SEAL of My Dreams by Stephanie Bond; Elle Kennedy; Helen Brenna; Kylie Brant; Roxanne St. Clair; Cindy Gerad; Tara Janzen; Alison Kent; Helenkay Dimon; Jami Alden; Leslie Kelly; Jo Leigh; Marliss Melton; Gennita Low; Christie Ridgway; Barbara Samuel; Stephanie Tyler; Loreth Anne White

Author:Stephanie Bond; Elle Kennedy; Helen Brenna; Kylie Brant; Roxanne St. Clair; Cindy Gerad; Tara Janzen; Alison Kent; Helenkay Dimon; Jami Alden; Leslie Kelly; Jo Leigh; Marliss Melton; Gennita Low; Christie Ridgway; Barbara Samuel; Stephanie Tyler; Loreth Anne White
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books
Published: 2011-11-11T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Two

Why did men only get more attractive as they grew older? Jason was thirty years old—wasn’t that the time when things started to go downhill? The beer gut and receding hairline and all that fun stuff? But no, not Jason the-hottest-body-ever Anders. He, of course, had to look even sexier than before.

Jerk.

Callie locked up the shop and set the alarm, then walked around the side of the building toward the small parking lot. She headed for her rust-covered Toyota hatchback and unlocked the driver’s door. Sliding in, she started the engine, reached for the gearshift, and . . . hesitated.

One night.

Why was he only in town for one night? Why had he even come back? He’d said he was here for her, but she wasn’t about to buy that one.

Her heart squeezed as she remembered that awful day. He’d left. Stood her up, hopped a bus to Little Creek. No kiss goodbye. No goodbye, period. He hadn’t even called her once over the past four years. Oh, she’d gotten his packages—all jammed full of photographs he’d taken during his travels. Really good photographs, she grudgingly admitted to herself. But no surprise there. Jason had always been talented with a camera.

And now he was back. To explain apparently, but did she really want to hear what he had to say? They’d been dating since they were eighteen years old. She’d patiently waited while he’d served two tours in the Navy, while he’d joined the SEALs and risked his life every day for so long. Four years ago, he was supposed to be done. He was getting out, he’d told her. Ready to settle down and start a life with her.

But he left.

Just like that.

“Screw it,” she mumbled to herself, putting the car in drive.

She wasn’t going to fall under his spell again. Jason Anders was the most charming man she’d ever known. Smart, funny, incredibly attractive. He’d had it tough growing up—she’d witnessed that firsthand—but she’d thought he’d managed to come out of it even stronger. But then he’d bailed on her, and she’d spent the last four years picking up the pieces of her broken heart. Now that her heart was intact again, she refused to let Jason take another stab at it.

The sun had already set, and Main Street was bathed in the yellow glow from the lampposts lining the sidewalk. With the shops closed and the streets empty, the town was deserted. The sight normally brought her a sense of tranquility, but tonight it just annoyed her. Every day in Skylark Springs was the same as the one before. People woke up, went to work, went home, had dinner, went to bed, then did it all over again. A part of her had always envied Jason for managing to avoid the monotony of it all. God, she’d been tempted to leave this place too, so many times, but unlike Jason, she had responsibilities. A store to run, an aunt who depended on her, bills to pay.

Sighing, she halted at a stop sign, realizing she was nearing the turnoff that led to the Skylark Motel.