by Lea Hart
“But try to make it her idea; don’t give her orders,” Fadoul said quietly. “If I tell my wife what to do, then it will never happen, but if I move her in the direction of where I want to go and she comes up with the idea, then everyone is happy.”
Oumar tapped his nose and then pointed at his friend. “Happy wife, happy life.”
“We have the same saying in America,” Frisco replied with a laugh.
“Every man in the world who wants a happy marriage and happy life probably follows the rule. Women are like a hurricane. You know it’s coming, you just don’t know when it’s going to hit landfall and how bad the damage is going to be,” Fadoul added.
Frisco fist-bumped his friend and grinned. “Amen.”
Oumar drained his bottle of water and then heaved himself to his feet. “We should check in with the commander and see if they need extra patrols tonight.”
Frisco stood as well. “Let me know if you need an extra set of eyes.”
Fadoul shook his hand and tipped his head toward the hospital. “You can make sure nothing happens here, and that will be enough.”
He saluted his two friends and watched them walk down the dirt road toward the center of town and then turned when he heard his name being called. “Hi, sweetheart.” Opening his arms, he waited for her to walk into them. When he wrapped his arms around her, he felt her melt into him as she anchored her arms around his waist. “I got you.”
“We just lost a ten-year-old girl.”
Feeling her shudder, he held her as she cried. There were no words that would make the situation better, so he did the only thing he could and hugged her as she let it out. He knew from experience that, no matter how many times you faced it, you were never fully prepared.
And since she was on the side of saving lives, he couldn’t imagine what she was feeling. When she pulled away, he felt her hands rub against his T-shirt. “What?”
“I was covered in blood from the surgery, and I got it all over you.”
“Not the first time; forget about it.”
“What kind of lives are we living where this is a regular thing?”
He lifted her face and held her gently. “The kind that matter. We’re in the thick of the battle between good and evil, of life and death. Of what matters. Nothing about that is civilized, no matter if you’re the one ending a life or saving one.”
“We sure didn’t pick the easy path,” she said quietly. “Being in the middle of this again isn’t easy.”
“It’s not supposed to be. When it doesn’t feel like anything, then you know it’s time to get out of the game.”
“I’d like to get out before that happens.”
“Which is why the idea of leaving the Teams in several months doesn’t scare the shit out of me. I don’t want to be completely void of feeling by the time I get out.”
“To be a successful aid worker, you have to become a sort of machine. There is no way to take in everyone’s story and feel it, because you can’t function if you do. Turning off emotion is the only way to survive, and when that becomes the norm, it’s harder to go back to feeling anything.”
“We call it shoving shit into boxes and making sure it stays there. You can’t deal with the experience when it happens, because then it would be impossible to go out and do your job, and yet when it comes time to deal with whatever you’ve experienced or seen, those boxes don’t like to be opened.”
“I prefer to shove them on the top shelf of the closet and hope they magically disappear,” Brooke said as she laid her head against his chest.
“The good news here is that we get one another. Granted, we’ve had very different experiences, but at the core, we’ve seen the worst of humanity and done what we could to right a wrong or fix what we could.”
“It feels endless sometimes.”
“That’s the way of the world, always has been…always will be.”
Wrapping her arms around his waist, she held him tightly. “You’re good medicine, Frisco Jones.”
“Thanks, sweetheart.” He smoothed his hand over her hair. “Hell of a day, Brooke.”
“Yeah.” She looked up and gave him a small smile. “You get to pick the next adventure.”
“Beaches and no clothes,” he answered.
“I’ll take it.” Turning toward the doors of the small hospital, she patted his chest. “I should get back in there and check on the patients.”
“Go and do your thing.”
“We’re not going to be able to stay for long, are we?”
“No, they want to restrict travel in and out of the area, and since we’re not attached to an agency, they want us out by Monday at the latest.”
“That’s what I thought.” Shrugging, she shoved her hands into her pockets and started walking backward. “I’ll do as much as I can.”
“Love you, Brooke.”
Tilting her head, she stopped and pressed her hand against her heart. “I love you too, Frisco. A lot.”
Before he could absorb the words, she had disappeared inside the tiny hospital, and he fell back a step. Looking up, he saw a dark sky scattered with stars, the same one he saw no matter where he was in the word, and knew his lucky star had finally decided to start shining down on him. The love of his life, the woman who gave him purpose, loved him back.
Drop the mic, because he just got everything he ever wanted in his life.
In the middle of Africa.
Who the hell met the woman of their dreams in Chad? Most people couldn’t find it on a map, and yet he somehow managed to find the one person who was exactly perfect for him there.
***
Brooke walked into Malaba’s small house and checked her watch. It was three in the afternoon. She’d been in town for twenty-four hours, and this was the first chance she had to visit with her dear friend. “Hello,” she called out.
“Come to the kitchen,” Malaba replied.
Stepping into the room, she saw her friend sitting at the table drinking a cup of coffee. “I’m sorry it took me so long to come.”
“Come and give me a hug so I know for sure that you were not hurt in the blasts.”
Opening her arms, she gently hugged Malaba and inhaled the familiar scent of vanilla. “Not a scratch on me.”
Cupping her face, Malaba studied her. “You look exhausted but happy.”
“I am,” Brooke replied with a smile she hadn’t been able to wipe off her face since she’d confessed her feelings to Frisco.
“Pour yourself a cup of coffee and tell me everything.”
“Are you comfortable here, or would you like to go sit on the couch?” Brooke asked as she filled a cup.
“The kitchen table is where life is worked out, so we’ll stay here.”
Taking a seat, Brooke set her cup down and folded her hands. “Tell me how you’re feeling.”
Waving her hand in dismissal, she smiled. “I’m fine, and I’m not interested in talking about my health.” She rubbed her hands together. “Tell me about that man you brought to town.”
“You were right.”
Letting out a small laugh, Malaba replied, “You have to be specific, because I’m right about most things.”
“True, but in this case, you were right about someone showing up in my life and helping me discover what the next chapter should be.”
Clapping her hands together, she nodded. “I felt like it was your time to focus on something else, and the universe cooperated and sent someone.”
“You’re going to meet him in a little bit, and I’m interested to hear what you think.”
“If the smile on your face is any indication of how happy he makes you, then I already like him.”
“He’s getting cleaned up and should be here soon.”
“Tell me all about him.”
“I met him in N’djamena, and he’s with the American military…a SEAL.”
“Like your father?”
Sitting back, Brooke smoothed out her T-shirt. “Yes, he’s
everything I didn’t want and the absolutely perfect man for me.”
“That’s how life works.”
Hearing a light knock on the door, Brooke stood. “That must be him.”
“Bring him in so I can see who has stolen your heart.”
Following directions, Brooke answered the door and pulled Frisco into the kitchen. “Malaba, I’d like you to meet Lt. Cmdr. Frisco Jones.” Looking up, she saw his sexy smile and remembered the first time she’d seen it. “He’s the love of my life and the one I think I may end up spending my life with.”
“No thinking, honey, only knowing. We’re going to be hitched within the year.”
Malaba hooted with laughter. “I see you found a good one.”
“I found a crazy one if he thinks we’re getting married in the next several months.” Shaking her head, she took her seat and motioned for Frisco to take one as well. “Next year.”
Frisco leaned forward and took Malaba’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, and I’m hoping you can talk some sense into this woman and tell her to quit fighting what is and just embrace it.”
Malaba waved her finger back and forth. “I have news for you, young man. The woman you fell in love with needs to take her time with things and cannot be rushed into something.”
Sitting back, he crossed his arms. “I already figured that out. I was just hoping you could get her to move a little faster toward accepting that we’re made for one another.”
“I’m sitting right here,” Brooke huffed out.
Frisco put his arm around her shoulders and drew her closer. “I love you.”
“I love you too, but don’t be enlisting my friends to try to help you with your shenanigans.”
“Getting married is not a shenanigan; it is the next logical step in our relationship.”
Brooke looked over at Malaba and twirled her finger next to her head. “He’s crazy.”
“True, but maybe it’s just what you need.”
“We’ve know one another for less than two months, so we’re not getting married anytime soon.”
“One year from the day we met, then,” Frisco said.
Brooke saw his sideways glance filled with determination and knew he meant it. “I will consider your offer when and if you give me a proper proposal.”
He put out his hand and waited with a raised eyebrow. “Deal?”
Reluctantly, she slipped her hand into his and shook it. “Deal.”
Malaba pressed her hands together as a tear slipped down her face. “Congratulations.” She stood slowly. “I’m going to change my dress so we can go over to the hospital and let your friends share the happy news.”
“Do you need help?”
“No, child. I’m almost back to full working order.”
Brooke watched Malaba walk out of the kitchen and then turned toward Frisco and put her hands on his face. “Did we just agree to marry one another?”
“Unofficially, yes.” He leaned in and pulled her closer and pressed their mouths together. “I’ll propose for real when we get home.”
“Are you sure?”
“The devil’s army couldn’t stop me from making sure we’re bound together and happy.”
“All right, then, Frisco. I’ll take you on because I love you. There’s nothing anyone can do in this godforsaken world to take that away from us, and I’m ready to let go of my doubtful heart and believe in what we have.”
“I fucking love you, Brooke Foster, and there’s not going to be a day that passes that I’m not going to make sure you know that. Completely and unequivocally.”
Wiping her hand against her face, she collected the tears that had fallen. “I didn’t think something…someone so extraordinary would ever come into my life. And, yet, here you are.”
“Here we are…together. Imperfectly…perfect for each other.” Lifting her into his lap, he wrapped his arms around her tightly. “I knew when I saw that goddamn perfect smile of yours in N’Djamena that I was going to do everything I could to make sure I got to see it every day for the rest of my life.”
Burying her face in his neck, she smiled against his skin. “I’m going to keep you.”
He lifted her head and held her face gently. “Mine.”
“Mine,” she repeated. “All mine.”
EPILOGUE
One Year Later
Frisco stood next to Mark on the lawn of the officers’ club on North Island and looked over at the patio where Birdie and Maddy were singing while they fussed with the flower arrangements. “Maddy sounds just like her mom.”
Mark swayed side to side as he rubbed his son’s back. “I know. The only difference is Maddy’s a lot louder than Birdie when she sings.”
“Good thing your hearing isn’t great.”
“Tell me about it,” Mark replied. “Hey, did you realize that four years ago this month, I met Birdie in this very place.”
“That’s right, it was Josh and Maryann’s wedding.” Looking at his friend’s face, he realized that Mark was as smitten with his wife as he was when he’d first set eyes on her. “What’s the secret to a happy marriage?”
Mark ran his hand over his neck and then adjusted the carrier his son was in. “I’d say find someone who makes love easy. Birdie and I are far from perfect, but at the end of the day, I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else. She’s a warrior and shows me every day how much she loves me and our family and, in turn, I love her as if there’s someone working twenty-four hours a day to take her away from me.”
Frisco rocked back on his heels and grinned. “I get it, man, because I love Brooke today more than I did a year ago.”
“You can multiply what you feel now by every year you’re married. Imagine how you’re going to feel in twenty years.”
“Shit, I can’t imagine it because it already overwhelms me.”
“Just gets better, man.” Mark looked down at his son and grinned. “Looks like Ben is ready to join the conversation.”
Frisco looked over and saw the kid’s eyes open and close several times. “I’m going to have to get one of those.”
“Highly recommend it.”
Frisco heard his name and looked up to see Max Bishop walk toward him with his kids. “Looks like Max brought the circus.”
“Brother,” Max called out as he scooped up his youngest son, Evan. “We’re here to help.”
“It’s all set up,” Frisco called out.
The Bishop twins ran at him full throttle, and Frisco crouched down and braced himself. As the three-year-olds tumbled him to the ground, he let out a laugh. “Easy on the groom,” he called out.
“What a grom?” they asked in unison.
“Groom,” Max corrected. “Remember, he’s getting married today and that’s what he’s called,” Max said as he let his youngest down.
“Like Mommy and Daddy,” Alex said.
“Yes,” Max confirmed.
Gemma scrunched up her nose and held Frisco’s face. “Sorry you have to kiss all the time.”
Frisco looked up at Max and saw him shrug. “Only if I’m lucky.”
“No lucky,” Alex said as he scrambled off and took his sister’s hand and scampered over to Birdie and Maddy.
“Can’t believe you found someone to take you on,” Max commented.
“Me either,” Frisco said as he stood. “But she has and doesn’t seem real interested in getting rid of me anytime soon.”
“Nothing better than finding a lifetime teammate,” Max said as he watched his youngest run after his siblings. “Rory makes my life interesting, and I can’t imagine a day without her.”
“Same,” Frisco said as he saw Bryce pull into the parking lot. “I’m going to check in with Bryce and make sure he was able to complete the mission I sent him on earlier.”
“We’re going to head out soon, so we’ll see you in a couple of hours,” Mark said as he walked toward Birdie.
“Roger that.” He saluted Mark and Max and headed in Bryce’s direction
.
“All set, sir,” Bryce called out.
“Egg McMuffin?”
“Check.”
“Envelope?”
“Double check.”
“Flowers?”
“Of course.”
Frisco slapped him on the shoulder and grinned. “Can’t thank you enough.”
“My pleasure.” Bryce looked down at his boots and then looked up with a small smile. “Never would’ve guessed that the roses you sent her a year ago would result in a wedding.”
“I knew from the moment I saw her picture that she was the one. Turns out she agreed with me…” sweeping his arms over the area, he nodded, “and here we are. It’s like joining the Teams, you’ve got to go in with a no-quit attitude.”
“Agreed.” Bryce checked his watch. “Time to get you back to the house so you can get cleaned up for the wedding.”
“Couldn’t ask for a better wingman,” Frisco said as he pulled out his keys and headed for his truck.
“I know, sir.”
Letting out a bark of laughter, Frisco took one last look at the lawn of the officers’ club and calculated how much time he had until he could legally call Brooke Foster his wife and decided he could last. It was going to be close, but he’d manage it.
***
Brooke sat in the limo and looked out at the officers’ club and smiled. “Guess we should get out so I can marry that dirty boy of mine.”
Piper leaned forward and peered out the window. “You sure about this?”
Brooke pivoted her head and gave her friend a curious look. “Yeah, why are you asking?”
“It’s my job as your maid of honor to offer you an out. Not that I think you’ll take it, because, as far as I can tell, no two people have loved harder than you and Frisco.”
“He’s easy to love,” Brooke replied. Pressing her hand against the window, she leaned forward and saw her father and brother. “Do you think it’s weird to have Chance and the rear admiral both walk me down the aisle?”
“No, I think it’s perfect.”
Shifting, she moved closer to the door. “Let’s get this thing started, because there’s a wedding cake I’m dying to eat.”