by Susan Stoker
“Promise?”
Julie smiled at Johnnie. “Promise.”
Even though she’d promised, Johnnie still was reluctant to let go of what he obviously knew was the only thing keeping him alive. Finally he lifted his arms up just enough for Wolf to grab both of his wrists and easily lift him up and out of the water and into the boat. Julie breathed a sigh of relief. Even though the boy hadn’t been terribly heavy, she was exhausted and the burden of knowing he was relying on her to keep him alive had been a heavy one. She looked up at Patrick.
“Your turn, Julie. Lift your arms.”
She treaded water and looked at the boat dubiously. It was a rubber raft, the kind she saw on documentaries about SEAL training. There was no way she’d be able to climb over the sides without help. She wanted out of the ocean more than anything, but wasn’t sure how to accomplish it.
“Uh, you guys wouldn’t happen to have a ladder would you?”
Patrick smiled down at her for the first time since he’d arrived, as if she was a shining ray of sun in the rising morning fog. “Nope. Give me your hand.”
Julie sighed. He was smiling, but his words were obviously an order. Still not meeting Cookie’s eyes, Julie lifted one hand toward Patrick. He immediately grabbed hold of her wrist in a grip she knew she wouldn’t slip out of. He had her. She was safe.
“Give Cookie your other hand. We’ll lift you over the edge. No problem.”
Julie looked at the other man for the first time since the boat pulled up next to her. She bit her cracked lip. Hell. He was holding his hand out toward her.
When their eyes met, he said simply, “It’s okay. Trust me.”
Shit. She raised her other hand and felt it, too, grasped in a secure grip. Before Julie could even think about how they were going to get her into the boat, she was there. The two men had lifted her as if she weighed five pounds instead of over a hundred. Then she was in Patrick’s arms.
They’d set her on her feet on the bottom of the boat, but her knees had immediately given out. She would’ve crumpled to the floor, but Patrick was there. He wrapped his arms around her and eased her down, still holding her tight. Julie could feel the boat moving, but didn’t lift her head. She was exhausted. She felt as if she could sleep for days.
Knowing she had to do it before she either lost her nerve or passed out, she raised her head to look for Cookie. She found him driving the boat, but alternating between watching where he was going, and looking down at her and his Commander.
“Thank you,” Julie said without breaking eye contact with Cookie. “Thank you for coming to get me, for being patient with me. I know I was a bitch, and probably the worst rescued person you ever had to deal with. I was a selfish cow and I’m sorry. You probably don’t believe me, but I’m working on being a better person. I swear, I’m not the same woman you met in Mexico.”
“I know, and you’re welcome.”
“You know?” Julie asked, surprised and confused.
“Yeah. Hurt wouldn’t put up with the bitch I met in Mexico. And since he likes you a heck of a lot, I figure you must’ve used what happened to you to better yourself.”
“You’re not pissed at me? I was horrible. And I also heard that you married Fiona…I don’t—”
“Julie. Stop. Do I think you and Fee are ever gonna be best friends? No. Are we suddenly gonna go out and get manis and pedis together? Hell no. But I can appreciate that you were under a lot of stress while we were in that hellhole. Don’t screw Hurt over, and we’re cool. All right?”
Julie nodded and buried her head back in Patrick’s neck. “I’m not going to screw you over,” she told Patrick in a low voice, “but I can’t promise to never be a bitch again. I think I have the gene. It’s buried deep, but it’s still there.”
Patrick chuckled. “I can handle your bitch gene.”
“Okay. Patrick?”
“Yeah, sweetheart?”
“Thank you for finding me. I was so scared.”
“You did good, Julie. Except for the part where you dove into the middle of a rip current when I specifically told you to stay out of the water. We’ll have to talk about that later.”
Julie lifted her head and looked at Patrick. She spoke softly so Johnnie wouldn’t hear. “There’s no way he would’ve survived. The lifeguards were already all in the water trying to help others. There wasn’t anyone else around to go after him.”
Patrick didn’t respond, but put his hand on the back of her head and returned it to his neck. He held her against him the entire way back to the beach. When they arrived, Cookie pulled the boat as close to shore as he could and Wolf carried the little boy out of the boat. The mother was there and grabbed hold of her child, who immediately started crying now that he was back in his mother’s sympathetic arms.
“Where’s your stuff?” Patrick asked Julie.
She lifted her head and looked toward where she’d left her stuff. She could see it over the edge of the boat and between the people milling around the crowded beach. “It’s over there, next to the three police officers.”
Wolf set off toward the men and Julie watched as he gathered up her stuff and headed back to the boat. Without a word, he climbed in and Cookie once again shoved the boat back into the water. The guys who were in the other boats followed behind. They’d been speaking with the lifeguards and the local police. Amazingly, everyone had been accounted for. Between the lifeguards and the SEALs, everyone was back on shore, safe and sound.
They took off back toward Coronado at a much slower pace than they’d left. Patrick still hadn’t moved from the bottom of the boat, and thus Julie hadn’t either.
The trip back was relatively silent until Wolf said, suddenly and somewhat bizarrely, “Does Johnnie know who you are, Julie?”
She raised her head and looked at Wolf. “What do you mean? He knows my name is Julie, but if you’re asking if I gave my phone number to a five-year-old when we were treading water in the middle of the ocean, the answer is no.”
“So his mom won’t be able to find you to thank you.”
“Probably not, unless she really digs. But so what? I didn’t jump my ass into the ocean to get accolades. I did it to save Johnnie. He’s what mattered He’s a five-year-old kid who let his curiosity get the better of him. He made a mistake. He didn’t do it on purpose.” Julie was slightly miffed that Wolf would think she’d demand thanks from Johnnie’s mother, until she saw the smile on his face. She looked over at Cookie who was driving, and he too was smiling.
She turned to Patrick, only to see a smile as big as she’d ever seen creep across his face as well. “What the hell are you all smiling about?”
“You didn’t do it for thanks. You did it to save a life. Was it worth it?” Cookie asked.
Slowly Julie understood. “Yeah,” she breathed, “it was worth it.”
“So, you’re welcome, Julie. You now know firsthand that we don’t do what we do for thanks. We do it because it needs to be done. Just as you did today.”
Cookie’s words sank in, but Julie couldn’t let it go completely. Almost, but not quite yet. “But sometimes, the person you saved needs to say thanks.”
“Then say it so we can be done with it and we can all move on.”
Julie smiled. She couldn’t be pissed. “Then thank you, Cookie. And Wolf, thank you for getting my ass out of that hellhole.”
“Again, you’re welcome. Now we’re done with that, yeah?” Wolf asked with mock impatience.
“We’re done.”
“Good.”
“Relax, sweetheart,” Patrick said into her ear as he pulled her into him again. “You’ve had a hard day, let me take care of you.”
“I can do that.” She smiled into Patrick’s neck and let him take her weight. It felt right, being in his arms. She was where she was meant to be, and it was a pretty damn good place to end up.
Chapter Twelve
Julie tried not to hyperventilate. The company picnic had been postponed; there was n
o way Patrick wanted to put any of the people under his command in danger. The rip current was gone, but no one wanted to take a chance on another while their families were enjoying a day at the beach.
After the boats had arrived at the training area at Coronado, Patrick had helped her to his office, sat her on a chair, and told her he’d be back in two minutes to take her home. He’d been true to his word. He’d returned and, without a word, picked her up, even though she’d insisted she could walk, and taken her back to his place.
She’d showered and put on a pair of his sweats, which were huge on her, and a SEAL T-shirt. Patrick had made her drink a full bottle of water to replace some of the fluids she’d lost out in the ocean, and they’d both crawled onto his bed even though it was only five o’clock in the afternoon.
Julie sighed, remembering how safe she’d felt wrapped in Patrick’s arms, under his covers, wearing his clothes, snug as a bug in a rug. She’d fallen asleep and hadn’t woken up until the next morning, when Patrick kissed her forehead before he’d gotten out of bed.
Apparently her conversation in the boat with Cookie and Wolf had indicated to Patrick that she was ready to talk to the rest of the team—and Fiona. He’d informed her, after another shower and while they were eating yogurt and bagels for breakfast that he’d arranged a team meeting that morning.
Julie had tried to protest, but Patrick had stopped her by asking two questions.
“Do you want to be with me? To see where this can go between us?”
Her answer was immediate. “Yes.”
“Then we need to be there at ten. The guys will meet us there, and Fiona is coming over at ten-thirty.”
So now it was time. Julie was sitting in a surprisingly comfortable chair in a large meeting room at Patrick’s building. The leather chair squeaked a bit as she shifted nervously and tried not to freak out and run screaming from the room. But she wanted this. She did. It was why she’d spoken to Missy and Zane back in Virginia in the first place. Why she’d wanted to track down the SEALs. She wanted to move on.
Patrick was sitting next to her, looking amazing in his battle dress uniform. Julie hadn’t gotten to fully appreciate it the day before in the middle of her rescue. He was there to support her, to make sure his men didn’t say or do anything that would hurt her further. He’d told her they wouldn’t, but he was still there, having her back.
The door opened, and Julie watched as Cookie, Wolf, and four other men entered. Four sat in various chairs around the table in the room, while Cookie and one other man stayed standing, leaning again one of the walls.
Julie didn’t beat around the bush; she started right in, deciding that drawing it out wasn’t the best course of action for her rapidly beating heart and her psyche.
“Thank you for coming down to Mexico to rescue me. I know you did it because of my dad, but I appreciate it nonetheless. I’ve already had this talk with Cookie and Wolf, and I realize you probably don’t need or want my thanks, but you have it anyway. I know it was your job, and you’ve done it before and you’ll probably do it again, but please know that even though I looked unimpressed and acted like a selfish child, I appreciate it more than you’ll know.”
Julie then turned to Cookie. “And I said it to you yesterday, and I’ll say it again today in front of your teammates. I’m sorry about how I acted. I was scared and hurting. That’s no excuse, because I know Fiona was too and she didn’t act like me. The thing I’m most ashamed of is trying to get you to leave that stupid hut without telling you someone else was there too.” Julie looked down at her hands, clasped in her lap under the table. She dug her fingernails into her palms, trying to gather the courage to say what she needed to say. Patrick put his hand over hers and squeezed, letting her know he was there for her.
She looked up into Cookie’s eyes. “It doesn’t change anything that happened or anything I said or did, but I’m trying to be a better person.”
Cookie put her out of her misery. “As I told you yesterday, Julie, you’re welcome. I can’t lie; you weren’t the most enjoyable person to be with in the jungle, and I did have a hard time forgiving you for almost allowing me to leave Fiona there. But, she didn’t get left. She’s here, alive, and she’s doing great. I don’t need your thanks or your apology, but they’re appreciated all the same.”
Julie sagged in relief. Again, though they’d kind of already had this conversation yesterday in the boat, him accepting her apology and her thanks in front of his comrades somehow made it different. More official. She nodded at him, grateful.
The other man standing against the wall spoke up as well. “I’m Dude, and you’re right, Julie. No thanks are necessary, but to be honest, it’s nice to hear every once in a while.” He came over to where she was sitting and held out his hand. Julie put hers into it and was surprised when he pulled her out of her chair and into his arms for a big bear hug. “I’m glad you’re changing your life around.”
The other men in the room also came over and hugged her, each accepting her thanks in a personal way. Afterwards, they filed out of the room. Finally it was Cookie’s turn. He put his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye. “You ready?”
Julie knew what he meant. She nodded.
He walked to the door and looked out and gestured to someone. Fiona came into view and Julie watched as Cookie took hold of her hand and held it as she entered the room. Cookie closed the door behind them.
Again, knowing she had to jump right in, Julie immediately apologized. “I’m sorry I was a bitch, Fiona. You did nothing but try to help me out there. You were gracious and even though you were suffering, you still tried to comfort me. I threw it in your face, making fun of your counting and even being greedy with the food. I played into your insecurities about not being the one they were there to rescue. It was inexcusable and I’m sorrier than you’ll ever know.” Julie’s words were rushed, as if she thought Fiona would butt in and cut her off before she could get them out.
“Apology accepted,” Fiona said easily.
Julie’s eyes welled with tears and she bit her lip, trying to control herself. She felt Patrick’s hand on her back, caressing and reassuring her.
Fiona went on. “I didn’t expect to see you in your store. It was a shock and I didn’t know what to think or feel. I think I owe you an apology for the way my friends handled the situation.”
Julie began to interrupt her, but Fiona held up her hand. “Let me finish. In Caroline and Alabama’s defense, I’d had a flashback when I got home after Mexico, and I took off. I thought I was back there, and there were men chasing me. No one knew where I was and I totally freaked my friends out. I know they thought seeing you would bring on another flashback and they only wanted to make sure I was safe. It wasn’t really about you, Julie.”
Julie shook her head sadly. “But they know about me.”
Fiona nodded slowly. “Yeah. I told them some of what happened down there. It’s what friends do.”
It was Julie who nodded this time. “I know. I’ll apologize to them too. I’ll apologize to anyone you want me to, Fiona. I admire the hell out of you. You survived so much more than me. I wouldn’t have been able to do it.”
“Yes, you would. I was just like you, Julie. Exactly like you. At first I was ready and willing to do whatever they said so they’d stop hurting me and hopefully let me go. But slowly I realized they weren’t going to let me go, so I started fighting them. You would’ve gotten to that point too. I know it. Look at you now. You have a will of steel. You not only braved Hunter and the other guys, but me too.”
The two women smiled at each other. Julie knew they’d never be besties, but maybe, just maybe, they could be comfortable enough that seeing each other wouldn’t cause old wounds to open and fester.
“Would it be all right if I stopped by your store sometime soon? I never did get to see all the awesome things you’ve got there, and I heard all about how great it was from Caroline after she went the first time.”
“Of course. Anytime you want to come by, I’ll be there. Just let me know, even if it’s after hours.”
“And you really do donate clothes to women’s shelters and to teenagers who need a dress for a school dance and can’t afford it?” Fiona asked, sounding somewhat impressed.
Julie nodded. “Uh-huh. I love the looks on their faces when they come out of the dressing room wearing a Vera Wang or Gucci dress and it’s obvious they feel fabulous.”
“I’d say you’ve come a long way since that bitch in the jungle.”
Julie laughed, not offended in the least. “I hope so. I’m trying.”
“You’re succeeding.”
“Thanks for giving me the chance to apologize, Fiona. Seriously.”
“You’re welcome.”
“See you tomorrow, Hurt?” Cookie asked, shaking his Commander’s hand.
“O-five-hundred for PT,” Patrick confirmed.
Cookie nodded and he and Fiona left the room.
Julie felt herself being pulled back into Patrick’s arms. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and held her cradled against his chest. “You okay?”
“Yeah. That was…” Her voice trailed off, unsure of the word she was looking for.
“Cathartic?”
It was as good a word as any to try to explain how she was feeling. She nodded and nuzzled her cheek against Patrick’s shoulder. “Thank you for setting it up for me.”
“You’re welcome. It’s what Tex sent you to me to do, after all.”
Julie laughed. “Only a few months later than he expected it to happen though.”
“True. You ready to go?”
“Yeah, I have some stuff I need to do at the store. I’ve been neglecting it too long. The people that work with me are good, but they hate the sales stuff. Daddy hired them because they’re good at marketing and accounting. I need to set up a meeting with the director of a women’s clinic and see who has interviews coming up and what I can do to help.”