His mom peered through the peephole before throwing off the locks, swinging the door open, and wrapping him in a tight hug. “You’re home.”
Her voice was muffled against his chest as he returned the embrace. When she finally stepped back to let him inside, her eyes were brimming with tears.
“Sorry I didn’t call.” He stared up at the ceiling, loathing himself for hurting her.
She headed into the kitchen. “Are you thirsty?”
“Water would be great.” He glanced around. No sign of his younger sister. “I ran into Reed at the cantina today.”
His mom set a glass of ice water in front of him. “I bet he was glad to see you.”
“Yeah.” Hunter nodded. “He told me Alicia moved out.”
His mother leaned against the counter. “She met a great guy in college.”
“She moved in with her boyfriend?” He swallowed hard and put the glass down. “Is that a good idea? Who is this guy?”
His mom crossed her arms. “She graduated a few months ago. She’s not a child anymore.”
Another milestone he’d missed being overseas. His heart twisted. “I wanted to be there.”
“I know.” Her expression softened as she came forward to cover his hand with hers. “We understood.” She squeezed his hand and moved toward the sink. “She wouldn’t have been able to go to college without your support.”
“I sent money.” Hunter shook his head. “But I should’ve been here.”
Bitterness brewed in his gut. In spite of his best efforts, he’d become his father. The man he hated most.
His mom opened the dishwasher and started putting dishes away, glancing in his direction. “Do you know how long you’ll be home?”
“Maybe through the end of the year. I still have a mission I need to finish.”
She dried a dish, focusing on that instead of him. “Have you decided to leave the military, then?”
“I haven’t decided anything for sure. Not yet.”
“Where are you staying?”
“I’m over on the base.”
She nodded. “I won’t be able to convince you to stay here, will I?”
“Probably not.” He chuckled and shook his head. “I’ve got some things to work out.”
Now he commanded her full attention, and her gaze wandered over his limbs. “Are you injured?”
“I’m fine, Mom. Really.”
“You better be.” She blinked, but the tears still shone in her eyes. “It’s been a long time since we were all together for the holidays.”
Shit. He’d been so wrapped up in his own head, he’d forgotten it was almost Thanksgiving, and Christmas would follow close behind. If he could get signed off as fit for duty and they got intel on where Briggs was being held, he could miss both holidays extracting his teammate.
“Maybe.” Hunter sighed and wrapped his mom in his arms. “I’m sorry. You deserve a better son than me.”
“No.” She stepped back and wiped her cheek. “There is no better man alive than my son.” Her lips curved at the corners. “I’m so proud of you.”
Silence filled the gap between them until he cleared his throat. “Can I grab my board out of the garage?”
She nodded. “It’s right where you left it.”
He kissed her forehead as he passed by. “Thanks, Mom.”
Inside the garage, he took a long, slow breath. Coming home from deployments used to be joyful. When did that change? Or was it him that changed?
He pulled the tarp off his surfboard and ran his fingers along the edge of it. This baby was going to need a heavy dose of wax before she was ready for the waves. He reached for his duffel, blowing a sheen of dust off the top before he unzipped it. His wetsuit was fine. And underneath that, he had a few cans of wax. Perfect.
He slung the bag over his shoulder and pressed the button on the garage door. With the longboard under his arm, he carried it out to his rental. Good thing he’d requested an SUV.
Once the board was inside, he went back through and closed the garage. When he came into the kitchen again, his mother was sitting at the table. She smiled up at him.
“Come by for dinner tomorrow,” she said. “I’ll see if Alicia can make it, too.”
“I’d like that.” He bent to drop a kiss on the top of her head. “See you then, Mom.”
She caught his hand. “I love you, Hunter. I’m glad you’re home.”
“Love you, too.”
But it didn’t seem like home anymore. Nowhere did.
Callie woke up bright and early, and got dressed for the run she’d been denied the night before. Although the temperature was warm during the day, the November mornings were brisk. It was as close to fall weather as she was going to get in Southern California.
She locked up the house, started her playlist, and slipped her phone into the pocket of her windbreaker. After some stretching, she took off down the street, her mind busy making lists of tasks to be completed for the building permits on the theater. They had to get the new roof before the rainy winter hit.
The sunrise painted pinks and purples across the sparse clouds as she took a turn to run along the beach. The surf crashed against the sand, and in the distance, surfers bobbed on the swells, waiting for the perfect wave.
Surfers.
Hunter’s face flashed in her mind. She slowed her pace and bent over to catch her breath. Thankfully she was miles from the naval base. No chance of bumping into—
“Doc?”
She shot upright, jaw slack. There he was. Wet, tan, and… She shook her head. “What are you doing here?”
He pointed toward the ocean. “Surfing. Remember?”
His wetsuit was unzipped and hanging low on his hips, his arms free. Her fingers twitched at her sides. How long had it been since she’d touched a man? She’d certainly never touched one as cut as Hunter Armstrong.
She wiped sweat from her forehead. “Why aren’t you at the base? There’s a private beach there. Waves all to yourself…” Suddenly full sentences were a challenge. Nice.
“The surfing’s better over here.” He raised a brow. “Guess that means you’re not here for a lesson?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I was just…”
Her words faded. Hunter’s attention had shifted to a man jogging toward them. Hunter’s eyes narrowed, and before she realized what was happening, his hands were on her hips, moving her behind him as the jogger smacked into his shoulder, jarring them both.
The runner turned around, fists balled at his sides. “What’s your problem, man?”
“You are.” Hunter’s voice dropped to a growl. “You think bumping women when you run is a great way to meet? Hurt her and then help her?” He shook his head. “Get lost.”
The jogger’s gaze flicked to Callie. “Is he bothering you?”
Her heart was racing. Was Hunter right about the man? How had he made that leap? She knew Navy SEALs were trained to read body language and observe small details, but this was too much.
She frowned. “No one is bothering me. Thanks.”
He grinned. “Want a running partner?”
Was this guy for real? Before she could tell him to stick it, Hunter took another step into the jogger’s personal space.
“She’s a doctor, asshole, not some ‘fine piece of ass.’” The smile vanished from the jogger’s face and his eyes widened. But Hunter wasn’t finished. “She’s way too smart to give a waste of skin like you any of her time.”
The guy’s face paled, and he sprinted off without another word.
Callie looked up at Hunter, bringing her hand to her hip. “What did I just miss here?”
“You heard him.” He was still staring after the jogger. “Apparently he didn’t like being called out on his shit.” He finally met her eyes, the aggression fading. “Are you all right?”
She nodded slowly. “I didn’t hear him say anything except to ask if you were bugging me.”
He frowned. “He wanted to bum
p into you and knock you down. He said you were a fine piece of ass.”
But the jogger hadn’t said anything like that. At least not out loud…
Suddenly her pulse was pounding in her ears. Clio had recently translated an ancient Greek scroll outlining a prophecy saying that each generation would bring a man marked by the gods to protect his muse. Could Hunter Armstrong be her Guardian?
She needed to see his shoulder.
Nate, Mel’s Guardian and now fiancé, was a police detective. He had a crescent-shaped birthmark on the back of his shoulder, and once he’d met Mel, he’d been able to touch things and get visions. According to Mel, the mark turned red and burned when she was in danger.
Maybe Hunter had just had a vision.
She tried to step around him, but he moved, too. How was she going to nonchalantly ask a patient about a birthmark? She wasn’t his physician.
While she debated, Hunter seemed…shaken. He sat on the sea wall and ran a hand down his face. “You didn’t hear him, did you?”
Callie shook her head. “Sorry.”
But she’d seen the shock on the runner’s face. Normally she’d chalk it up to a coincidence or a delusion, but nothing about her life had been normal since the Muse of Epic Poetry had awoken inside her.
He stared at the boardwalk. “Maybe I’m more messed up than I realized.”
A muscle in his cheek tensed. Not an easy confession.
Callie sat beside him on the wall. “Call my office. Marty can get your appointment moved up.”
He shook his head, his bright green eyes commanding her full attention. “Yesterday I switched to Dr. Long.”
Callie’s jaw went slack for a second. “Herbert Long? He’s about to retire. And he doesn’t—” She frowned. “Why?”
He stood up, a smile creeping over his lips. “Because you don’t date your patients.”
Seriously?
Before she could respond and tell him she had no intention of dating him, patient or not, he kicked his legs over the other side of the wall and dropped down onto the beach.
He snagged his board from the sand and rubbed his wrist as he checked his watch. “Be here this time tomorrow, and I’ll teach you to surf.”
Callie shot to her feet, shouting over the wind. “I’m not coming.”
He turned around, jogging backward for a second. “Then I’ll come to you.”
Heading for the water again, she watched his back. No sign of a birthmark on his shoulder.
She knew she should not be disappointed. But that didn’t change the fact that she was.
CHAPTER 4
After a quick shower, Hunter sent a text to Reed. He had to talk to someone, and it wasn’t going to be his new shrink. The last thing he needed was to tell the Navy he thought he could read people’s minds. They’d lock him in a rubber room, and Briggs would never make it home.
He’d tried to cover up the mind reading—or whatever the fuck it was—so Callie wouldn’t think he was completely insane. But deep down, his confidence in his own mental state was rattled.
Reed was still on his shift at the fire station on base. As long as no emergencies came up, Hunter should be able to spill his guts and see if Reed had any tips to regain his shaky grip on sanity.
Hunter picked up his Special Forces watch and then set it down again. His birthmark was bright red and throbbing. Maybe giving it a little air might tame the rash, so he left it on the dresser, ran a comb through his hair, and headed out.
Reed came out front when Hunter drove up. After Hunter got out of the rental, Reed grinned and pulled him in for a quick hug before leading him around the back. Damn. He’d missed him.
Reed took a chair, and Hunter sat across the table.
His friend smiled. “What’s up with you? First you’re home and don’t say a word, and now we need to talk right away?” He sobered. “Everything okay?”
Hunter shook his head. “Not really.”
Reed rested back in his chair and crossed his arms. “Last mission mess you up?”
“Probably? I’m not even sure anymore.” Hunter stared at him, weighing his decision to share. But if he couldn’t trust Reed, then who could he trust? God, maybe he really was nuts. He broke eye contact. “I shouldn’t have come over here. Sorry, man.”
Reed leaned in closer and lowered his voice. “Whatever is going on, you can talk to me. Hell, I owe you my life; keeping a secret is the least I can do.”
Hunter rubbed his hands down his face. There was no way he could make this sound sane. But before he could speak, Reed caught his forearm, examining his wrist. “Shit. Did you get this looked at yet?” His gaze shifted to Hunter’s eyes. “Is that why you’re here? Did the doctor give you bad news?”
Hunter pulled his arm back, shaking his head. “No, it’s just a rash or something.”
Reed raised a brow. “No, it’s your crazy-ass birthmark, and it’s never been that color before.”
“You have the same damned mark on your ankle, dude.”
Reed chuffed. “Mine isn’t on fire like that. You better get it checked out. Years in the sun and saltwater make you a perfect target for melanoma.”
“Nah, this hasn’t been getting worse, it just…happened. You can’t get skin cancer overnight, right?”
Reed shook his head. “Not usually, but do me a solid and go see the doctor.”
“Okay.” Hunter paused. It was his last chance to get the hell out of there. Once he said it out loud, there would be no going back. His gut twisted, but he forced the words out. “Sometimes I… It seems like I can hear people in my head.”
A crease formed between Reed’s eyebrows. “Do they tell you to hurt yourself?”
“No.” He cringed, shaking his head. “It’s not like that. Shit.” Hunter leaned back in his chair, staring at the blue sky. “This isn’t multiple personalities. It’s not my voice.”
“So like mind reading?”
Hunter met his friend’s eyes. “Hell if I know. But the few times it’s happened, the other person seemed surprised. Their voices are so clear that I swear I thought they’d spoken out loud.”
“Seriously?”
Hunter nodded.
Reed stared at him for a few seconds. “Okay, tell me what I’m thinking.”
Hunter chuckled. “I wish it worked on cue like that.”
That concerned line formed on Reed’s brow again. “When did this start?”
“I had my first appointment with the psych doctor so I could get signed off as fit for duty. Afterward, I heard her secretary say her first name, but apparently her lips never moved.”
“Maybe you just made a lucky guess.”
He had to give Reed credit. He hadn’t called him nuts yet.
“Her name is Callie. I’ve never known a woman with that name.”
Reed rested his forearms on the table. “Did it happen again?”
“Yeah. This morning. I saw her jogging, and this asshole came by ready to knock her down for a chance to meet her.”
And then it clicked. Callie. She was the common denominator.
Hunter got up. “It’s her.”
“What?” Reed stood. “I’m not following you.”
“I tried to see if I could hear other people’s thoughts in the cantina yesterday and got nothing. It didn’t happen again until…until I saw Callie. I need to talk to her.”
Reed shook his head. “She’s a psychologist. Probably not a good idea for you to accuse her of enabling you to read minds.”
Solid point. Hunter’s mind raced ahead of his surging pulse. “You’re right. Maybe I can’t tell her outright, but she’s connected somehow. I can feel it.”
“Is she also single and beautiful?”
“Yeah.” He nodded, then sobered. “Wait. This has nothing to do with wanting to hook up with her.”
“Are you sure about that?” He raised a brow. “Last time I checked, you were the king of single and ready to mingle.”
“When I first saw her, I’ll
admit, I wanted her, and I’d be lying to say that’s changed, but I swear I can hear people’s thoughts when I’m around her. What am I supposed to do with that? This isn’t just an excuse to see her again.”
Reed usually was quick to smile, but his expression was stone cold sober. “Be careful, okay? I’m pretty sure you came over here today because you trust me to keep a secret. This woman works for the Navy and they pay her to figure out who is losing their shit. If you tell her any of what you just told me, you can kiss your fit-for-duty clearance good-bye.”
Hunter rubbed the back of his neck. “You’re right.” He stared at his friend. “But I need to figure out what’s happening. And whatever it is, she’s a part of it.”
“Go to the medical doctor first. Get checked for any brain tumors and have him look at your wrist, too. There’s got to be a physical explanation.”
Hunter nodded slowly. “Maybe if I stay away from her, it’ll go away.”
“Might help, but go to the doc, too.” Reed caught his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Keep me posted, okay?”
“I will.” Hunter turned to go. “We’ll catch some waves together soon.”
“You bet.” Reed paused. “I’m right here if you need me.”
Callie’s week was a blur of patients and planning for the Disneyland bridal shower trip. She was much too busy to spare any time to think about Hunter. He wasn’t her Guardian, and now that he had a new psychologist, she’d probably never see him again.
In spite of those cold, hard facts, she wondered about him anyway.
The last time she saw him, he seemed determined to keep bothering her until she went on a date with him, but as of yet, she hadn’t caught so much as a glimpse of him. Maybe he’d already been declared fit for duty and was on his way back to Coronado.
She checked her phone on the way to her car. No texts, and she had at least an hour before she was meeting Erica to shop for bridal shower gifts for Mel. She locked her briefcase in the trunk and headed for her bench. Watching the waves usually brought her some peace. A reminder that her problems and challenges were tiny in comparison.
The wind tugged at her hair as the sun started its descent toward the horizon. The sky was awash in warm hues as the sunlight sparkled on the waves. She pulled in a long, deep breath, drinking in the serenity of the moment.
Legend of Love Page 3