“You burn those burgers and you’ll be making a run through a drive-through to get more,” she warned, only half teasing. “Keep an eye on him, Captain.”
“I’ve only burnt a few the last couple of times,” Langley called after her. James laughed aloud.
They were discussing some of the marksman training he hoped to put into place in the next month, to train the team with some new night scopes they’d just requisitioned, when Marsha wandered up. The mesh cover up she’d thrown on over her bathing suit masked part of her figure but emphasized the curve of her waist and hip. She pressed in close against his side and he looped his arm around her.
“Five minutes out, guys. Agent Cooper just called,” she said. Excitement had added a hint of color across her cheekbones.
He brushed her forehead with his lips. She smiled up at him, her expression relaxed, happy. Love you, she mouthed. He gave her waist a squeeze.
A grin spread across Langley’s lantern-jawed face. “Burgers are almost done, and we have smoked pork and barbecue sauce. Everything will be finished before Flash walks through the gate. Hooyah!”
Had forty-five minutes ever seemed so long? Surely it had been two hours since agent Cooper had called. Camp Pendleton wasn’t that far away, was it?
The wives and girlfriends of the SEALs had been trying to distract her and help pass the time, while they all kept watch over the kids in the pool.
Sam scanned the circle. Zoe Weaver held her three-month old baby boy against her shoulder. His head, covered with a dark cap of hair, bobbed as she rubbed his back. She lowered him to her lap and propped him against her.
Hawk, her tall Native American husband of only a month, had been Tim’s team leader when all this had started. He had a calm presence about him and piercing gray eyes that lived up to his call sign. Their baby looked so much like him Zoe joked, had she not gone through such terrifying labor, she’d say Adam Joseph was cloned.
Captain Jackson’s wife, Marsha, held their son’s fingers as he placed one foot in front of the other, walking, but not yet brave enough to turn loose of his mamma. The baby had strangely wide-spaced eyes, and someone had said he had a heart issue. He had personality plus, though, and even the other children loved playing with him.
Tess Kelly, Brett Weaver’s girlfriend, stretched her hands out to Alex and encouraged him to come to her. Her copper-colored hair hung like silk against her shoulder. She was so beautiful with her chocolate brown eyes and pale skin, she could have been a model. But instead she was a journalist at a major paper. She and Brett looked like a power couple, him with his blond hair and blue-eyed good looks, and her with her gorgeous coloring.
Then there was Juanita Gallagher, Tim’s unofficial foster mother. She had showered genuine affection on both her and Joy, and she’d helped Sam keep it together when she’d been hit so hard by Tim’s absence. ‘Nita was funny and cheerful, and she had all her boys, wrapped around her little finger, including her gruff, tough-talking ex-SEAL husband, Travis. Javier was holding down the fort for the business in Henderson and living in the apartment. Josh was doing duty as a police officer in Baja and watching over the house until Travis and ‘Nita returned.
Trish Marks had offered to open her home to her and Joy at any time. The amazing woman juggled three kids, a husband who adored her, and a social worker’s job. She was blonde with a redhead’s freckles, and a girl-next-door kind of beauty. All the other women gravitated toward her as their undeclared leader. Sam felt better, calmer when she was with Trish. The woman just seemed to naturally know what to do to lend support.
These women were each remarkable. They’d taken her under their wing in the last forty-eight hours, offered her comfort and encouragement. Warned her about what she was taking on being the girlfriend of a Navy SEAL. But they also made sure she fully understood the rewards. Their men loved as fiercely as they fought. Were as loyal and generous with themselves when they were home as they were with their jobs. She had seen that in Tim. Fallen in love with him because of it. But could she bear the long separations? This last four months, only seeing him briefly twice, had seemed an eternity.
But her feelings for him hadn’t wavered. She still loved him, deeply. She’d survived Will Cross. Stayed with him out of fear. How much easier would it be to stay with Tim out of love?
And now she couldn’t bear having to wait a single moment longer to see him.
The group had congregated to lend support, to each other and to her, should the verdict be less than they hoped. With good news, the gathering had quickly morphed into a party.
Doc and Bowie waved over the fence. “Cars coming,” Doc yelled. They’d been standing outside the gate keeping watch. Everyone rose to their feet at once.
Sam’s heart rate skyrocketed and her stomach did a nervous flip as she waited for her first glimpse of Tim. Joy climbed from the pool and ran to her. But it was ‘Nita who grabbed a towel to dry her off.
The moment the gate opened into the side yard, she started to tremble. He was surrounded by his teammates as he passed through the opening. They took turns shaking his hand and pounding him on the back. Travis reached him and grabbed him in for a bear hug and said something that made him laugh.
Sam pushed forward, surrounded by the women. But it was Joy who squeezed through the group and disappeared. Her high-pitched voice carried above the lower timbre of the men’s. “Mr. Tim, Mr. Tim.” Sam slipped between Captain Jackson and Travis, finally reaching the inner circle just as Joy threw herself against Tim’s legs, attempting to hug him. He bent to lift her and hold her close despite her wet bathing suit.
“Mommy and me missed you a ho, ho bunch,” she complained, her small face scrunched up as though she might cry.
“I missed you, too, sweet tart.” He held her close. “A ho, ho bunch.” He kissed her cheek, her forehead.
Over Joy’s shoulder his blue eyes focused on Sam. “I want to say hi to your mom, okay?” He kissed Joy’s cheek one more time and handed her off to Travis.
Sam swallowed against the rush of tears clogging her throat. And stopped after taking a single step. Without his beard he looked younger, his jaw clean-cut and angular. Wearing a white Naval uniform with all his ribbons, bars, and medals, his SEAL trident prominent, he was a heart-stoppingly handsome sight.
“What is it?” he asked.
“I’ve never seen you in your uniform. I just wanted to check you out.”
He grinned, grasped her arm and tugged her close.
“You look really hot,” Sam said as her arms went around his neck.
The men close enough to hear chuckled.
Sam pressed herself as close as she could get and ignored the medals jabbing into her breast. Having his arms around her was everything she needed. And when he kissed her as though he’d never get enough, it was more. She understood what the other women had been talking about. She could do this. She had broken away from her past. He was her future.
“I love you,” he murmured. “We’ll need to talk later about us, about my career.”
She leaned back to look up at him and shook her head. “Whatever you need to do, Joy and I will be there for you. We love you, so much.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, searching her face.
She nodded. “There’s just one thing.” She traced a fingertip over his SEAL insignia.
“What is it?”
“Will you do a Chippendale’s thing for me later, when you take the uniform off?” she asked.
He ignored the roar of laughter from the crowd around them. A slow, cocky grin spread across his face “Yeah, I can do that.”
OTHER BOOKS BY TERESA REASOR
BREAKING FREE (Book 1 of the SEAL TEAM Heartbreakers)
BREAKING THROUGH (Book 2 of the SEAL TEAM Heartbreakers)
BREAKING AWAY (Book 3 of the SEAL TEAM Heartbreakers)
TIMELESS
HIGHLAND MOONLIGHT
CAPTIVE HEARTS
Short stories
AN AUTOMATED DEA
TH: A STEAMPUNK SHORT STORY
TO CAPTURE A HIGHLANDERS HEART: The Beginning
Novellas
TO CAPTURE A HIGHLANDER’S HEART: THE COURTSHIP
COMING SOON!
TO CAPTURE A HIGHLANDER’S HEART: THE WEDDING NIGHT
Children’s Books
WILLY C. SPARKS THE DRAGON WHO LOST HIS FIRE
HAIKU CLUE (COMING SOON)
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Breaking Away (Military Romantic Suspense) (Book 3 of the SEAL TEAM Heartbreakers) Page 36