating, he looked like he wanted to say something. In the end, he only nodded and got out and went around the car.

  She started to open the door, but he’d already gotten there. “I told you I’m a gentleman. Please let me open doors for you.”

  Her heart thrummed inside her chest, and she felt like she was in one of those holiday movies where an undercover prince shows up and wants to date you. “Right, sorry.”

  Kyle grabbed their bags out of the back and gestured for her to come with him.

  A man in uniform stood next to the stairs of the plane. “Mr. Bones.” He nodded.

  Kyle smiled at him. “Hey, Griff, this is Kennedy. She’ll be flying with us today.”

  “Nice to have you. Watch your step.” The pilot put out his hands to Kyle. “Mr. Bones, please let me take those bags up for you.”

  Kyle shook his head. “Thanks, Griff, but I need the workout. Ate too much mint ice cream today.” He winked at Kennedy.

  They climbed up the steps to the posh leather interior. It smelled amazing, like that new car smell. Kyle put their bags in the front seat and nodded to the rest of the seats. “You pick. Where do you want to sit?”

  Letting out a soft laugh, she exhaled and pointed to two seats that were across from each other with a little table in between. “I guess there.”

  Kyle nodded and moved to the farthest side.

  She sat across from him.

  Their eyes met, and all sorts of crazy signals were going on inside of her. For once, it didn’t feel like he was smirking at her or being smug. His eyes seemed happy. “I’m glad you came.”

  “Me, too.” She glanced out the window and saw a guy with a clipboard checking things. “This is weird.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I feel like I’m in a movie. It’s just … Carrie is going to be so ticked. She would have loved to have a ride in your plane.”

  Kyle grinned. “Carrie is nice, but I’m glad I’m here with you.”

  Her stomach flip-flopped, and she looked away from him, trying to see out the small windows, but she couldn’t see much.

  Kyle glanced at the seat beside him. “Want to come sit by me?”

  This made her nervous. “Why?”

  He lifted and lowered his shoulder. “So I can smell that lemon scent better?”

  “No!”

  He laughed. “I’m kidding, but I would like you to sit by me so we can talk.”

  With a grumble, she relented, unbuckling her seat belt and sitting beside him. She got a whiff of his cologne and her attraction to him went up a notch.

  He pumped his eyebrows at her. “Hey.”

  Dang, he was close. She met his eyes, and for the first time, she wondered what it would be like to kiss this man.

  Chapter 9

  “You’re thinking you want to kiss me, aren’t you?” Kyle certainly wanted to kiss this beautiful woman right now.

  “I wasn’t thinking that,” Kennedy said, but her cheeks went red and she turned away from him.

  He let out a breath. Man, she was hot and cold.

  “You’re definitely not my type.” She glanced back at him, then back to the front.

  Kyle chortled. “To think I could have gone on a trip with someone else who might have enjoyed my company. Possibly a woman who might have been my type.”

  She shook her head at him. “You’re cocky.”

  “So you’ve said. Man, I’m not used to a woman like you.”

  She stiffened. “Right. You’re used to casting your spell and having all the princesses come at your beck and call.”

  This woman would drive him crazy. He surrendered. “Back to this Prince Charming thing.”

  “So I should be batting my eyes and feel graced to be in your presence?” She blew out a breath.

  He scoffed. “Should I be looking for a slipper or something?”

  “Am I Cinderella?”

  “I have no idea. Should I be slaying dragons?”

  For a moment, she cocked her head to the side, considering it.

  He laughed. “What?”

  “Nothing. Oh my gosh.” Her face reddened even more.

  “What?” He knew she was feeling embarrassed about something, and he wanted to get it out of her.

  “I just … my roommate has these romance books, and the covers …” She put her face in her hands. “I’ll shut up now.”

  Kyle could sense she was on the verge of saying something good. He nudged her, but flinched back when he noticed he was nudging the stump of her missing hand. He knew that for a w
hile it had hurt Russell to have anyone touch it. “What do you want to say?”

  Luckily, his faux pas didn’t seem to bother her. She just kept her head down. “Nothing.”

  He nudged her again, this time closer to the shoulder. “Spill it.”

  “Ugh. I just thought you looked like you could be on the cover with your tattoo on your back and your muscles. Now, all I can see is you holding some sword and some dragon behind you.” She buried her head deeper into her hands. “I cannot believe I told you that.”

  He, on the other hand, was thrilled she’d said that. He scoffed out a laugh.

  Jerking her head up, she scowled at him, then pointed to her missing hand. “See? You are so cocky.”

  Without thinking, he took her arm. “Don’t point in my face.”

  She looked at his hand. He winced internally, unsure whether he’d overstepped the lines. “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “I’m holding your arm.”

  She blinked and swallowed. “Does it gross you out?”

  “Why would it? It’s your body.” He gave her a soft smile and gently ran his hand up to her shoulder, then back down to her elbow, and then the flesh that was now smooth where her hand had been. “I happen to like your body.”

  For another beat, she didn’t move. Then she yanked it free and turned away.

  He winced. “That probably came out all wrong.”

  “Don’t do that,” she said quietly.

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s weird.”

  “Why?”

  She turned back to him. “Because I’m different.”

  “Listen,” he said, deciding to be honest with her. “The other day on the beach, when I saw you, I just saw a beautiful woman teaching a little boy to surf. You were so determined. Like—like you’d just been at war and were coming off the battlefield. I wanted to get to know you.”

  “Because you felt sorry for me?”

  “What?”

  “Because of my situation.” She raised her missing limb.

  “I told you I don’t care about that. I mean it. Look, I served three tours. I saw things I never want to talk about again. I’m haunted by things …” He felt his throat tighten, and he didn’t even want to think about some of the dreams that wouldn’t stop coming. “I don’t care that you only have one hand. Russell is my best friend, and I honestly don’t even notice it anymore. The thing I’ve learned from him is that you don’t get a pass either.”