“Was she killed in the explosion? She couldn’t just disappear. The hospitals were checking for me, and the nurse promised she’d let me know if they had any updates, but it’s been completely pointless. No one knows anything.”
“I don’t know, sweetheart. I wasn’t able to find anything either, which is concerning. All patients should have been accounted for by now. She’s listed among the missing, but most victims were already recovered from the rubble. There are very few that are gone without a trace.”
Tears filled Hailey’s eyes, and Grayson reached out, his large hand stroking her hair. He was careful to avoid the area of her stitches when his hand moved near her forehead, and Hailey looked up at him helplessly.
“Don’t cry, sweetheart. We don’t know anything for certain yet. I know it’s scary not knowing what happened to her, or if she’s trapped in the building injured somewhere, but it’s too early to give up.”
“I know, I just—I can’t believe any of this is happening. None of it feels real.” A few tears slipped down her cheeks, and Grayson leaned closer, gently wiping them away. She felt silly, crying here in her hospital bed. He’d come to see her, and she was losing it.
“I wish I could stay here with you, Hailey. I convinced my commander to let me visit you while we were in Germany, but we’ll be flying out soon. We have to go home and debrief. I hate that you don’t know where your friend is. And I hate that you were hurt and are here all alone in the hospital.”
She nodded her head shakily. “I’m okay. I’ll be okay,” she amended. “Thank you for coming,” she whispered. “I couldn’t believe it when you suddenly appeared in my doorway. And thank you for the flowers.”
“You’re welcome. And don’t forget I still owe you dinner,” he said, his smile tender as he looked down at her. “Tell me your cell number. I did look up your work email, but I want you to call or text when you’re back home. I’ll write down my number for you, too, so you have it.”
“But you don’t have your phone with you.”
“No, but we’re leaving. I’ll be back in the States before you.”
“Oh,” she said softly. “I need to get a replacement phone, but I’ll write down my number. Hopefully I can keep the same one since my phone was ruined.” She sniffed again, her hand moving to her forehead.
“I’m sorry you had to go through any of that. How are you feeling?” he asked, looking at her with concern. “I should’ve asked you that first thing.”
“Sore. Tired. I’m ready to get out of here and go home at this point. I haven’t slept very well since everything happened, and honestly? The hospital food sucks.”
He chuckled. “Where will you stay when you fly back? You said your things are in storage.”
“They are. I’ll stay with my parents for a couple of weeks and then soon after that I’ll be moving. My things in storage will be shipped out—well, trucked across the country most likely. My job recommended some apartment complexes out there, and I already signed a lease. I’ll start my new position in a month I guess. I was supposed to be here until then, but....”
“Hell, I can’t wait,” he said with a grin. “I want us to get to know each other. Let me know when you’re coming. The guys and I will help you move everything in.”
“I’ll have movers,” she protested.
“Yeah, but you’re still recovering. I don’t want you to worry about moving stuff around your apartment. I can haul boxes and stuff to make it easier for you to unpack. It’s the least we can do.”
“The least?” she asked with a laugh. “You saved my life. If anything, I should be doing something for you, not the other way around.”
“You can have dinner with me,” he quipped, his eyes sparkling.
“That’s the thanks that you want?” she teased.
“Well, maybe a goodnight kiss,” he said with a wink. “But we’ll get you moved in and settled first. Then I’ll finally get to take you out on a proper date. Hell, who would’ve thought I’d meet a woman halfway around the world who was moving to San Diego?”
“Not me,” she said.
He eyed her, and she looked at him curiously. “I want you to be careful back home, Hailey. We don’t know who might have been behind this, so don’t let your guard down.”
“I won’t,” she assured him.
“I’ll feel better when you’re out in California. Then at least I’ll be close by.”
“Grayson, we barely know each other. I’m thrilled that you came to see me, and I can’t thank you enough for saving me, but you’re not responsible for me.”
“Maybe I want to be,” he said, an intense look in his eyes. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you since we met. Yeah, it’s fast and crazy, but hell. I’m old enough to know what I want. To recognize something good when I see it.”
“But we barely know each other,” she said again.
“That’s easily enough remedied. I’m looking forward to our date, sweetheart. We’ll take things slowly—I know you’re recovering and moving and starting a new job. I want to get to know you though. And I want you to get to know me. I like everything I’ve seen so far.”
“Me too,” she admitted.
He flashed her a grin before standing. “Write down your number so I can text you. And get better. I know it’s hard now, but you’ll get stronger every day. I’m glad that you’ll be able to recover at your parents’ house—I won’t have to worry about you being all alone. And then I’ll see you in a few short weeks.”
She nodded, smiling despite the fact that her eyes were watering again.
Grayson took the slip of paper where she’d written her number and then brought her hand to his lips, kissing it softly. It was gentle and sweet, and she felt right there and then that he’d stolen a piece of her heart.
“I wish I didn’t have to go. We’ve got to fly home and debrief with our commander.”
She looked at him questioningly.
“I forget that you’re DOD. I know you pretty much already guessed, but my friends and I are Navy SEALs. We’re based out of Coronado.”
“I figured it was something like that.”
He nodded. “I don’t usually tell women I’ve just met what I do, but considering you work for the general and were injured in the bombing? I want you to be safe. I want you to know that you can trust me.”
“And you really think the mole or traitor or whatnot could be a threat to me?”
He looked at her seriously. “I don’t know. You may know something you don’t realize. The fact that you work in the general’s office means you could know this person. They’ll be interviewing you and your colleagues.”
“That’s so messed up,” she muttered.
“It is. So I want you to be careful.”
“Right. Better safe than sorry.”
“I just met you, sweetheart. I don’t want you to be in harm’s way. It kills me that you were already hurt in the bombing. I wish you never had to go through any of that.”
“You’re sweet,” she said softly.
Grayson smiled. “Don’t tell my buddies that, okay? I’ll never hear the end of it.”
“Your secret’s safe with me,” she joked.
“And you’re safe with me, Hailey. I’ll text you when I get home. Whenever you get a new cell, you can call or text me back. And I’m serious—let me know when you’re moving, because we’ll be there to help. I can’t wait to see you again.”
She nodded, feeling uncertain, and Grayson ducked down and softly brushed his lips over her forehead. Sparks shot straight through her at his touch, and as he stood up and said goodbye, she knew she’d never be the same again.
Chapter 7
FOUR DAYS LATER, GRAYSON jogged along the beach with his teammates in Coronado. They’d met up at five in the morning for PT, before they went onto base for the day, and his heart was pumping as he pushed himself harder.
It had been days since he’d seen Hailey back in Germany. He’d texted her when he got hom
e, knowing he wouldn’t hear from her for a while, but now he was getting antsy. Even though she’d been injured, it wasn’t severe. He knew they’d be sending her home sooner rather than later, and he probably hadn’t heard from her because she hadn’t gotten a new phone yet.
Cursing to himself, he watched his teammates playfully joking with one another as they finished their run.
Hell.
Normally he didn’t mind shooting the shit with them, but he was tense as hell now. Anxious to know that Hailey had gotten back to the States all right. And wasn’t that an uncomfortable feeling. Normally he had women chasing after him. Hell, Shawna had been practically pawing at him when they’d gotten back from Colombia. That of course had fizzled out as quickly as it had started, but damn. He wasn’t used to worrying about a woman, much less one he wouldn’t even see for weeks.
He knew things would progress slowly with Hailey, but he welcomed it. Relished the idea of getting to know her simply by dating. She seemed like the type of woman who wouldn’t let just any man into her life or bed, and he loved the idea of patiently getting to know her and breaking down all her walls.
And then?
The idea of letting the heat simmer between them before finally making her his was appealing as hell. He’d had plenty of hot and heavy relationships in the past, but after the initial “wow” factor in the bedroom, they’d fizzled out immediately.
He was ready to explore something different this time around, because damn if a woman hadn’t intrigued him as much as Hailey in a long time. He’d been scared when he’d carried her out of her building in Afghanistan, but when he’d seen for himself that she was okay at the hospital in Germany?
Heat had coursed through him. He’d taken her hand in his, unable to resist touching her. And wasn’t that a shock—normally he’d be kissing a woman intensely after meeting her at a bar, then taking her home to his bed.
He’d actually gone out and bought Hailey flowers. Him.
Imagining kissing her, undressing her, and slowly exploring her body was making his groin tighten. If the chemistry between them so far was any indication, when they finally made love, it would be explosive.
“Yo, Ghost!” Troy called out, drawing him out of his musings. “Over here!”
Glancing up, he realized his teammates had finished their stretches and were heading back to the parking lot. Damn. He needed to get his head in the game. He stopped along with them after their run but was standing there like a lovestruck fool or something.
“Any word from Hailey?” Blake asked, the corner of his mouth tugging up in a smile.
“Nope.”
The other men chuckled.
“You could check with the hospital,” Logan suggested. “Maybe she wasn’t released yet.”
“Nah. She’s probably back, just getting reacclimated to life here. She’s staying with her parents, so I’m not too concerned. It’s not like she’s alone somewhere without anyone to help her while she heals. Hopefully she’ll get a new cell phone soon. I sent her a text the other day but haven’t heard back.”
“Maybe she’s ghosting you,” Ethan said, his lips quirking.
Troy guffawed. “A woman ghosting Ghost? You can’t make this shit up.”
“She’s not ghosting me,” Grayson ground out. “She lost half her stuff in the bombing, including her phone.”
“We know,” Blake assured him. “She’s been through a hell of a lot, especially considering she’s a civilian and didn’t sign up for any of that. We’re just not used to seeing you pining away over a woman.”
“Who said I’m pining?” Grayson asked with a chuckle as they walked back toward the parking lot. “I’m worried about her.”
“Pining, worrying, same damn thing.”
Grayson grunted, not bothering to respond.
“Hell, I understand. It killed me to leave Clarissa. Usually I’m gung-ho when we leave for a mission, but this time? It was brutal. She was worried, and I couldn’t tell her where we were going. Of course she understands better than most considering we rescued her.”
“She’s a tough woman,” Jackson commented.
“Yep. Didn’t make it any easier to leave her though. We’re meeting with the commander later this afternoon,” Blake commented, changing the subject.
“I heard,” Grayson said. “I was hoping they found Sayed, not to mention the asshole responsible for bombing their fellow Americans, but it sure doesn’t sound like it.”
“They haven’t found him yet,” Blake said in a low voice.
“How do you know it was another American? There are Afghanis working on base, too,” Jackson said with a frown. “It could’ve been a number of different people.”
“Just a hunch,” Grayson said. “Sayed seemed to anticipate our every move. No Afghani would have that sort of intel,” he added in a low voice. “Most people on base didn’t even know we were there.”
“How are things progressing back in Bagram anyway? Anyone know?” Ethan asked as the men all stopped at their cars.
“I think they’ve finished searching the building for victims,” Troy said, crossing his arms as the men stood there. “There were two casualties that I know of, multiple injuries of course.”
Ethan took a long pull of his water, and the other men frowned, their minds on the damage and destruction that had been caused.
“Hell, I need to look into that friend of Hailey’s,” Grayson muttered.
“What friend?” Blake asked, glancing over at him.
“I didn’t get a chance to tell you guys in the confusion, but a friend of hers is missing. We assumed she was injured and taken to a hospital, but she never turned up. Hailey asked about her in Bagram and when she was flown to the hospital in Germany. Her friend was listed among the missing, but there was no sign of her. It doesn’t make much sense. That part of the building was damaged, yes, but the fire was actually under control rather quickly. It’s not like the whole damn thing burned down.”
“You think she was involved in this somehow?” Logan asked, raising his eyebrows.
“No. I don’t think so, but it’s not normal for someone to just vanish. Hailey was sure the hell worried.”
“You like her,” Blake said, biting back a smile.
“Of course I like her,” Grayson said. “Is that supposed to be some kind of secret? I was asking her out in the cafeteria, remember?”
“I wonder how she and Clarissa will get along,” Blake mused.
“Hell. I’m taking her out, not marrying the woman.”
“You guys are getting married?” Troy asked, his gaze whipping over to Blake.
Blake chuckled, holding up his hands. “Hold up. She just moved in with me for the summer. I’m trying to convince her to stay this fall—teach classes online or something. Work remotely. We’re taking things one step at a time.”
“Well, send us a wedding invitation,” Ethan quipped.
Grayson shook his head, smirking. “I’ll catch you guys on base. I need to go home, shower, and change. Maybe I’ll try calling Hailey, too.”
“See you in an hour,” Blake said, and the other men said their goodbyes and climbed into their cars. Grayson glanced at the cell phone he’d left there, frowning when there weren’t any new messages. He’d assumed by now Hailey was back in the States, and he hoped like hell that he’d hear from her soon.
“YOU WERE VERY LUCKY,” the doctor said that afternoon, examining Hailey’s injured ribs. Her gloved fingers moved lightly over Hailey’s skin, and she tried not to wince. “I know you’re still in some pain, but these are healing up nicely.”
“God, I never thought broken ribs could hurt so much,” Hailey mumbled.
The doctor nodded sympathetically. “You can’t immobilize them like with other broken bones. It’s makes recovery slower and more painful.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s a problem with moving and breathing and all,” Hailey said dryly.
The doctor smiled. “Your head wound has healed nicely, tho
ugh,” she commented, examining her forehead. “The stiches will dissolve completely on their own.”
“Well, thank God for small miracles.”
“I’d tell you to schedule another follow-up, but it sounds like you’re moving soon?”
“That’s right. I’ve accepted a position in California. I had planned on it before all this, actually. I just got sent home sooner than expected.”
“Well, good luck to you. Make sure you see someone out there.”
“I will,” Hailey assured her.
The doctor gave her a few additional instructions and then left the exam room. After slowly getting dressed again, Hailey grabbed her purse and walked to the front desk. Her parents had dropped her off earlier for her appointment, and she was planning to go to the store down the block to finally get a new cell phone before they picked her up later.
They’d been flustered and worried about leaving her, but she was a grown woman for goodness sakes. She’d been working halfway around the world. It’s not like they could escort her everywhere she needed to go.
It was weird being back in Arlington without her car or apartment to head home to, she thought as she walked down the block. Most of her things were in storage, and her clothing in Bagram had all been ruined in the fire. Her mom had picked up some things for her at the store, but after Hailey’s purse had arrived, she’d made sure to order some things online to tide herself over. Everything else, she’d probably just get when she was in San Diego.
After explaining some of her crazy situation to the guy at the cell phone store—namely that her old phone had been destroyed—she was able to get a new phone and keep her old number. She was worried that wouldn’t be possible and she’d lose all her contacts. He was able to migrate some of the data over—how, she didn’t even know. But she was more thrilled than she could say that she had a cell phone again. She needed to get in touch with some friends now that she was temporarily back in Virginia and try to find out about Kim.
Briefly, she wondered if Grayson had texted or called her. She hadn’t let herself think of him too much over the past few days. He’d flown home to San Diego, no doubt, and her own return home to Arlington had been a whirlwind of activity. She’d cried when she’d gotten to her parents’ house, and she’d been too tired to do much more than eat or sleep the first few days.
SEAL's Embrace Page 7