She brushed hair off her face and felt particles of soil fall down her front. “I—I was just outside. I’ve decided to try my hand at a little gardening.”
“Really?”
Was he playing with her?
“What are you planting?”
“Broccoli. I thought that would be a no-brainer to try. That’s what the nursery said, anyway.”
“You can’t grow broccoli in D.C. in the fall. It’s too late.”
Something defensive reared up inside.
“Mimi? You still there?”
“So what should I have planted?”
“It’s not what you chose to plant but where you chose to plant it, my dear.”
She thought about that for a bit. Was he saying—?
“If you come out here to California, I’ll show you how to plant decent broccoli. I can show you a lot of other things to plant too.”
Her heart fluttered. She took in a deep breath and tried to let it out without him hearing how anxious she was. “I sense you have some ulterior motive behind all this.”
“I do. I most definitely do. And here I thought I was being so cagy about everything.”
“Well, I start school after next week. How long a visit are we talking about here?”
He sighed and slowly whispered, “I was thinking forty, maybe fifty years.”
Chapter 21
“Broccoli? You bought more broccoli? You’ve already got a bunch of it,” said Geronimo.
“Humor me. Just put them out there. I’ll plant them tomorrow.”
“Okay Commander, but has this turned into some kind of superfood now? You never plant so much before.”
“I’ve acquired a taste for it all of a sudden.” Garrett handed off the two six packs of the vegetable plus two others and brushed his hands together. “I’m going to finish unloading. Then I have to get inside to make dinner.”
“You want I should clean the patio? I can hose it off—”
“No, you did a great job today. Everything looks great. As a matter of fact, take a few days off, Geronimo. I’m going to be staying home awhile. I’ll call you when I get back to fixing things.”
“Okay.” Geronimo shrugged. “I think something must be bery bery wrong. First, you bring home all that broccoli, and now flowers to plant.”
“Not flowers. Snapdragons.”
“But the summer is over, Commander. You don’t plant snapdragons in the fall.”
“You do if you want nice blooms in the spring. Just like you plant daffodils in the fall for spring bloom.”
“Yes, but you don’t like flowers. You told me that one time before.”
“I know what I’m doing. I think.” Garrett brought in the rest of his groceries, sneaking a bouquet of roses under his arm.
“Commander!”
Garrett stopped in his tracks. His handyman was pointing at the roses like he was holding a dead animal.
He’d gotten caught fair and square. “So I wasn’t entirely truthful with you. I’m having someone over for dinner.”
Snooker had been following Garrett around the house and yard, not leaving more than two feet between them ever since he got back. The dog sat and looked up at his master.
Geronimo laughed. “Oh, that dog gonna be jealous. I think he maybe get a broken heart.”
Garrett patted the top of his head and managed to open his front door without spilling the grocery bags or dropping the roses. Snooker followed him inside.
He set the roses in a beer pitcher then placed them in the middle of the dining table. He’d laid out the dishes in the morning when he awoke, including the wine glasses he had to wash three times to get all the streaks out. He was using cloth napkins his mother left him.
After putting away the ice cream, half and half and chocolate fudge topping, he began rinsing and then drying the lettuce for the green salad. Geronimo tapped on the kitchen door and it made him jump.
“Okay, I see you in a few days. You want me to do anything else?”
Garrett detected his helper was stalling so he could get a good look at his company. “It will be dark in an hour. How about you get those chickens in the coop a little early, so I don’t have to do it later?”
“Sure, sure.” Geronimo left.
Garrett turned on the gas barbeque then opened a bottle of red wine to give it time to breathe. He ran upstairs and combed his hair again, pulling down the darker portions over his silver temples, then trimmed his beard when he found two wayward hairs. He brushed his teeth for the third time and then applied aftershave. He sniffed at his armpits and decided they weren’t acceptable so applied deodorant and changed his shirt.
“Look at you, you old fart.” He was sensitive about the lines around his eyes, but today, he saw lines everywhere. She’d only seen him shirtless one time, and that was before they were intimate. But it had been dark that night in Virginia. And in Oregon, Mimi’s little cabin was pitch black. So if everything went as planned, she’d be seeing him tonight for the first time fully naked. Would she find him still attractive, or would she be turned off because he was too old?
He studied his bedroom, glancing over his king-sized bed with his grandmother’s quilt he’d brought out of storage and had washed. Garrett thought she’d like that touch. No woman had ever slept in that bed before. Snooker decided it was a good idea to jump up and lay down on the colorful quilt.
“Snooks! Get off the bed.”
The dog gave him the sad look.
“Come on, off!”
The dog with balls the size of his fist took his time, groaned and looked up at him one more time as if to make sure he wasn’t going to change his mind, and then jumped off, sitting by Garrett’s side. Garrett smoothed over the divots Snooker had made and re-plumped the pillows.
Geronimo’s sister had cleaned the house this morning, something he decided he’d start doing on a weekly basis. She’d also cleaned the windows on the inside while her brother did the outside.
He didn’t have much—everything of importance and value to him could be locked in his gun safe downstairs in the study. He hoped she liked the uncluttered look. It was almost spartan.
Garrett skipped downstairs again, Snooker’s toes tapping on the wood floors behind him. He turned on the big screen to a country station but kept the volume half what he’d normally listen to alone. Thinking he might have missed something, he scanned the great room, straightening up pillows his mother and grandmother had made. Snooker had started gratefully lounging on them today.
The smoke from the barbeque had created a large white cloud in the backyard, so he turned it down, brushing the grates clean from his last meal. The meat was marinating on the countertop, pushed back far enough so Snooker couldn’t help himself to it. That’s when he remembered he hadn’t given him his supper.
“Come on, Snooks. Let’s get you fed.”
The happy dog wagged what tail he had left and followed him into the pantry, then back to the kitchen where Garrett mixed the wet and dry food with the powdered hip and joint mix and set the stainless steel bowl for him in the corner. He replenished his water dish beside and waited the whole three minutes while the dog finished the meal.
Hearing a noise outside, he saw the driver he’d hired get out, open the rear door for her, and stand to the side while Mimi stepped out onto his land. She did a 360 degree sweep of the area, a delightful smile gracing her full red lips. Her mahogany hair, still streaked with red coloring, flowed in every direction in the gentle Fall wind. Her red dress draped around her ample curves, scooping just enough in front to show off her graceful neck and enormous chest. The vision before him took his breath away.
Before he could think, he was outside on the porch overhang to greet her and realized too late that he was still barefoot.
Mimi dropped her bag and ran to him. She wrapped her arms around him tight then moved her mouth up to his hungrily and did several touch landings before they locked together in a deep, hot kiss.
The drive
r behind her cleared his throat. One large suitcase stood by his side.
“Thank you,” Garrett said as he dug a twenty out of his back pocket. “That enough?”
“It will be on your credit card. You can do the whole thing on your card, if you like.”
“You keep this. Thanks again.”
Mimi raised the handle and began wheeling her suitcase toward the front door before Garrett caught up to her and snatched it away. He also grabbed her carryon case.
“Welcome to my place. It’s very simple, nothing fancy, but I built this house with my own hands and it suits me. I hope you like it.”
She surveyed the gardens, walking from his front door to the right. “It’s lovely up here. And look at your garden!”
He let her wander, watched her walk over to the fence and lean into his vegetable plot. The corn was nearly done and had begun to dry out, and the tomatoes still had some red and orange fruits, but the vines were turning brown. He was proud of his lush rows of Chinese cabbage, celery, swiss chard, and broccoli.
She pointed, “Broccoli?”
“Yes ma’am” he said, leaving the luggage and joining her. “And I have more we can plant tomorrow, if you want.”
“That’s right. You did promise to show me. I’m looking forward to my lesson.”
His arms fit so well around her as she leaned back into him, her head resting just under his chin. They viewed the garden together for several quiet seconds.
“I’ve got lots to show you, Mimi. I don’t know where to start,” he whispered to the top of her head.
She turned in his arms. “Let’s take it slow so I don’t miss a thing,” she said, her warm brown eyes sparkling in the orange glow of a raging sunset.
He couldn’t believe she was here. He’d thought about it, fantasized about it, wondered and stressed about it, and now it was really happening.
“Any speed you want, I’m game, Mimi.”
They returned to his porch. He grabbed the luggage and opened the door, but waited for her to step inside first.
He held his breath as she made it to the middle of the great room, stopped, and examined the hand-hewn wooden beams and upper-story windows. She let her fingers slide over the top of his leather couch.
Snookers barked at her as if she hadn’t afforded him the respect he was due.
“Oh my. What kind of a dog is that?” she asked as she squatted and held her hand out. Snookers made a beeline for her affection, wagging his stub of a tail so voraciously he couldn’t keep his back legs on the ground. She squeezed his ears with her palms.
“He’s a Doberpit. Very unique breed,” he laughed.
Snookers barked again so Garrett joined the two of them.
“He’s beautiful! So affectionate, too.” The admiration she was laying on Snooks was not lost on the dog. He scooted closer to her and then leaned against her knees to beg for more. He nearly sent Mimi back on her rear.
“I’d say you made a hit. That’s important in this house,” Garrett said.
She stood. “Garrett, this is just beautiful. I can see why you love it here.”
“You haven’t seen half of it. Tomorrow, we can take the ATV, and I’ll show you the rest of the property. I even have a frog pond!”
“Amazing.”
“Are you hungry?” he said as he moved to the kitchen. He poured them both a glass of wine.
“Starved,” she said as they touched glasses. “Appetite has never been a problem for me, as you can probably tell.” She blushed, her eyes facing downward.
“You’re perfect, Mimi. You’re healthy, glowing, I love your body. I’ve been thinking about nothing else these past few days.”
She sipped her wine. “Tell me more.” She wiggled her eyebrows.
“I told you I’d keep my promise—” He stepped closer to her, their thighs brushing against each other. “I said I’d put my fingers and hands, my kisses too, all over every square inch of your body. I intend to do that.”
She looked at him over the rim of her glass as she took another sip.
“Really? And then what are you going to do tomorrow?”
He’d made too much of a fuss over dinner because they barely took a few bites before it was obvious they both had one thing on their minds. He held her hand as he led her up the stairs to his bedroom.
She gasped as she saw the quilt. “This is lovely, Garrett. Is it family?”
Snooker jumped up into the middle of the bed and lay down.
“Off, Snooker!” Garrett waited for him to exit the room and then he closed the door.
“It belonged to my grandmother. It’s really the only thing I have of hers. My mother said she made it.”
“I love quilting. I probably never told you.”
He slowly walked to her, feeling the heat of her body and smelling the soft perfume of her arousal. “We really haven’t done much talking at all. But I think I knew that, somehow, Mimi.” He was overwhelmed with the natural beauty of her soft round face. “No one’s ever been here before, Mimi. You’re the first.”
She stood on tiptoes and kissed him tenderly, whispering between their lips, “I didn’t realize you were a virgin, Garrett.”
He chuckled. He brought his fingers to her cheek then down to her chin and tipped her head back slightly and kissed her. “I’ve never considered sharing my life with anyone before I met you. I don’t even know how well I’ll do it. I’m more or less a civilian now—”
“You’re never a civilian. You’ll always be ready to save someone,” she whispered back, her eyes focusing on his lips before they touched again.
“I’m old-fashioned about some things and very closed off to other things I don’t want you to have anything to do with. But I’ve gotten to see the worst of humanity while serving with the best. The two come together. Can’t have one without the other. I’m a confusing package, and I admit I’m not very easy-going.”
“I’m stubborn too,” she said as she placed his palm on her right breast. “I know what I want and I go after it. I don’t change my mind, either. I make friends for life, but I can live well alone.”
His fingers had slipped into her bra, rubbing the soft surface of her flesh. “Thinking of you all alone makes me ache,” he whispered then bent down and kissed her cleavage, beginning to explore with his tongue. “You were made for me, Mimi. I don’t ever want you to be alone again. I want to convince you that you belong here, with me.”
She inhaled and leaned into him, placing her arms up over his shoulders so he could feel her nippled knotting and waiting for his touch. “I’m going to pretend I’ve not already made up my mind because I want you to keep convincing me.” She kissed him again and then watched his face, giving him the space to say what he’d planned on saying, practiced saying for the past three days.
“Marry me, Mimi. I promise, I’ll keep convincing you to say yes for the rest of your life.”
Did you enjoy SEAL Love’s Legacy? Be sure to follow along the rest of the books in this Silver SEALs Series, starting with Maryann Jordan’s SEAL Together. Here’s an excerpt from the first chapter.
Chapter 1
The sun had set over Caspian Lake in Vermont, and Eric Lopez looked up from his book, noticing that the evening shadows had also deepened. Sliding off his reading glasses, no longer able to see the book in his hand, he placed both items on the arm of the Adirondack chair. Sitting on his deck, facing the water, he propped his feet up on the rail and watched as the moon began to rise.
Leaning over, he picked up the glass tumbler he had sat next to him and gave it a slight swirl to mix the water with the Scotch whiskey. Taking a sip, he continued to watch as the moon cast its reflection over the water. He appreciated the view, the quiet of the evening, and the whiskey.
The view was one of the main reasons he had bought the cabin several years ago. It had been strange, having traveled the world for over twenty years in the US Navy—most of those as a SEAL—to begin again, as a civilian, needing to find a place t
o live. His parents had passed away years before, and his only sibling, his sister, lived near Washington DC. While he did not mind paying her visits, he had no desire to live in an overcrowded, overpriced metropolis.
When trying to decide where he should purchase a home, he took a map of the United States, closed his eyes, and slapped his finger down on the paper. When he opened his eyes, he saw that his forefinger was pointing at Vermont. With a shrug, he had figured it was as good as any place to settle.
He lucked out when he had found the two-bedroom cabin nestled in five acres of wooded land. The back of his house faced Caspian Lake, and the front was far enough away from the road that it could not be seen. The realtor had extolled the virtues of the upgraded kitchen and bathrooms, as well as the tall stone fireplace in the living room.
Instead, he had walked to the windows near the back, looked out over trees and had appreciated that he could clearly see the lake just behind the property. I didn’t give a shit about the kitchen or bathrooms, but the view…hell, yeah. Turning around, he had immediately shut her up with the words, “I’ll take it.”
The quiet atmosphere was another bonus. He could not hear any traffic on the road, nor any neighbors around. Occasionally, on a busy summer day, jet skis and boats carrying noisy vacationers would encroach on his reverie, but where he lived was away from the major vacation spots. The call of birds, the scampering of woodland animals through the leaves, and deer moving through the brush were the only sounds he wanted to hear and, most of the time, that was what he got.
And, of course, the Scotch whiskey. Not a heavy drinker, he had nonetheless acquired the taste for the fine scotch during his SEAL days. At the end of a mission, his team would gather together, pull out whatever glasses they could get their hands on, and pour a splash for each of them. Toasting their success, they sipped the whiskey, enjoying the smokiness and burn. They might go raise hell later but, for a few moments together, they shared a drink.
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