The SEAL's Valentine (Operation: Family)

by Altom, Laura Marie

  The weekend brought him closer than ever to Brynn and her kids. It also served as a reminder that he’d already had a family and lost it. What if the same thing happened again? What if he made the ultimate play for Brynn, asking her to marry him, only to have her eventually leave just like Andrea and Jack?

  Brynn stirred, shifting to rest her head on his shoulder.

  He liked being there for not only her, but Cayden and Mackenzie. They gave him reason to be strong. When his mom was in the hospital, he’d been so afraid she wouldn’t make it. Having already lost his dad, he couldn’t imagine losing her, too. The only thing helping him through was knowing no matter what, he’d still have Brynn and her crew by his side. But considering his career, did he even have the right to ask them to stay with him?

  “Sir?” a flight attendant asked. “Can I get any of you a soft drink?”

  “No, thanks.”

  She smiled, already moving on to the row behind him.

  While he hadn’t wanted a beverage, he appreciated her question from the standpoint that at least it had interrupted his twisted chain of thought.

  He had to once and for all get Andrea’s poison from his system. Lots of SEALs had amazing home lives. Look at his friends Deacon and Garrett. Tristan being a SEAL didn’t make him a bad guy to be with, but better. No one could watch over this trio like him.

  True, his conscience pointed out, but he’d once believed the same about Andrea and Jack and they no longer wanted his brand of protection.

  * * *

  “ABOUT TIME YOU ALL GOT HOME.” Despite a steady downpour, Donna’s smile was bright. “I missed you.”

  “We missed you, too.” For Brynn, entering the place where Tristan had grown up, with its hodgepodge of furnishings and walls hung with homemade art, surprisingly did feel like home. With Mack’s game behind her, and the St. Louis house sold, she felt renewed, as if anything was possible—including maybe Donna’s dream of Brynn being with her son. The one issue she couldn’t seem to reconcile was the fact that even if she and Tristan did end up together on a permanent basis, would she be any more capable of accepting his job than Andrea? Only not because he was gone a lot of the time—that, she understood. What she feared she couldn’t handle was his being in constant danger. She’d already had one man she loved shot. Not that she was anywhere near loving Tristan, but his kisses had left her in an awful lot of like.

  “Miss Donna?” Cayden crossed his legs. “May I please use your bathroom?”

  “You certainly may. It’s just down the hall.” She pointed, and he ran that direction.

  “Your color’s better.” Tristan kissed his mom’s cheek.

  “I’m feeling better every day. In fact, Brynn, if you don’t mind, could you take me to garden club Saturday?”

  “I’d love to.”

  “Thanks.” Straightening in her armchair, she tossed off the crocheted throw she’d had on her lap. “Now bring me that baby.”

  Watching Tristan’s mom play with Mackenzie, talking to her in a silly, sing-song voice while the baby alternately cooed and grabbed for her reading glasses, filled Brynn with deep satisfaction. It’d been a while since she’d had a mother figure in her life, and the more she was around Donna, the more Brynn enjoyed her company.

  “Whew.” Cayden was back. “Thanks a lot, Miss Donna. I thought I was gonna die.”

  “Well, we can’t have that,” Tristan’s mom teased. “Do you like muffins?”

  “Yeah,” he said with an eager nod. “Got some?”

  “Cayden,” Brynn scolded.

  “What?” he asked, “I figured she wouldn’t talk about ’em if she didn’t have any. Unless you want us to go buy you some?”

  She laughed. “Thank you, honey, but I just made a batch. They’re cooling on the counter. Go right through that door to the kitchen and have one.”

  “Can I have two?”

  “Cayden!” Brynn thought she’d taught her son better. Apparently, they needed to revisit Manners 101.

  “It’s okay.” Donna passed the baby to Tristan, then pushed up from the chair. “You can have as many as you want. Come on.” She held out his hand to him. “They’re made with bran, so I’m going to have one, too.”

  “It’s nice seeing her with him,” Tristan said once they’d left the room. “She misses Jack as much as I do. She’s a wonderful grandmother.”

  “It shows.” Just one more reason Brynn grew fonder of Tristan every day—his dear mom.

  * * *

  “ALL RIGHT GUYS,” COACH Jason said to the Mud Bugs before the last game of the tournament that determined bragging rights for the best little league team in the county. Even for late August, the day was especially steamy and hot. “This is it. If you win today, we’ll move on to the state tourney in New Orleans. How cool is that?”

  The team cheered.

  Tristan watched the remainder of his friend’s pep talk to the boys from the edge of the field. He had mixed feelings about the game. Of course, he wanted the Mud Bugs to win, but he’d already told his CO he planned on returning to base by September 1. Tuning out Jason, he looked to the crowded stands. Parents and grandparents and friends of both teams filled the regional ballpark’s stands. Out of everyone present, though, Tristan only had eyes for Brynn.

  She’d worn the special Mud Bug T-shirt Jason’s wife had made—there was even a tiny one especially for Mackenzie. Both of his girls rocked their white sun hats and jean shorts. Somehow, over the course of the summer, they’d become his. He thought of them and Cayden morning, noon and night. He was returning to work not only because he needed the money, but clarity. Maybe time spent away from them would help him ultimately decide if another marriage was right for him.

  Brynn didn’t like talking about his leaving any more than he did. And so for the past few weeks, they’d played as if he’d be in Ruin Bayou forever. They’d shared family meals and private kisses and more than anything, he wished they could just go on like this forever. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a lot of call for his line of work in northern Louisiana.

  “On three,” Jason said, “all hands in for Mug Bugs!”

  After a countdown, the team stacked hands and shouted, “Mud Bugs!”

  Despite the heat, the teams played hard.

  By the fourth inning, the Mud Bugs and Comets were tied at five. There were already two outs by the time Cayden made it to bat. Tension balled in Tristan’s stomach. At this point in the season, he was pretty sure he wanted Cayden to succeed as badly as the boy wanted it for himself.

  “Come on, Cayden!” Brynn shouted from the stands.

  “Hit it hard!” Donna shouted, with Georgia chiming in.

  “Slam it home, Cay!” Vivian called with Mackenzie hitching a ride on her lap.

  Tristan’s pulse was on a runaway course.

  With a teammate on third and another on second, Cayden’s expression was one of steely determination. Lips pressed tight, eyes on the pitcher, his stance and hold on the bat were perfection.

  “Come on, bud,” Tristan said under his breath. “All you’ve gotta do is swing your little heart out...”

  “Strike one!” the ump called.

  You can do it...

  “Strike two!”

  Come on, Cayden. Do it for your dad. Do it for me.

  The pitcher wound up and threw a flawless right curve. Countless times Tristan and Cayden had practiced for just this scenario, and now, during the most crucial game of his little league career, Cayden put all that hard work to use by hitting the most amazingly gorgeous home run Tristan had ever seen.

  “Yeah!” Tristan shouted as Cayden dashed for first base. “Run, Cayden, run!”

  Brynn was laughing and crying.

  Georgia, Donna and Vivian, along with every other Mud Bug fan, went nuts cheering for th
eir team.

  Now that they’d taken a three-point lead, as long as they played their cards right, it was a pretty good bet victory was near. But honestly, even if they lost, Tristan’s world shone a lot brighter.

  When Cayden had run all the bases to home, Jason got to him first, slapping him a well-deserved high five. After his excited teammates had also congratulated him, Tristan lifted him off the ground in a giant bear hug. “You’re amazing! That was the best hit ever!”

  “As good as my dad’s?” Cayden asked.

  “Absolutely. Your dad would be so proud.”

  “Did Mom see?”

  “Did she see?” Tristan laughed. “Bud, look up in the stands, she still hasn’t stopped crying. She’s so happy for you. You’re the star of the game.”

  “Really?” He looked to the stands in time to catch her wave.

  Vivian held up Mackenzie’s little hands to cheer.

  “Look at Mac!” He pointed at his baby sister. “She’s funny!” If there was anything that could top a home run in Tristan’s eyes, it was seeing Cayden actually smile and wave back at the baby he’d once so greatly resented.

  * * *

  TO CELEBRATE THEIR WIN—AFTER Cayden’s big hit, the Comets fizzled—the Mud Bugs partied at Coach Jason’s. His wife, Trina, had run home after the game to start the grill and by the time all the other parents added side dishes, a karaoke machine and plenty of water toys for the pool, a wonderful time was being had by all.

  Brynn sat on the pool steps, helping Mackenzie dip her toes in the warm water. After being too rowdy for the little kids, the boys had been banished to the deep end. “This feels heavenly.”

  “No kidding.” Tristan knelt so the water reached his neck. “A couple of times in the outfield today, I wasn’t sure I’d make it.”

  “What?” She feigned shock. “A big, strong guy like you bothered by a little heat?”

  He splashed in her direction, but not hard enough for Mackenzie to get wet. “While you were up in the stands, chowing on three snow cones—I counted—me and the guys were out there hard at work.”

  “You counted?” Now she splashed him.

  “What can I say? I really wanted one.”

  “We’ll get you one tomorrow—make a day of it. Take Cayden minigolfing. After all the work he’s done this summer, he deserves multiple celebrations. You, too, for that matter. His hit today wouldn’t have been possible without you.”

  He ducked his gaze. “He’d have eventually gotten better. Just would’ve taken more time.”

  “Don’t discount what you did for him. He’s changed so much, and all for the better. All because of you. His therapist even says you’re good for him.”

  “Brynn...” Not meeting her gaze, he swished his hands through the lukewarm water.

  “What? Go ahead, take credit where credit’s due. I’m not sure what Cayden would do without you. You’ve been so great for him—and me.”

  When he finally got around to replying, he still looked everywhere but to her. “I appreciate your kind words. Really, I do, but...”

  “Wait—is this weird mood of yours about you leaving?”

  “Yes. We’ve talked about this, remember?”

  Stomach churning more from his gloomy expression than too much potato salad, she said, “Sure. We talked about it, but I didn’t think anything was definitively decided.”

  “Of course it was. For a while. You’ve just been sticking your head in the sand.” His words were uncharacteristically cruel.

  “Where is this coming from? Especially on what’s supposed to be a happy occasion.”

  He stood, walking the short distance to sit beside her. “Look, I’m sorry. I wasn’t going to say anything about it, but when you assumed I was available to play tomorrow, I—”

  “What are you doing?” she asked with a heavy heart and narrowed eyes.

  “Packing for my trek back to base.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  “You’re kidding?” Brynn’s tear-filled gaze pierced Tristan as painfully as if one of the boys had rammed a marshmallow-roasting stick through his heart.

  “I have to go. You know that.”

  “No.” She vehemently shook her head. “You haven’t talked about it in so long, I thought that meant you’d changed your mind. That you’d decided to stay here, with me and Cayden and Mac.”

  “Let’s not do this here.” He rose from the pool.

  “Then where?” Mackenzie on her hip, she followed him across the wood decking. “Tristan Bartoni, don’t you dare drop a bombshell like this one on me and then walk away.”

  “Ask Vivian to watch the kids,” he said in a low tone. “Then meet me in the truck.”

  With him still in swim trucks, drenched with sweat in the front seat of his ride, he watched Brynn emerge from the house, tossing Vivian her keys. She expected their talk to take so long that her friend would need to drive home with the baby?

  “All right,” she said upon climbing into the truck beside him, “I’ve got all the time we need.”

  In heavy silence, he drove to Turtle Lake.

  Though it was technically a city park, due to vandalism, aside from holidays the gate was usually kept locked. Jason once told him there was a spare key to the gate’s chained padlock housed in a magnetic holder behind the main sign.

  He parked the truck and got out.

  The key was where he’d expected. He pulled the truck through, closing the gate behind them.

  Parked in the lot, he turned off the truck’s engine, then sat, waiting for Brynn to talk first.

  His wait wasn’t long. “You are some piece of work.”

  “How so?”

  “You told me you hadn’t decided whether or not you’re leaving, but all along you knew.”

  “No.” He hated fighting with her, especially when they were left with so little time. “That’s not how it was. And if you don’t mind, it’s hot as hell in here. Let’s head down to the lake.”

  “Whatever.”

  He gestured for her to lead the way down the dirt trail. “I don’t understand how you can be upset with me for needing to work.”

  “I’m not. What I’m frustrated about is that I thought this was a decision we were making together. I—” At the lake’s edge, she spun to face him. “I thought you felt the same as me, that we should take it slow, but one day, we might share a future?”

  “I want that, too, but all of this is happening too soon.”

  “Is it really, Tristan? Or are you just too scared to even consider another commitment?”

  “Of course I’m scared,” he shouted, startling a flock of crows. “Aren’t you? Hell, Mack’s only been gone a year. What do you even want with me?”

  “Are you kidding?” She lifted her hand as if angry enough to hit him, but then stormed down the shore. “I loved Mack with every breath of my being, but he made some horrible judgment calls that turned out not only to kill him, but a large part of me. Being with you makes me feel normal—like I might actually have a shot at living again, after all. But now?” After a brittle laugh, she raised her arms only to slap them to her sides. “I hate you. I seriously, honest to God hate you.”

  “No, you don’t.” He went to her, cupping her precious face. She could say anything to him, but not that. Anything, but that.

  “I...hate...you!” she said between sobs.

  “No...” He kissed her hard, forcing her tears and angry words away. When she kissed him with equal fervor, he backed her against a picnic table, hiking up her bikini cover.

  Lips still pressed to hers, he dragged down her bikini bottoms. She helped by wriggling her legs.

  He tugged at his swim trunks until he freed his erection. “You sure this is what you want?”

  Kissing
his neck and chest, she nodded.

  Assuming it’d been a while, he explored her first with his fingers. When she cried out in pleasure with her fingers in his hair, he entered her—slowly at first, but then lifting her, urging her legs around his midsection while pumping increasingly deeper and harder.

  Their kissing turned frenzied.

  Late-afternoon sun baked already sweat-slick bodies.

  Only when she cried out again, stiffening in his arms for an instant before total release, did he give in to his own happy ending.

  Arms around his neck, his member still inside her, she said in a voice raspy with passion, “I’m sorry we fought.”

  “Me, too.”

  Still holding her, he stepped all the way out of his trunks, backing their fevered bodies into the lake’s cool water.

  When she kissed him again, moaning her pleasure, he feared never being able to let her go. She’d bewitched him, and he’d become her all-too-willing captive.

  * * *

  AFTER THEIR SWIM, WHILE BRYNN shyly dressed, Tristan found the picnic blanket they’d used for the Fourth stashed in the back of his truck. He stretched it beneath the tree where they’d first kissed, and they napped for a good hour.

  Brynn woke before him, taking a mental picture she’d forever carry. Now that they’d made love, had everything changed? She knew he had to return to Virginia Beach, but would it be only temporarily? What they’d shared had said more than words ever could. His body made promises he wouldn’t dare break. There was no way the two of them could share something so intense without it carrying significant meaning, right?

  He woke to catch her staring. “Like what you see?”

  “Seriously? That’s the first thing you say to me?”

  He pulled her against him, kissing her until her bikini top was too much fabric between her breasts and his rock-solid chest. “Better?” he asked with a dead-sexy grin.

  “Getting there...”

  When he next kissed her, she nipped his lower lip.

  “Ouch. I never pegged you for the type who liked it rough.”

  “I’m not. But sometimes a bad boy like you needs punishing...”