“Yes. Yes I am.”
Tim waited outside the church where Brielle’s friend was getting married, scrutinizing the guests as they walked past him. It was a habit he couldn’t shake and one he planned never to lose. On a mission it was crucial to observe his surroundings and the people inhabiting it. This skill had saved him and his team on many occasions.
His breath caught when a vision in blue stepped out of the cab. He may only have spent a few hours with her, but he would recognize Brielle anywhere now. Her blonde hair glinted in the sunlight, a perfect foil against her dress. The blonde tresses flowed in soft curls over her shoulders, inviting him to lift a section and twirl it around his fingers.
He pulled away from where he was leaning against the side of the church and strode toward her, reaching her side as the cab pulled away.
“Hey Brielle,” he spoke quietly so as to not spook her.
After his day at Legoland with Chris, Abe and his son, he’d spent some time with Cookie who had helped to understand more about the type of PTSD Brielle was probably going through. He’d explained how his wife Fiona had an episode while he’d been on a mission, before they’d gotten married, and how Tex had kept her safe. Cookie also gave him some ideas on how best to handle Brielle if she should have another attack while with him.
He’d appreciated Cookie’s advice and insights. Now he had a better understanding and was ready to step in and support Brielle in any way that he could. That is if she needed and wanted his help.
“Hey yourself. Have you been waiting long?”
“Not long. A few minutes max.”
“Good, the cab driver was late and then we hit all the red lights. I was worried I’d be arriving after Gemima.” She giggled, a high pitched, unnatural sound. Was she nervous?
He moved so he was standing at her side and laid his hand on the small of her back. Her muscles jumped beneath his fingers. Yep, she was nervous. “You ready to see your friend get married?”
She took a deep breath and his hand moved with the motion. No doubt walking into the church was going to be difficult. He didn’t doubt the thoughts were always in the back of her mind that anything could trigger an attack. The sense of protectiveness that had consumed him when he rescued her, filled every fiber of his being. Tim was glad he was her partner at the wedding.
“I think so.” The words were spoken so quietly he wasn’t sure he heard them correctly. It didn’t matter, she wasn’t in this alone and he planned to let her know.
He shifted his hand and squeezed her waist gently. “I’ve got your six.”
She looked up at him from beneath her lashes and a stirring of attraction swirled inside of him. Not a good idea seeing as they were both in San Diego for a short time. After this date, that wasn’t really a date, he would likely never see her again. And he had no idea where she lived. He was beside her today to give her the support she needed.
“You’ve got my what?” she asked.
“It’s what I say to a member of my team before we go out on patrol. They say it to me too. Means I’ve got your back. I’m watching for danger. And I’m here as your support.”
“Ahh, right. Okay. Well, that’s good to know.”
He ushered her inside the church and found an empty row for them to sit in.
“Church looks pretty,” she murmured.
Tim looked around, there were vases of bright colored flowers on either side of the altar. Attached to the end of each pew was a small collection of blooms with lace hanging down to the floor. As far as decorations went, he supposed they were nice. He hadn’t been to too many weddings. Although that was likely to change soon with his teammates Italy engaged and Joker in a serious relationship. He shook his head at how quickly his two friends had fallen under the spell of their women.
“You don’t think it’s pretty?” Brielle asked, bringing him back to the present.
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, you didn’t answer my question and you shook your head.”
He reached out and drew a pattern on the top of her hand with his finger, the need to touch her strong. He kept the touch light and quick so as not to freak her out. “No, I was just thinking about something else, and yes the church does look pretty.”
A smile stretched her lips upwards, her hazel eyes sparkled. “I take it you haven’t been to many weddings?”
“You would be correct. Most of the guys on my team are single. Weddings haven’t been high on our agenda.”
“Are you telling me you’ve never been to a wedding?” It was hard not hear the note of disbelief in her voice. “Not even your brother or sister? I mean you have a nephew, but you never said if it was your brother or sister’s son.”
Tim shook his head. “It’s my sister’s son. Tania and Steve eloped in Vegas so even Mom didn’t get to go to the wedding.”
“Oh no, your mom must’ve been devastated to not have been able to organize her daughter’s wedding.” Despair colored her tone and he didn’t like hearing it.
Tim laughed, trying to make her feel a little better. “Devastated didn’t even begin to cover what Mom was feeling. But she put together a big party a couple months after they got back. By then the reason for their elopement was evident.”
Brielle’s eyes widened as she got what he was saying. “Ohhhh, Chris.”
“Yep, Chris.”
“I suppose a grandchild lessens the bite of an elopement, but I guess you’ve sort of been to a wedding.”
“Not really, I got called away on a mission the day before the party.”
She laid her hand over his squeezing it lightly. “I’m sorry, that must have been hard.”
Tim shrugged, missing out on things was something he got used to pretty quickly. His job was to keep his family and friends safe, giving them the freedom to organize weddings and parties without worry. “Yes and no. I had a great speech planned that no one got to hear, but the upside is I was there when Chris was born. Holding him when he was only a few hours old made every sacrifice worth it. I serve and protect my country so he can live without oppression and fear he’ll be recruited to be a suicide bomber.”
“Did I ever thank you for saving my life?” Brielle asked, her eyes suddenly glistening with tears.
“No thanks necessary.” Tim leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss on her cheek. A risky move considering how she reacted when someone ran into her, but he hoped she understood he wasn’t coming from a predatory place.
Her hand reached up and cupped his cheek, her gaze holding his. This close he noticed the tiny brown flecks in her eyes, they were an unusual color and one he imagined he would see many times over when he slept at night.
In that moment a connection was struck between them. A connection stronger than the one that had tenuously formed when he pulled her out of a dingy room.
Chapter Three
The bride and groom walked into the ballroom of the hotel, big smiles adorned their faces and there was no mistaking the love they had for each other, it filled the room. When they danced together, Brielle imagined the whole room disappeared and all they saw was each other.
She sighed. The ceremony had been beautiful and Gemima looked gorgeous in her lace sheath wedding dress. She was happy for her friend, but also envious. At thirty, Brielle had thought by now she’d be married and have one, maybe two kids. Now that dream seemed unlikely considering what she’d been through and the thought of dating someone had her breaking out in cold sweats.
Um hello, you’re here with a hot Navy SEAL.
Brielle ignored that voice in her head. A voice that had been silent since she’d returned from her ordeal. Could her inner woman finally be breaking out of her fear? Had Dr. Baker been correct in saying all she needed to do was take a trip?
No, she refused to believe that. She’d had a panic attack the night before, no way was she cured. Besides she wasn’t really on a date.
Yeah, keep telling yourself that cause it sure looks like you are.
&nb
sp; Picking up her glass of champagne she took a hefty swallow, grimacing at the tartness of the liquid.
“Would you like to dance?”
T-Rex’s question drew her back to the present and she noticed the bridal party and other party guests had joined the bride and groom on the dance floor. “Sure, I’d love to, T-Rex.”
She pushed her chair out and went to stand, but a hand on her arm halted her motion. “You don’t want to dance now?” she asked.
“Yes, but before we go out there, I’ve got a favor I want to ask you.”
“Okaaaay.” His tone had grown serious. Was he about to tell her he was leaving? No, he said he wanted to ask a favor. Leaving wasn’t a favor. Leaving was a…disappointment.
“Can you call me, Tim please?”
Her breath whooshed out, was that all? “Of course, I can do that, Tim.”
Tim smiled, and his brown eyes resembled a milk chocolate vat, one she’d happily sink into if he continued to look at her like that. “Let’s dance.”
They made their way to the dance floor, Tim guiding them through the couples, making sure she wasn’t jostled. The care he took in making sure nothing triggered an attack, drew her to him even more than she had been before.
When his arms closed around her, she had to clamp her lips together to stop the sigh of contentment escaping her. For a big guy he moved with ease and a good sense of rhythm around the dance floor.
“You dance well,” she said after he had spun them around a couple.
“You can thank my mom. She was determined her son wouldn’t be a lump of wood on the dance floor for prom. I suffered through the lessons, but,” he smiled cheekily down at her. “I did get the hottest girl to go prom with me.”
Brielle laughed freely for the first time in months. “I just bet you did. I’m betting you scored that night too.”
He winked at her and she had her answer. She shook her head before she began laughing again. This time he joined in.
“Do you go dancing often?” she asked as the made their way back to the table.
“No, you’re the first woman I’ve danced with in a very long time.”
A thrill of happiness filtered through Brielle and she couldn’t deny she liked hearing that piece of information. Knowing she shared something special with him that he normally didn’t share with others was another memory she could bring out when she was sitting alone in her apartment in Virginia.
“You haven’t lost your moves. You were very smooth out there.”
“Trust me when I say, being light on my feet has gotten me out of many sticky situations while on a mission.”
And just like that some of her joy dissipated as she recalled the dangerous occupation he had. But letting him know how the thought of him being hurt affected her wasn’t high on her agenda for the evening so she pushed it away and smiled at him. “I, for one, am very glad your dancing has helped you.”
Someone else at the table asked Tim a question and relief washed over Brielle. Talking about his job reminded her of the circumstances of how they’d met, and she didn’t want to let that memory spoil their night. The rest of the evening passed with light conversation among the other people at the table. All through it, Brielle was aware of Tim’s arm resting across the back of her chair. On numerous occasions she caught him looking around the room. Always on alert. He’d drunk one glass of beer when they first sat down and had switched to mineral water for the rest of the evening.
A sigh rippled out of her as the bride and groom said their final goodbyes to their families and walked out the door to loud cheers and whistles. How was Gemima going to be able to watch her new husband walk away from her in a couple of days? Not knowing if he would return or not. Her friend was a brave woman.
“What’s wrong?” Tim asked as he picked up her jacket and placed it around her shoulders. The gesture very gentlemanly and didn’t seem forced, as though the action was second nature to him. It probably was. If his mom insisted he had dancing lessons, she probably taught him how to treat a lady. While she was an independent woman, she didn’t mind when men opened doors for her or, like Tim had done, placed a coat around her shoulders. Although if she was honest she couldn’t remember the last time one of her dates had done anything like that.
“Brielle, are you with me?”
Hands gripped her shoulders and she found herself facing Tim, concern in the brown depths of his eyes. Her lack of answer had concerned him. Another check point in his favor. She smiled and the lines around his face relaxed. “I’m fine. Sorry I was just thinking about how Gemima’s going to be when Chad leaves for his deployment.”
Tim kept his arm firmly around her as they walked out of the ballroom and through the hotel to wait for the Uber she’d called.
“If Chad and his team are anything like Wolf and his team, there’ll be a support system in place.”
“Wolf?”
Tim laughed. “A nickname, like mine is T-Rex. I was with Wolf and his team at Aces when you and your bachelorette party walked in. All those guys are married, and some have kids. Whenever they get called away, all the women and kids go over to Wolf’s place for the first night. The women drink wine, eat ice cream and shed a few tears. The next day they’re back to being their strong selves and know their men will all work together to bring each other home safely.”
Their car pulled up and, yes, Tim, opened the door for her. Her dad would tell her that any man who treated her like she was the most precious thing on earth was one to hang on to. She wasn’t sure Tim was that man, particularly as she had no idea where he lived, but for tonight she was going to dream he was.
Once they were seated and she’d confirmed her address with the driver, she picked up their conversation.
“The guys on the helicopter that day, they’re your team, right?”
“Yes, some of them were. There were some guys from another special forces team on board as well.”
“And is what you said true? Do you make sure you do everything to bring your team members back to their significant others?”
“Well, there’s only two guys on the team with significant others but even before they came along, yes we always watched each other’s backs and made sure to keep each other safe. Now that Italy and Joker have significant others, who are expecting babies, we’re even more vigilant.”
No way was she going to ask if he meant Italy the country or Joker from the comics. She suspected they were nicknames for the men. Funny how they labelled themselves with different names. Did they even call each other by their real names outside of their job? Brielle really wanted to know how he ended up being called T-Rex. He certainly didn’t have little arms like the dinosaur. Maybe he had an almighty roar he used when he was on missions.
Thinking about missions her thoughts circled back to what they’d been talking about. “I don’t know how significant others can do it? How can they not worry every time they go away? How do your parents not worry?”
“They do. Every time I leave on a mission I know they worry. It doesn’t get any easier, but they know this is my job and I love serving my country. If anything should happen to me I know they’ll be devastated, but they’ll know I died doing what I’ve always wanted to do.”
If Tim was in any other occupation she may have considered asking if they could keep in touch. When she was around him a sense of safety enfolded her. After what she’d experienced she could never go back to being the woman she was. Her life had been irrevocably changed and what she needed to do was accept this as her new future and find a way that she could function in society and not become reclusive.
Going on this trip had been a big part of getting her independence back. She could certainly admit that within herself a new strength was being born. The road would be long, and the journey would have many bumps, but she believed she could come out the other side.
“We’re here,” he said quietly, breaking into her thoughts.
“Right, umm, well thanks for coming Tim. I had
a good time tonight.” Ugh, that sounded all wrong to her ears.
“I’d like to walk you to your room if that’s okay. I’ll sleep better knowing you’re safe in your hotel room.”
The protective streak, an innate part of him, she was beginning to learn, wouldn’t be denied. And if she was honest with herself, she didn’t want to say goodbye just yet. “I’d like that.”
“Excellent.” Before she could open her purse, Tim had his wallet in his hand and handed the driver a couple of bills as a tip. “Let’s get you inside.”
She went to open the door, but he laid his hand over hers. “Let me.”
God, why did he have to be in the military? He was doing and saying everything right. He was ticking all the boxes of the qualities she was looking for in a man. Why couldn’t she have met him before her kidnapping, when she was confident and carefree? Brielle wanted that girl back badly at this second. That girl would’ve been able to handle a Navy SEAL. This Brielle was very much a work in progress attempting to return to who she used to be.
The door opened, and Tim held out a hand for her, she took it and with a gentle pull she was outside standing next to him. Her breath caught in her throat as his piney scent filled her nostrils. It had been teasing her all night and she’d had to stop herself from burrowing her nose into the side of his neck. The scent reminded her of the decorative cones that always filled the stores at Christmas time. She had a suspicion that she would always associate the fresh aroma of pine cones with Tim.
“What floor are you on?” He asked when they reached the bank of elevators.
“Tenth.”
They only had to wait a few seconds before one arrived ready to whisk them up. Every passing second reluctance for Tim to leave grew within her. Would he want more from her once they got up to her room? Was he hoping that she’d invite him in?
No.
She slammed the brakes on those thoughts. She may have only spent an afternoon and evening with him, and an hour the previous evening, but she thought she understood him well enough to know he wouldn’t force himself onto her. No way would he take advantage. He was too honorable. In fact, he probably wouldn’t even try to kiss her goodbye.
Guarding Brielle (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) (Guardian SEALs Book 5) Page 3