“Thank you, Uncle Eric,” Nate murmured. Judging from his voice, his nephew was on the edge of sleep. “I’m not scared anymore.”

Eric gave Nate’s hand a light squeeze. “Anytime, buddy. I’ll keep watch for the bears tonight. I promise.”

And he’d do the same tomorrow.

Lying in the dark, his thoughts drifted back to Georgia. He pictured her standing with her bow drawn, poised to hit her target. She was an irresistible blend of power and beauty, so damn determined.

Are you sure?

Those words, the challenge in her voice, continued to haunt him. Because as much as he knew he should, he couldn’t let her go.

ERIC WOKE TO sunlight pouring in the windows. His back ached from lying on the hardwood floor for most of the night, and he’d lost feeling in his left hand due to the fact that he’d held it up, clasped to his nephew’s, for hours. Sitting up, he looked down at the still-sleeping Nate in his small bed. The kid looked so damn content, as if everything was all right in his world because Eric had stayed to protect him from the bears that roamed the house after dark. Eric smiled. Maybe Georgia was right. Maybe he was on his way to being a good father figure for the kid.

“Hey, buddy.” Eric withdrew his hand from Nate’s and reached up to brush the hair out of the little boy’s face. “Time to rise and shine. I think I smell breakfast downstairs.”

Nate blinked. “What day is it?”

“Saturday.” Eric pushed up off the floor. “And you know what that means, don’t you?”

“Pancakes!” Nate bounced out of bed, going from sleep to bursting with excitement in an instant.

“Yup,” Eric said. “I’m going to get dressed, and I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

Nate was out the door in a flash. Eric followed, pausing at the top of the stairs. He waited until he heard Georgia greet Nate in the kitchen before he took the steps two at a time to his room. By the time he entered the kitchen, the pancakes and bacon were on the table. Georgia stood by the coffeemaker, pouring two cups. She wore her usual jeans and T-shirt, her feet bare as she moved swiftly and efficiently around his kitchen.

“Good morning,” he said.

Georgia turned and smiled at him, holding a full mug. “Just in time. Here’s your coffee.”

“Thanks.” He took the cup, careful not to brush her fingers, and sat across from Nate. He felt as if last night had turned his world on its axis, forcing him to map out, in graphic detail, what he wanted—and then walk away. He’d chosen the correct path, but hell, seeing Georgia, it didn’t feel right.

She stood over his nephew’s chair holding the maple syrup. “You’re on syrup restriction,” Georgia said firmly as she poured a modest serving on top of Nate’s pancakes. “Your breakfast should not be swimming in a pool of sugar.”

“And you”—she turned to Eric—”are on bacon restriction.”

Eric set his coffee down on the table and glanced at the modest serving of bacon, then up at Nate. “She’s bossy today.”

The little boy didn’t look up from his plate. “Because she’s a solider. Soldiers are bossy.”

“She told you that?” Eric reached for the syrup, following Georgia’s movements out of the corner of his eye.

Nate nodded. “When I grow up, I want to be bossy too. But not a solider.”

Georgia set her mug and plate down beside Nate. “He’s going to be the boss of the trains,” she said. “Right, Nate?”

“Uh-huh. Uncle Eric,” Nate said, pushing his empty plate away, “am I still going to Grandma’s house tonight?”

“If you want to,” Eric said. His mother had asked for monthly sleepovers with her grandson, but he never pushed Nate to go. Eric knew firsthand how fickle his mother’s attentions could be, and he didn’t want that hurt to touch Nate. But he couldn’t flat out refuse to let Nate see her when she lived only an hour away. The kid didn’t have much family left. “I can drive you over there today.”

“I want to go,” Nate said. “I want to see if Grandma’s dog had puppies yet.”

Eric pulled out his phone and texted his mom to confirm the visit. Without Nate around, he could catch up on work or sleep, maybe both. His phone vibrated and Eric looked down at the screen. “You’re all set, buddy. Grandma is expecting you this afternoon.”

“I need to pack.” Nate jumped up from the table, disappearing into the front room to pick out which toy trains would make the trip to Grandma’s house.

“It’s nice of your mom and Henry to take him,” Georgia said, referencing his mother’s latest boyfriend. Although Henry had been in the picture for the past few years, Eric barely knew the guy. He kept waiting for his mother to move on. She always did.

“I guess I have the night off,” she added, collecting Nate’s plate from the table.

“You’re never required to work weekends. Not unless something comes up.” When that happened, he always paid overtime. He assumed Georgia joined them for weekend breakfast because she enjoyed their company, not obligation. But the lines between work and play, boss and friend, were blurring—had been since the day she moved in.

Georgia laughed, closing the dishwasher. “Eric, something always comes up. Or at least it has since I’ve been living here.”

“I’ve been busy.” He’d spent the past five years buried in work, knowing every hour logged brought him closer to success. “But if you ever need a night off, tell me.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. You know, in case someone invites me on a hiking trip.”

His grip tightened on his fork. Hell, no.

“I have a better idea.” He wasn’t about to let her walk into the arms of a firefighter. He shouldn’t care one way or the other, but ever since she’d slipped into his bedroom, he couldn’t escape the feeling in his gut that she was his. If he was being honest, it had started years before she dropped her towel and climbed onto his bed.

“My mom’s place is halfway to the coast,” he continued. “We could get out of town. Grab a bowl of chowder at the Clam Shack. Maybe stay at my condo on the beach.”

She raised her eyebrows, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “Dinner at my favorite restaurant on the planet and a sleepover?”

He nodded.

Georgia ran her tongue over her lips as her arms lifted her breasts higher. Her eyes sparkled as if she were mentally mapping out her plans for their night away.

“There are two bedrooms,” he said.

“I’m in. But I don’t think we’ll need both beds. Unless . . .” She shrugged. “You never know what might happen.”

“Georgia—”

“I’ll go find Nate and help him pack.”

Her face lit with excitement and daring as she danced out of the kitchen to find Nate. Eric closed his eyes, grinding his teeth. He had a bad feeling that one night with Georgia would never be enough.

“TRUTH OR DARE.” Georgia sprinkled crackers into her piping-hot bowl of chowder. Sitting across from her in a pale blue leather booth that looked like something from 1960—it probably was, given how long the Clam Shack had been around—Eric laughed.

“What are we, sixteen?” he said. “I haven’t played that game in years.”

“Me neither. But if I recall correctly, you and my brother once drove out here on a dare. Without permission.”

He nodded. “I was grounded for weeks. Same with Liam.”

“Pretty wild for a pair of choirboys,” she teased.

“We were never choirboys, Georgia. We all have our secrets.” He set his spoon down and reached for a pack of crackers. “Even your brother.”

“Liam can keep his,” she said firmly. “Right now, I think it’s time for us to get a little reckless, have some fun.”

The Eric she’d grown up with followed a strong moral code, always keeping him on the straight and narrow. But he’d still had fun. Over the years, he’d changed. She suspected running a multimillion-dollar business had something to do with it. So did losing his sister and becoming a guardian/father to a little boy overnight. Commitment and obligation framed his life. But tonight, she wanted him to break free from the stiff walls he’d built around his day-to-day existence.

Georgia swallowed a spoonful of chowder, savoring the rich and creamy taste. She’d come here countless times growing up, with her family and with Eric and Liam. This food tasted like her best memories of home. The ones that had kept her going while deployed, and now that she was back, offered a sense of safety. She’d been happy here, and nothing had tainted that since she’d returned. On the coast, she could be strong, courageous, and maybe a little wild.

“Truth or dare,” she repeated.

He shook his head. “You’re relentless.”

“I’ve learned to never give up.” She dropped a few more crackers into her bowl.

He took a long drink from his beer. “Truth.”

She held her spoon to her lips, searching for a question. Her emotions might be off the table. But his were fair game. “What are you afraid of?”

Eric looked out the window at the waves crashing against the shore. “A lot of things, Georgia.”

“When it comes to us,” she clarified.

“That’s a long list,” he said slowly.

“Start at the top.”

“Hurting Nate.”

Her brow furrowed. “Why?”

“I sat by his side at the hospital. After the accident. I wanted to be there when he woke up. I told him what had happened. About his parents. He didn’t understand. How could he?” Eric shook his head and closed his eyes for a moment, as if the memory was too much. She knew that feeling and wanted to offer comfort, but knew it wouldn’t help.

“I told him it was just us now,” he continued. “I promised we’d be a family.”

“I’m not trying to change that. To take away what you have with Nate. And I’d never walk away from him.”