Free Homecoming Hero by Renee Ryan

Lord!”
    Only after he eased up on the accelerator again did she slant a glance in Wolf’s direction. The brightmoonlight revealed his features clearly, enough that she could see his brows scrunched in concentration. Obviously he was contemplating his next words very carefully.
    â€œYou might be interested to know I ate lunch with your pastor the other day,” he said at last.
    â€œYou did?” She wondered when he’d had the time to meet Keith Goodwin, Faith Community Church’s senior pastor, then remembered the e-mail she’d received this afternoon. “Oh, you mean J.T.”
    â€œWe hammered out most of the details for the survival classes I’m going to teach at your church.”
    â€œThat explains why he sent out a blanket announcement encouraging everyone taking a mission trip to attend. The class starts next Wednesday, right?”
    â€œYep.” He proceeded to beat out a complicated beat on the steering wheel. “Will you be there?”
    â€œWouldn’t miss it.”
    He fell silent for a moment. Thanks to the close confines of the car, she could feel the tension in him.
    â€œTell me why you want to be a missionary,” he blurted out in a rush.
    She sighed heavily. “That was certainly straight to the point.”
    â€œMaybe. But we’ve put off this conversation long enough. You know why I agreed to come to dinner tonight.”
    No, actually, she’d forgotten. She’d settled into the evening as though they were on a first date, explaining away the awkward moments to the usual getting-to-know-one-another jitters.
    She wouldn’t make that mistake again.
    â€œYes, I know why you’re with me tonight.” She ignored the sting of rejection building into tears behindher eyes and continued. “You think you have to convince me to stay out the Middle East.”
    â€œThere’s no ‘think’ about it.” He slowed yet again, enough to swing Stella down an alley leading to beach access. He slid the car into a parking place under a low-burning streetlight and then cut the engine. “But I promised you an open mind and that’s what you’ll get from me.”
    He sounded sincere. She wasn’t sure she believed him.
    â€œHelp me to understand your motivation, Hailey.”
    â€œWhy?” She frowned at the shadows dancing across Stella’s hood. “So you can use the information against me?”
    â€œI wouldn’t do something that low. I’m really interested in your answer. What can I say?” He gave her a crooked smile. “You intrigue me.”
    Glowing from the unexpected compliment, Hailey held back a gasp of pure feminine pleasure. Suddenly the interior of the car felt too small, too intimate. It was hard to think coherently with this handsome soldier sitting next to her. “Let’s discuss this on the beach. I tend to think better when I’m walking.”
    He gave her what she was starting to consider the “Wolf” look and then reached for the door handle on his side of the car. “Whatever will make you most comfortable.”
    His tone sounded so rigid, the angle of his jaw looked so implacable, Hailey feared he thought she was trying to put off answering his question.
    She picked at a speck of white fluff on her sleeve, wondering what he would think if he knew the real reason for her suggestion. She wasn’t stalling. She was merely finding it hard to keep her mind on her goalswith his masculine scent teasing her nostrils and his presence scrambling her thoughts.
    But as far as her calling to become a missionary? Well, Wolf would either understand her reasons or he wouldn’t. No matter what he said or did, he would not convince her to stay out of the Middle East.
    Forcing down any last remnants of unease, Hailey summoned a brisk air of confidence and climbed out of the car. Game on.

Chapter Six
    H ailey started down the beach several feet ahead of