SEAL My Love_A SEAL Brotherhood Novel by Sharon Hamilton

Author:Sharon Hamilton [Hamilton, Sharon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fiction, Military, Romance, SEALs
Publisher: Frog Haven Press
Published: 2018-03-18T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Gretchen took Trace to one place he’d never expect. It was to be the first of two tests she wanted to try out on him. He’d insisted on driving after Angie was dropped off, so she directed him to the parking lot of the International Rose Test Garden. The garden was just beginning to bloom out, and the buds were still moist from a light misting of rain that would be going on and off all day. The walkways and paths also had a spectacular view of the city and the river basin beyond.

“Roses. So you like roses, I take it,” Trace said as he helped her out of the car, but kept holding her hand, tucking it inside the right pocket of the Navy Pea Coat that had belonged to her ex. Trace had come from Hawaii without any intention of stopping anywhere wet and cold, so he would have frozen to death without it. She was surprised that it fit perfectly on his muscular frame. Tony was probably taller than Trace, but he didn’t have the huge shoulders of this handsome SEAL.

“I have about twenty rose bushes of my own back at the house. I love watching how they tend for them here. I don’t quite have the green thumb these guys have, but every year, I find something new. Occasionally, I can actually find them at the nursery.”

They walked along the crushed granite path between rows of deep green and red-brown new leaves of the compact bushes. Their tops and sides held spikes of velvet color bursts, some of them variegated or tipped in white looking like they’d been dipped in white chocolate. The aroma was heavenly.

“So tell me your favorite,” he requested.

This tickled her, and she stared down at her feet, feeling the casual comfort of their gait together in tandem. She stopped and scanned the garden looking for one particular bush. “Over here.”

She drew him to a deep burgundy-leaved bush with strong greenish purple branches and slightly devoid of thorns. On top perched several large buds of red roses nearly halfway opened, revealing a creamy pink-yellow color at the center. She bent over and gave it a sniff.

Trace did the same.

“Wow. Very spicy, but definitely an old rose fragrance,” he said.

“You say that like you’re an expert.”

“Back in Virginia, I actually had a vegetable garden, if you can believe such a thing.”

“Really?” She was fascinated. “You grow them now in San Diego?”

“Nope. I’m in an apartment. Housing’s a little more expensive. Back there, I actually had a yard. The married quarters.” He winced and rolled his right shoulder then looked to the side, avoiding eye contact.

“Can I ask you about those years, Trace? It’s none of my business, of course, but, well, you know a lot about my very public divorce. Was yours like that as well?”

He’d disconnected their handholding and was scanning the horizon with his back to her. When he turned, she saw him grinding his teeth. She wondered if she’d made a mistake.

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