I Never Asked You To Save Me: Book 3 The Wakefield Romance Series

by Hewitt, Theresa Marguerite

  Squinting, I think I see Jake’s partner Tom Walden posted up at the edge of the bar, his tall, dark haired frame sipping a drink with his eyes locked on me. Fear rises in my heart, making my chest feel tight and as I slowly make my way back to the curtain I try to keep my eye on him. I’m praying furiously that it’s not him, but the more I look, the more he keeps eye contact and I’m certain it’s him. Panic takes over and I dart around the black curtain, almost tripping in my heels down the glitter stairs.

  I’m hoping he didn’t recognize me. I have the wig and makeup on and he was sort of far away, but why is he here in the first place? Coming around the corner into the hallway, I keep my eyes on the floor but still can see Gina on her knees in front of Big Joe, his hands in her hair and his pants around his ankles. I put my hand up to shield the view, slipping into the dressing room amongst the bodyguards grunts in approval of her actions.

  “Well hold on a second, she’s right here,” my face pops up to see Melody with my cell phone up to her ear. My breathing is erratic as fear still fills my veins, shaking my limbs and I see a confused look pass over her features. Putting her hand over the phone she whispers, “What’s wrong?” moving my bag so I can plop down into my stool.

  “I thought I saw someone,” I dismiss her, trying to calm my breathing as I reach for my cell still in her hand. I point and mouth the word “who” and she smiles wide, handing me the phone and animatedly plopping down in her stool next to me. With her chin in her hand, she leans towards me with a sly smile. I’m almost afraid to see who is on the phone with her animated state, but I put it to my ear.

  “Hello?” I say, trying to keep the shakiness in and resting my arms on the counter in front of me.

  “Well hello, sweetheart,” the smooth voice flows out, into my heart and I have to close my eyes. He doesn’t know what the mere thought of him does to me. My anxiety and fear are gone instantly and my heart starts racing for another reason. A wonderful reason.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Bobby

  Afghanistan

  “If you’re not gonna listen, the LT is gonna have your head. Jackass,” Uclid huffs as he pushes up off the ground beside me, leaving his spotter position in our shooting practice. I take my gaze from the scope of my rifle to see him shed his flak and toss it onto the front of the Hummer to my right. “You gotta get your head straight Timmons; before he kicks both our asses.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” I shake him off and return my attention back to the long range target down wind, zooming in on it with a few clicks of my scope. There’s little wind and I take my time, adjusting for it and finally squeezing the trigger. Seeing my target explode in a cloud of dust as the .300 Winchester Mag finds its mark, I grin to myself. God I love my job. Letting the dust settle, I make sure my gun is safe to transport and snap down the legs, slinging the strap over my shoulder while hopping to my feet.

  Uclid is right though. I have been off my game for the last week or so since we’ve been here at the base in the mountains. I’m not going to lie, my thoughts have been elsewhere. With a cute little thing sitting on the tailgate of my jacked up Chevy with her bare legs swinging in the light breeze. The smell of her as she lay in my arms that night at Chad’s house and the way her breathing sounded like music to my ears; playing a tune only my heart could understand. Yeah that might sound soft, but it’s the truth and right now I need to face the truth. I’ve got it hard for Ellie.

  That night, tangled in her arms with her skin against mine, I fell hard. Ever since I had to pry myself from her, leaving her with a kiss on the forehead and a note, I can’t get her out of my head and heart. It’s been killing me and I’m not use to feeling like this. I’ve never let a woman get to me this bad, but I kind of like it.

  That first couple of days away from her were the worst. In the hot, sticky jungle of South America, I could smell her at every turn. Sloshing through mud and muck, I thought I heard Ellie call my name, but it was all in my head and heart. I had to snap out of it and ‘cowboy-up’ as we call it. Get my game face on and be the SEAL I need to be.

  We had trudged through the jungle, meeting our objective and demolishing a drug cartels hideout, rescuing some U.S. embassy captives in their hold and have been in the hot mountains of Afghanistan ever since. I hate this fucking place. It’s a hell hole. There is nothing but people who despise us, heat during the day and freezing temps at night. I can’t wait till I’m on U.S. soil again. I can’t wait till I can take that sweet little thing on a date.

  “Timmons,” I snap from my musing to wheel on Uclid, seeing him far ahead of me making his way back to the barracks. “Get your fuckin’ head outta the clouds and hustle up.” He yells over his shoulder while shaking his head and I jog after him, my longer legs catching his in seconds as my rifle swings along on my shoulder. My spotter and buddy is mumbling to himself as we get to the barracks, tossing our gear off and sitting to clean our weapons.

  Silence surrounded us; the only sounds being that of mumbled speech coming from the bunks and the random clicks and slides of the parts of our weapons. I can’t be quiet anymore. He’s my best friend. “There’s just somethin’ about her,” I say, putting the last pieces of equipment away and standing to stretch and strip of the sweaty material and seeing some sand drop out.

  “I know,” he laughs, giving me an evil grin. Disappearing around into the barracks I cringe when I hear him yell. “Timmons admitted it guys. He’s got it hard for Miss Ellie.” The laughs that fill the room make me not want to go in there because I can just imagine the shit they are going to say.

  Me. The playboy. The womanizer. I’ve finally been struck by the bug. Putting on a tough face I round the corner to see them all gathered around on the couches and chairs. Vipers in a pit, that’s what they are. Wolves surrounding a wounded buffalo, waiting and biding their time with sly grins on their faces.

  They all join in on a group “Ohhh”, pointing and laughing, while Black just sits back and smiles, shaking his head at me as I sit down next to him. “Tol’ ya boy,” he says, hitting me in the shoulder while handing me a water bottle.

  “You tol’ me what ol’ man,” I quip, still fending off other comments from the other guys as Lenny starts to lightly strum away on his Gibson. They throw out ‘You’ll never stay tied down’ and ‘You haven’t even had it and you’re pussy whipped already’, making me chuckle and shake my head as Black slapped his hand on my shoulder.

  “I tol’ ya that that girl was special,” he smiles sparing a look over to French sitting on his other side who nods, grinning almost unbearable as the guys still joke around me. Fred Black had told me that Ellie was special, on New Year’s when we were at Chad and Rhea’s house for a little get together. I had brushed him off, thinking then that I was just planning on hooking up with Ellie, but now it’s different. Now she struck a different chord just like Lenny on his guitar as he changes tempo.

  They kept making fun of me into the afternoon, through dinner and even back in the barracks. When the time came that we had a second to use the computers, the guys flocked to them like moths to a flame, all wanting to call their families and girls back home but I just flopped down on my bunk with a satellite phone in hand.

  I have Ellie’s number memorized from all the text messages we sent back and forth since meeting and staring at the rails of the bunk above me, I smile at the picture taped up there. It was from Chad and Rhea’s wedding, when we were all out on the patio during the reception. Chad and Rhea were front and center, their love evident even through the lens of the camera while Ellie and I sat to Chad’s right, my arm around her shoulders that were covered by my coat. She is so beautiful it almost hurts to look at her smiling face. It’s even harder on my heart to remember that she was leaning ever so slightly towards me as the photographer was snapping the pictures, eventually leaning her head on my shoulder as I snuggled her into my side trying to ward off the chilly January air. How much time have I wasted with her?

  Punching in the numbers, I
wait while it dials. I try not to let the nerves bother me as I wait to hear her voice, the need to hear her voice thrumming through my veins like crazy. After four rings I’m thinking I should hang up when an unfamiliar female voice says hello. “Ellie?” I question.

  “No, this is Melody. Who’s this?” the perky woman replies and I let out a silent sigh, recognizing the name of Ellie’s friend from one of our past conversations. Telling her who I am I cringe at the squeal that rings out, taking the phone from my ear and shaking my head to try and stop the ringing. “Oh well she’s out at the bar.”

  “Oh,” I try not to sound too disappointed, even though I am. “Just tell her I called and that I’m thinking’ ‘bout her, okay?” Did that sound too stupid? I hope it doesn’t because I can’t take it back now.

  “Okay,” she says and I’m about to say my thanks when she cuts in. “Well hold on a second, she’s right here.” My mood picks up a little and I can tell she covers the phone with something, the muffled voices and scratching sound coming through clear on my end.

  I hear Melody ask what was wrong and Ellie reply something, then her sweet voice is loud and clear on the line. “Hello?” and my heart jumps up at a mile a minute, threatening to beat right out of my skin. She does sound a bit flustered but I push it off for now.

  “Well hello sweetheart,” I smile, knowing she’ll recognize that it’s me right away. I love calling her sweetheart and I know it makes her feel good. I can hear her let out a contented sigh and it breaks my heart. Does she miss me?

  “Bobby, it’s so good to hear your voice,” she breathes out and the smile that finds my face almost reaches my ears. I wish I could see her face. I would give anything to see her pretty smile and those beautiful eyes looking back at me. “How are you Bobby?”

  “I’m as good as I can be,” I laugh, scratching my hand back through my hair and feeling some sand fall out. I hate sand. “How about you darlin’? Everything okay with you?” I just want to hear her voice. She could be telling me the most un-interesting story, but I’d listen all the same as long as she was telling it.

  “I’m good Bobby,” she giggles and I can hear voices in the background as she tells someone to ‘shush’. “Yeah it’s been kinda cold here the last couple of days but they say it will be nice soon. Rhea and I wanna take Charlie to the zoo with Rosa and Marisol.” She tells me how Charlie is jabbering away more and more every day, sitting up and starting to crawl. She loves her little ‘nephew’ to death; it’s evident in the pride in her voice.

  “What about you Ellie,” I laugh, smiling at the giddiness in her voice when she talks about her cousin and family. She cares about them and they are pretty much all she has, I know that, but I want to hear about her. I want to know how she’s getting along with work and her new trailer. “Tell me about you,” I say, trying not to fill it with all the desire I feel all of a sudden but I know on the other end, Ellie is probably flushing just the tiniest bit.

  “I’m doin’ good Bobby,” she giggles, “work is good. The trailer is good. Same ol’, same ol’. You know.” I can hear the voices in the background again and she covers the phone, trying to muffle the sound of her telling them to ‘fuck off’ and I laugh loudly, getting some looks from the men around the room.

  “But you, you’re doing okay? No problems?” I say, meaning that Jake hasn’t come around. I can hear her take a deep, annoyed breath and release it. She was getting sick of Chad and I bothering her about keeping herself safe. She should just move in with Rhea and Chad, but she’s stubborn and independent, like her cousin.

  “Yeah, no problems,” she mumbles but it seems halfhearted. Like she’s keeping something back but I’m not going to push it. “I’m at work right now and I thought I mighta saw Jake’s partner Tom, but I think it was just the lighting.” A nervous laugh meets my ears, but it doesn’t make the thought of her being stalked lighten in my mind.

  I should tell her to have Marco check into it and then call Marco myself when I hang up with her, but no, I’ll just leave it alone. I don’t want to annoy her even before getting the chance to really get to know her. Don’t want to over step my bounds now do I?

  “Alright then sweetheart,” I lay it on thick, grinning as she giggles, “I’ll let you go. I don’t know when the next time is I’ll be able to call, but I’ll try my best.” It was the truth. Most nights we get back and are too tired to do anything but sleep let alone carry on a conversation.

  “Alright Bobby, it was nice to hear from you,” she says and I know if she was standing before me she’d have that sexy as hell smile on her red lips. Her blue-green eyes would seem to darken as the sun sets, the dark blue a deep contrast to the bright turquoise they turned in the sunlight. I’d have to take her face in my hands and kiss her crazy if I saw that right now, there is no doubt.

  “You take care of yourself sweetheart,” I don’t want to say goodbye so I hang on. “Oh did you like the note I left you?”

  “I liked it very much Bobby,” she laughs and it makes my heart go crazy. “I’ll talk to you later Bobby.”

  “Sure will sweetheart,” I almost cheer. She liked my note. She giggles another goodbye and then the line goes dead, nothing but the dial tone meeting my ears.

  Laying the phone on my chest I just stare up at that picture and her smiling face. The note I had left her was short and simple, if not stupid and I laugh to myself recalling it.

  “Ellie,

  I’m so glad you slept by my side last night. I didn’t want to wake you because you look so beautiful right now so I’m leaving you this to find you when you get up. I’m looking forward to coming home and taking you out on a date, one with just us and not everyone else around, like French LOL. Just know that last night was fun because of you and that I’ll call you when I get the chance. Take care of yourself and let Chad help you when you need it. You’re beautiful sweetheart.

  --Bobby”

  It was simple. Yes. Sappy, hell yes, but she was looking like an angel that morning with her dark, short hair spread out on the pillow. I had wanted to stay so bad, but I have a duty. I am a sailor, a SEAL, and I love it. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

  I will take her on a date when we get back home and it will be the best date she’s ever been on. Maybe even the best date I’ve ever been on and I’m okay with that. Leaning back I see that Uclid is leaning over the edge of his bunk above me, batting his eyes and making obnoxious kissing noises. Swiftly kicking the bottom of his bunk, I laugh as he cries out in pain, hopping down and holding his ass where my boot connected with it.

  “Serves you right asshole,” I yell at him and settle back down. Well, he deserved it for breaking my sweet little day dream.

  CHAPTER FOUR:

  March 31, 2013

  Bobby

  Afghanistan

  “Remind me why we volunteered to do this again?” Uclid asks from his position at the opposite door of the hummer we are riding in, going on patrol with a group of Grunts. I just mumble, shaking my head with a smile and adjusting my sunglasses to try and shade out that damn desert sun. It’s got to be over one hundred degrees right now, but being here was better than just sitting in my bunk and thinking about Ellie.

  No matter how much running, how much training we did, my thoughts still go back to her. Her beautiful face. Those stunning eyes. Her kissable lips. I’m lost within a daydream every second I can get if I’m not occupied, so that’s why I pushed Uclid to take the empty spots on this patrol with me.

  Two of the Marines who are in this platoon are in the infirmary currently, suffering from a heavy case of food poisoning, and I needed to have some time to not be lost in her. Not that I don’t like thinking about that sweet little thing, but I have a job.

  Our little caravan comes to a halt and I climb out, the heat and smell of the small village hitting me like a ton of bricks. I shift my gun and flak, turning my face up to the glare of the sun, waiting as the Marines file out of the vehicles and Uclid comes up on my right. Looking to th
e Lieutenant in charge I ask, “Which way sir?”

  “You and Uclid are coming with me and my Team,” he nods for us to follow him and just like normal we do, following authority and never questioning. A handful of Grunts fall in line behind us as we weave through a tight alley, stepping over a passed out and maybe even dead huddled mass of man, coming out into a bustling market on the other side.

  The stands are selling everything from fruit and rugs to clothing and half rotten meat. The idea of poverty never really hit me until I witnessed three toddlers wrestling over a moldy loaf of bread. Don’t get me wrong, I know there are homeless and poor everywhere, I never had anything handed to me growing up, but I had never seen anything up close and personal till my first deployment. The sick and dying huddling together, trying to stay warm at night even though it’s stifling hot out during the day. Kids stealing a bag of rotting fruit to feed their family of ten or more. It opens your eyes when you see it in person.

  The smells always bother me the most whenever we patrol and as we stay in group, I turn my gaze to my buddy Elliot. The man has been riding my ass the last couple of days, saying I need to get it together. I need to put her behind me, for now. Right now his lectures seem irrelevant as I see him entertaining a handful of kids with a yo-yo he pulls from his vest. I contain a chuckle and shake my head as the kids laugh and gather around him.

  I scan the street around us again, taking in the body language and voices of those closest to me. We aren’t looking for anything specific, just making our presence known. The higher ups like to keep the locals informed as to whom is in control, when we really aren’t in control. Straining and trying to decipher what I know of Arabic I can make out parts of the conversation of two women standing at the kiosk of clothing closest to me, arguing over whether or not red was the right color and I laugh lightly to myself. They don’t even seem to care that we are here.