Brianna's Navy SEAL

by Natalie Damschroder

  Jake folded his arms. “They do when their wives won't shut the hell up about asking you what's going on."

  Cable couldn't tell him. He was sure Brianna hadn't told her family about her abduction, so he didn't want to face their shock and fear that they'd probably transfer onto him.

  Frank had said Gip had lost all external focus when he discovered where he might be going. He'd forgotten about Cable and Brianna and put all his attention on avoiding his own punishment. Frank thought it had changed his perspective. He also thought harming Brie hadn't been on the agenda, though they'd never know for sure.

  Right now, in this brightly lit, homey place, with an adoring child climbing up his leg and a good friend trying to fix Cable's relationship, danger didn't seem close. So it didn't make sense to try to explain it to Jake.

  "Brianna and I have different needs,” he finally said. “It was a mutual decision."

  Jake shrugged. “If you say so.” He bent to kiss Joey. “You be good,” he told him. Joey nodded but didn't look up from his blocks, which he was now stacking. “I'm meeting Kira at the restaurant, since she was networking an office near there. We're going to the eight o'clock show, so should be home by eleven or twelve."

  "No problem. Have a great time."

  "You, too."

  Cable locked the door behind him and turned around just as Joey launched himself from the arm of the couch. He caught him around the middle and turned the leap into a Superman soar. The kid screamed with laughter, and Cable thought maybe this wasn't going to be such a bad Valentine's Day, after all.

  * * * *

  "I'm so sorry to ask so late,” Kira repeated for the sixth time. Brianna reassured her it was fine as she tried to negotiate the McDonald's construction zone in the dark, talk on the phone, and not think about what torture it would be to babysit her nephew on Valentine's Day.

  "The damned babysitter backed out last minute. I think she got lured to the Franklins. They pay a dollar more an hour. Jerks."

  "I said it's okay, Kira.” She settled down as the orange cones disappeared in her rear view mirror and she drove straight down the empty road. “I'll be there in a few minutes.” She frowned as she realized that instead of Joey, she heard clinks and murmurs in the background. “Where are you?"

  "I'm at the restaurant. I'm meeting Jake. He'll be at the house but will leave immediately when you get there. I was working at this end of town,” she added.

  Brianna narrowed her eyes. There wasn't any end of town that was more than ten minutes away. But there also wasn't a restaurant more than a few blocks outside downtown, which was part of what made Darcy want to build her frickin’ McDonald's.

  "So I'll see you in a few hours, bye!” Kira hung up too quickly, damn her. Brianna sighed, wishing she could have said no to this. She wondered what her sister had cooked up. Was she going to be babysitting Parker's nephews or something, too? She couldn't think of anything else that could be going on. Until she pulled into the driveway.

  Behind Cable's new Highlander.

  Shit.

  She was half tempted to back out and go chase her sister down. If Cable was here, she didn't need to be. She could go make a big scene and embarrass...

  The mayor of Brook Hollow. Yeah, that would be a brilliant move. Plus, they did deserve a night out alone, despite her sister's betrayal.

  And maybe she wasn't betraying her. Maybe Cable was there for something else, and if she left, Joey would be without a babysitter. Except she didn't see Jake's car. Joey's face in the picture window, followed by his waving arm, decided it for her. She couldn't leave now.

  She slammed the gearshift into park and trudged up the walk, waving halfheartedly at her nephew, who didn't stop until she'd reached the door. Cable opened it as she started to turn the handle.

  "Brianna.” He didn't look surprised.

  "Stoneface."

  That made Joey giggle. Brie entered the house, hung up her jacket, and hugged her nephew. Cable stood in the foyer, watching them.

  "Did you eat dinner?” she asked Joey, who balanced on her knee.

  He nodded. “Daddy made cheesy ronies and hot dogs. Me-n-Stoneface are playin’ blocks. Wanna play?"

  "Sure."

  He scrambled off into the living room.

  Brianna straightened. “I guess Jake and Kira had other Valentine's Day plans."

  "I guess.” He hesitated. “You don't have to stay, you know. I got it covered."

  She finally looked at him. “So do I. But how do you think Joey would react if one of us left now?"

  "Good point.” Now he wasn't looking at her. “So I guess we make the best of it."

  "I guess."

  "Stoneface! Bee-bee! Come on! Make tower wif me!"

  Making the best of it meant building countless block towers that Joey gleefully destroyed, getting sticky with ice cream, and making the bathtub a sinking pirate ship—and the entire bathroom floor a sea—before they finally got the kid to bed.

  Brianna collapsed onto the couch in the living room after she and Cable had split the kitchen and bathroom cleanup and put away the toys and blocks together. It had been a wonderful night, making her think that under normal circumstances, with Cable, she could have had this life and been happy, even if it hadn't been something she'd craved.

  Now she cursed her sister and brother-in-law. They didn't understand how much this hurt, how impossible it was. It was as unattainable as it was idyllic. She'd been wavering, but now, considering the risk to Joey or his unborn cousins, to her own children, she knew Cable was right. They were doing the right thing.

  It didn't make it any easier.

  "Brianna."

  She turned her head against the couch cushion. Cable was lounging in an identical pose, his face inches from hers.

  "I want this,” he murmured. “You have no idea how much."

  "I know,” she whispered back. “But we can't have it."

  He rolled until he leaned over her, longing in his eyes. “Can we pretend?” His mouth brushed hers. “Can we pretend we just put our kids to bed, and now we're alone at last?” Another brush. “Just for a minute, let me taste you again. Love you.” His mouth came down, gentle but hungry, and Brianna couldn't resist. She put her hand on the back of his head. He opened her lips with his tongue. The kiss went on, and on, neither one of them moving or touching each other in any other way.

  Until they heard the key in the door. Cable pulled back, his eyes locking with hers, and she saw that nothing had changed. He still loved her like she loved him, and still didn't want to risk being with her. He rubbed his thumb across her cheek, and she realized she was crying.

  "Hey, you two.” Kira dropped her keys on the side table, looking smug as they broke apart completely and stood. “Everything go okay?"

  "Everything was fine,” Brianna said. But the tone of her voice must have conveyed the truth, because Kira's smile faded.

  "You're sure?” She glared at Cable, but let that fade, too, when she saw Brie's misery mirrored there. For once, he wasn't stonefaced.

  Brianna took no satisfaction in that.

  She retrieved her coat from the closet and kissed her sister and Jake. “Joey's an angel, as always. He got to bed a little late, though. Don't believe a word he says about ice cream or pirates."

  "Don't worry,” Cable added. “We cleaned up.” He accepted Jake and Kira's subdued thanks and left with one last, lingering glance at Brianna.

  "I'm sorry,” Kira whispered to her. “I thought if you two got together—"

  Brianna shook her head. “I know you had good intentions, sis, but stay out of it, okay? It's just impossible."

  "Nothing's impossible,” Jake contended. “Look at us."

  She laughed bitterly. “Yeah, I kept thinking that. ‘This is nothing as bad as Jake and Kira went through,’ I told myself. Then I got abducted on the streets of Miami. I can deal with Ken's pyrotechnics and Darcy's calculations, but Cable's past is something else."

  They stared at her wi
th open mouths. “You were abducted?” Kira squeaked.

  Brie sighed. “I'll explain at dinner on Sunday. It's a long story. The guy's in jail, pled guilty, so it's all wrapped nicely."

  "But..."

  Brianna nodded at her sister's protest. “Yeah, but. It's always something, isn't it?"

  CHAPTER 15

  Brianna hadn't wanted to, but once she'd opened her mouth to her sister, she'd had to confess all to her entire family on Sunday. They reacted typically, with outrage, worry, fear, and tons of questions.

  All except Jake, who looked more and more grim as everyone else talked. Finally, Brianna shushed the rest of them.

  "You're getting repetitive, and none of it is going anywhere,” she said. “The guy's in jail. I don't know who else from Cable's past might be out there, holding a grudge, willing to do harm to him or those he loves."

  "But the man can't be alone the rest of his life,” Elyse protested. “You can't punish him for doing the good he's done."

  "Mom, drop it.” Brianna eyed her brother-in-law. “I think Jake has something to tell us."

  He finally raised his head. “It's actually you I have to tell, Brianna, and after all you've been through lately, I really hate to say it.” He glanced at his wife, and Brianna realized she'd been fairly quiet, herself. Her expression, when it fell on Brianna, was sympathetic.

  "I guess, just say it.” Resigned, she dropped her napkin on her plate. “It can't be worse than anything else that's been happening.” God, she hoped she was right about that. As soon as you thought something couldn't get any worse, it did.

  "There have been complaints filed about you and Cable. It's being put on the agenda for the next school board meeting."

  Brianna stared at him for a minute. “You're shitting me."

  "Brie!” Elyse scolded her, eyeing Joey.

  "I'm sorry, but that's ridiculous. What kind of complaints?"

  "Carrying on an inappropriate relationship in front of the children. Some people are calling for your dismissal."

  "Who?” Brianna demanded. Jake didn't answer. “Dammit, it's Darcy, isn't it?"

  "Brianna, I'm not going to tell you again,” Elyse warned.

  "I'm sorry, Mom. But Jake, honestly."

  "I can't tell you who filed the complaints, you know that."

  "She doesn't even have kids!"

  "But other complainants do."

  Other ... “How many are there?"

  "I can't tell you that, either. Enough to take it to the board."

  Brianna ground her teeth, holding back the curses. “It's all Darcy, I know it. This is her revenge."

  No one contradicted her.

  "Am I allowed to see the complaints?"

  "They'll be summarized and read at the meeting. You'll get a chance to speak, but so will everyone else in town."

  "We'll mobilize our defense,” Duncan said, surprising them. “There are plenty of people in this town who will support the Macgregors. They'll remember Darcy's deceptions from before, too. Don't worry.” He patted Brianna's hand. “It'll be okay."

  Her sense of doom told her he was wrong.

  * * * *

  Cable stared at Brianna. “But we're not even seeing each other anymore."

  She shrugged and shoved a plastic container of what looked like mashed potatoes into her refrigerator. “I don't think that will matter. It won't be about what we're doing now, but what we have done."

  "Which is nothing. We were always very careful at school."

  "I know."

  Cable watched, standing just inside her back door, as she pretended to bustle about, removing old food from the fridge and scraping it into the trash. She'd called him as she returned home from Sunday dinner at her parents’ and asked him to meet her inside. He hadn't thought twice. He'd been kind of hoping she was going to share her leftovers. Elyse always sent a double batch home with her, even though he hadn't gone to dinner in weeks.

  Now his stomach rumbled in disappointment, even as incredulity took his attention. “What started this?” Brianna shot him a look. “Darcy."

  "Got it in one."

  "It makes no sense."

  "It makes perfect sense.” She added containers of peas, green beans, and maybe roast beef to the fridge. “She's pissed at both of us. She's real good at hitting a person where it hurts most."

  Cable had a hard time comprehending the pettiness. After the things he'd seen as a SEAL and a cop, of course, little surprised him. But why would Darcy not consider the consequences of this? How the kids would suffer?

  He supposed she didn't care, and that told him more about her than all the accusations Brianna had made, all her own previous behavior.

  "So, what's Jake's say about this?"

  Brianna sighed. “Sit down, would you? You're making me tense."

  From Cable's viewpoint she was already tense, but he sat.

  "Jake can't say much. He's recusing himself from the proceedings, of course. Karen Plummer will be in charge."

  Cable didn't recognize the name. “Who's she?"

  Brie sighed again. “She owns the book shop next to McGarvey's.” She waited for him to nod, then continued, more despondently, “She ran against Jake in his election, on a morality ticket. She failed, and seemed to feel bad when she found out Darcy led her ‘astray,’ as she put it."

  "But?"

  "But she's very self-righteous and power-hungry in a church-wife kind of way. She's president of the school board now, and she will be one hundred percent against us."

  "Can we see the complaints?"

  She shook her head. “Jake says they'll be summarized and read at the meeting. It's not fair, but that's how it goes."

  "Will they take action at that meeting?"

  "Yeah, right.” She snorted. “It usually takes them a year and three reversals before they make a final decision and actually start doing something. So it will probably go at least one more meeting. But I can't be sure.” She shrugged. “As far as I know, this has never happened before."

  Cable studied her. She'd never looked so defeated. Not after her abduction, Ken's attack on the SUV, or even when he'd broken up with her. No matter how afraid she'd been because of the events of her past, or Cable's past, she'd always been prepared to fight. Even when fighting meant backing off. She'd made active decisions, not passive acceptance of her fate.

  Cable might have been inclined, if it were just about him, to let this happen. It would force Steve to find a replacement, something Cable doubted he'd have so much trouble doing if he had no choice. It would also, he had to admit, force his own hand. He'd been reluctant to take the irrevocable steps that would force Steve, at the risk of leaving his kids with someone ill equipped to teach them for their last few months.

  But this wasn't just about him. He may never be able to be with her, but he loved Brianna. He'd be damned if he'd let her take this passively.

  "All right.” He stood, retrieved two pads and two pens from the drawer above the pan cabinet, and tossed them on the table. “We can guess what they're going to hit us with. We need to establish how we're going to respond."

  Brianna smiled at him, her despair fading, and he felt like a superhero. He couldn't help smiling back, and for a second, nothing stood between them.

  It was a dangerous place to linger, so he tore his eyes away and started making lists.

  * * * *

  Brianna had, at different times, seen Cable organized, in charge, and motivated. She didn't think she'd seen him all three at once, and the results were amazing.

  They had two weeks before the school board meeting. They each called the parents of all their students, explaining the situation and asking them to attend the board meeting. They answered questions if asked, honestly and openly. Most of Brianna's parents had known nothing of the complaints and were outraged that anyone would try to harm the school, and their children, by removing such a great teacher. She'd thanked them for their support and asked them to be sure to display it at the meeti
ng. Most said they would.

  One of Cable's parents couldn't attend the meeting, so she started circulating a statement for parents to sign. She didn't stop with the three classrooms, either. Once she got Cable's morning and afternoon moms and dads and Brianna's first grade parents, she'd moved on to the rest of the school, walking the line of cars at pickup in the afternoon, trailing after school busses and corralling parents at bus stops. Cable bought her a giant gift basket at Lilly's Pastries and Such to thank her.

  Both Cable and Brianna encountered members of the opposition, too. The father of one of her struggling students, a minister at a nearby church, cut her off as soon as she revealed why she was calling. He called her a whore, said he supported Darcy's request—the only confirmation they had of Darcy's involvement—and hung up on her.

  Only one other call ended on a similar note, when a very young mother hesitated to express support. She left Brianna with the feeling she'd cave to pressure, if it ever came to that. But she figured she was unlikely to attend the meeting and subject herself to pressure from either side.

  Cable admitted a couple of his parents were less than receptive, as well, but the majority of the response was positive. The surprising thing was how many people asked personal questions about their relationship. It didn't matter that Brianna assured them all that they hadn't been dating since January. Some people asked if it had been an intimate relationship. Some asked about PDAs—public displays of affection—with such salaciousness, she almost hoped she didn't get their support. But if they had been staying together, she could have planned her entire wedding by the end of the week, with all the offers she had for reception space, catering, dresses, and flowers.

  In the meantime, Elyse worked the school faculty and staff. She asked every single adult if they had seen Brie and Cable acting inappropriately on school property. If anyone claimed to have seen them off duty, holding hands or sharing a quick kiss at the movie theater, she got them to admit their outside activity had no bearing on their jobs as instructors and was not at a level they deemed inappropriate. She dragged the school secretary, a notary, around behind her, getting sworn statements from people that she planned to submit to the board.