Page 43 of Coerced

He chuckled. “See? I knew you were going to think it was weird. I’m not going to lie and say it doesn’t get intense at times, especially if there are ever children involved. But I just don’t get panicked in these situations.”

“That probably makes you the perfect kind of guy for the job you do,” I reasoned.

Nodding, he agreed, “Yeah, I guess so. I think that’s the case with most of us, though. All the guys who work at Harper Security Ops served in the military. Some of us were in combat. I was one of them, and I think that training and experience have led to me being able to just focus on what I need to do in high-pressure situations where someone has been kidnapped and needs to be rescued.”

While there wasn’t any reason for me to doubt what Paxton was telling me, there was no question I found it to be extremely surprising. Even though I already knew about the job he did, something about hearing this information came as a shock.

I imagined that a person who did the kind of work he did would be tall, towering, dark, and menacing. Sure,Paxton wasn’t terribly short, and he was certainly fit, but I would have expected a guy who was big and burly with a gruff demeanor to do the job Paxton did.

So, I guess I assumed that even though he might have been good at the work he did, he would be particularly troubled in all of those situations. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t begin to picture him in that state.

“Okay, I’ll take your word for it. Can you tell me about a case that stuck with you, then?” I asked.

Just then, our food arrived. After we thanked our server and she took off, Paxton countered, “Are you sure you want to know?”

Despite knowing it was likely going to impact me in some way, I still wanted to hear it. Because even if I found the specifics challenging to hear, there was a part of me that wanted to know as much I could about Paxton. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Maybe there was a part of me that would hear something in what he said that gave me hope he might not judge me entirely if he learned the truth about how I’d been living my life for the past year.

“I do,” I confirmed. “I really want to know.”

Paxton smiled and offered a slight nod. And for the remainder of our time together at lunch, he filled me in on some of the cases he’d worked on that had impacted him the most, one not long after I’d moved here. Obviously, he didn’t give me specific details, but he gave me enough to allow me a glimpse into what his work life was like, and I didn’t stop myself from asking questions all throughout. Suffice it to say, I was impressed by him.

Before I knew it, we’d finished eating, and we had no choice but to leave. It felt like it had only been a matter ofminutes since he’d shown up on my doorstep, ready to take me to breakfast this morning, and our day together was now over.

As Paxton drove us back home, my feelings about my day with him consumed me. While I loved my new jobs, there was no question I was bummed about having to bring an early end to our day together.

And it seemed like time was continuing to fly by. Well before I was ready for it, Paxton had pulled into his driveway. He parked, got out, and met me on my side. Despite me living right next door to him, he still walked with me across the lawn between our two properties and over to my house.

I don’t know what propelled me to do it—maybe the hours I’d spent with Paxton all day had made me crazy—but the second we were at my front door, the words spilled out of me before I had a chance to consider just how big of a deal it would be to share them. “As grateful as I am to have a job that I’m really enjoying so far, I kind of wish I didn’t need to work tonight.”

The moment I got the words out, I balled my hands into fists to prevent myself from slapping my hand over my mouth. What was happening to me? It seemed I was content to finish this date the same way I started it—humiliating myself.

Why was I suddenly unable to keep my feelings inside? I’d never, never been that forward with anyone in my whole life.

Was I losing it? Was I actually making more changes in my life than I had originally anticipated before I moved to Steel Ridge? Perhaps it was getting away from the situation I’d been in back home that had led me to feelingconfident about opening up with someone like Paxton. Or, maybe it was just him. Maybe Paxton was the reason I was suddenly so comfortable with sharing so openly.

“I’m sorry,” I murmured. “I didn’t mean for that to come out like that.”

“Why not? I’m happy to hear it.”

“You are?”

He dipped his chin and smiled brightly at me, his eyes dancing as they looked into mine. “Of course. If you said it because you were enjoying your time with me and don’t want it to end, then I think you’ll be happy to know the feeling is mutual.”

God, that was such a relief.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I had a great time. We’ll plan another time to get together,” he reasoned, tossing out the suggestion so effortlessly.

I wanted that.

More than anything else, I wanted to have another time to get together with Paxton. “That sounds wonderful. I can’t wait. And I will say that I want to find the time to meet the rest of your animals.”

Paxton reached out for my hand, curled his fingers around my fingertips, and squeezed. “I’ll make that happen soon, too.”

Was I supposed to be able to respond to him? Standing at my door, our eyes locked, I was left speechless.