Claire's smile was a little bit tense, and she took a deep, calming breath and went to Gavin, slipping her arm around his waist and leaning against him.  "He's not so bad," she said, laughing softly.  "He bites, though, so you have to be a little bit careful."<br/><br/>Her gaze wandered over Landon's body.  How he'd changed since she'd dated him an eon ago.  Gone was the lanky college student; years of service to his country had honed his muscles and filled him out.  She'd watched that progress, of course, over the past decade.  But he had something new, too, something that made her look away.  His scars were large, marring his perfection, and he did not hide them.  There was no shame in his eyes, no discomfort, and somehow, it made her feel chastised for her own difficulty dealing with hers.<br/><br/>Gavin had worked so hard to try to show her that she was still beautiful, and she knew that to him, she was.  He loved her, and that love was unconditional.  And yet, her love for him was not enough to dissuade her from reliving her nightmare every time she saw pity in the eyes of others.  And so she hid, both from herself and the world.<br/><br/>There was strength in Landon.  It radiated from him, in everything from the way his muscles rippled when he moved to the way his eyes did not shy away from hers.  That strength made it clear that pity would not be welcome, and when she looked at his marred body, she did not feel sorry for him.  There was nothing about the way he carried himself that called for such paltry emotion.  It was like looking at a reflection of what Gavin wanted her to be.<br/><br/>It was something to file away and consider later.  Maybe, at some point, she should schedule an appointment with Dr. Travers, the shrink she'd seen after her accident.  Gavin had been upset when she'd stopped going, but she'd felt like she was drowning, being forced to talk about something she'd wanted to forget.<br/><br/>For now, though, she was going to take things one step at a time and just get through the evening.  She was with two men who were important to her over all others, and they wanted an easy, fun night on the beach.  She'd do her best to give them that.