Page 37 of SEAL's Promise

“Amy didn’t want to go on the tour for her father by herself. She’s not a fan of public speaking and thought having me along would make the week more fun.”

“Was it?”

“Yes, until terrorists attacked.”

“You’re a good friend.”

Rachelle grimaced. “In this case, I wish I had refused to go.” Running from terrorists would stay fresh in her memory for a long time.

Another glance at her. “Back to my question. Are you interested in exclusive dating or do you need more time to decide?”

“I’ll agree on one condition.”

“Name it.”

“Tell me if our relationship isn’t working for you. Don’t delay the inevitable because you don’t want to hurt my feelings.” She tilted up her chin. “Holding back the truth will hurt worse.”

Cal was silent for a few beats. Finally, he wrapped his hand around hers. “Who hurt you?”

Stunned, Rachelle’s head whipped his direction. How did he know? “It doesn’t matter.”

“Yeah, it does. I want his name so I’ll know who to be on the lookout for in case he decides he wants to return to your life.”

“That won’t happen. He’s married to my former best friend now. They’re expecting their third child soon.”

He squeezed her hand. “You keep up with him?”

“My mother does, and she’s not shy about sharing the latest gossip. I don’t ask about him or stalk his social media pages. I’m not carrying a torch for him.”

“I still want a name.”

“Stubborn, much?”

He grinned. “You have no idea.”

Yeah, she was getting the picture. “Brad Delke.”

“Did you mean what you said?”

“That I’ll date only you? You bet. My mother didn’t raise a fool. I’ve wanted to date you for months.”

He relaxed in his seat, still holding her hand. “Fantastic. Now I have the right to spoil you.”

That made her smile. “As long as I have the right to do the same.”

“Deal.” Cal raised her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. He glanced in the mirrors and frowned.

Rachelle’s stomach tightened. “What’s wrong?” No one could have followed them from Mexico or Bayside. Could they?

“Not sure if there is anything to be concerned about.”

“But you think there is.”

Without acknowledging her comment, he released her hand and activated his Bluetooth system.

A moment later, Eli’s voice sounded in the SUV’s cabin. “I see him,” was his greeting. “Jon and Brody are moving into position to cut him off if he becomes a problem.”

“If this guy is a threat, we can’t deal with it on the interstate. Too dangerous for other drivers.”