Oh thank fucking god. He’s not mad. But I’d like to know who the fuck outed me to him about my minor phobia.
“Yes, sir.”
He stares at me for several intense seconds before giving me a slight nod. I dare say it’s…approval?
“Did you have fun, Vanessa?” he asks his daughter.
“It was amazing! Alaska’s so beautiful. I knew, but I didn’t reallyknow. It almost makes me want to move here.”
My heart fucking stops beating.
Did Vanessa Wheeler just say what I think she said?
“Don’t get too carried away now,” Admiral Wheeler says on a chuckle. “Alaska has a way of sweeping people up in the moment. How would you ever run your business from such a remote location?”
Vanessa’s sparkling expression fades, her smile dropping into a frown.
She hasn’t told him.
Well, fuck.
Any chance, however small, that Admiral Wheeler was playing matchmaker has just been completely obliterated. I should’ve known better. He’d never approve of Vanessa giving up her very successful career to move to some tiny dot on the map. Even if she tells him what she told me last night outside Mom’s food truck, he wouldn’t want her moving somewhere small and remote that could stifle her future.
I resist the urge to reach for her hand, desperately wanting to give it a reassuring squeeze.
“Sir, would you like to join the J-Squad for dinner atThe Iceberg?” I offer, hoping to break the tension.
“Thank you, Captain Steele. But I’m afraid I can’t tonight.”
“Dad, can we talk somewhere?—”
Before Vanessa can finish her sentence, Admiral Wheeler is summoned across the hangar. He pats her shoulder in apology, but doesn’t otherwise acknowledge her plea. Though I have a helluva lot of respect for the man, I’m fucking frustrated with him now. Can’t he see his daughter needs him?
I reach for Vanessa’s hand and squeeze. Her gaze flickers to mine, and I swear a silent conversation takes place in the few seconds I’m daring enough to hold her hand. I feel the disappointment rolling off her of her in waves, and I’m determined to fix it.
Today.
“Ready for your next North Haven adventure?” I ask.
“More than ready,” she admits, squeezing my hand back before dropping it.
10
VANESSA
Dinnerwith the J-Squad is nothing like I expected. Though to be honest, I don’t really knowwhatI expected. These six coastguardsmen have been together since bootcamp. They’re not just servicemen, they’re brothers.
“You ready for the rapid-fire introductions?” Ella Harris asks, leaning her shoulder toward me so I can hear her better. I scan the table, counting six men in uniform and four other women.
“Will there be a quiz later?” I joke.
“Most definitely.” The genuine quality of her smile is comforting, as though she’s already accepted me into this elite club. I can’t decide if I’m flattered or terrified. It was one thing to have Jasper all to myself in Cape Cod, onlyhearingabout the people in his life. But to meet them in person has leveled up the experience. I just can’t decide if I want to fit in or sprint straight to the airport and head back to Houston. It’s all so much.
“Okay, so starting at the head of the table, we have Jaxson and his wife, Blakely. He’s a rescue swimmer, and she’s a wildlife photographer. She’s also Jordan’s sister. They just had a baby a little less than a year ago. Doesn’t she look amazing?”
“She does.”
She continues around the table, pointing out James—another pilot like Jasper—and his wife, Serenity. Apparently she’s responsible for the new lodge’s construction.Good job, Serenity.
