“A bomb scare? I didn’t know about that.”
“Nothing was found. They evacuated the school. All a big hoax. Bryce’s friend said they suspected a student, but the police couldn’t prove anything.”
“You don’t think the two are related?”
“No. That’s a completely separate thing. It was probably someone who was trying to get out of taking a test. I sure wouldn’t want to be a high school principal these days.”
“And here we thought our guys had the dangerous jobs.”
“Well, they still do. But, honestly, all this social media stuff, like they said in the program the task force put on at St. Alma’s, it’s getting out of hand. Hard to protect our kids.”
Worry dampened Brandy’s good mood.
“We have to teach them, Brandy. I’m talking to other parents. Bryce and I felt like we really dropped the ball. We should have clamped down on her texting a long time ago. You never think anything about it, figure it’s just kid stuff, but then something like what happened to Lynn occurs. They all want to be liked. They get pressured, I think.”
“You’re right, Geri. I see these kids dressing the way they do. Of course, I would look horrible putting on those tight shorts and tops they wear, you know. But I look at some of these girls, and they just look embarrassed to be wearing those clothes. Why do kids feel they have to do that?”
“I don’t know, but you’re right. And Lynn is mortified at how easy she fell for the attention. The counselor explained it was natural to feel that way and to understand she had no experience to know any better. It wasn’t her fault. That it was the predator who found her, not the other way around.”
Brandy made a mental note for the future. Although tragic, she was glad she was now fully aware of what could happen. She asked a question that had been worrying her. “Geri, where did those photos come from? I never heard about that?”
“They were left in her locker. He slipped them under the door.”
So that meant the guy had come onto campus. It wasn’t random, after all. She shuddered and vowed to discuss it with Tucker.
“How’s Keira?” she asked, trying to keep it light.
“She hasn’t stopped talking about that pink playhouse. I’ve got a call in to Joe.”
“That would be nice for her.”
“Well, enjoy your homecoming. I just wanted to thank you for having the guts to give us a heads-up on all of this. Without your call, it could have gotten much worse.”
“You’re welcome. I hope someone would do the same if it were reversed.”
“When you guys want to, we’d like to take the two of you out to dinner. Until then, have fun!”
The two ladies giggled and hung up.
Kimberly had a fussy night and didn’t go back to sleep, so Brandy wound up bringing her to bed with her, hoping she wouldn’t now expect this new routine. As the bright sun crept into the cervices of her blackout shades, she awoke and felt she’d hardly slept at all. Of course, Kimberly was out cold. And she’d wet the bed.
Brandy decided to let her sleep until the last minute then bathed and fed her. She put the sheets in the washer and put the old ones on. So much for a lovely, scented homecoming.
At the base, she drove Tucker’s Hummer, lining it up next to all the other wives. Kimberly was the magnet of attention until they all heard the drone of the lumbering transport plane.
Her heart raced every time she heard the darned thing. The ground shook. Her stomach churned in knots. Kimberly must have heard it as well, because her expression was puzzled. With her pink rabbit ears cap, her ears were protected from most the outside noise, but Brandy knew she could still feel the rumble of the big plane until just before the thing landed and began to taxi closer to their hangar.
As the men filed out, wives and children were clutching the chain link fence for that first glimpse of their husband or father, brother or son. Unlike the time before, there wasn’t a flag-draped coffin returning with the group to greet a grieving mother.
Danny and a couple other guys ran toward the gate, greeting the kids first and then wrapping their arms around the whole family. Most took their time. Brandy saw one member with a swollen eye looking very nasty. One of the women whispered, “Oh my God.” The lanky SEAL shrugged and hung his head down as he approached his wife and three school-age children.
At last she noticed Tucker’s swagger, that distinctive way a large man moved. Brawley had called him the steamroller SEAL. He cracked a wide smile, giving just a hint of a wave, and threaded his way through the narrow opening jammed with reuniting families. Brandy held back so she could behold him sauntering toward her.
“Well, hello there,” he said, staring down at her mouth and giving her that signal he was completely hers.
She kissed him hard, careful not to squeeze Kimberly too tightly between them. He stepped back and looked the two of them up and then down again.
“Am I lucky, or am I lucky?” he said with his hands on his hips.
“You’re definitely gonna get lucky.”
That earned her another quick kiss, and then he pulled Kimberly from her mother’s arms. “Look at you, little pink bunny princess. I’ll bet you’re gonna steal hearts away from tough men, just like your mamma does.”
Kimberly drooled, and Brandy thought she was trying hard to focus. He nuzzled her with his nose, and kissed her cheeks, making her pull her fingers up against her face. And then she sneezed.
“It’s the stubble,” he whispered. “I’m not as soft and delicious as your mamma.”
He handed her back. Searching behind him, nodding to men and wives here and there, he hoisted his duty bag over his shoulder.
“Let’s get the hell outta here.”
Chapter 23
The house Tucker had left behind was not the same house he came back to. With the garden laying out the thick, ruffled carpeting of mature vegetable plants in neat rows, the painted fencing that accentuated the border with the driveway and the two palms waving their welcome back, the transformation was astonishing.
Over the old wood floors, she had thrown bright red and brown area rugs, filled in the sparse living room furniture with an antique rocking chair and added a hand-stenciled storage chest. She had truly made their house a home.
“I can’t believe what you’ve done,” he whispered. The house was still uncluttered but fresh-looking and modern.
Brandy beamed over her shoulder, bouncing Kimberly in front against her chest. “Look at the back yard.”
The pink playhouse was featured in the middle of the yard, just past the concrete patio. Redwood fencing with a lattice top design completely enclosed the space. She’d picked up a used outdoor table and chairs and had started adding plants around the perimeter.
Tucker opened the sliding glass door and walked out to examine Joe’s handiwork, moving the door and window shutters back and forth on hinges. The swept and clean wooden floor made a heavenly place for his little girl to spend hours and hours of free play. Joe had even stenciled Kimberly’s name over the doorway in red.
“You can’t see it now, but they put a gate in on the side, so now we don’t have to carry stuff through the house.”
“Magnificent, honey. What a transformation. You guys were busy.”
Brandy leaned against him, and he wrapped his arm around her waist. Then he began to worry.
“H-How much did all this cost?” he asked.
“Well, Dad paid for all the material, and Joe and two of his friends did the construction. Jillian gave me several things she didn’t need anymore, like the furniture in the living room, an old dresser I repainted and a set of side tables you’ll see in the master. So nothing, really.”
“Nothing?”
“Well, I did buy some bigger clothes for Kimberly. I kind of splurged on that, but all this was done without costing us a penny.”
“This is too good to be true. I’m amazed. I hadn’t realized the rear fencing would make such a difference.”
>
“I thought we could either put in bricks or do a lawn, if it wouldn’t be too much work. Maybe some fruit trees?”
“Anything you want, sweetheart. Might have to wait a month or two, but I think a lawn would be nice.”
Brandy led him back inside. On the dining table were a set of plans rolled up. “Here’s the surprise I was talking about.” She rolled out the paper, securing it from curling back with the salt and pepper shaker and a couple of magazines. “Joe has a friend who was a Civil and Structural Engineer, and he drew these up. Dad paid for the permit fees, and we turned everything in to the City for approval. Even if they approve them, we don’t have to pull the permit until we’re ready. In the meantime, we can still make changes. If you don’t like any of it, we’ll wait until we get something you do like.”
His hand smoothed over the bright white surface, noting the design of a front door trellis.
“Roses, Tucker. I’d like white roses there covering the whole trellis.”
The side stairway to the second floor had an observation deck. He looked over the drawings for the conversion of the downstairs stairwell into a second bath and storage.
“We need another bathroom. We have no closets!” she explained.
The engineer had also drawn ideas for adding more cabinets and countertop space in the kitchen and an addition of a flat-roofed garage on the right side of the walkway. The garage managed to hide the bottom stairs leading to up top and created a small, private yard around the back, as well as a lower floor deck area for the upper unit.
“He’s thought of everything, Brandy. Don’t know how we’ll pay for it, but it really transforms the use of the property.” Tucker hadn’t seen any of this in his mind.
“Dad’s been very up front about helping to pay for all this.”
“But he already helped with the down payment.”
“And he loves being part of this project, Tucker. Both him and Joe are excited about it, maybe even more so than I am.”
His duty bag was still hung over his shoulder, and now he felt the weight of it and dropped it to the ground. It finally dawned on him that he was home. She was making this their home.
That this is our house.
It was time to forget all the chaos in the rest of the world and just enjoy this lovely new space with his family.
“I’m amazed. You guys were busy,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her and the baby. The softness of her lips kickstarted his libido and, like an lumbering and rusty machine, began revving up and coming back to life. All the familiar smells and tastes of her wet kiss flooded his senses.
He was finally home.
He’d stripped off his traveling clothes and jumped into the steaming shower she’d prepared for him. As he dried off, Brandy put the baby down and waited for him on the edge of the bed. She hadn’t bothered putting on anything to cover herself up. She knew it was going to stay on her body for mere seconds.
The look of her regal form, the way she held her head, waiting for him, her deep breathing, showing all the signs of her arousal, and her understanding they were back together again, and that she wanted it to be special.
He’d make sure it was special. That’s what he fully intended to do. He’d thought about not much else all the way home, even as he was joking, signing reports and debriefing staff, he thought of her sitting here, for him. Waiting to bring him back to life again. This was what he was really here for, not that other stuff.
This was man’s work, real man’s work. His job was to make her feel more loved than she ever had in her whole life.
He approached his queen, sat and looked into her eyes, their bodies barely touching.
“Every time I think I know what it feels like to come back to you, the real thing just kicks that memory to the curb.”
“Me too. But I still love the dreams,” she whispered.
“Oh yes, I do too. The the real thing is better. So much better.”
He started slow, kissing her neck and chest. She acted almost shy, protecting herself in her tender places with her palms as he gently kissed her, removing barriers to his touch, his tongue, to the glorious sight of her quivering body. He’d forgotten how strong she was, and also how delicate she felt beneath his hands as they lay back naked, feeling the timbre of her soul.
She arched to his touch and, as his intensity grew, she accepted him, her hands guiding and showing him she too didn’t want to wait a moment longer before he could be inside her. His hand found hers, and together they explored the miracle of the space they formed as one. Then he spread her right arm first, and then the left out to the side on the bed, squeezing her fingers before releasing. He slid his fingers beneath her buttocks, raising her pelvis to accept him. His shaft entered her, drawing out that first stroke as long as he could. He watched her hitch her breath, close her eyes and then open them again with a smile. She flug her arms up, wrapping around his back with her legs around his hips so he could go deep.
She gave back all the goodness of her fierce love.
The rhythm of their bodies re-told the ancient stories men and women have shared for centuries—all about loyalty and devotion, honor and forgiveness. And the healing power of love—the most powerful emotion in the universe. That power increased the more it was shared, amplified by the constant beats of their hearts as relentless as any surf on any shore.
Brandy stayed right with him, matched his movements in her soft and gentle way, opening herself up and loving with abandon.
Her deep sigh and soft moan at their climax broke Tucker’s heart, wishing the sunny morning would never end. His thumbs pressed her forehead, wiping the little beads of sweat into her hair. He devoured her hot breath and later held her like a fragile doll while she shattered beneath him.
The miracle of Brandy’s body and the joining they shared filled him with gratitude. Their urgent lovemaking shed twenty years off him, washed away all the memories of where he had been and what he’d seen. The problems of that far away land subsided like memories of a movie watched years ago. He kissed her until her heart stopped racing and her breathing returned to normal. At last, he became whole and alive, healed.
Looking down on her soft face and long hair splayed over the pillows, he reveled in the magic she spun all around him. He wanted to pleasure her all over again, because he simply could never get enough.
Tucker kept vigil until she fell asleep, kissing her hair and whispering secrets she’d not remember. He loved the feel of their entwined bodies entangled in the sheets. She was his reward for coming home, and worth the price of being so far away.
In risking it all, it made having her in his arms again that much sweeter.
The first few days back were always dreamy afternoons and evenings filled with sex. He loved that she never denied any and all his advances, even encouraging him further. He demanded she not get dressed, so she took to walking around the house barefoot in her opened silk robe, bending over to pick up things she’d “accidentally” drop so he could look at her ass again. It drove him crazy, in a good way. No one would ever understand how magical those first days back would be—had to be—for him. Even working around the baby’s nap times and feedings, was fun, adding a sense of urgency to their lovemaking.
He could have never imagined that life could be so perfect.
The planned Team beach party came three days later, starting in the afternoon and ending in a big bonfire under the stars after dark. It continued to be the tradition Kyle Lansdowne, their Team leader, had set right from the start. It was something they practiced both before and after their missions. The kids, offspring of these men he shared his brotherhood bond with, played together as one big family.
Brawley was whole again and enjoying his instructor stint. Several others were considering retirement. Some of his brothers were getting re-married, and some were in the early throes of separation. It all added to the patchwork of their Team and the resiliency of their bond. No matter what, they would always be brothers
, even if the families sometimes drifted down a different path.
Tucker knew that would never be the case with him and Brandy.
The next week he got a phone call from Bryce Tanner, asking for a meeting. They met at a local coffee shop.
“Heard you had some success over in the Canaries. Good job,” said Bryce.
Tucker shrugged. “Sometimes it works out. Sometimes we come home empty-handed. Still so much more to do over there. We just do our little piece. You know.”
“I do know. I know, indeed. We ship out in three days.”
“South America?”
“Yup. Got some Americans stranded down there and some friends of the U.S.”
“God speed.”
Tucker squirmed in his seat, took another sip of his latte, and waited for Bryce to get to the point. The man was studying him, like he was going to be asked for advice. He hated giving advice to another long-time Team guy. But he’d do what he could. It was clearly not a social call.
“Tucker, I’m sure Brandy filled you in on all this stuff that happened with Lynn.”
He nodded agreement and waited for Bryce’s next question.
“I have a buddy on the San Diego P.D. who says they arrested a child pornographer recently—this is strictly off the record.”
“I got it. Brandy said you trust him. Go on.”
“Probably wouldn’t surprise you to learn there are thousands of these creeps all over the U.S. And they link hands with those that traffic in selling women and children for sex, which sometimes, if a person has means, is the next step in the chain of evil.”
“Good way to put it. Happens over there as well.”
“Yes, and from what I understand, over sixty percent of those children and ladies kidnapped—the ones that survive, that is—are sold to willing buyers in the U.S.”
“Whoa. I didn’t know that one.”
“Google it. You’ll see the trends.”
“So this has to do with Lynn somehow? God, I pray it does not.”
“Not directly, no. She fully understands what happened and that she never should have encouraged the conversation with someone she didn’t know—even someone she knew who sent those texts and those disgusting pictures. Like most kids, Tucker, she knew she’d done something wrong by inviting him into our lives, and she didn’t want to get in trouble, so she covered it up. I think a lot of kids behave that way.”
SEALed Protection (Bone Frog Brotherhood Book 5) Page 14