by Lea Hart
“Whatever you want,” he replied as he covered her hand with his. “Bryce…”
“On it,” Bryce replied before Frisco could finish his sentence.
Brooke looked at the tablet in the young lieutenant’s hand and watched as he linked up to what she assumed was the local police feed. “What are you looking for?”
“Sitrep. Just checking to see how much criminal activity has occurred in the area.”
Piper let out a laugh. “Of course, because that’s a reasonable thing to do before you go to lunch.”
“Glad you understand,” Frisco called out from the front.
Letting out a sigh, Brooke sat back and looked out the window. “Please deliver me from men who are paranoid.”
Bryce patted her arm and gave her a resigned smile. “Not real sure how plausible that request is.”
“I know,” Brooke replied. “Believe me, I know.”
***
Frisco stood with Jax and Bryce and shot the shit with the diplomatic security officers who were responsible for the security of the embassy, and noted there were no Marines present. Which meant CIA personnel were not in-country and there were no classified materials to secure, which would’ve been the only reason for them to be there. “Bryce, did you find any ice-cream places?”
“Two.”
“Pick one, and we’ll stop after lunch.”
“Yes, sir.”
The guard change was about to happen, so Frisco and his men moved inside the small embassy and waited for the women to finish gathering their supplies. The UN didn’t keep a permanent home in the area, so the consulate stored medical supplies and vaccines as a way to aid the humanitarian effort. Leaning against a wall, Frisco studied Jax and Bryce before he asked the question again. “Are you sure you want to go down to Zakouma? You both have a seat on a transport plane out of here on Tuesday. You can be in Coronado by the end of the week.”
“I decided when I signed up for the Navy that I was going to see as much of the world as I could, and I want to see the wildlife that they’ve got down at that park. So, my answer remains the same; I want to go down and run security for MSF while the women do their thing,” Bryce said as he adjusted his kit.
“I’m not going to miss seeing the damn elephants,” Jax added as he emptied his water bottle.
“All right, then. All for one and one for all. We’ll be heading down on Sunday morning after we’re done with the Flintlock exercises.”
“How did we get the okay for this trip?” Bryce inquired.
“I called the rear admiral and told him what I had in mind, and he helped out with the red tape.”
Jax let out a snort. “We’ve been friends for longer than I care to admit, so I feel comfortable in asking the question that no one else will. Isn’t this a lot of work for a second date?”
Frisco looked from side to side and then flipped his friend off. “We are providing protection for two women who have put their lives on the line again and again so that they can provide medical care for people who would not otherwise receive it. And, to answer your question…yeah, it might be a lot of effort for a second date, but since I’ve put in exactly zero over the last ten years, I figure it’ll all even out.”
“Brooke has no idea what she’s in for,” Bryce commented quietly. Shaking his head, he gave Frisco a bland smile. “If my mama was here, she would say, ‘Bless his heart,’ which is reserved for the people who are on the far reaches of the crazy branch in the family tree.”
“I’m thinking your mama would also commend my efforts in being a gentleman and offering to protect a woman from the many possible dangers.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Bryce responded.
“Like I said, you’re both free to jump on the plane home.” He gave them both a sharp nod. “Nothing is keeping you here after we’re done with our commitment at Flintlock.”
“Are you kidding me?” Jax replied. “There’s no way I’m going to miss seeing you make a fool of yourself as you go after Brooke. I’ve been waiting years and years for it, and God has blessed me with a front-row seat to what is, by all accounts, going to be a hell of a show.” He stood up straight and shrugged. “Not to mention the elephants.”
“I had no idea you held those pachyderms in such high regard,” Frisco commented. “Anyway, I appreciate your support and promise to return the favor when the time comes.”
“Yeah, I don’t think that’s coming anytime soon. Piper informed me we could be friends and nothing more, because, and I quote, ‘I am still hung up on my last girlfriend.’”
“She’s right,” Frisco replied.
“You should’ve sprung for the flowers,” Bryce added.
Jax flipped them both off and crossed his arms. “Frisco, while you were busy smooching on your girl under the moonlight, I was gathering Intel—are you interested or what?”
Standing up straight, he frowned. “What kind of intel?”
“The kind that could save you a lot of grief. Carrick told me that Brooke and her father don’t have the best relationship. In fact, he characterized it as ‘extremely strained.’ Apparently, the rear admiral wasn’t around much when his wife was fighting cancer, and it was left to Brooke, her brother, and maternal grandmother to handle it. By all accounts, his absence was never completely forgiven and has made Brooke adamant about not getting involved with a man in Spec Ops.”
Frisco leaned against the wall and let out a huff. “So, you’re telling me my slim chances just turned into slim to none?” Kicking the cement, he shook his head. “No way is she going to be interested in me long term.”
“Which makes the next week all the more important,” Bryce said. “This is your one shot at letting her see you as something other than a SEAL. When we’re down in Zakouma, we’re in her world, not yours, and you should make the most of it.”
“True.” Frisco nodded and straightened his shoulders. “Good point.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Frisco let out a laugh and studied Bryce and knew the kid was the best version of what a SEAL could become. “We’re damn lucky to have you on the Teams, kid.”
“Appreciate it.”
As they waited, Frisco ran over the information he’d just received and knew the battle in front of him was not only an uphill one but also damn near impossible. Which, lucky enough, was his favorite kind. Nothing in his life had ever been easy, and he didn’t expect the girl who had him tied up in ten different ways to be either. All he could do was make sure they had as many moments like they’d had earlier so when the time came to make a choice, she’d choose him.
There was some kind of special alchemy that happened between them when they let the world fall away, and he was praying being in the middle of a national park with elephants, camels, and whatever else was down there would give them the chance to have a couple more moments like that.
The mind-blowing connection that was starting to happen wasn’t anything he was willing to give up. So, if he had to follow her to the end of the African continent and show her what they could become…then so be it. Because the Brooke Fosters of the world came along once in a man’s lifetime if he was lucky, and there was no way he wasn’t going to make the most of what they had.
No way at all.
CHAPTER SIX
Sunday, September 10th
Zakouma National Park
Brooke walked out of her small hut and enjoyed the sound of the Salamat River. It was running high because the area had been drenched by a week of thunderstorms. She knew that meant they were not only going to be dealing with the epidemic of hepatitis E that had hit Am Timan and the surrounding villages, but also malaria.
Taking a moment to enjoy the quiet, she filled her lungs with the fresh morning air and thought about the men who were going to be showing up later today. One in particular had her body humming with anticipation, and she wasn’t sure how much she should give in to those feelings.
When Frisco had informed her he and his me
n were coming down to the park instead of flying home right away, she couldn’t believe it. After a long deployment, they should all be itching to get home at the first possible opportunity and not hanging around her and Piper in the middle of nowhere.
In fact, his whole speech about wanting to help out and see the park was so full of holes that she didn’t know where to begin digging for the truth.
Or maybe that simple explanation was the truth, and she was just being a Doubting Dora for no good reason. She knew that if there hadn’t been a major outbreak of hepatitis in the area, then she and Piper would’ve been on the first plane headed home to the land of Egg McMuffins. God, the way she missed those breakfast sandwiches was indecent, and she’d been dreaming of one for almost four months.
But McDonald’s was still a week or two away, so the best thing she could do was put it out of her mind and focus on how she and Piper could help with the outbreak of hepatitis. The area MSF director had informed them that it had started in Siebe and then spread like wildfire through the surrounding villages because the river that ran through the area was often used as a water source without consideration for cleanliness.
MSF usually didn’t get involved with facilitating clean water for a population, but in the case of Am Timan, it had become necessary because it was the only way to curb the outbreak from spreading further. Before they left N’Djamena, they’d been told there was a team of volunteers working on improving the water towers and making sure the water was chlorinated, which would hopefully work in concert with the medical care provided and end the outbreak.
Standing next to the edge of the bank, she watched the water rush past and wrestled with the familiar feeling of helplessness in the face of all there was to do. The need was endless, and she always struggled when it was time to go home, and this time, it seemed a bit more bitter because she wasn’t sure if she had what it took to come back.
Which made her feel selfish.
Her father had instilled a no-quit attitude in her and her brother, and needing to go home felt like she was quitting. Even though, rationally, she knew it wasn’t the case, her emotions were a long way from accepting it.
She sat down, rested her head on her knees and watched a batch of butterflies move off the plants that swayed in the morning breeze. Seeing them flit from plant to plant made her envious because she had never developed the ability to move from thing to thing without concern or worry. Her life had been driven in one direction for so long that it made her wonder if she even had the capacity to change courses if she wanted to.
The sound of heavy footsteps mixed with the wind rustling the leaves made her turn, and she saw Carrick approach. “Are you and Brendan heading out?”
“In about an hour.” He handed her a mug of coffee and joined her on the ground. “The director is flying us around the park so we get an idea of where the poachers most often attack. We’ve tapped into their satellite feed, but it’s always nice to get a visual before we put boots on the ground.”
“Did you ever think when you were on the Teams that you would end up in a small country training men to become better antipoaching rangers?”
He let out a small laugh and leaned back. “Never came up on my radar.” He took a gulp of coffee and looked over. “You, on the other hand, were always going to end up in the middle of a country in conflict trying to help in any way you could. I saw that back when you were going to college.”
“Seeing the people who helped my mom and me pretty much cemented what I was going to do with my life.” Moving her finger through the loose dirt, she smiled at the memory of the woman who had raised her; not only was she loving and funny, but tougher than any person she’d ever met, and that included her father the rear admiral. “Tell me if you see any elephants, because Piper and I would love to catch a glimpse of the herd before we go home.”
“I’ll ask the director where their watering hole is and see if they’ve got room for us on one of the night drives.”
“Thanks, Carrick.”
“Can’t leave this part of the world and not see some wildlife.”
Brooke nodded and decided to do a little digging, because Frisco and Carrick had not only been teammates but also friends. So, if anyone could give her the 411, it was going to be him. “Speaking of wildlife… What can you tell me about Frisco?”
Carrick snorted and then tried to choke his coffee down. Once he got himself together, he looked over and shook his head. “I can tell you in no uncertain terms that you’ve turned that man inside out and upside down. I’ve known him for over ten years, and I’ve never seen him acting the way he is.”
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
“I guess it depends on how you feel about it. If you’ve caught some feelings for him, then I’d say it’s a good thing. If you haven’t, then it’s going to be a shit show.” He set his coffee cup down and stretched his legs out. “He had to call in favors to be able to come down here before flying home, and if you’re not into it, he just made an ass out of himself to get a second date with you.”
As she slapped the ground, a puff of dirt flew up. “He made it sound like he and the guys wanted to see the park.” She took a sip of coffee and looked at the river. “He never said anything about this trip being about a date.”
“Not surprising. A guy is never going to admit the truth if he’s not sure how the girl feels, especially someone like Frisco.”
“What does especially someone like Frisco mean?”
“The guy hasn’t had a girlfriend since I’ve known him. He’s a one-and-done kind of guy.”
“Great,” Brooke replied with a moan. “When women list their top-ten things to avoid, a hit-and-run man is usually at the top.”
“Not if that’s what you’re into.” Holding up his hands in defense, he gave her a smile. “A lot of men from the Teams are not interested in relationships because of the nature of the job. You know better than most what being married to a SEAL can cost someone, so don’t judge him.”
Closing her eyes so all she saw were small pricks of light, she let out a sigh. “You’re absolutely right. God willing, he was honest with whomever he was with and everybody got what they wanted. I’ve never been a one-and-done gal, but who knows what the future will hold? For all I know, we could be perfectly synced for one another and want exactly the same thing.”
“Every guy has his kryptonite, and maybe you’re Frisco’s.”
Opening one eye, she looked over at Carrick and let out a laugh. “I’ve always wanted to be thought of as something that can destroy a person.”
Shrugging, Carrick looked out over the river. “When you meet the right woman, she’ll always have that kind of power.”
“Have you ever met anyone like that?”
Letting out a snort, he sat up. “Nope, and I really don’t expect to. I’m not a fall-in-love kind of guy. I’m happy with my casual hookups and don’t ever see that changing.”
“Neither did George Clooney.”
“And I have so much in common with a famous actor that I can see where you might draw a parallel.”
“Everyone has their Amal, even you, Carrick.”
“Doubt it.”
“Doubt what?” Piper asked as she walked up.
“The whole George and Amal thing can happen to anyone, even someone like Carrick.”
“Yeah, he pretty much ruined it for all you self-proclaimed life-long bachelors,” Piper responded. “No one is ever going to buy the lone-wolf thing again.”
Carrick got to his feet and crossed his arms. “As much as I’ve enjoyed your views on bachelors and my life, I’m going to bug out and find Brendan so we can go do our job.”
“Find us some elephants,” Piper instructed as she fixed her long braid. “I have to see some before we go home.”
Brooke stood and brushed off her shorts. “Piper is an adoptive mother to one, and her name is Gigi.”
Carrick put up his hands and started walking backward. “I can probabl
y live my whole life without hearing about Piper’s adopted elephant.”
“Which is why it’s going to be tough for him to find anyone,” Piper said as he moved away.
“I’m just fine how I am.”
Brooke clicked her tongue and waved. “The ones who need someone the most always say things like that.”
“Hello, pot, say goodbye to kettle,” he called out before disappearing around the corner.
“Whatever.” Linking arms, Piper led Brooke toward the main area where the restaurant was located. “Let’s go wait for the MSF Jeep.”
“Are we starting in Iber today and then moving onto Am Timan tomorrow?”
“Yes, there’s a tent set up in Iber, and I just got word we’ve got a lot of women and children looking forward to our visit.” Piper gave Brooke a hip bump. “This is a great way to end our stay. No bullets flying over our head or suicide bombers trying to come through camp makes this like a vacation.”
“You’re right.” They walked quietly for a few feet, and then Brooke stopped abruptly. “What should I do about Frisco?”
“Smooch him as much as you can and enjoy it.”
“Not my forte,” Brooke replied.
“Maybe it’s time it became one. We’re in a small country on the African continent, and if a man wants to romance you, then all you’re allowed to say is, ‘Yes, please.’” Sliding her eyes over, she waggled her eyebrows. “You must’ve kissed the hell out of him in N’Djamena.”
The white MSF Jeep rumbled along the dirt road, and Brooke was saved from having to answer. Truth was, he’d kissed the hell out of her and, despite her reservations, she was looking forward to it happening again.
Even if he wasn’t the man she was looking for.
***
Frisco walked into the Tinga Lodge and saw Brooke sitting in the far corner with a book propped on her lap as she looked out into the inky dark sky. Standing still for a moment, he took the opportunity to soak in her beauty.