Montana SEAL (Brotherhood Protectors #1)(23)

Alone again with Hank, Sadie felt panic rise up inside. Her natural inclination was to lean into his arms and kiss him in the light of the fading sunlight. The scent of pine and pinion and the cool, crisp air reminded her too much of when they would sit on the porch, wrapped in a warm blanket, watching the sun set over the top of the mountains.

Life had been so much simpler then.

Hank’s arm dropped from around her. “I’ll get the groceries.”

Sadie turned. “I’ll help.” She followed him to the back of the SUV. They bumped into each other several times collecting the bags. Each nudge sent a shower of electrical sparks through her, and she nearly dropped a carton of eggs.

Hank dove to catch them, his lips quirking at the corners. “You seem nervous. Is something bothering you?”

She glared up at him. “You.”

He raised his brows, all innocence, making her want to crunch the eggs against his chest. “I’m just playing the part. Nothing else. Unless, of course, you prefer to take it a step further.” His gaze challenged her.

“No.” She jerked the carton of eggs out of his hand. “I meant it. We live in different worlds. You would not be happy in my world. I won’t drag you into it.”

“Spoken like a true snob.” He winked. “Don’t worry. I’m just the bodyguard. I know my place.”

Sadie’s heart skidded to a halt. “Is that what you think? That you’re not good enough for LA?” She set the eggs down in the back of the SUV and cupped her hands around his face. “Oh, Hank. You have it all wrong. Hollywood isn’t good enough for you. It’s a terrible place with all the backstabbing, money-grubbing catfights, everyday of the week. The press never leaves you alone, and they make up stories if their ratings fall. They can be so vicious and insensitive. One minute, you’re a rising star, the next, they’re tearing you down or printing disparaging lies about you.”

“Then why do you do it?”

Sadie laughed. “I ask myself that question often.” She looked out at the pastures with the mountains rising up behind them. “I love acting. The idea of taking a script and bringing the character alive is like a form of art to me. That drive came from my love of adventure and fantasy when I read books during the long winters. I could feel everything the characters felt. The physical as well as emotional obstacles were just as much mine as the fictional characters in the stories. When I acted in school plays, I found I enjoyed bringing those characters to life, helping the audience see and feel the struggles through the way I portrayed them. I felt that if the audience laughed or cried, it was like giving them a gift, inviting them into another world, if only for the length of the show.”

When she turned back to Hank, heat rose in her cheeks. “It sounds silly. I know.”

Hank set his grocery bags aside and took her hand in his, drawing her closer. “Far from it. You have a passion for acting. It shines from your face and in your work. It doesn’t come from wanting to be rich and famous. You give your characters the voices they deserve. They’re rich in emotion and feeling. Just like you.” He raised her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss into her palm. “You’re amazing. And that’s why everyone loves you.”

Sadie’s breath caught and held, waiting for him to say that he loved her, too. When he didn’t, she hid her disappointment. What did she expect? She’d told him his services would no longer be needed once she left Montana and returned to LA. Their limited time together would be strictly platonic.

What kind of stupid was she? Platonic with Hank was like throwing a shark into a tank with a seal and expecting the shark not to eat the seal. Not loving Hank went against every grain of her nature. Separated by years and distance, she’d never stopped loving the cowboy she’d grown up with. Never stopped measuring other men by the standard he’d set. Now that he was a grown man, with years of military service behind him, hardened by battle, he was even more desirable. She was doomed to fall in love with him all over again.

“Sadie—”

She dropped his hand. He had his life. She had hers. “Let’s get these groceries in. I’m cooking dinner, since Carla won’t be here.”

He stared at her a moment longer. “I’ll help.”

Together, they unloaded the SUV and stowed the items in the refrigerator and pantry. Hank carried his duffle bag into the house and set it on the floor in the entryway.

Her heart fluttered, and a deep ache pressed hard, low in Sadie’s belly. If they were just two people who lived in Montana, and didn’t have other outside commitments, she’d tell him to park his things in her room, where they’d make love until the sun came up. Oh, sweet Jesus, how she wished she could go back to being that simple girl from Eagle Rock, Montana. She could feel the words on her lips and imagine Hank’s reaction.

With a sigh of resignation, she headed for the kitchen, calling over her shoulder. “You can put your things in Fin’s old room. First door on the right at the top of the stairs.” They’d both come too far to go back to the simple life.



* * *



Hank ditched his bag in Fin’s old room, which didn’t look anything like the room he remembered. Gone were the football trophies, rodeo buckles and posters of his favorite bull riders. In their places were abstracts with splashes of red, tan and black. The walls had been painted a flat tan, and the solid wood four-poster bed sat at an angle in the corner of the room. Hank had the urge to center it on the wall where the bed used to be when Fin had been in high school. Instead, he turned and left the room as it was.