by Susan Stoker
“Pick her up? What does that mean?”
Mark chuckled. “Not what you think. Just that Tex knows people everywhere. He’s getting a retired military guy he knows who lives in Anchorage to head to where Tex last pinpointed her. Once he convinces her that nothing’s going to happen to her or her kids, he’s going to connect her with Tex. Once that happens, and he finds out, finally, who was behind all this shit, he’ll let me know. Until then, we just need to be extra careful.”
“Do you think going to the factory is a good idea then?” Phantom asked from the back seat. “If someone’s pissed that they didn’t get a piece of your old man’s pie, seeing you could make them act. The last thing we need is for someone to bring a weapon to the factory and start shooting up the place.”
“We just landed. And although I know word travels fast, I think we’ll be okay for now. Tomorrow might be a different story. I’m just going to meet with Sean and Malcom real fast, set up a meeting for tomorrow, probably at Kenneth Eklund’s office, sign the necessary papers, then we’ll be out of here.”
Mark sounded wary but calm, and that made Zoey relax a little.
“I just need you to keep your eye on Zoey. If anything does go down, get her out of there.”
“Of course,” Phantom said, brushing his friend’s words away as if he were annoyed he’d even said them. “Just watch your back.”
Shivering at the conversation, and not wanting to think of anything happening to anyone, Zoey did her best to put it out of her mind. Mark reached over and turned up the heat in the car, and just like that, Zoey’s mood was lifted. He was always so considerate of her. It was hard to believe that he was hers.
They pulled up to the large factory on the outskirts of town and the three of them walked inside the building. After checking in with the security officer at the front, Zoey and Phantom were shown to a small room off to the side of the lobby, and Mark disappeared into the depths of the building.
“Will he be all right?” Zoey asked after she and Phantom had been left alone.
“Of course,” Phantom said, but she could see the worry in his eyes.
Not able to sit still, Zoey paced while they waited for Mark to return.
“It’s good to see you,” Sean said as he shook Bubba’s hand. “This is a surprise.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve been talking to both you and Malcom every day for the last few weeks, I decided I needed to get up here and see to things in person.”
“I wish you would’ve let us know you were coming,” his brother said.
Bubba shrugged. “It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing. Zoey wanted to get some more of her stuff and see about getting the house on the market.”
“Things are going well between you two then?” his brother asked.
“Very well,” Bubba said with a smile.
“Seems as if your adventure in the wilds of Alaska was good for your love life,” Sean joked.
Bubba stared at his dad’s friend incredulously. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
As if he realized how horrible his words had been, Sean blushed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just so relieved that things turned out all right and the two of you are okay.”
Bubba eyed the man suspiciously. He knew Sean was pissed that his pop had left most of his part of the business to someone other than him. He’d put his blood, sweat, and tears into the company, and it couldn’t have sat well that Colin wasn’t leaving him the business.
“Anyway, I’m assuming you didn’t come all this way to talk about inventory and about changing the shift times, like we talked about in the last phone call,” Malcom said.
“No, you’re right. I’m happy to sign any papers you guys have for me while I’m here, but I wanted to see if you were both free tomorrow to meet with me and Kenneth.”
“The lawyer?” Sean asked. “Everything all right?”
“Yeah. So tomorrow? Maybe sometime in the morning, so I can help Zoey with her house?”
“Sure,” Sean said, nodding. “Ten work?”
“Ten’s perfect,” Bubba said. “Mal?”
“I guess so. You’re being mighty secretive. Why don’t you just spit it out now instead of being all dramatic about it?”
Bubba shrugged. “I want to sell my shares back to you both. Zoey does too. It’s more than obvious that the two of you know what you’re doing here, and having to stop and talk to me about it and get my approval is just slowing things down. It’s only fair.”
Both men simply stared at him for a long moment. Bubba couldn’t tell what either was thinking. “I’m going to talk to Kenneth about the details and how it’ll work. I figured you guys would be happy about this…but by your reactions, now I’m not so sure.”
Sean was the first to recover. He shook his head. “Sorry, Mark. It’s just…this is a surprise.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. I just don’t have the time or energy to devote to the business like I should. I know Pop left part of it to me, but the two of you will do a much better job than I ever could. It’s just not in my blood like it is yours.” Bubba looked at his brother and waited for him to say something.
Eventually, Malcom frowned. “This is really coming out of left field, bro. I’m not sure what to say.”
“Just think about it,” Bubba said. “We can talk about the specifics and details tomorrow.”
“All right.”
“I’ll see you both at ten then,” Bubba said and turned to leave. He almost turned back to tell them about Tex, and how he’d found the pilot who’d stranded them, but something held him back. He could get into that tomorrow at the lawyer’s office.
He walked quickly back to where he’d left Zoey with Phantom, feeling lighter than he had in almost a month. It wasn’t as if he didn’t appreciate that his pop had left him part of his legacy, but the truth of the matter was, he didn’t need it. Nor did he want it. He felt a little guilty about taking anything from his dad. He could’ve been a better son, and even though he was trying to get over the guilt for not coming home before it was too late, he was still struggling.
Simply seeing Zoey made him sag a little in relief. He couldn’t believe how much she’d come to mean to him in such a short time.
“How’d it go?” Zoey asked, rushing up to him in concern.
“It’s good. I need to call Kenneth and set something up, but I said I’d meet them at the lawyer’s office tomorrow around ten.”
“I’ll drive while you call him,” Phantom said, holding out his hand for the keys.
Without hesitation, Bubba handed over the keys to the rental. “Come on, let’s get out of here,” he said, putting his hand on Zoey’s lower back as they walked toward the door.
After saying hello to several people on their way out, and dealing with more condolences, Bubba was definitely ready to get to Zoey’s house.
He called Kenneth on the way, relayed his wishes, and the lawyer said he’d draw up the papers and have them waiting the next morning.
Phantom drove up a steep hill to the house Zoey had been renting from his father, and just like the first time he’d seen it, Bubba had to bite his tongue to keep his opinions to himself. The house wasn’t in the best shape. There were actual small trees growing out of the gutters. That wasn’t too surprising, since the area was wet most of the year, but Bubba wished the house Zoey had been living in had been better maintained. The shutters on the windows were falling off and the grass didn’t look like it had been mowed for at least a month.
There were old newspapers on the porch, and it was more than obvious to anyone driving by that the house wasn’t being lived in.
“Well, shit,” Zoey said as they pulled alongside it. There was no driveway, so Phantom parked on the side of the street in front of the house. “It usually looks much better than this,” she said with a frown.
“I thought you’d paid for someone to check on the house?” Bubba asked.
“I did.” Zoey sighed, and they all clim
bed out of the SUV. She took out her keys and made her way up the walk. “I thought it was all arranged. I’m going to have to call the real estate agent Tracy hired to look after the house and see what the hell happened. Maybe it was a miscommunication issue. Here’s to hoping the electricity is still on.”
She unlocked the door and started to enter, but Bubba gently stopped her. “Let me and Phantom check things out first.”
She frowned, but Bubba was relieved when she nodded and stepped back.
“We’ll just be a second.”
Zoey pulled out her phone and pressed a few buttons before looking at both him and Phantom. “I’ve got 9-1-1 at the ready. All I have to do is hit connect.”
Bubba would’ve chuckled, but Zoey was completely serious. He couldn’t help himself. It had been too long since he’d kissed her, and she was completely adorable right now. He leaned down and palmed the side of her neck and tilted her head up to him.
He kissed her long and hard, thrilled when she reciprocated. It wasn’t until Phantom cleared his throat impatiently that Bubba pulled back.
“You have your knife?” Zoey asked after licking her lips sensuously.
Bubba wanted nothing more than to push her up against the side of the house and taste her again, but he forced himself to take a step back. “Of course. I took it out of my checked bag as soon as it came off the conveyor belt.”
“Good. Okay, I’ll wait here.”
Nodding at her, Bubba turned to Phantom. “Ready?”
The other man had his own KA-BAR knife in his hand and looked more than prepared to kick some ass. “Ready.”
There was a saying, never bring a knife to a gun fight, implying that the person who brought the knife would be at a disadvantage, but both him and Phantom were more than lethal with their knives and had, more than once, either disarmed someone who had a gun or at least wounded them badly enough that shooting someone was the least of their worries.
Making his way through the house, Bubba kept his attention on clearing each of the rooms, making sure no one was lying in wait.
When they’d made it through the tiny house and they’d both put their knives back in the sheaths at the smalls of their backs, Phantom said, “Didn’t Zoey say she’d also been paying someone to start packing up her stuff?”
Frowning, Bubba nodded. “Yeah. Doesn’t look like much has been packed, that’s for sure. Fuck.”
Phantom clicked one of the switches and the room filled with light. “At least the electricity works,” he said with a shrug.
“Probably because she was paying the electric company directly,” Bubba grumbled. He headed for the front porch and let out a small sigh of relief when he saw Zoey standing exactly where he’d left her.
“Is everything all right?” she asked anxiously.
“Yeah, Zo. Everything’s good,” Bubba reassured her.
She nodded and pocketed her phone. “You say that, but your tone of voice says differently.”
“It’s just…whoever you were paying to get your stuff packed up most likely took your money and didn’t do a damn thing.”
Zoey simply sighed. “I was afraid of that. I’ll call the real estate lady tomorrow and see what’s up. I set up everything through Tracy, and she was supposed to get in touch with the realtor and they were going to see to it.”
“Tracy?” Bubba asked.
“The lawyer’s wife.”
“Oh, yeah, that’s right.”
“Sean offered to have his wife help. I should’ve taken him up on it,” Zoey said with a frown.
“I can also talk to Kenneth tomorrow and see what’s up,” Phantom told her.
“Thanks. I’d appreciate that.”
Zoey walked into the house and put her purse down on a table against the wall and wandered into the kitchen. “I’m guessing there’s not much to eat. Who wants to go out and get dinner?”
Bubba looked meaningfully at Phantom.
His friend smirked and said, “I guess that’d be me.”
“Do you like seafood?” she asked Phantom.
“Love it,” he replied.
“Good. There’s a place called The Salmon Spot, and it’s one of my favorite places to eat here in Juneau. I’ll call and order us a mix of stuff and we can all share. Is that okay?”
“Of course,” Bubba answered. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, grabbing his credit card and handing it to her. “Here, use this.”
Zoey didn’t reach for it. “I can pay,” she said stubbornly.
“I know you can. But you aren’t,” Bubba said sternly.
They stared at each other for a long moment, a battle of wills Bubba knew without a doubt he’d win. Then she sighed and snatched the plastic out of his hand. “Fine. But next time’s on me.”
Bubba didn’t agree or disagree.
She wasn’t paying. No way. It might be a little chauvinistic of him, but he was the guy, he paid for their meals. Period.
He listened with half an ear as she ordered their dinner. She gave Phantom very detailed directions on how to get to the restaurant, as if he was going to get lost and somehow drive his way to Seattle or something, which was impossible, as there were no roads in or out of the capital city. It was cute how she constantly forgot he and his friends were Navy SEALs. They’d navigated their way around the most remote cities and jungles with nothing but a compass, and sometimes not even that.
Bubba had a feeling Phantom would take longer to return simply to give him some time alone with Zoey.
The second the door had closed behind his teammate, Bubba took Zoey into his arms and backed into the living area. He fell onto the couch, Zoey still in his arms, loving how she giggled at his antics.
“Mark! Let me go. I need to get up and see about this disaster of a house.”
“In a minute,” he said, nuzzling the skin behind her ear.
Zoey turned her head, giving him room while saying, “We don’t have time for this. The restaurant isn’t too far away, Phantom’ll be back before too long.”
“We won’t go too far,” he told her. “I’ve been around you all day, but I still miss you.”
He felt her melt in his arms. “That was sweet,” she said softly.
“It’s true. Now…kiss me, woman,” he said, purposely lowering his voice so he sounded gruff.
She laughed again and sat up in his lap so she was straddling him. “With pleasure,” she said before lowering her lips to his.
They made out on her couch for several minutes. Bubba knew he’d never get enough of her curves under his hands. He loved everything about her. Her shape. The little moans she made deep in her throat. The way she couldn’t sit still as he teased her nipples—
Bubba froze when his thoughts sank in.
“What? What’s wrong?” Zoey asked, looking worried.
“Nothing’s wrong,” he reassured her quickly, hating that he’d scared her for even a second. “I just…I love you, Zo.”
She blinked at him. Her eyes wide as if she couldn’t believe what he’d just said. “You do?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“Why?” Bubba laughed. “You want me to list all the reasons?”
She shook her head. “No, that came out wrong. I mean, are you sure?”
Zoey was freaking adorable, and Bubba felt freer and lighter than he had in a long time. “I’m sure, sweetheart.”
“Well, that’s a relief. Because I think I’ve loved you since we were stuck in the woods together. Which is insane, but honestly, with how much your dad talked about you and how awesome you turned out to be, how could I not fall in love with you? He had a picture of you that you sent him on his mantel, and every time I walked by it, I imagined what it would be like to see you again, even though I knew you weren’t coming to Juneau anytime soon. Then your dad got sick, and I went to visit my mom, and…there you were. I didn’t know what to say to you in the airport and just knew I’d made a fool of myself.” She paused and winced.
“Just like I’m doing right now.”
“You’re not making a fool of yourself,” Bubba said.
She rolled her eyes and shook her head at him, and Bubba couldn’t stop the laugh that burst forth.
“I even love it when you roll your eyes at me. You did that back when we were stranded, you know. I loved it then, and I love it now.”
“You should know, I don’t deserve you. But I swear that I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure you’re happy. Most of the time I feel like I’m out of my depth around you. Like I’m this naïve little girl and you’re this larger-than-life hero. But just know that I’m trying to toughen up. To get more worldly.”
“Don’t change, Zoey. I love you just how you are.”
She stared at him for a second, then tears filled her eyes.
Bubba drew her down against him and didn’t bother to tell her not to cry. He was overwhelmed with emotion as well. Zoey loved him back. He was going to spend the rest of his life with her, come hook or crook. No one would take her from him, and he wouldn’t do anything that would make her want to leave him.
Easing her back so he could see her eyes, he said, “Being with a SEAL isn’t easy, Zo. When I get called on a mission, I have to go. I can’t tell you where I’ll be or how long I’ll be gone. Can you deal with that?”
“Yes.”
Her answer was immediate and heartfelt.
“I appreciate that, but I want to make sure you know what you’re getting into with me before we make this permanent.”
Her eyes widened. “Permanent?”
“Yeah. If, after a few missions, you still feel the same way about me and my profession, I’m gonna ask you to marry me. Our relationship has been fast, and while I’d marry you tomorrow, I want you to be sure.”
“I’m sure,” she said without any hesitation. “Mark, I’ve crushed on you for over thirteen years. You just said you love me and want to marry me. I’m not going to let something like your job get between us.”
“Caite and the others will always be there when we’re away,” he told her. “You need anything, you can absolutely call them.”