Lucas (Must Love Danger #5) - Emily Jane Trent Page 0,1

hair, wide eyes, and figure to pull that off. The more they talked, the more he liked her. She was unpretentious and easy to be around. Her gorgeous looks hadn’t gone to her head. Although that might happen when she made it to the top.

And that was where Haylee was headed. Her attitude convinced Lucas that success was within reach. He figured the next time he heard her voice it would be in a music video. And the next time he saw her would be on a stage in front of thousands of adoring fans.

Lucas got her phone number, but the odds of calling were low. He would be in training for the next couple of years, and then shipped overseas. Haylee would be in some metropolis surrounded by crowds. If Lucas saw her at all, it would be from a distance. And she would probably fall for some rock star, not a guy from Philly.

The flights were delayed but not canceled. Lucas was disappointed about that. He had hoped to spend the evening with Haylee. Instead, he was lucky to share a meal with her. But he wouldn’t forget her. Haylee was special. He hadn’t met a woman like her before—and doubted that he would again.

*****

Fifteen years later…

Lucas was home, and this time for good. He had been back to Philly over the years to visit family and spend time with his girlfriend, Anna. He had flown out of the airport in all seasons, but he was glad his final return was in the spring.

He had returned, unsure what he was coming back to. All he’d wanted was to stay with his SEAL team. He hadn’t thought beyond that until the injury. Even then, he’d assumed that it was temporary. A meniscus tear in his right knee had required surgery.

Removing the torn cartilage had left the knee area tighter and more prone to injury. After being out of action for eight weeks, Lucas had returned to duty. A second knee injury had put him out of action for good. He had knee pain when squatting or twisting, but he was functional.

The surgeon had told him that the pain would improve within a year, but the knee wouldn’t be as strong as pre-injury. That was good enough for civilian work but not good enough to stay with his SEAL team. Only the strongest and toughest could stand up to the demands.

Lucas had been up to the challenges for years, but no longer. That news had been devastating to his morale. His life had centered around duty, protecting the innocent, and using his bullheadedness for a good purpose. That was gone, and civilian life was unfamiliar.

Years ago, Anna had broken up with him. Lucas had dated her off and on in high school. Then the relationship had become more serious after his military training. Whenever he’d had a chance to come home, he spent time with her.

But it was difficult to maintain a long-distance relationship. Lucas did his best, but it was hard to find the time to write, and he didn’t get home that often. It wasn’t like she had made a commitment to him. Lucas had thought about proposing, but it hadn’t seemed like the right time.

Some of the guys had wives and families and made it work. Lucas hadn’t been sure that his relationship with Anna would hold up to the strain of being separated. It was hard for Anna to keep waiting, and he could hardly expect her to put her life on hold.

After a few years, Anna broke it off. She’d found someone else, a man who could give her more of what she needed. Lucas had been on deployment and was crushed by the news. He agonized over how he’d screwed things up. But there was nothing to be done. It was over, and he was a long way away. Anna had already moved on, and it wasn’t long before Lucas heard that she was engaged.

The truth was that Lucas didn’t know if he was a relationship type of guy anyway. He had been driven by duty and still was. His career had come first, and protection was what he was meant to do. Marrying and having a family seemed like what other guys did. Lucas had trouble envisioning settling down. He liked the excitement too much and craved the adrenaline pump that came with danger.

As Lucas rolled his luggage down the concourse, an image caught his eye. He stopped to look at the TV