that she had to admit came in handy. He had everything from water to hand sanitizer. Now he pulled out a small, tightly bound blanket. He set it down along the edge of the miniature, man-made water feature that closely resembled a wandering lake or river.
“What exactly are you doing?”
“Getting good seats.”
“For?”
“The nine o’clock fireworks show. Besides, my feet hurt.”
“We don’t have any more missions to complete, soldier?” She saluted him and pretended to stand at attention.
He turned and grabbed her around the waist, holding her towards the water. She screamed and gripped his forearms. “Will Hendricks, don’t you dare!”
He gave her a sinister grin. “Then quit mocking me.”
She shook her head, despite her precarious position. “I can’t. I just can’t do that. You have a color-coded system of how to navigate a theme park. I can’t ever promise I won’t mock you for it.”
“Then I can’t promise I’m not going to throw you over this rail into that water.”
“They’ll throw you out of the park.”
“They’d have to catch me first. I think I can outmaneuver the rent-a-cops who guard Disneyland.”
“The same place you brought a map and notes to navigate? Oh that’s real convincing of how bad-ass you are.”
He pushed her straight out from his body, and could have held her there for as long as he felt like, no doubt. Her feet dangled over the pavement. She rolled her eyes. “Okay, okay. I promise to never make fun of your anal plan for world preparedness.”
“You don’t sound remotely convincing.” He reluctantly lowered her feet to the ground.
She stepped back and to the side as people filtered between them, grinning she said, “Except for when you can’t reach me.”
She ran off with a laugh as he tried to grab her. She was smaller and able to duck in and out of people with an ease his muscle-bound bulk could not. She laughed as she wove up and down the square, around lines, vendors, crowds and people resting to eat. She made it around and through different themes until she became unsure which theme she found herself in. Having paid no attention where they were, because she was being escorted by a man who nearly had the map tattooed on his hands, she glanced back and nearly pumped her hand in the air. She managed to ditch him! She could never, ever outmaneuver, outman or outrun him. It took a thousand people milling around for her to do it, but she finally did. She stopped and bent over, catching her breath. She wasn’t in the shape her soldier husband was. Her heart was racing and her cheeks felt hot.
But she was having more fun than she’d ever had with a man. Flirting. Kissing. Playing. Being silly. Even as a teenager, she never experienced that. As a teenager there were never any dates or trips to a carnival. There was never playful innocence for her. So to experience it now was heady, exciting, better than any ride she could ever go on.
No doubt, Will sensed that and so provided it. How? How did he always know just exactly what was right for her, when she usually didn’t know?
She turned to head back and was suddenly caught from behind in a quick grasp of hands tightly around her waist that pulled her back. She shrieked and laughed, clawing the air to try and at least look like she could fight him.
She finally gave up and flopped against him like a deflated balloon. “How did you find me?”
“Special Forces.”
“Oh Lord. We can all sleep better knowing you Army men can navigate the treacherous war zones found in our theme parks.”
He set her on her feet and leaned down to say into her ear. “I can always find you. Don’t forget that.”
She tipped her head up, smiling. The teasing, laughing tone was gone from his voice. He sounded strangely alpha, the commander of the pack. “Why? Are you afraid I’m going to run?”
“All the time,” he said, his tone milder. She thought it sounded like they’d gone from kidding around to
“What exactly are you doing?”
“Getting good seats.”
“For?”
“The nine o’clock fireworks show. Besides, my feet hurt.”
“We don’t have any more missions to complete, soldier?” She saluted him and pretended to stand at attention.
He turned and grabbed her around the waist, holding her towards the water. She screamed and gripped his forearms. “Will Hendricks, don’t you dare!”
He gave her a sinister grin. “Then quit mocking me.”
She shook her head, despite her precarious position. “I can’t. I just can’t do that. You have a color-coded system of how to navigate a theme park. I can’t ever promise I won’t mock you for it.”
“Then I can’t promise I’m not going to throw you over this rail into that water.”
“They’ll throw you out of the park.”
“They’d have to catch me first. I think I can outmaneuver the rent-a-cops who guard Disneyland.”
“The same place you brought a map and notes to navigate? Oh that’s real convincing of how bad-ass you are.”
He pushed her straight out from his body, and could have held her there for as long as he felt like, no doubt. Her feet dangled over the pavement. She rolled her eyes. “Okay, okay. I promise to never make fun of your anal plan for world preparedness.”
“You don’t sound remotely convincing.” He reluctantly lowered her feet to the ground.
She stepped back and to the side as people filtered between them, grinning she said, “Except for when you can’t reach me.”
She ran off with a laugh as he tried to grab her. She was smaller and able to duck in and out of people with an ease his muscle-bound bulk could not. She laughed as she wove up and down the square, around lines, vendors, crowds and people resting to eat. She made it around and through different themes until she became unsure which theme she found herself in. Having paid no attention where they were, because she was being escorted by a man who nearly had the map tattooed on his hands, she glanced back and nearly pumped her hand in the air. She managed to ditch him! She could never, ever outmaneuver, outman or outrun him. It took a thousand people milling around for her to do it, but she finally did. She stopped and bent over, catching her breath. She wasn’t in the shape her soldier husband was. Her heart was racing and her cheeks felt hot.
But she was having more fun than she’d ever had with a man. Flirting. Kissing. Playing. Being silly. Even as a teenager, she never experienced that. As a teenager there were never any dates or trips to a carnival. There was never playful innocence for her. So to experience it now was heady, exciting, better than any ride she could ever go on.
No doubt, Will sensed that and so provided it. How? How did he always know just exactly what was right for her, when she usually didn’t know?
She turned to head back and was suddenly caught from behind in a quick grasp of hands tightly around her waist that pulled her back. She shrieked and laughed, clawing the air to try and at least look like she could fight him.
She finally gave up and flopped against him like a deflated balloon. “How did you find me?”
“Special Forces.”
“Oh Lord. We can all sleep better knowing you Army men can navigate the treacherous war zones found in our theme parks.”
He set her on her feet and leaned down to say into her ear. “I can always find you. Don’t forget that.”
She tipped her head up, smiling. The teasing, laughing tone was gone from his voice. He sounded strangely alpha, the commander of the pack. “Why? Are you afraid I’m going to run?”
“All the time,” he said, his tone milder. She thought it sounded like they’d gone from kidding around to
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