“Taryn would like to see a demonstration,” Justice said.
Ford nudged Angel, who winked at her. Consuelo glared at them both, then said, “I’ll play.”
Angel and Ford faced each other. Taryn wasn’t sure what to expect, but a round of rock-paper-scissors wasn’t it. Ford lost his rock to Angel’s paper. Angel walked over to stand next to Taryn, while Ford approached Consuelo.
“Is it that you don’t want to fight a woman?” she asked quietly. “Is that why you—”
Consuelo grabbed Ford by the arm. Before Taryn could finish her sentence, the taller, stronger man went flying. Faster than she could believe, Consuelo was standing over him, her booted foot at his neck. Even without military training Taryn could see that with a little pressure, she could easily crush the man’s throat and kill him.
Angel grinned. “I don’t like to spar with her because she fights dirty and usually wins.”
Taryn winced. “I get that. Remind me never to take one of her self-defense classes.”
“She goes easy on civilians.”
“I suspect we have different definitions of what counts as easy.”
He was still chuckling when he joined his friends.
The demonstration lasted about fifteen minutes. They were able to do things with their bodies that left her gasping. The race up the ropes was stunning. She didn’t know real people could move that quickly.
When everything was wrapped up, Angel walked her to her car.
“Nice shoes,” he said as they paused by her car.
She pivoted on the ball of her foot. “I know. They’re pretty fabulous.” She put her tote in the backseat and faced him. In the bright sun the scar on his neck seemed more pronounced.
“I’m used to being around physically powerful men,” she told him. “But you’re different. Kenny, Jack and Sam could snap me like a twig without even trying. You could do that, hide the body and then take a twenty-mile run without breaking a sweat.”
“I’d sweat.” One corner of his mouth turned up. “Just not a lot.”
“Did you like being a soldier?”
He thought for a second. “Yeah, I did. Serving my country made sense to me. War didn’t, but I’d been trained not to ask questions. I know I did good.”
She took one of his hands in hers and turned it over. He’d been a sniper, she thought. He’d killed because he’d been trained and ordered to do so. There was no way to relate to that. He was also the same man who wore a leather bracelet with beads on it because he was a Grove Keeper for the FWM. A man of contradictions.
She thought about his wife and his son. How he’d loved them and lost them. She would guess much of his heart had died with them.
She stared into his gray eyes. “You don’t have to worry. I’m not looking for a happily ever after,” she told him.
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t believe it’s possible.”
“Love? Or love that lasts?”
“Both.”
He curled his fingers around hers. “You’re wrong. They’re out there.”
Maybe, but they would require a level of trust she didn’t have. Everyone carried around lessons from childhood, and that was hers.
“You’re not looking to give your heart,” she said.
He shook his head. “No. I’m not.”
“Then this works out for both of us.”
CHAPTER TEN
JACK REACHED ACROSS the conference table and picked up a doughnut. “We about done here?”
Taryn rolled her eyes. “Dear God, can we go one staff meeting without you whining about how long it takes?”
“It’s boring.”
Taryn returned her attention to her notes. “Somebody hit him.”
Chairs moved and there were several scuffling sounds, followed by a thud and a “You’ll pay for that, Kenny.”
Kenny only laughed. “Just doing what the lady asked.”
Taryn looked up as the boys returned to their seats. She waited until they were settled to bring them up to date on the campaign for LL@R.
“You practicing for our weekend with Cole?” Jack asked.
“Yes. I’ve been rock climbing and this weekend I’m going kayaking.”
Sam raised his eyebrows. “Seriously?”
“Of course.” She smiled smugly. “I told you—I can handle whatever the client wants.”
Thanks to her deal with Angel and her nightly workout of carrying around the ridiculously heavy backpack, she was feeling more confident about her outdoor abilities.
She hadn’t been overly excited about paddling down a river until she’d realized it meant she wouldn’t have to hike with the backpack. Instead she could float it. A much easier proposition.
She scanned the rest of her list. “That about does it for me. Do you three have anything to discuss?”
Jack had been leaning back in his chair. Now he brought it down with a thud. “Yes. We have to change the town slogan. It was fine before, but we live here now.”
Taryn stared at him. “Excuse me? What are you talking about?”