Code Name: Kayla's Fire (A Warrior's Challenge)

by Natasza Waters

  Epilogue

  The wedding ceremony was over, and the party was in full swing. They’d both agreed there was nowhere more apropos to be married than the base. Everyone who wanted to come—could. Service personnel and officers mingled with friends and family. Captain Redding didn’t hesitate when she asked him to give her away.

  She’d only had three months to plan and execute the wedding before her and Adam’s extraction to Hawaii. She couldn’t have done it without the help of Marg Cobbs, who had become a very good friend. Nina, Captain Redding’s wife, Lydia, and the rest of the team wives had all pitched in to help.

  When she’d been getting ready for the wedding, someone knocked on the door. Lydia opened it, and then ushered the rest of the women out.

  Greg stood in his ceremonial uniform, filling the doorway with broad shoulders gazing at her. “You are so beautiful,” he said, stepping into the room.

  “I didn’t think you’d come.” A rush of tears threatened. Her heart literally exploded seeing him standing there.

  “No tears, Angel.” He leaned forward, placing a long, warm kiss on her lips. “I’ve missed you.” His finger traced a gentle line down her cheek. “I don’t think I’ll ever not love you, but we both needed to start again, and we never would have if we’d held onto each other. I hope you don’t mind, but I brought someone with me.”

  “Really?” She didn’t know how she would feel when she heard those words from him for the first time, but she was happy. She forked her fingers through his, and rested them against her chest. “She’s so lucky, and I can’t wait to meet her.”

  “Her name is Diana. She’s a nurse. I met her a few years ago, and I guess there was a spark, I just…”

  She palmed his jaw, and breathed a sigh of relief, looking into his beautiful green eyes. “You don’t have to explain.”

  “She knows everything, even how deeply I feel for you. I can’t believe her patience, but maybe we both managed to find someone wonderful to share the end of our days.” He stepped back and pulled something from his pocket. “You don’t have to wear it, but I want you to have it.”

  Greg opened his palm, and a bracelet lay coiled in it. A small silver heart dangled from the links. She held her wrist out and he fastened it. “It’s beautiful.” Their fingers bumped into each other as they skimmed it, and rested over the heart. They both raised their eyes at the same time, hers brimming with tears. “You were my everything since I was a young girl. I have no way to show you how grateful I am.”

  He brushed away the tear. “Promise me next time around, it will be you and I against the world.”

  “Eh-hem.” They both turned, and the Admiral loomed in the doorway.

  “Admiral,” she said with a sigh. Leave it to him to break tradition.

  “Lapierre,” he said his gaze sharp and inquiring.

  Greg shrugged, and a guilty little smile crowned his features. “Hey, what can I say?”

  “Hello, for one,” Thane said, stepping up to them, shaking Greg’s hand. “Good to see you came. Kayla really wanted you here today,” He paused. “And so did I.”

  “Thank you, Capt…Admiral, but I didn’t come alone.”

  “I noticed,” he said, and raised a brow.

  “Hmm.” She did her best Marge Simpson growl. “Now, I have to meet her.” She turned to check her makeup in the large oval standing mirror positioned in the middle of the room.

  She saw Thane and Greg fist each other, while her husband-to-be mouthed, “Hot.” Greg showed his wolf smile for a quick second, and popped his brows. She turned slowly, and both of them swooped an innocent expression on their faces.

  “Out,” she barked.

  When she walked up the aisle she saw Diana for the first time. Thane was right. She was a stunning beauty, with a warm smile and honest eyes. She nodded to her, and Diana nodded back regally.

  Finally, the galley crew rolled the cake out. She’d fretted over the top of that stupid thing for two months until she finally found something that wasn’t a tacky plastic couple standing rigidly beside each other. She’d settled on a nautical theme, two beautiful glass dolphins entwined.

  Thane stood surrounded by some of the ranking officers from the base, with Adam bundled in his arms sleeping soundly. Carefully, the cake was set on a table draped in fine, white linen and covered with petals. Her eyes widened with a slow burning heat sizzling up her spine. “What—the—hell—is—that?”

  “What’s the matter, Kayla?”

  Words stuttered in her throat. Instead, she thrust her finger as more people gathered around to watch them cut the cake. The chuckles and out and out laughter began to ripple through the crowd. Her head jerked around to glare at Thane.

  Sitting on top of the cake wasn’t the glass dolphins she’d sweated over. On top of the most extraordinarily beautiful four-layered piece of artwork were two very large, gaudy, plastic statues. One of a ghost with huge black eyes and a billowing sheet and the other had to have come from Disneyland, because it was Snow White and seven little, fat, laughing dwarves scattered on every level.

  At the same time, and loud enough to make people squint they both shouted, “Goddamnit, Mace!”

  It wasn’t only him laughing. The entire squad stood together, and clutched their stomachs.

  Nothing but trouble, all of them, but there was no denying she loved them all, and then she broke out in gales of laughter herself. The guys ran up and threw their arms around them, begging for forgiveness and blaming Mace. Everyone jostled to snap a picture of the tasteless masterpiece. Mace approached carefully with his palms together, pleading for mercy. She motioned with her finger, and he trapped her in his arms for a big hug.

  “Love ya, Kayla,” he said, giving her a handsome smile.

  She prayed every night for them, especially Mace. She gazed into the eyes of her friend, reaching up to palm his strong jaw. “Always come home with this,” she whispered, squeezing his cheeks.

  “I will, Kayla.” He leaned over and kissed her, then squeezed her tight. “Nina and I’ll come visit. I need to work on my tan, and Hawaii’s pretty hot.”

  “A lot hotter than where I’m posting you, Petty Officer Callahan,” they heard Thane say. “I hear it drops to minus sixty in the winter.”

  Mace backed away with a warm expression in his eyes. Nina reached for Adam, and Thane placed their son in her arms. Mace grinned down at his godson, and then leaned over and hoisted Gabby onto his hip. She threw her little arms around his neck, and rested her mop of red curls against his head.

  “I love you both,” Mace said, giving them a quick salute.

  They all laughed when Gabby imitated him, and Mace gave her a huge wet kiss on her cheek. Greg wandered up and wrapped an arm around Nina while Diana threaded her arm around Greg’s.

  The Admiral stretched out his hand, and she laid hers on top. Mace, as did the rest of the squad, gathered round them in a tight circle, and piled their hands atop of one another. “You were always there, men. Keep doing what you do best, because you are the best. I never want to come back here to hammer my trident in a wooden box, you hear me loud and clear?” he said, giving them their final order.

  “Hooyah,” sang out through the air, across the sea, and into the blue of an ebbing California sunset.

  More echoed from the mouths of the SEALs, and the men and women who served as if a great pack were calling out to each other. The resonance of their voices was better than hearing church bells. Remembering Thane’s words to a graduating class of recruits, they curled around Kayla’s heart.

  Living—comes with a price, as does freedom. The sons and daughters, friends and soul mates surrounding us today, offer their lives as a shield against dark things, giving peace a fighting chance. There is no greater irony, and only those who protect a nation can understand the paradox. Whether by some crinkle of fate or man’s eternal flaws, struggle is a part of life, but so is hope.

  There are things crushingly certain in this world. The warmth of blo
od and tears will always chill as it blankets soil and gravestones. In the silent but healing breath seized between war and peace, there will always be memorable moments. The ones that keep life worth living. You just need to recognize them, and hold onto them as long as you can. Today—belongs to all of us.

  “Hooyah,” she whispered as the Admiral kissed her cheek. “Hooyah.”

  *The End*

  Message from Natasza,

  PTSD is a serious affliction that can occur following the experience or witnessing of life-threatening events such as military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, serious accidents, or physical or sexual assault in adult or childhood. Many worthy organizations have found a way to help veterans to live normal lives, one of which is Paws and Stripes. A nonprofit​​​​​​​​​ organization providing service dogs​​​​​​​​​​ for wounded military veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. Please visit their site to learn more. http://www.pawsandstripes.org/

  Another organization which helps numerous warriors and Gold Star families is called Operation Gratitude. Annually, they send 100,000+ care packages filled with snacks, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation addressed to individually named U.S. Service Members deployed in hostile regions, to their children left behind and to Veterans, First Responders, Wounded Warriors and their Care Givers. http://www.operationgratitude.com/

  Book Three A Warrior’s Challenge series.

  Code Name: Nina’s Choice

  Nina Samson accepts a position in Coronado Base Command. She’s a logistics specialist groomed by her mentor Kayla Banks, and assumes her position when Kayla and Admiral Austen transfer to Hawaii. Nina’s the mother of an adorable seven-year-old daughter named Gabriella, who always comes first in her life. Both mother and daughter are fiery redheads, with sharp green eyes, and attitudes to match. Nina has never let anyone dictate who she should be, especially a man.

  Sparks fly when Nina is introduced to Petty Officer Mace Callahan, a dark-haired, blue-eyed, Hollywood handsome SEAL. With his powerful physique and cocky attitude, he makes her heart run a zipline of crazy.

  Meeting and protecting Nina from the Blood Shark, alters Mace’s future. He thought he knew it all when it came to pleasuring a woman, but not one like Nina. She draws him into her world of mild kink, and he’s hungry for anything she wants to show him or maybe he’s just hungry for her.

  After being wounded in Syria, the doctor’s tell him, with therapy, his “man parts” will return to working order, but for a guy like him, losing that ability means not being a man. Mace throws up his defenses, but Nina won’t withdraw. Drawn to Canada, Nina’s daughter, Gabriella, steals his heart. He’s in love with both of them, and Nina’s patience and relentless prodding, keeps his recovery moving along until his parts stir to life.

  Mace doesn’t hesitate. About to ask Nina to marry him, his plans are thrown off course. Gabriella’s father, Wade Cayson, a U.S. Navy Lieutenant, spent one hot, sweaty week with Nina, but never knew they’d made a daughter. Now he wants back in, and he’s got a biological right to be there. Nina has a choice to make for her and Gabriella. While Lieutenant Cayson tries to woo both of them into his life, Mace Callahan struggles with accepting he has to let them both go. Amidst the uncertainty, the worst thing to happen—does. Gabriella is kidnapped, and Nina turns to the man she loves to find her daughter.

  About the Author

  Natasza Waters is an officer, author, and reviewer with InD’Tale Magazine. She debuted her first romance novel, “Too Grand For Words” in 2011. Issued in E-pub and paperback, the novel found its way to book clubs where women enjoy a cup of romance with a twist of steam.

  After majoring in English in her early years, Natasza’s life altered course. A lifelong working relationship with the marine industry began when she became an officer with the Coast Guard. Crafting stories with pieces snipped from real life and the sea—particularly the West Coast and those who respect it as much as they love it, find their way into plots puddled in action and suspense, with unsung heroes and heroines aplenty.

  A twenty-four hour day finds Natasza drafting her next novel, blogging, working, and reviewing other author’s voices. Sleep you say? Not so much! Visit her websites at http://nataszawaters.com/ or http://voicebetweenthelines.com/ or drop a review or a word at http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6086142.Natasza_Waters

  Secret Cravings Publishing

  www.secretcravingspublishing.com