they sponsor an international photography contest. I’m entering the nature category. The grand-prize winner gets their photo published in the magazine, ten thousand dollars and a chance to work with Geographic Universe‘s head photographer.”
As she talked, their food arrived. It smelled delicious and he grabbed his fork.
“But,” Kristen continued, “they get tens of thousands of submissions. In order to win, my photo has to be beyond exceptional. The place where I’m diving now is a known breeding ground for the humpbacks.”
Luke frowned, swallowing some shrimp. “That sounds like it could be dangerous.”
She shook her head. “I don’t have to get that close. Besides, they’re too busy, er … mating.” Her cheeks pinkened. Was she really that innocent? Or was it just first-date embarrassment?
Whoa. He was on a date. How long had it been since he’d gone on a conventional date? Before his residency. Maybe even before med school. There hadn’t been time—or energy—for more than a quick roll in the sack back then. For him or the women residents. Looking back, he realized quick and impersonal had become a habit for him where his sex life was concerned.
It’d been so long since he’d thought about his life before earning his medical doctorate. Those days seemed like a lifetime ago. At eighteen he’d never given a second thought to his decision of becoming a doctor, and nothing would’ve stopped him. Not even the lack of a way to pay for the schooling. He’d joined the Army and never looked back.
His mom, and his sisters and brothers, had coped without him. His sisters were married with kids. Still living in Rankin, they’d visited while he’d stayed with his mom the first week of his leave. And his brothers … at least Matt was in college.
God, he felt old.
Meanwhile, Kristen appeared like a fresh-face coed. Except for her eyes. There was something in her eyes….” How old are you?” he blurted out before thinking better of it.
Her eyes widened and her spine straightened. “Twenty-four. Why?”
What was wrong with him? He’d been so rude. “Sorry. I’m obviously not fit for polite company. You’re here now to get pictures of the humpbacks and then you’ll go back to San Diego?”
“Yep, whether I win or not—and it’s a long-shot—I want to finish my degree. I’ve only got two semesters to go.”
“Degree in what?”
She bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes. “Accounting.” Opening her eyes, she leaned forward and poked her fork in the air. “I know. I can admit it now. I didn’t even realize I was just playing it safe until …” Her brows drew together and her lips pursed. “Well, I felt like I had to give this a shot. It’s a dream I didn’t even dare to dream before.”
Luke was mesmerized by her expressions. Everything she was feeling showed right there on her face. He couldn’t imagine her ever being fraudulent, but he couldn’t imagine her dealing with anything devastating either. She was too delicate, too … hopeful.
“So, I borrowed some money from my grandmother—she says she would’ve given it to me anyway, but I’m going to pay her interest on the loan—and decided to give myself three months to try for this contest. I dive by day and waitress by night. I’ve always been a photo bug and it would be a dream job to work for Geographic Universe. But I’ve only got a few more weeks left before the submission deadline and I haven’t shot anything extraordinary enough.”
He’d been nodding, absorbed in learning about her until her expression took on a dawning horror. “Oh, God, I’ve been totally talking about myself this whole time. I’m so sorry. So, tell me about you, where are you from? What do you do?” She scooped up a forkful of lobster and watched him expectantly.
Luke felt as if he’d been suddenly shoved onto center stage with a spotlight trained on him, while an audience waited breathlessly for him to perform. But how could he tell this young, carefree woman anything about what his life was like?
BEING A CITY GIRL, Kristen had never actually seen a deer caught in her headlights. But if she had, she imagined the deer would look something like Luke Andrews did right now.
Was he in the Witness Protection Program? An international spy? Maybe he had amnesia and he didn’t remember where he was from or what he did for a living? That would explain the haggard look to his features and the dark circles under his eyes. She hadn’t noticed those until she’d seen him in the daylight earlier. And what about his being awake at two in the morning the past few nights?
Nah. She’d watched too many soap operas in college.
She waited another half a minute—which seemed like a long time with an awkward silence hanging in the air—and then put her fork down and cleared her throat. “Luke?”
At least he met her gaze. “Sorry.” Then he looked back down at his plate and took another bite.
“Is it one of those you-could-tell-me-but-then-you’d-have-to-kill-me kind of jobs?” She tried to smile and make light of it, but he was beginning to scare her. A girl could only equate mysterious with sexy up to a point.
“What?” His gaze flew back up to her and he scowled. “No. It’s just … nothing you’d want to hear about.”
Okay. Kristen jabbed at a shrimp.
And Luke ate.
And she ate.
Every bite or so he would look up at her. She fished around in her mind for a subject to bring up that they could discuss, but why should she? He seemed perfectly content to sit in silence.
For this she’d spent fifty-five dollars on a dress she didn’t need and endured an hour with the curling iron? Maybe he regretted saying yes? Maybe he felt trapped into going out with her for politeness’ sake? How depressing. That probably meant the connection she thought she’d felt between them was only in her imagination.
She jabbed at the last of her lobster, finished off her cola and came to a decision. Pulling cash from her purse, she laid enough on the table to cover the bill plus tip and scooted back in her chair. “Well, it’s been, uh, interesting.”
Just as she stood to go, he blurted out, “I’m a doctor in the Army medical corps, a captain.”
She hesitated. “Look, you don’t have to—”
“I’m here on leave.” He snatched the cash off the table, held it out to her and motioned the waiter over. “And I just didn’t want to ruin a nice dinner talking about it.” Reaching into his back jeans pocket, he pulled out his wallet and handed the waiter a credit card.
Kristen took her cash from him and sat down. “So … you were overseas?”
“Afghanistan.”
Geez. No wonder he didn’t want to talk about it. It explained the things she’d seen in his eyes last night.
The waiter returned with the check and Luke signed it and stuck the card back in his wallet. Then he met her gaze, his expression serious. “I think we passed an ice cream stand on the way here.”
She
