The Butterfly Effect (Boggy Creek Valley #1) - Kelly Elliott Page 0,5
that said a million and one different things, but none that I could read.
“I wish you told me you were here, I would have gone riding with you.”
His smile faltered for the briefest of moments. “I needed the alone time.”
With a quick nod, I replied, “I get that. By the way, congratulations, Frogman. I know I’ve written and told you, but I couldn’t wait to tell you in person.”
His dimples came out as he graced me with a wide smile. “Thanks.”
“How is it? Being a SEAL?”
“Good. Hard. A mind fuck most of the time, but I love it. My goal is to be on one of the best SEAL teams.”
“One of the best?”
“Yeah, the best of the best.”
I took his hand and led him over to the hay bales. “That doesn’t surprise me. You always did have the drive to be the best. You haven’t gotten hurt, have you?”
He shook his head. “Nah, not really.”
“Liar,” I said with a sharp look. If he thought he could hide the truth from me, he was wrong.
He raised his hands in defeat. “Never could lie to you, Willa.”
We both sat down, and I turned to face him, crossing my legs as I tried not to ogle him. The way he looked was enough to set my panties on fire. “Hunter has been keeping me up to date with how things are going when I don’t hear from you as often as I’d like.”
He frowned and looked away.
“It’s okay, I know you’re busy, and you talk to him on the phone more often than you write. Will you stay stationed in Virginia Beach?”
He nodded. “Yeah, if I stay on the same SEAL team.”
“And you’re going out on deployment again?”
He nodded.
“Where to?”
He drew in a breath and then sighed. “Can’t really share a whole lot of what I do.”
“I get that. No social media?”
He shook his head. “No. But I can email you if you want to keep in touch more often.”
“I’d like that,” I said with a grin.
“Not sure how often it will be though.”
“Is there, um…anyone, you know…” My voice trailed off.
A sexy grin moved across his face. “No, I don’t know.”
I rolled my eyes because I knew he knew what I meant. “Are you dating anyone?”
He laughed. “No. I haven’t had time for any of that, and honestly, I don’t think it’s a good idea to be involved with anyone. I need to keep my head on, and thinking about some girl and what she’s doing while I’m deployed would not allow me to think straight. I see some of the guys on my team get messed up when it comes to girls.”
“That makes sense,” I said, trying not to show how happy I was that he wasn’t seeing anyone—while still hating that he said he wasn’t interested in getting involved.
“You?” he asked as he stared into my eyes.
I shook my head. “No. I mean, I’ve dated a few guys, but not for long. I’m not really interested in getting involved with anyone.”
Aiden reached out and ran one of my loose strands of hair between his fingers. “A woman as beautiful as you should have guys beating down your door.”
A rush of flutters hit my stomach. “You finally don’t see me as a little girl anymore, huh?”
His eyes darkened. “I haven’t seen you as a little girl in a number of years, Willa.”
That caused me to lift my brows. “Are you stalking me?”
He laughed. “I do have ways to keep tabs on you, if I really wanted to.”
I laughed. “I bet you do. Have you been deployed to very dangerous places?”
His brows went up. “Um…why?”
With a shrug, I replied, “I don’t know, I just worry about you.”
He nodded and finally let my hair slip from his fingers as he dropped his hand. Whatever spell he had been under, it was now broken. His throat bobbed as he swallowed, and he looked away from me. “I don’t know what in the hell I’m doing.”
I drew my brows together in confusion. “What do you mean?”
Aiden let out a small chuckle and shook his head. “Nothing, I don’t mean anything. I’m tired.”
My heart hammered in my chest so loudly I was positive he heard it. “Did you want to come into the house? My folks are at a Christmas Eve party and, well, you know where Hunter is. Lacy’s at the same party.”
Aiden looked back at me, a strange expression on his face. “I think about you a lot, Willa. Your smile…it always did make