Page 108 of Beast

The place was dog friendly, so Trigger made himself right at home. We walked into the courtyard, and spotted Chris sitting at a table, drinking iced tea.

He hugged Annie, and gave Gabriel a high five. I made sure to study his body language with Annie. He wanted her for sure. Fuck.

“Nice to meet you. Thank you for saving her.”

He shook my hand—a decent handshake. He looked older than the pictures I’d seen of him on the web. His sun-streaked hair was long and brushed his shoulders, his tan skin was weathered, and his eyes had lines around them.

“I’m going to order for us.” Annie kissed me on the cheek and squeezed my hand. I knew she was telling me to be nice to him. She didn’t have a clue that I had an additional ulterior motive for wanting to meet him.

Annie and Gabriel left us and went to order at the counter.

Chris smiled at me. “I wanted to thank you for clearing my name. I know finding Annie was way more important and it’s not about me, but it’s hard walking around having everyone look at you like a murderer. I felt so fucking guilty because I didn’t know what happened to her. I was depressed thinking she died, or was out there being traded around. I mean, I should’ve been able to protect her, but I didn’t. We were only eighteen and so stupid. I want to tell you that there is nothing going on between us, either. I’m seeing someone.”

I’m glad he got that out of the way, though I was pretty sure Annie had texted him to tell me that. He made strong eye contact and I believed him, even though I could tell he was still attracted to her. Not that I could blame him. “Thanks for that. I trust her. That’s not why I wanted to meet you, man.” I glanced over at Annie. She was talking to the cashier. “What do you know about her dad?”

Trigger sniffed Chris. “Mr. Hamilton? He’s great. Our fathers are old golfing buddies. He always believed I had nothing to do with Annie’s disappearance. Why?”

I wasn’t going to answer his questions. “How’s his relationship with Annie?”

A gust of wind blew his hair into his face. “He’s a tough guy, that’s for sure. Very hard on Annie. Total perfectionist. When we were dating, he was always giving her a hard time about everything. Her grades, her clothes, her friends. And we hadn’t even told our parents when we went on the vacation. He’s old-fashioned and Annie was sure he’d forbid her to go. I think, in all honesty, he’s embarrassed more than anything. He can’t handle the fact she was a hooker. And I think seeing Gabriel, knowing his father kidnapped Annie, is painful for him.”

Made complete sense. Her dad cared more about his image than his own daughter. He couldn’t handle the shame he felt she brought on the family, so he left her to die. “It’s hard for me to deal with, too. But it wasn’t her fault.”

He leaned into me. “Man, I got to hand it to you. You’re the man. I respect the fuck out of what you do, being a SEAL. You saved her. But how do you deal with the fact that she’s been with so many men? I know it wasn’t her fault. But you’re a better man than me. It would drive me crazy.”

“I try not to think about it.” I hated to admit it, but I liked Chris. He was honest and respectful.

Annie returned carrying three plates, like a waitress. She placed a burger in front of me, and Gabriel climbed into my lap.

I took a bite. It tasted great, but there was one problem. “Did you order me a veggie burger?”

“That’s the only kind of burger they have. This place is vegetarian.”

Figured. I was not cut out for the surfer lifestyle.

“So, are you guys best friends yet?” Annie teased.

Chris dug his fork into some kind of weird grainy salad. Quinoa? Bulgur? No clue. “You bet. Hey, do you think you could ever give me a tour of the base? I’d love to see the obstacle course.”

“Sure, buddy.” This guy was more of a fan than a threat. I was glad I met him.

“See? I knew you two would hit it off.”

The rest of the lunch was uneventful. Chris talked about some surf competition he’d entered; I guess the guy was pretty good. Seeing them together gave me a small glimpse of who Annie had been before she’d been taken: carefree, laid back, and sweet. She had probably been the type of girl who would’ve never even considered dating a SEAL.

Annie went back into the café to get some boxes.

Chris stood up. “Nice meeting you, Pat. If you ever need anything, let me know. And I’ll always be here for Annie, even when you’re gone. But you don’t have to worry about us hooking up. I’d never do that to you. Seriously, dude. You finding her was the best thing that ever happened to me. You not only gave Annie her life back, you gave me back mine.”

“I’ll have a beer with you anytime, Chris. And let me know when you want to see the base.”

“I will. That would be awesome. Hit me up if you ever want to ride the waves with me.”

I had no desire to learn. I’d never surfed, and I spent enough time in the water. But, I’d try anything once. “Sounds good. Later, bro.”

Annie walked back out of the café, carrying a paper bag. “Bye, Chris.”

They hugged again and I stared at Trigger. Friends. That’s all they were.