Page 34 of Protecting Peyton

I Will Get Back Up,

Every Time.

“Duke has the same one. It’s a part of the SEAL Creed,” he explained. “We don’t ever give up. That’s who we are. It’s how I behave. If I say I’m going to do something, I won’t stop because it’s hard. That’s the SEAL way.”

That was a good reason to be glad he’d agreed to stop trying to figure out my past.

He showed me another one. “I have these to remind me every day who I am and who I need to be.”

I Serve with Honor and Integrity,

On and Off the Battlefield.

Yes, he took pride in being a good man, just as Serena had told me. I stared at the tattoo contemplating its significance.

“Angel, what’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?”

“Don’t call me that.”

“I can’t lie. I saw you this morning, backlit by the sun, and that’s who you are to me now, since you won’t trust me with your real name.”

There was that word again,trust. I struggled to keep from crying. “Maybe not at work, okay?”

“No promises.”

“Then I can’t promise to not kick you in the balls if you do.”

He laughed. “Good luck trying that.”

I picked up my burger and answered his question around a mouthful of food. “Rocky Road.”

“Me too. See? We already have more in common than you thought.”

We got back to enjoying our meal. True to his word, his questions did not touch on my past.

After a while, March challenged me to a game of guessing what a person walking down the sidewalk on the other side of the street did for a living. It was fun, with some of the answers verging on ridiculous. Was there such a thing as a dog surfing instructor?

By the time we’d finished off the extra basket of fries we’d ordered, I’dso thoroughly enjoyed myself with March that I’d lost track of time. It was past the end of my lunch hour, and I hurried us back to work.

Like an old-school gentleman, he insisted on paying as we approached the counter. Knowing it would get ugly if I fought him, I agreed. The lunch had been a success. He’d agreed to stop asking about my past, and I’d sleep easier, knowing I could keep my secret.

“I pick the place next time,” he announced as he paid with his credit card.

That was another thing I couldn’t have on the run. I had to pay cash for everything. Fortunately, my fake ID had proved good enough for the corner check-cashing place where I took my paycheck. They were more interested in their exorbitant commission than being sticklers about someone’s paperwork.

“Ready?” he asked.

I smiled back at him. “Sure thing, Thor.”

The name just came to me. I’d never seen a man as muscled as March in real life, so why not a mythical superhero name?

He chuckled. “You have to do better than that.”

“Tough. That’s who you are to me now. Maybe I’ll get you a hammer.”

As we left the restaurant, I saw Frankie, my neighbor, partway down the block.

I quickly looked away.