Page 78 of Cowboy SEAL Homecoming

Happy, she realized. Even though they were giving him crap, he was glad they were because they were laughing and smiling and happy.

He watched them leave and didn’t turn to face her until he was certain they were alone. Then his dark gaze met hers and he took a step toward her.

Her heartbeat kicked up, the breath she’d inhaled catching in her lungs. He seemed to take in all of her—her hair, her outfit, her. She swallowed.

“You’re beautiful,” he finally said, low and sincere.

The compliment fluttered in her chest and she could only smile at him. He thought she was beautiful. What was she supposed to do with that?

“Are you ready to go?”

She nodded.

“Are you going to speak on this date?”

She nodded again, more out of humor than because she didn’t have anything to say.

“Funny girl,” he murmured. But he smiled and gestured toward the door and this was really happening. She was going on a date. With Alex Maguire.

She followed, relishing the little flutter of nerves as they pulled on their coats. It was different than the nerves from earlier. Because something about Alex set her at ease even as they walked out toward where the trucks were parked.

“Do you think we could take my truck?”

“Because you have to drive?” he asked drily.

“No. I just feel weird about going on a date in your dad’s old truck.”

His steps paused for a second, and when he continued, she noticed the little flinch of a limp before he smoothed it out. “Fair point. But I am driving. I don’t care about your truck rule.”

“If you insist.” She didn’t particularly care about it herself right now.

If he was nervous, it didn’t show. He seemed completely comfortable as they got into her truck and started driving toward town. He didn’t fidget. He didn’t stammer. He asked a few questions about her day and everything felt normal.

Except for the fact that she knew she was on a date, which was not normal at all.

“The bunkhouse is going slower than we thought it would, but we’re still making some progress,” he offered into the silence.

“You know, I was thinking that I wish we had some place for women to stay on-site.”

“Women? Plural?”

“Well, eventually we’ll have to hire more staff. We could hire all former military for that, but it wouldn’t have to be all male. It’d be nice for Monica and me to not be completely surrounded by gruff military men.”

“We’re not all gruff.”

She slid him a look. “Sure. Gabe is very personable. Till you piss him off. Jack grows on you once you get past all the prickly stuff. You—you are gruff.”

“Am I now?”

“Oh yes. And if three out of three have gruff tendencies, I’m going to need the rational, calming influence of women.”

Alex snorted and she scowled at him.

“I like the idea of hiring as much former military as we can,” Alex continued. “Men would be easier to start just because they could bunk in the house, but long-term, we can work on coed housing.”

Becca chewed on her lip. “Should we be talking about this? Work?”

“What else is there to talk about?”