Page 2 of A Very Grumpy Navy SEAL (Wolf Valley: Grumps #10)

TWO

Koa

Bunny? Where the hell did that come from? I think as I hold the curvy bombshell against me. The curvy bombshell who just so happens to be my best friend’s little sister.

I recognize her from the picture that Ledger sent me, and I steel myself. I release her quickly and step back, putting distance between us before I do something stupid like drag her against me and kiss her senseless.

Shit, what the hell is happening to me? Get it together!

I’m only in this little town as a favor to my best friend, Ledger.

His sister is moving here, and he’s worried about her.

He hasn’t been able to get in contact with her in a few weeks.

Since he’s still deployed and I'm headed stateside, I decided to do him a favor and use some of my leave to check on her for him.

I thought it would be hard to find her, but apparently not. The second I get to town, she runs right into me.

I drink her in, taking in her curves and the way her shirt strains over her full tits.

SHE’S LEDGER’S LITTLE SISTER!

I clear my throat and glance behind her at the diner.

“Sorry,” she says, sidestepping me.

I step in front of her before I even think about what I’m doing. It’s instinctual. I need to be close to this girl.

“I’m Koa,” I grunt, extending my hand.

“Uh, Lula,” she says, slipping her hand into mine.

We shake, but I hold on when she starts to pull away. “Ledger is worried about you.”

She blinks in surprise. “You know my brother?”

“Yeah, he’s my best friend.”

“Koa?” she asks as my name clicks in her head. “He’s talked about you.”

“He talks about you all the time.”

She smiles softly. I swallow hard. My fingers brush the back of her hand, and she inhales sharply.

Can she feel this attraction between us, too?

No, not attraction. This is way more than that. This is a certainty in my bones that I’ve found my other half and that we’re meant to be.

I’ve gone my whole life not even glancing at a girl. I’ve always been focused on other things, but now I’ve met Lula, I can’t look away. She has my full attention. She has my heart.

“What are you doing in Wolf Valley?”

I clear my throat. “I came to check on you. Ledger said he hasn’t been able to get hold of you in a while, and he was getting anxious.”

She looks upset for a moment. I want to tug her into my arms and comfort her, but she steps back.

“I’ve tried to call him, too, but it’s always a bad time. We’ve been playing phone tag for a few weeks,” she explains. “He didn’t have to send you here to check on me.”

“I don’t mind. I had some leave after my deployment.”

She nods, looking distracted, and I use the moment to wrap my arm around her waist and lead her back into the diner.

“Hey! For two?” the server asks, smiling curiously at Lula.

Probably because she was just leaving, I think.

“Yes, please.”

We’re led over to a booth. I slide in across from Lula and pass her a menu.

“I should call him,” she mumbles.

I nod, scanning my menu.

She pulls out her phone and curses.

“What’s wrong?” I ask in alarm.

“My battery died. I’ve been on it all day between driving up here and trying to find a place to stay.”

“You don’t have a place to stay?”

“No. I mean, I did, but there was a fire, and now I’m screwed.”

I hate that she looks so defeated. I want to hold her and make all her problems disappear.

Before I can offer to do that, my phone rings. I pull it out to see Ledger’s name on the screen.

“Speak of the devil,” I mutter.

“What?” Lula asks.

“It’s your brother. Hold on,” I tell her as I answer the call. “Hey,” I greet Ledger.

“Hey? Did you make it to Wolf Valley all right?”

“Yeah, just got here.”

“Did you get the picture I sent you of Lula?”

“Yep, and I found her.”

“She’s okay?”

“Seems to be. Hold on, I’ll pass the phone to her.”

“Thanks, man. I owe you.”

I pass my phone to Lula, and she smiles as she talks to her brother. I listen to her side of the conversation.

“No, I’m fine…Work is all right…No, I was laid off…This morning…I know, but I’ll find something else…Yeah, and somewhere else to live, too…It will be okay. I promise…Yeah…How are you?...Promise?... Okay, yeah, I’ll talk to you soon…I will. I promise…Okay, bye.”

She hangs up and passes my phone to me. “He says thanks, and he’ll talk to you later.”

I nod and tuck my phone back into my pocket. “What now?”

She takes a deep breath. “I’ll check into the hotel in town. I can charge my phone and get some rest. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.”

I nod, and the server returns to take my order.

“Can I get a BLT to go, please?”

“Coming right up,” she says.

I turn back to Lula, taking her in. She looks tired and a little defeated, but she’s strong. She’s a fighter, and I know that none of this will keep her down.

“What can I do to help?” I ask.

“Oh, it’s okay. I’ll be fine.”

I want to argue, but the server comes back with my takeout and the check. I pay in a hurry and stand to offer Lula my hand.

“Come on. I’m headed to the hotel, too.”

We leave in silence, and I walk her to her car. I wait until she’s safely inside before jogging across the parking lot to my car and climbing behind the wheel. I pull out of the lot behind my girl and follow her to the hotel.

We park next to each other, and I take a deep breath as we both climb out.

Every fiber of my being wants to stay close to Lula.

I want to touch her, to map out every inch of her body, to mold her curves in my palms. I want to learn all about her.

What does she want out of life? What are her hopes, dreams, and goals? What can I do to make her happy?

How can I convince her brother that no one will ever treat her better or love her more than I will?

This vacation isn’t going how I thought it would. I thought that finding Lula would be the hardest part of this trip. Turns out my biggest problem might be keeping my dream girl at arm’s length.