Page 73 of Cowboy SEAL Homecoming

Chapter 17

Becca blinked at the odd glow creeping from behind her curtain. It wasn’t the warm shaft of light that existed when the sun rose in the morning, and when she glanced at her clock, it was only one in the morning, so there shouldn’t be sun at all.

She pushed out of bed and pulled the curtain back, something in her heart catching at what she saw. The light outside the bunkhouse door was on, as were a few lights inside. All lights that hadn’t been on when she’d gone to bed a few hours ago giddily dreaming about her date with Alex.

Alex, who was probably the culprit. She sighed, worry lodging like an uncomfortable weight in her stomach. He worked too much and too hard.

She knew he’d want her to pretend she hadn’t seen this. He’d want her to forget it and go back to bed, but…

Well, they had kissed, and they were going on a date, so didn’t she have some…well, not say necessarily, but input? She could voice her opinion, and that didn’t mean he had to take it, but she had something of a right to speak up.

Someone had to say something. Gabe hadn’t liked her poking her nose into things, and she understood that. He’d objected to her telling Gabe about something that had been between her and Alex. What she should have done was take it up with Alex himself and not involve other people.

So now she would.

She dug through her closet for a hoodie and pulled it on before padding downstairs. In the dark, she felt around for her boots and coat, not wanting to wake anyone else up. She eased the door open and stepped out into the frigid spring night.

Moonlight lit her way to the bunkhouse, and she glanced up at the pattern of stars above her. “I sure hope you’re looking down on me, Burt. I need all the help I can get with this son of yours,” she muttered.

She steeled herself on a deep breath in and pushed the door open as she slowly let it out.

Alex glanced up from where he was working on something with the floors. He held a hammer in one hand, a variety of tools lined up next to the wall.

He got to his feet. “Becca. What…are you doing?”

“Wondering why a light is shining into my window.” She hugged herself against the cold and bit her tongue against telling him he should be wearing a coat.

“Your window?”

“The light on the outside shines directly into my bedroom window.”

“Oh, shit. I’m sorry.” His forehead scrunched into lines of confusion. “How did a little light wake you up?”

“I’m always a light sleeper when I’m worked up about something.”

“What are you worked up about?” he asked, clearly ready to swoop in and fix it for her. She wished she could decide if she liked that or hated it, but all she ever felt was some mixture of both.

So, instead of deciding, she went with a joke. “Oh, just this guy…” She sighed heavily, trying not to smile. “He asked me out, and I have no idea what I’m going to wear.”

She got the reaction she’d been hoping for—something very close to a laugh—and she grinned. But even with the levity, her heart pinched and her smile died.

“Why are you out here, Alex?”

“I…found mice.”

“Gross.” Becca wrinkled her nose. “But why are you finding mice at one in the morning?”

Alex glanced at his watch. “Oh. Huh. Must have lost track of time.”

She forced herself to move forward, to be strong and determined. Not her area of expertise, but every new thing had to start somewhere. “I’m worried about you.”

“Don’t be.”

“You do realize telling someone not to worry is like telling someone not to breathe. It’s not a voluntary action.”

“I’m fine.”

“Do you ever get tired of saying that?”