by Jen Talty
So had Clover.
In many ways, Wyatt owed his life to Colorado and Clover.
“The best,” Keanu said solemnly as he waved to the waitress, holding up two fingers. “I wish I could go back and—”
“Don’t go there.” Wyatt understood that Keanu still held himself responsible for his previous team’s death, but it was the furthest thing from the truth. “And you better keep that shit in check around Clover. She sure as hell doesn’t blame you, or your wife, for what happened.”
“Look at you taking your task commander to task.” Keanu held up his beer. “Have you talked to her since the Barbie doll incident?”
“I sent her a text, and she responded in usual fashion by letting me know she’s a grown-ass woman, and the cops are handling it.” Not to mention the flirting, but Wyatt wasn’t going to bring that up with Keanu, for a plethora of reasons. One of them being he didn’t want to have to listen to Keanu go on and on about how he and Clover would be a good fit.
Of course, Wyatt had to assume Clover was being sarcastic, or something. It would be best if he didn’t read anything into the text messages.
Keanu nodded. “Dave is doing what he can to push forensics along, but he’s got nothing. The waitress Clover fired was at her new job, but he’s keeping an eye on her.”
“What about the courier company?” Wyatt asked.
“Based on the description of the uniform, Dave thought it was Jensen Deliveries, only they have no record of a package being sent here.” Keanu raised his hand. “And he’s looked into all the other ones. Nothing. Whoever sent the package doesn’t want to be found, and that makes me insanely nervous.”
Wyatt snapped his gaze back to the stage. Clover strummed her guitar. Her fingers glided over the strings like a master pianist. “I live two doors down, so I’ll keep an eye on her.”
“She’s like a daughter to me, so I’m counting on you for exactly that. I know she’s scared, but she’s acting like it’s just a stupid prank by an idiot who is jealous of her latest hits. Did she tell you about the song she sold to that big country band?”
“She sent me an email as soon as it happened. I didn’t get it until the training session was over, but I’m thrilled for her, and I have a little surprise for her when she gets home.” Wyatt smiled proudly.
“Home? Is there something you want to tell me?”
Wyatt groaned. “No.” Damn. He should have known this conversation would lead to a discussion about his love life.
“Now tell me again why you and Clover aren’t an item, because you act like a man in love half the time.”
Wyatt shook his head and chose to ignore the question. He raised the longneck to his lips and sipped while he stared at Clover. Her lips moved over the mic as the sound system carried her magical voice into the room. When her gaze locked with his, she smiled, giving him a little nod. “Why didn’t Ainsley come out with us tonight?” Wyatt asked, needing to change the focus.
“Not going to answer me, eh?” Keanu asked with a slight chuckle. “To answer yours, Karl has an ear infection, and he doesn’t do well with a babysitter when he’s like that. As a matter of fact, I’m under strict orders that I can only have one beer with the team, and then straight home.”
“Why don’t you go now?” Wyatt would give everything he had to be able to hug his son again. Not a day went by that he didn’t think about Michael. He would have turned ten a couple of months ago. Wyatt wondered if he would have liked sports, or if he would have been more like his mother and a been a bookworm.
“I’m going to have my one beer and say hello to Clover,” Keanu said. “For a new, young team, you all seemed to gel quite well together. I was pleased with the outcome of the training mission.”
It was strange for Wyatt to be the oldest on any team. On his last squad, he’d been the baby, but after Operation Princess failed, and Colorado died, things changed. “Parker struggled a little with confidence but was fresh out of SEAL training when you formed this squad. The good news is he’s smarter than fuck, and when it mattered, he didn’t question his instincts. I’m happy with this squad, and we work well with the rest of the platoon.”
“Good to know,” Keanu said.
The crowd clapped and whistled as Clover’s song ended.
“Thank you,” Clover said. “I’m going to take a short break, but I’ll be back with some new material.” She set her guitar on a stand next to the stool. Her dark wavy hair flowed over her shoulders and down her back like a cascading waterfall.
Wyatt stood, setting his beer on the table. Living in Virginia again had both good memories and tragic ones. He did his best to hold on to the ones that gave him strength to get through the night. He stretched his arms out, and Clover ran right into them. Her hair smelled like coconut and vanilla. He resisted the urge to fist her hair and tug so that he could ravish her mouth with a hot, wet kiss that was meant for a private setting.
“Welcome home, sailor,” she whispered in his ear right before her lips smacked his cheek. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.” He held on a little longer than what most would deem appropriate for old friends. Her body molded against his as if she were his favorite shirt. Everything about Clover awakened Wyatt, but he couldn’t ever act on them.
“Hey, old man.” She took a step back and embraced Keanu. “You must be happy to have your squad back in one piece.”
“You know I am.” He downed the rest of his brew before slamming it on the table. “I’m going to leave you two so you can catch up.”
“Don’t you want to be here when the rest of the gang gets here?” Wyatt asked, like a scared little boy being left alone for the very first time.
“Nah. I saw all you goons during debriefing. Enjoy your vacation time. I’ll talk to you soon,” Keanu said. “Clover, watch your back and lay low. Promise me you’ll call Dave if anything is wonky and no walking back and forth to work alone.”
She nodded. “I’m not stupid.”
“Just stubborn,” Wyatt muttered.
She nudged him in the gut with her elbow.
He laughed as he eased back into the booth and stared into Clover’s chocolate-colored eyes. She’d been through a lot in her childhood, but she never let any of it dull the life that danced in those dark orbs.
“How are you holding up? This afternoon had to have been frightening.” Wyatt sipped his beverage, keeping his gaze on her face.
“I’d be lying if I told you it didn’t freak me out, but even Dave said, without a note, we have no idea if the sender means to harm me or just scare the shit out of me, or even if it was supposed to be sent that way. It’s possible the damage happened during delivery.”
He scanned the room, making note of everyone in it. Two burly men at the bar stuck out. One glanced over his shoulder but quickly turned his attention back to his beer. “Let’s hope the latter.” He nodded to Chris who hovered over the hostess at the front door. “I hate to admit this, but I’m glad Chris was here.”
“Me too.” She smiled. “It’s good to see you. I really missed you.”
“It’s good to be seen, but I’m exhausted and can’t wait to sleep in my own bed.” Every team or squad he’d been on had pre and post op traditions, but anytime he’d been stationed in Virginia, which had been most of his career as a SEAL, coming to the Sans had been more than a ritual. In some ways, it allowed him to pay homage to his long-time friend, Colorado, as well Wyatt’s son.
She reached out and cupped his cheek. “You look tired. Was it a hard mission? I try not to pay attention to anything military related on the news when you’re deployed.”
“It was just a training exercise.” His smile faded. She’d been like that with her father too, only it hadn’t kept him from being killed in the line of duty. What hurt the most about Colorado’s death had been the fact that Kip, a mutual friend and fellow SEAL, had turned on his country and his fellow sailor.
And for what?
That was an answer that
died with Kip.
She cocked her head. “I expect Keanu to give me that look, not you.”
“Sorry.” He pushed all the negative thoughts from his mind and focused on the pretty girl sitting across from him. “I did get your last message. Congratulations on the sale of two new songs. I wanted to respond, but once we boarded the transport plane, I was cut off from the rest of the world.”
“I, of all people, understand.” She leaned forward, taking his hands. “How long are you home for?”
“I’ve got the next five days off. After that, who knows. My team is ready, so we could be deployed anywhere at any time at this point.”
“How does it feel to be the old man in charge?” she asked with a tilt of her head and a sweet smile that sucker punched him right in the chest, sending his heart pounding into his throat.
“Weird. There are four men younger than you and about as green as I was when I first met your dad.”
“My father loved you like a son. I remember after your first deployment on my dad’s team, I told him I was going to marry you one day. He never laughed so hard in his life. I think he enjoyed telling me you were engaged.”
“I got married a few months after that deployment,” he said, swallowing hard. He and Gwen had truly loved one another, but the loss of a child, and the long separation of military life, took its toll, and Gwen couldn’t handle it. “Your father hated every crush you had on his men, especially Keanu.” Wyatt tapped his chest. “I was hurt over that one because he’s even older than me.”
She laughed. “My crush days are long gone.”
He arched a brow as he held her hands a little tighter. “Really? So, does that mean you’ve found yourself a boyfriend? Or maybe you finally caved and went out with Chris?”
She rolled her eyes. “First, Chris isn’t my type, and I think he’s over me anyway. This redhead has been hanging around him lately, and he’s enjoying the attention. And secondly, the only single men in this town are either military, or single for a reason.”
“And you don’t date military men,” he said, letting out a long breath. One of the many reasons he’d always keep his feelings to himself. “Which I don’t blame you. We’re arrogant, and we’re never home.”
Tears welled in her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” He leaned closer, bringing her hand to his lips. He kissed her warm skin. “Why are you about to cry? You know I don’t handle crying women well.”
“I hate to bring this up, but you’re going to find out sooner or later, and I don’t want it to be randomly where it will catch you off guard.”
He swallowed. “What’s going on?
“You know Gwen got married a few years ago.”
Not only had he known, but his ex-wife thought it had been a good idea to invite him. Of course, he didn’t attend, and that wasn’t because he was bitter.
But he’d be lying if he didn’t admit that stung that she could start over with someone else instead of working to save their marriage. Once their son passed, she’d checked herself out and never looked back. He, on the other hand, crawled under a rock and waited to die. Well, at least he tried, but Colorado and Clover wouldn’t hear of it.
Wyatt nodded. A thick lump formed in his throat. He could take a wild guess where this conversation was headed. Gwen had wanted to get pregnant right after they had Michael, and she continued to push during his chemo treatments, but after his death, her desperation to replace their son took over, and Wyatt dealt with it all by volunteering for everything the Navy tossed in his direction.
“I saw her last week, and she’s pregnant. I mean like about to pop pregnant.”
The air in his lungs escaped, leaving his chest tight and desperate for oxygen. “I’m happy for her,” he said, managing to catch his breath. “I know this is what she wanted, and I couldn’t bring myself to give it to her, so this is good.” He always knew Gwen would move on and have another family. Being a wife and a mother had meant the world to her, only he couldn’t be in that world. Not then. Not now. Not ever again.
“She didn’t even know you had moved back to town,” Clover said.
“I haven’t spoken to her since your dad’s funeral two years ago.” He pulled his hands back and nursed his beer. Gwen would always have a special place in his heart. “I want nothing but the best for Gwen,” he added.
“I know. But it bothered me she hadn’t thought to let you know.”
He ran a hand over his freshly shaven face. “Last time I spoke to her, I told her to go live her life and not to look back. I also told her I thought it was best if we didn’t have any communication. Just being around each other brings up too much pain for both of us, and that’s not fair to her new husband, and now new family.”
“That’s about what she said.”
“Thanks for telling me,” he said. “But you don’t have to worry about me. I’ve come to terms with that time in my life. I’ve moved on, and,” he tapped his temple, “I’m in the game of life.”
“Good to know.”
He lifted his cell and tapped on the text conversation from earlier. “You mentioned something about your body needing guarding? How much guarding and what does that entail, exactly?”
She covered her mouth and coughed and gasped.
“I take it that was a tongue and cheek comment? Because otherwise it comes off like you might be propositioning me.”
Her jaw dropped, but she didn’t make a noise.
The front door swished open, and Landon, Hudson, Parker, and Isaac strolled in with big smiles to match their fairly large egos.
“Here comes some of the new crew,” he said, waving them over. “Looks like you just got saved by the bell.”
“There was no bell, and it was tongue in cheek, and oh Lordy, check out that Landon Asher. He is one hottie.”
“He’s not my type,” Wyatt mumbled. He had no right to allow the pang of jealousy he felt to seep out into the conversation. She was a young, beautiful, sweet woman, and Landon might be a bit of a player, but he was a good man. “But I can see how you might find him attractive. Maybe you should send him some random flirty text.”
“Why, Wyatt, are you jealous?”
“No,” he said a little too quickly and harshly. “But Landon has some tough baggage. I’m not sure he’s the settling down kind.”
“Before you all deployed, he went out with Beth. She said he was a total gentleman.”
“All sailors are, and he’s one of the best, just maybe a little broken.” Wyatt stood. “Took you boys long enough. You all remember Clover.”
“The singer, songwriter,” Hudson said as he slapped Wyatt on the back. “We were just listening to some of her songs on the way over.”
“I think you sing them better than the artists who buy them,” Landon said. “But we’ve talked about that before.”
“I have to agree.” Parker, the youngest member of the team, said as he slid into the booth. “I’m starving and could use some beer.”
“I’ll send the waitress right over.” Clover raised up on tiptoe and kissed Wyatt on the cheek. “I have another set, and then I’ve been told someone is demanding to guard my body all the way home.”
“Damn straight.” He cupped her chin and boldly planted a wet kiss on her plump limps. “Play me my favorite.”
“Only for you, sailor.” She turned on her heels. Her hips swayed back and forth as she maneuvered across the floor.
“Thought you and she were just friends,” Landon said.
“We are.” Wyatt chugged half his beer.
“Then you won’t mind if I ask her out,” Hudson said with a chuckle.
“Oh. I mind. And so will our task manager, so back off. Clover is off-limits.”
Chapter 3
“This is gorgeous. I love it.” Clover fingered the silver guitar pendant hanging dangerously close to her cleavage.
“Let me see,” Wyatt said, twisting her body. “Wow. It looks fabulous on you.”
“You don’t
have to buy me gifts every time you come home.”
“Just carrying on your father’s tradition.” Wyatt kissed her temple. “Now, you stay right here while I go make sure the house is safe. Got it?”
“Whatever.” She shook her head.
He laughed as he practically jogged off down the hallway in his sexy bare feet. Now, all she had to do was get him out of that damn dark V-neck. Jeans, bare chest, and no shoes. Yum. She bit back a sigh as she pulled two red wine glasses down and set them on the counter. “I think you’re being ridiculous.” After filling the glasses, she made herself comfortable in the family room of her home that overlooked the beach. She’d bought the house right before her father had died. It had been the first thing she purchased after one of her songs hit number one on the country charts. She’d wanted to live on the beach since she’d been a little girl, and it felt damn good to be able to achieve her goals.
She only wished her father were still here, but she knew he was looking down on her with pride.
“I have an alarm that would have gone off and security cameras that would have shown me something,” she said. When Wyatt called informing her that he’d been relocated back to Virginia, she went out of her way to help him find a place in the same area.
She never imagined he’d end up renting a house a few doors down. And for the last nearly two years, she’d avoided him, and her feelings. She constantly reminded herself of all the reasons she didn’t date military men.
“Safety is far from outrageous, especially when someone sends you an ominous message.” Wyatt plopped himself down on the sofa, taking the glass of wine. He swirled the liquid before bringing it to his nose. “I blame your mother for my thirst for fine wine.”
“I blame my mom for a lot of things, but mostly for the reason I don’t date military men.”
“Trisha didn’t leave your father because he was in the Navy; she left him because she was jealous of you. She couldn’t stand that she wasn’t the center of his universe.”