by Ivy Jordan
SEAL’S FAKE MARRIAGE
By Ivy Jordan
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2018 Ivy Jordan
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Chapter One
Aiden
“Mom, I’m on my way to work,” I spoke loudly into the phone.
It was useless. She wasn’t going to hear me, not until I told her what she wanted to hear.
“I deserve to be an abuela,” my mother sighed in her guilt-ridden fashion.
“I know you do, but I’m just not ready for marriage,” I argued the familiar argument.
This was becoming a chore to not get married and have kids. My mother and my grandmother—my abuela—were on my case constantly.
“Ready? You think I was ready to be a mother and wife at seventeen?” she roared into the phone, the tone of her voice growing high-pitched, and her story readying itself for another outing.
I’d heard it all before, so many times I could recite it word for word.
“I figured it out. Your father figured it out. That’s what makes a man a man, not some war. It’s being a parent; that’s when you find your true strength. Alejandro, God rest his soul, what would he think of you denying your mother her God-given right to be an abuela?” she ranted.
I always hated when she brought my father into the argument. I looked up towards the sky, towards the heavens where my father rested, and looked for mercy, a sign, a blast from above that would render all cell phone towers useless.
“You know how I feel about this conversation,” I growled into the phone.
People were passing by me on their way to work, to breakfast, or just for their morning stroll. They didn’t have phones glued to their ears with their mothers pumping them full of guilt as they started their days.
“I just want you happy, Aiden,” my mother poured one last ounce of guilt through the phone.
“I am happy,” I sighed.
“Just promise me you’ll think about it,” she pleaded.
“Okay. I’ll think about it,” I caved.
A loud gasp of excitement exploded through the phone and into my ear. A woman walking by turned and smiled in my direction. Oh God, she could hear my mother’s cry of joy.
“I love you,” I said quickly and hung up the phone.
I shoved the device into my pocket, hopeful that it would stay silent long enough for me to grab a cup of coffee and get back to work.
A woman walked by with a small girl attached to her hand. I smiled at the little one, who quickly tucked her face into her mother’s dress as they continued walking. Kids… Why did I need kids?
I turned, watching the little girl peeking back at me, her smile appearing as the space between us widened. She was cute. There was a small part of me that could see me with a kid, maybe two, but not right now, not yet.
“Hey, man,” I looked up to see Liam.
I nearly ran right into him.
“Hey,” I greeted my old friend.
He chuckled, looking past me towards the woman on the street with the child.
“You dirty dog,” he teased, his eyes narrowing as he spoke.
“No, I-uh, the little girl, she smiled at me, that’s all,” I stammered.
“Sure,” Liam grinned.
“Look at you, all suited up,” I scanned my friend from head to toe.
He was wearing a black suit, similar to the one in the Men in Black movies. I avoided the chuckle that was growing in my throat, having to swallow it hard once I noticed the dark sunglasses on his head.
“Oh, yeah. I have to be at work after…” he trailed off, leaving me standing there, curious, wondering what was before.
“You okay, man?” I asked Liam, who seemed to be drifting somewhere far from where we stood.
“Yeah. I’m just a little anxious, I guess,” he admitted.
“I can see that, but why?” I questioned.
Liam shifted his feet, shoved his hands into his pockets, and his eyes squinted towards the sun. Something was bothering him, but I couldn’t imagine what. He had it all. Life had worked out for him with Holly, Alyssa, and this great job.
“Blake. She’s meeting me for coffee,” Liam finally explained.
Blake. That was a name I hadn’t heard in a while, a long while.
“Blake, your sister, Blake?” I asked, shocked.
Liam nodded without a smile. The look on his face was far from enthused.
“When did she get into town?” I asked.
“Last night. Alyssa made me call her to make amends before the wedding,” he explained.
“Wow. Little Blake. I haven’t seen her in years, since…” I stopped myself from completing that sentence.
We didn’t talk about Liam and Blake’s parents’ death. Even though it was over twelve years ago, it was a topic that was better left alone.
“She’s still holding a grudge that I didn’t come home,” Liam sulked.
“That was a long time ago, and besides, she took off and never came back too,” I offered up some encouragement.
“Yeah, but you know Blake. She has a way of making everything someone else’s fault,” Liam grumbled.
I remembered Blake was sometimes hard to handle, but that didn’t change the fact she was one of my best friends when I was younger. Liam’s kid sister, a little bratty, very beautiful, and so smart, she could outwit anyone. I was looking forward to seeing her again.
“A lot of time has gone by. I’m sure she’s grown up by now,” I smiled, patting my friend on the shoulder.
“Let’s hope,” he grinned nervously.
“Let’s plan on getting together, that is, once you two bury the hatchet,” I offered.
“Sounds good,” Liam reached out, slapping his hand on my back.
He turned, nodded, and started on his way down the sidewalk. The chuckle I’d been holding back finally let loose as I watched Liam walk down the street of the small town in his black suit. He stood out like a sore thumb.
Chapter Two
Blake
The environment surrounding me was surreal. Nothing had changed in the small town I grew up in. Nothing.
“What can I get ya?” the waitress asked with a thick Southern accent.
“Just coffee, thank you,” I smiled, my own voice sounding unfamiliar and odd to me as I spoke.
The Southern twang was gone; that little girl who grew up in the small Texas town, she was gone too.
The woman smiled, poured my coffee, and walked away, leaving me alone to stare out the window by my booth, watching the people as they walked by. They all looked happy, happy to be there in the nowhere town. I was glad to have escaped, living in Las Vegas, writing, happy, or so I thought I’d been, until now. This place, the coffee shop, the town, the people, it was giving me a strange sense of belonging, of home.
Aiden?
My eyes followed the tall man walking by the window. He held his phone in front of him, his head tucked down as he took an interest in whatever was on the small screen. Was that him?
A strong urge to rush from the coffee shop and chase him down, surprising him with my presence, took over, but before I could act on it, the chair across from me slid across the floor, creating a loud squeal.
“Hey, sis.” Liam’s voice hadn’t changed, still deep-rooted in Southern twang.
My eyes lifted to the man who’d spoken. He was taller, not by much, but
taller. His eyes were surrounded by small lines from squinting and age, his hair finally grown back out, no longer buzzed military style, and his smile nervous, but still warm.
“Liam,” I gasped.
I lifted from my seat and moved towards him slowly, taking in how much he’d changed, and then pulled him in for a tight embrace.
As I stepped back from our greeting, my eyes filled with his image. His stance was militant, stiff, and the suit he wore professionally pressed, creating even more stiffness in his appearance.
“Wow, you’re all grown up,” I teased with a crooked smile as I scanned his formal attire.
Liam shook his head, and his cheeks started to turn pink; he was embarrassed.
“I have to wear this for work,” he shrugged, pulling out the seat at the table.
I watched as he sat, his movements, his demeanor, so familiar. The longer I stared at him, the more he reminded me of our dad, just a slightly younger version.
“What?” he scoffed, his face wrinkled with confusion.
I laughed. I didn’t mean to, but I did. “You look just like Dad,” I blurted out.
My throat began to swell, causing me to choke on my laughter. Heat rushed over my body, my skin tingling from the sensation, and suddenly, that familiar pain returned. I remembered why I hadn’t spoken to Liam in so many years, why I hadn’t seen him.
“I’m glad you’re back,” he said softly, not looking up from the empty coffee cup he spun around his thumb.
I wasn’t glad I was back. I wasn’t sure I could do this, or why I even tried to do it in the first place.
“I’m not back,” I mumbled.
“I wanted to tell you how sorry I am about staying gone for so long,” he sighed.
My eyes locked on his as they lifted from the table. Sorry? That wasn’t enough, or it was too much. At the moment, I wasn’t sure.
His hand reached across the table, but I quickly pulled my arms to my side. The look in his eyes told me how badly that simple movement hurt. Tears began rolling from my eyes and down my cheeks, burning my flesh as they traced through my makeup, probably leaving horrible lines of paler skin, smearing black under my eyes as the tears pulled the mascara from my lashes. I couldn’t do this, not now, maybe not ever. I didn’t want to be the talk of the small town, my messy face the main topic of discussion at town hall. Fuck, I had to get out of there.
I quickly wiped my face, clearing the tears that had fallen and the black smudges they’d left behind.
“I can’t do this,” I whispered, scooting my chair back from the table.
The chair against the floor created a loud shriek, one that brought everyone’s attention to Liam and me.
“Blake, don’t leave,” Liam sighed, standing and reaching towards me.
I turned, quickly making my way out of the coffee shop, just barely escaping his grip, one that would have surely brought more tears.
I ran down the alley between the coffee shop and the red brick building as tears built back up with a vengeance in my eyes nearly blinding me.
Sounds of cars whizzing by on the road behind me, a work truck beeping as it backed up, and the thud of my feet hitting the pavement filled my ears, while tears blurred my vision.
I stopped at the end of the alley, leaning down to catch my breath. My hands wiped away my tears, and my mind started to race. Why was I so mad at Liam? I’d run away from here too, from the pain. If he did come back, I would’ve been long gone, in Las Vegas, working on my writing career.
I was so used to blaming him, telling myself that I wouldn’t have left my home, my friends, if he had come back. Now, standing here in this alley, I wasn’t so certain of that.
I stood, slowly, taking in a long, deep breath. My eyes adjusted to the bright sun blasting down, causing me to squint. I looked behind me, expecting to find Liam, but no one was there. The small road in front of me was for deliveries mainly, so I knew no one would be out there, at least not anyone I knew. I wasn’t ready to walk back down the same street, in front of the same coffee shop, where I’d just moments ago run from, crying. If Liam hadn’t chased after me, I certainly didn’t want to run into him, so I moved forward.
My thoughts had me preoccupied, away from paying attention to my surroundings. As I turned the corner, a door flung open from the back of the red brick building, and my nose slammed into the hard chest of the man who just exited.
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, taking a step back.
As I looked up, Aiden stood tall, smiling, and his blue eyes fixated on mine.
“Ya know, I keep bumping into your family this morning, literally,” he joked, a deep chuckle rolling from his throat as he spoke.
I started to speak, but nothing came out. A single tear rolled from my eye and down my cheek, opening the floodgates for the rest. My body trembled as I desperately tried to calm myself, to hold myself together in front of my old friend.
Aiden’s eyes filled with compassion, although I knew it to be confused. He was friendly with Liam as well; we were all close growing up, so he’d heard his side and probably thought I was nuts.
“Come here,” Aiden whispered, pulling me back against his chest.
His heartbeat was rapid and his breaths deep and slow as I rested in the comfort of his arms. He held me closely while I fell apart in his arms, sobbing like a child about things I couldn’t even explain anymore.
“I’m okay,” I sniffled, pulling back from his embrace.
“Yeah, you look like you’re great,” he teased with a smirk.
I chuckled, wiped my nose, and tossed a playful punch that landed on his chest. Wow, it really was hard.
“I-I just,” I started to explain my situation when he pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket and handed it to me.
“I know, you were meeting with Liam. I take it things didn’t go so well?” he chuckled.
I blew my nose and then tried to hand the handkerchief back to Aiden, who stepped back and smiled.
“You keep it,” he laughed.
“It didn’t go—at all,” I sighed.
“He didn’t show? He was on his way when I ran into him this morning,” Aiden said, quickly coming to his friend’s defense.
“He showed. I just couldn’t do it,” I sniffled.
Aiden gave me a look, one that made me feel silly, childish even. I knew he didn’t understand. Hell, I didn’t even understand.
“I could go with you if you think that would help,” he offered.
“No. I have to do it on my own, but not today, not now,” I sighed.
“What happened? Did he say something to upset you?” Aiden pried.
“I’ve been mad at him for so long, but when he sat down in front of me, I couldn’t remember why,” I explained.
Aiden gave me that same look, making me feel even more foolish. “If you aren’t mad any longer, what is stopping you from talking to him?” Aiden asked.
“He looked just like our dad,” I blurted out, tears filling my eyes once again.
Aiden reached out and gently wiped the single tear that fell from my cheek. His smile was warm, understanding, and that look that made me feel silly was gone, hopefully forever.
“I know this is hard for you,” he said softly, sliding the long loose strand of my hair that dangled to behind my ear.
“Thanks for being here,” I smiled.
“Like old times,” Aiden grinned, causing me to giggle.
He always had a way of being in the right spot at the right time, even when we were kids.
“Why are you here?” I asked, scanning the area only delivery trucks frequented, and, of course, the occasional woman in distress.
“I own the place,” he smiled, waving his hand towards the large red brick building.
“Really?” I gasped, taking a step back to read the sign above the delivery door where he exited as my knight in shining armor.
Lopez Construction Company
“I opened it up a few years back. I got tired of worki
ng for other people, making them rich while I broke my back,” he groaned.
“Oh yeah, so you rich now?” I teased.
“Nope. Come to find out, it costs a lot to keep a business afloat, but my back’s not broke at the end of the day,” he chuckled. “Where ya stayin’?” he asked, modestly changing the topic from himself.
Aiden was always a quiet guy, even in high school. The star quarterback on the football team, he kept to himself, never bragged, and hardly ever had a girl on his arm.
“A bed and breakfast just outside town,” I replied, still staring into his dark eyes.
He was a handsome man, even more handsome than he’d been as a boy. I’d always had a crush on Aiden, but we were just friends, and as far as I could tell, he wanted to keep it that way.
“Do you need a lift?” he asked.
“No. I have my car here. I ju-just took off down this alley. Not sure why,” I laughed.
“You just wanted to see me,” he smirked.
“Maybe,” I flirted, my cheeks instantly flushing with color. “I’ll let you get back to work,” I stammered, realizing things were growing awkward.
“If you need me, you know where to find me,” Aiden smiled, waving as I turned to head back up the alley to my car parked outside the coffee shop.
Chapter Three
Aiden
“I really appreciate you coming with me,” Liam said.
I followed him inside the animal shelter. It was dimly lit and smelled of urine and something else I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
“I’m happy to do it. I can’t wait to see Holly’s face light up,” I smiled.
“She’s been begging for months now, so Alyssa finally gave me the go ahead. But she said I have to clean up after it and walk it.” Liam rolled his eyes.
“How can I help you?” a petite blonde asked as we approached the front desk.
Her eyes were green, her skin tan, and she had a strong northern accent. Liam nudged me in the side, winking in my direction.
“We’re here to adopt a puppy,” I said, hoping the woman hadn’t noticed his less than sly hints.