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Chapter Five

Wyatt

With my towel around my neck and my sunglasses on my face, I grabbed my surfboard and carried it under my arm. The sun was getting strong, which meant the beach was going to get crowded and my solitude on the water was about to end. My usual Sunday morning surf was a good one today, the tide was high and the winds were calm.

I walked up to the edge of the beach and climbed over the short wall just across the street from the rental shop that had been hooking me up with a surfboard since I returned. One day, maybe I'd get my own board again, but first I'd have to vacate my room at the resort and get a place of my own, preferably with a garage, which wasn't something I had any intention of doing any time soon.

Once I returned it, I was sufficiently on my way toward being dried off thanks to the rays beating down, so I entered the lobby and made a beeline for the elevators. Noting the time on the clock in the lobby I figured I had enough time to shower and grab a bite to eat before going into the office. Not that it mattered, the office was practically a dead zone on a Sunday, but I liked the time to get some administrative things done. I was between clients right now, having just wrapped up work for a local celebrity who hired us to install a security system for her new storefront on Biscayne Bay. That gave me a chance to look at reports and deal with the financials, something Andrés avoided like the plague where possible.

Inside my room, I picked up the phone and called down to room service, ordering breakfast. With any luck, it'd arrive just as I was getting out of the shower, I mused.

Undressed, I turned the water on and stepped in, letting the water pulse on my back as I tilted my head back and closed my eyes, running my hands through my hair as I rinsed off the salt water. There was a time when showering was more than just bathing, it was seductive, romantic, and Susan and I would stay busy in the confines of our shower for what felt like an eternity. My heart still ached for those days, and I wondered if the pain would ever truly go away.

It did me no good to think about those times, though, because Susan wasn't coming back and the memories never did anything more than nag at me. They were all reminders of something I never thought I'd have again—a deep connection, a deep love.

I finished washing up, stepped out, and dressed. Breakfast was delivered and sitting on the table where I had the best view of the ocean that beckoned to me no matter the time of day.

Even now, having just been out there, I looked out at it and grinned. If I could be on the water all day and all night, I would. I felt at home there. Exhaling deeply, the weight of the world lifted from my shoulders with just my one gaze at the endless expanse of blue.

I shook my head. I didn't know how I'd stayed away from Miami for as long as I did. This city had the best beaches and every time I stepped foot on one, my troubles seem to wash away. That was why I loved surfing, I got to clear my head and worry about nothing more than staying up on my board.

My phone rang and I looked to see who it was. "Colt," I announced to the otherwise empty room, my heartbeat kicking up at the prospect of getting into it with him again. After last night, I had a feeling my family wasn't done trying to get me to see things their way when it came to my life choices.

Decidedly not answering it, I swallowed the last bite of my scrambled eggs and stood up. It was definitely time for me to get to the office.

* * *

"Man, what are you doing here?" Andrés questioned, leaning against the frame of my office door. "Do you ever go home?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Not you, too."

He pushed off and laughed, coming to sit in one of the chairs opposite of my desk. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing," I said, hoping he'd let it go.

He nodded. "Okay, but you should know when I asked you to come work with me, I didn't mean twenty-four-seven. As a partner, you are entitled to a few days off and breaks here and there. I mean, not many, we kind of are running a growing enterprise here, but at least a few," he said, laughter in his voice.

I pushed back from the desk, letting my back sink into my chair. With my hands resting on my stomach, I closed my eyes and sighed. Would anyone ever understand my need to work, to stay busy?

"What's really going on here, Wyatt?" he asked.

I shook my head. "You won't understand," I said.

"Try me."

"Work, to me, is like a sanctuary. It keeps me busy, my mind busy."

"And off Susan," he hedged.

I nodded. "Besides, I like what we do here. I like my job. Is there something wrong with that?"

Andrés stood up and pushed his chair in, his hands gripping the back of it. "There isn't as long as you're not using it to run away from whatever troubles you. I just want to make sure you're okay," he said and I could feel his sincerity.

Softening, I nodded again. I never could've imagined the friendship I found with Andrés would be such a good one. To think, a few months ago when I agreed to meet with him to discuss a job once I left the Army, it turned into all this—I was partner at his security firm, providing protection services to some of Miami's most elite. He said we'd make the business explode and we'd done a good job so far and I'd only been back a few months. I couldn't imagine what was in store for us. And even more than all that, our friendship had grown. He was practically like another brother to me. However, that didn't change the fact that I didn't care much for people inserting their two cents where it didn't belong. I supposed it was nice to know he cared, though. "Thanks," I finally said, "I'm okay. If I'm not, I'll tell you."

He nodded and turned to leave. "Good. I can't have you out there protecting others if your head's not right," he explained and I understood where he was coming from.

"Understood. Listen, I got a call earlier from some guy named Jorge. He is looking to meet with me tomorrow. Said something about one of his clients needing us. I'd like to pull Geoff in with me, if that's okay with you."

Stopped just inside my doorway, Andrés knocked on the frame and shook his head. "You got it. He's a good kid, will do some good work. He could use some training under you."

"I thought so, too." Geoff was our newest recruit and had been spending a lot of time shadowing the other guys, even Andrés himself, having joined him on his last trip, but I hadn't had a chance to work with him yet. I figured it was a good chance to get to know him and see his skills in action.

"By the way, are you talking about the agent, Jorge Suarez?"

I looked down at my notes and nodded. "Yeah. You know him?"

He shook his head in the negative. "He works with models and actresses, though. I've tried to meet with him a time or two, but he never gave me the time of day."

"Guess you didn't need to because if he's calling he needs someone and already knows to come to us."

He nodded and knocked on the door frame again. "Good luck tomorrow. And, hey, don't work too late. It's Sunday, after all."

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