Cody Ridge,
You were supposed to give me everything. I put all of my eggs in your proverbial basket. All of the love in my heart belongs to you. I find myself crying for no reason and then realize it’s because I don’t know how to like anything if I can’t love you. You’re gone. They couldn’t recover your body and I don’t know what to put inside the box that’s supposed to hold you. You always loved my words. You would always watch my lips as I spoke, like you couldn’t wait to hear what I would say next. Remember how you’d lean over my shoulder and watch me type mundane words to clients? I thought it was just so you could be close to me, but that wasn’t it, was it? Words. My words. Even my boring ones you wanted.
I would have loved to give you a million words in this letter, but all of the words that currently come to mind are about pain and suffering and heartbreak so strong that I feel like I may die myself. Even dead, I wouldn’t want to read that. So instead, I’ll write to you as if you’re still living. I’ll give you happy words that tell you where I wanted to end up with you. Because that’s what life is about, right? Where you end up? I’ll be okay as long as I eventually end up next to you. Wherever that may be. I better stop swearing, huh?
For Cody:
In the summer, in the sand, in the hot, hot sun
You kissed me under swaying trees and I came undone
Oh, you’re the one
Oh, you’re the one
In the fall under the moon in the bright, night sky
You promised me forever and I thought I might die
Oh, you’re the one
Oh, you’re the one
In the winter in the snow looking at the big, lit tree
As tears trickled down, you asked to marry me
Oh, you’re the one
Oh, you’re the one
Now old and gray and seasoned in life
I’ll love you forever, me and you, man and wife
Oh, you’re the one
You’re always the one
In my heart always,
Lainey
Her words stare at me from the page like a dream. It’s like going back in time. A dark time. I now know it was a time when she could have written anything to me, instead I get this. I swallow down the emotion and try to check my pulse. It’s hammering so hard I can hear it in my ears. This, this letter is more difficult to read than a hundred beatings from V. I lock the letter away and bring the dog downstairs. She catches me on the stairs and smiles when she sees the stuffed toy in my hands.
“He’s going to love Dog. Help me in the kitchen, please?” Lainey asks, breaking me from my daydream.
Wrapping my arm around her waist, I let her lead me away. I’ll let her lead me away anytime, and anywhere. She’s my one. I kiss the side of her head, trying to shake the image of her writing that letter away. “Time for cake?” I ask when I see Evan drooling over the chocolate confection. I truly do have everything. I lost everything to gain more. You’ll hear no complaints from me.
“It is. I thought we could sing a little song for him with some candles on top. It’s like his adoption birthday. Just us three, though. What do you say, Evan?”
Evan’s eyes light up and I’m rewarded with the biggest smile. It’s there. The fullness of his heart shining through eyes that were once vacant. Pride beams through me at full strength. This moment isn’t for me or for Lainey, this moment is for the two-year-old who didn’t have clothing or shoes, who was being held in a cellar without food and sold like an animal to do ungodly things. This moment is for him. Because that boy is gone and will stay that way as long as I’m living. “I love you, Mommy and Daddy,” he whispers. Lainey breaks down and I hug my son, feeling his heartbeat against my own.
In a low tone I sing ‘happy birthday’ and slip in words about love and family. We’re all crying when I finish the song, folded into each other as a group—my girl, the boy who got a second chance at life, and the man who did, too.
We’ve painted our unconventional masterpiece and we don’t get to just admire it, we get to live it.
Our time and space is perfect.
Here is a sneak peak of a brand new, upcoming Military Romance, LEGACY. It is based in the CRAZY GOOD world with all of your favorite characters. It is also a world blend with Corinne Michaels, SALVATION SOCIETY world.
LEGACY BLURB
Aarabelle Dempsey always knew her true destiny and master plan. She was merely prolonging the execution by travelling the world for a year after she graduated the Naval Academy. A hidden romantic, she anticipated falling in love at some point. A British up and coming recording artist tempted her with love, but instead of proposing marriage, he stomped on her heart by having a sordid, highly publicized affair with a media mogul debutante.
With Aarabelle’s mom, Natalie at the helm of CJJ Public Relations at their San Diego branch, and her Dad, Liam now finishing his career as a SEAL BUD/s instructor in Coronado, she is back to seize what is rightfully hers and heal her broken heart.
Aarabelle will be the first female Navy SEAL.
One teammate, Luke Hart, has his own LEGACY to fulfill, and even though she’s off limits, and as complicated as their friendship becomes, Luke finds himself questioning everything about what he thought he wanted.
Luke and Aarabelle might be following the legacy set forth for them by their parents, but the love they find along the journey is legendary.”
Guys, you should think about this as like an EXTREME office romance. It’s taboo. Scrumptious. HOT. Angsty.
Things are expected of you when you’re born into the Teams. They might not say it outright, or maybe it’s a casual joke in passing, but I’ve always felt the nudge in the direction to serve. My dad, Maverick Hart is a textbook definition of a Navy SEAL. He is honor bound and faithful to his band of brothers. His personality is gregarious, jovial, and only marred by invisible scars that only those closest can see.
Stone. The word tattooed across his back might seem innocuous to outsiders. Perhaps they think he’s calling himself tough. Rock hard, just like a stone. When in actuality the word represents his greatest weakness and the one, haunting memory that brings him to his knees. A lost friend. A lost best, lifelong friend. A man who died in the line of duty protecting my dad’s life. To this day, he never misses an opportunity to tell me a story about him, and for that, I’m grateful.
To have the opportunity to be a SEAL like Maverick and Stone is something I’ve been waiting for since I was old enough to understand what serving my country meant. To have a relationship as tight knit as those two, isn’t anything I ever dreamed of. Yet, here I am, staring into the eyes of Aarabelle Dempsey, the first female Navy SEAL, wondering if it’s humanly possible to love another person this much. She’s my teammate first, but also so much more.
I would die for her in a second.
I would live for her if I had to.
Our love is forbidden in the stringent laws of the Navy. Aarabelle isn’t a tattoo across my back, she’s forged by fire in my soul.
Navy SEALs risk many things in their lifetime, but for this woman, and her heart, I will risk everything.
CHAPTER FIVE
Aarabelle
I OWE MARISSA big time. She agreed to come to Mayton’s with me to celebrate. Not a crazy ask until you understand what type of place Mayton’s is. Sort of a meat market disguised as a bar slash burger joint. The only reason I plan to step foot in here is because I am a Navy SEAL. I graduated training. I made it through. The golden trident pin now rides on my uniform. A dream come true, if dreams were plans you have to work hard and sacrifice for. I did it. I step one high heel into the bar area and let my gaze survey my surroundings.
“This isn’t so bad,” my friend says, stepping next to me and nodding at an empty table. “I expected broken glass on the floors and to be groped by ghost hands the second I breathed in Mayton’s oxygen by everything you’ve told me.”
I did what parents with young children do. They tell you the worst possib
le scenario with the knowledge it won’t really be that bad. The actual end result will land somewhere in the middle of good and bad and you’re left feeling relieved in the end. I deployed the tactic because she was hesitant to come, and I need my best friend tonight. Surrounded by a peer group who is supposed to see me as equal, but despite my best efforts, and I do mean best, they can’t get past my gender. I lock my arm in Marissa’s. I’m wearing a black pants jumper. It’s casual, but dressy. God knows what comments I’d get if I put on a dress like I initially wanted. “That was a purposeful ruse. It’s pretty harmless as a long-standing establishment. I needed you mostly as a Team guy buffer.”
Marissa makes an ungodly noise of disapproval. “You are a fucking Team Guy, Aara. Man up.”
Part of me knows she’s right. In for a penny, in for a pound. I see a familiar face outside in the ivy-covered patio area. I say face, because nothing else is familiar. Seeing each other in civilian clothing has been a rarity throughout training. I swallow hard. “Listen, I’m manning up,” I say, releasing her arm. It’s hard to explain that this is different. My training has prepared me to climb the physicality mountain and become a Navy SEAL. Actually being able to relate to them? Becoming part of the brotherhood? Yeah, there’s no instruction manual for that.
They’re loud and raucous, beer steins in hands as they linger by a tall gas heater. “Hoffer,” I say, forgetting his first name. He turns from his conversation and looks at me. It’s obvious he doesn’t recognize me at first, no one does. Their eyes raking my body in a way that definitely hasn’t happened before. “Hey guys,” I say tilting my chin to the other guys.
“Dempsey. Are you under there?” Sanders says, smarmy smile flashing.
I roll my eyes. “What are you guys drinking? Next round is on me.”
They are all drinking the same gross beer so it’s easy to remember. “Are you going to introduce us to your friend? Unexpected Teammate bene,” Hoffer teases.
My best friend steps up to the plate, extending her hand. “It’s Marissa and I’m not a benefit. I’m a hindrance. Her best friend.” She nods her head to the side, and continues on. “A leech who hangs around to make sure she stays in good company.”
“We are fantastic company. Trust us. We won’t let anything happen to her.” Sanders says, putting his arm around my shoulder, an awkward move, that he releases quickly. He clears his throat, then apologizes. “Didn’t mean to touch you. It was completely platonic and I meant no disrespect.”
Hoffer laughs. “Dempsey is like Midas. No one touch her or your life will explode!”
I fold my arms across my chest. “Listen, guys. Treat me like you’d treat…your sister, if she was a Teammate.” This conversation needs to happen because the rules are so stringent that they’ll prohibit bonding of any kind if we don’t find a middle ground. The bonding is crucial for a SEAL Team. “I mean, maybe not a sister. A best friend?”
“I fucked my only friend that was a girl,” Hoffer admits.
Looking to the side, I try to think. “Okay, maybe not a friend then.” Marissa groans, and asks what I want to drink. I give her my card, and the large order of beers and she disappears into the crowd gathering in the outside area. “What about if you treat me like a girly…man?”
Everyone laughs loudly and it makes me smile. Progress. “If you say so. Is your dad stopping in tonight?” Sanders says, gaze lighting on the entrance that’s visible from outside.
I shake my head. “I thought it best if there were only one Dempsey in the room. I wanted to hang out with you guys without worrying he was threatening your life.”
The demeanor of the group changes and the nervous energy is palpable. Bad joke, I think to myself. “Team Five guys,” Hoffer deadpans. I don’t have time to worry because a waitress brings a tray of beer mugs with Marissa tagging behind, a drink in both hands. She forces a beer mug to me, knowing to order me what the guys were drinking. I thank her with my eyes as Sanders proposes a toast. I raise my mug, going on my tiptoes. “To leaning into the impossible,” I say, clinking and spilling some foam.
“To achieving the impossible,” someone else growls.
“To being professional badasses,” Hoffer adds.
“To America,” Sanders says.
I drink a few swallows and try not to let the foul-tasting liquid touch my tongue. Straight to my throat. Down the hatch. I turn to Marissa with a horrible face and watch as she sips daintily on a dirty martini. Bitch.
She smirks, knowing my pain. “Taste good?”
I make a noise with my lips. “Tastes like success,” I hiss back, grimacing.
“Man, I’m glad I’m not successful like you.” She laughs, and I laugh with her. The booming voices behind me bring me a sense of comfort. It’s going far better than I thought it would. Marissa offers me her glass, and I take a sip and close my eyes. She snatches it back and nods at my beer. “Down it, badass.”
I force another sip and groan. That’s when Luke Hart walks through the open door into the patio area. The wind lifts his hair, and the strings of lights zig zagged over our heads illuminate his face. I wipe my top lip when his eyes catch on me. “Who is that,” Marissa hisses, lips at my ear.
“No one,” I reply, swallowing another bitter sip. “A SEAL.” A legend. He smirks at me. A dimple. I cough and break my gaze. The guys behind me silenced when he walked in. The man trailing behind him with two beers, not the shit kind, is just as impressive. I think his name is Dagger. He has black hair that looks inhumanly perfect and a smile that peels off skin. Scary.
“Little Dempsey,” Luke says, eyes never turning in my direction. He’s grabbing a beer from his friend behind him. “Congrats guys,” he says, raising his mug to the group behind me. Dagger doesn’t join. Luke chugs his beer at record speed as I watch, nose wrinkled. “And girl,” he says, quieter to me. “Are you guys eating?”
Sanders answers for our group. “Thanks man. No, we’re just drinking.”
“Should get some food in your stomach before you make bad decisions,” Dagger says, eyes narrowed. His face is so stoic it feels like an order. Maybe it is.
Luke looks at the beer in my fist, then meets my eyes. “What about you? Down to eat the best cheeseburger in Coronado?”
I’m about to turn him down because he intimidates me and also because I don’t eat garbage, but Marissa answers for me. “Yes. We’re starving. Let’s eat. You can get some form of lettuce or bun free protein here I bet.”
Protesting is futile when I’m outnumbered. Luke already has his hand in the air signaling for a waitress. He walks to an open table across the patio and looks over his shoulder to make sure we’re following. Dagger comes along as well and I honestly wish one of the guys from my BUD/s class would join. It would be a great opportunity to mix company with veteran SEALs and gain allies—make friends. I slink into a chair and put the half full mug on the table in front of me. Luke eyes it. “What do you really want to drink? I know you don’t want that.”
“How do you know what I want?” I ask.
My friend laughs as she seats herself next to Dagger. “She likes dirty martinis. How does he know, Aara, really? Because no one in their right mind likes to drink lukewarm piss water. Don’t be obtuse.”
Luke’s brows shoot up. “Aara. Aara. Is that what you go by?” He tastes my name, rolling it around on his tongue. I focus my attention on the dingy laminated menu in front of me instead of Luke’s light blue, laser gaze that pairs so well with his permanent smirk.
I clear my throat. “Yeah. I’m Aara to my friends. Family too,” I say, dragging my finger down the menu options, trying to focus. The waitress arrives and Luke orders drinks for the table. Proving my friend right, I order a burger without a bun. My phone chimes from my purse. It’s my mom asking how tonight is going. She’s always been supportive, albeit scared, about me entering this world. I think she’d be afraid no matter what I chose, though. Seems like typical mom behavior. When I went to the Naval Academy, she called me constant
ly to check in. It’s near impossible to get into trouble unless you’re really trying at Military School. Traveling abroad alone? Falling for a rock star? That nearly gave Natalie Dempsey a heart attack.
This is child’s play in comparison, so I tap back a quick thumbs up, and tell her that Marissa came as moral support, and to tell Dad to stop worrying. “What’s your mom saying?” Marissa says, breaking me from the technology.
“How do you know it’s my mom?”
Our drinks arrive in the lull while I stew with my friend’s accuracy. Marissa looks at Luke and then Dagger. “She has been so busy trying to be a SEAL that she forgot to make friends.”
I’m sure my face is beet red. “That’s not entirely true.”
Luke nods, pressing his lips together. “Work ethic. That’s a good thing.” At least someone gets it. “No boyfriend?” he adds, gaze dancing over my face.
I shake my head, relieved. This means he doesn’t keep up with celebrity gossip and the possibility of no one knowing about Henry is a real possibility. “No. Not on the docket, really.”
Dagger chugs his beer, uninterested, but Luke is looking at me. Really looking at me. It makes my stomach flip and my skin prickle.
“She’s already caught on to Team life. Single and ready to mingle,” Dagger chimes in, licking beer off his lips.
I counter, “That’s not true. Some guys are married.”
Luke nods. “Yeah, they’re on their first marriage.” He smirks.
The Crazy Good SEAL Series: Books 1-3 Page 83