Like any great actress, Ursula Chambers knew when it was time to make an exit.
Chapter 3
“Put this on so you won’t be cold.”
Kate shook her head quickly as she saw Sam reach for the buttons of his dress blue uniform jacket. “No, thanks. I’ll be fine.”
“The jeep doesn’t have a top.” He slipped the last button from its hole and shrugged off the jacket. “And you’re only wearing your running clothes.”
She told herself not to look. For the past five hours she’d been hearing variations on the same lecture in her head. But she was only human, so she couldn’t prevent her gaze from wandering.
How could it be possible for his shoulders to be broader than she remembered, for his chest to be more solid? The white shirt he wore beneath the jacket was flattened to his body by the breeze, defining the masculine contours like a lingering caress.
She looked away. She was no longer his lover. She was his colleague, his equal in rank. “Keep it, Sam. You’re only wearing a shirt yourself.”
“Yeah, but haven’t you heard? SEALs are tough.” Without waiting for permission, he settled the jacket around her shoulders.
“Sam…”
He rounded the hood of the jeep and hopped into the driver’s seat. “Come on, Kate. I’ll take you home.”
There was no point arguing. Sam hadn’t changed—he still liked to get his way.
Which was one of the reasons she’d let him go.
She took the seat beside him and clutched the lapels of the jacket together. Pleasant warmth flowed into her from the heat of his body that was trapped in the garment. His scent surrounded her, teasing her with awareness, daring her to remember.
“How long have you been in Montebello, Kate?”
“Seven months tomorrow. And you?”
“Two days.” He turned the jeep and headed down the hill from the hospital.
“I didn’t know you were being posted here.”
“I wasn’t. I had just finished an assignment in the Middle East and figured while I was in the neighborhood I might as well spend my leave in Montebello. The leave got canceled when I got the order to report to King Marcus.”
“That’s a shame. This is a wonderful place if you’re here on vacation. Tourism is one of Montebello’s biggest industries.”
“Yeah. There are plenty of sights I never got around to seeing, but duty called.”
“It has a way of doing that.”
“If I’d known you were here, I would have looked you up. How have you been?”
They were picking up speed. Sam drove with the same straightforward competence with which he did everything else. Kate turned her face to the breeze so she wouldn’t keep inhaling his scent. “I’ve been fine, Sam. And you?”
“Busy.”
“Judging from the service ribbons on this jacket, I’d have to agree.”
“Like they say, I joined the Navy and saw the world.”
“That’s great. It’s—” She almost said that it was what he’d wanted, but she remembered how he’d responded to that comment before. She had to keep things light, keep things friendly. The base was only a few more minutes away. Then this interminable evening would be over. “You said you always wanted to travel. And how’s your mother?”
“She’s doing well. She and Marvin moved to Arizona two years ago, and the climate’s done wonders for her rheumatism.”
“Is your stepfather still in the car business?”
“Uh-huh. He opened up a dealership in Flagstaff. Wanted to call it Marvelous Marvin’s, but my mom couldn’t stop laughing every time he said it so he settled for Oasis Autos.”
She smiled. Sam had supported his widowed mother throughout his teenage years. He’d delayed joining the Navy until she was securely remarried. Noble, loyal Sam. He was a throwback to the days when men took care of their women no matter what.
Which was another reason she’d let him go.
“And your little brother?” she asked.
“Chuck’s doing his master’s degree at Stanford.”
“Does he still want to be a paleontologist?”
“Uh-huh. At least now he’s got an excuse to go on backyard treasure hunts.”
She heard the note of pride in Sam’s voice, and her smile grew wistful. Sam had helped raise his younger brother, and he’d done a marvelous job. He would have made a wonderful father.
But he’d also deserved his shot at following his dreams.
She’d made the right decision.
Yes, she had.
“How are your parents doing, Kate?” he asked.
“They divorced four years ago.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. They’re much happier now.” And that was true. Some people simply weren’t meant to be together.
Like her and Sam.
He remained silent as they approached an intersection. Instead of taking the road that would be the quickest route to the base, he turned toward the road that ran along the coast.
“It’s shorter if you go the other way,” Kate said, twisting to look over her shoulder.
“I know.”
“But—”
“I wanted a chance to talk to you. Is the wind too cold?”
“No. With this jacket I’m fine, but—”
“It’s a beautiful evening, isn’t it, Kate?” he asked softly.
“Montebello averages three hundred days of sunshine a year, so the skies here are usually clear.”
“Do you still like watching the pattern of waves in the moonlight?”
“I take the inland roads when I go jogging.”
He slowed the jeep as he rounded a bend, his hand somehow brushing her thigh as he worked the gear shift. “Remember how we used to like listening to the whispers the waves made when they broke on the beach?”
Yes, she remembered all too well. She angled her knees toward the door, the skin on her thigh tingling. “The coastline along this stretch is mostly rock, but there are several popular beaches.”
“Maybe you could show me sometime.”
“Sam…”
“It still gets to me, you know.”
“What does?”
“The sound of the water. It gets me right here,” he said, taking one hand off the wheel to touch his chest. “Anywhere you go in the world, it’s got a million different tunes that it plays. Sometimes it’s restless, sometimes it’s angry. A lot of times it’s just plain lonely.”
“I remember you always liked the sea.”
“Good thing, considering my choice of profession, wouldn’t you say?”
“Yes, it’s fortunate.”
“And only one of the things we have in common, Kate.” He slowed further, finally pulling the jeep to a stop at the side of the road. He turned off the ignition and inhaled deeply. “I read somewhere that every drop of water on the planet has been through a