“Fine.”
“Thank you,” he said, brushing a kiss across her forehead. “We’ll go tomorrow.”
“Go where?”
“I’m keeping it a surprise.”
She grumbled as she sat back down on the couch and cuddled into his side. “I don’t like surprises.”
She liked to be prepared. She liked to research so she could run all the scenarios in her head and prep for each one.
“I think you’ll like this one.” His phone beeped, and he pulled it from his pocket and checked. “Good.”
“What?”
“Zac Mackay and Finn Bollinger reviewed the plans for one of the new buildings over at Linear, and they like it.”
“That is good,” she agreed.
Mark was no longer a bodyguard. Instead, he now worked at Linear Tactical, assisting as an instructor in their self-defense and situational awareness classes. But that was secondary to his primary role—designing and overseeing the expansion of the Linear Tactical mission to include raising and training service animals for people suffering from PTSD.
Like their friends at the Resting Warrior Ranch in Montana, Zac and Finn and the other Linear guys wanted to branch out in this new direction. Mark was using his architecture and engineering skills to help draw up the new buildings that would be needed. Ones for humans and animals.
The job was long-term and perfect, given his condition meant he couldn’t always teach. But he did when he could, and it took the edge off having to give up bodyguard work.
Though he regularly claimed he would always be her bodyguard.
“I love you,” he whispered into her hair. She never got tired of hearing the words, and neither of them would ever take them for granted after what they’d been through.
But still, this date? She couldn’t help but think it might be the beginning of their end.
* * *
“Is this okay to wear for where we’re going?”
Jenna had on jeans and a T-shirt, but Mark had stubbornly not given her any clues about where he was taking her on thisdate. Her stomach was a whole mess of anxiety, and the thought of getting more dressed up than this was making it worse.
“That’s perfect.”
“Really?”
“Really,” he laughed. “Ready to go?”
“No.”
He took her hand and pulled her to the garage, helping her into the car and kissing her long and hard before shutting her door. His door was shut and locked as well before the garage ever opened. If they could just stay like this, everything would be fine.
“You’re really not going to give me any clues?”
“You’ll see in a minute.” Mark was all smiles. “I promise you’ll know as soon as you see it.”
She crossed her arms and did her best to try to look happy.
And failed miserably.
But the truth was, she was curious, and she did trust Mark. If he said he wasn’t trying to push her past what she was capable of, she needed to believe him.
And he was right. She knew as soon as she saw it.