by Kariss Lynch
Jay paced the room then stopped and made eye contact with every one of them. “They won’t do this by themselves. Hear me? We will be there every step of the way. Even if that means we all pitch in and get Logan a prosthetic and then give him heck as he learns to walk. Got it?” He pointed. “No matter what.”
Titus clapped him on the back. “That was never an option, Jay, man. I love those kids like my own, and Kim. Kim has just taken Liza under her wing. Helped her adjust to SEAL life. They will never want for anything, not if I have anything to say about it.”
Jay resumed his pacing. Nick knew he would burn off the anger, the feelings of abandonment he faced in a crisis that reminded him of losing his dad.
“I’ll call Kim. See how she’s doing.” Nick stood and held up his Styrofoam cup. “Anyone need a refill?” Colt and Micah handed him their cups as he exited the room.
He pulled out his military issue phone and slowly dialed Kim’s number. At least Logan wouldn’t come home in a flag-covered box. But the circumstances still wouldn’t be easy.
“Hello?” Molly’s sweet voice rang over the phone line, and Nick pictured her as she’d been at the Labor Day party on the beach. So happy, so full of life. His heart broke.
“Hey, ladybug. It’s Uncle Nick.”
“Uncle Nick! Where are you? Are you coming home soon? Can I talk to my daddy?”
“We’ll be home before you know it.” He ignored her other questions, squeezing his eyes shut to block out the stark, sterile white of the hallways around him. “Molly, can you put your mom on the phone?”
“She’s right here. See you soon, Uncle Nick. Can you give Daddy a hug for me, and tell him I love him?”
“Sure will, ladybug. Now put your mom on.” He gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. They would figure something out. They would get through this.
He heard the static sound of shuffling on the other end of the phone before Kim’s alto voice cut through. “Nick, what’s wrong? Is Logan okay?”
“Kim, we’re coming home soon. Doc just cleared him. He’s doing okay, ordering us around like always. I’m sure he’ll call you again shortly, but I just wanted to check on you myself.”
“I wish I could be there.” Kim’s tough veneer cracked, and it was all he could do not to reach through the phone and hug her.
“Kim, he’s alert and watching John Wayne movies, if that tells you anything. I’m about to call Kaylan and ask her to get the kids so you and Logan can have some alone time when we land. You will get through this like you always do, one step at a time together.”
Silence greeted him, and he heard a small sniff.
“Bring him home, Nick.”
“We are on the first plane back. Stay close to your phone and e-mail. We’ll see you soon.”
He hung up and checked his wristwatch. It would be about zero eight hundred in San Diego. Kaylan would be arriving at work soon, assuming her morning commute was smooth. The phone rang three times before he heard a breathless “Hello?”
“Kayles, it’s me.”
“Nick! It’s so good to hear your voice. Is everything okay?”
He exhaled, her voice a balm to his exhaustion. “We’re headed home pretty soon. I don’t have long. Listen, can you do me a favor?”
“Name it.” He heard the sound of a car alarm engaging and guessed she had just parked.
“Can you help Kim by taking the kids so she can come pick Logan up when we get there?”
Her hurried breathing stilled. “Nick . . . ”
“Kaylan, I can’t say much. Please. Can you check on her tonight and then take the kids when you get word we are about to land?”
“Absolutely.” She hesitated. “Are you okay?”
“Missing you. But other than that, I’m fine.”
“Miss you too. Come find me when you land? I’m sorry I won’t be there.”
“This is more important. We’ll have lots of these, God willing.”
“Come home fast, babe.”
“As soon as I can. Love you.”
He could almost hear her smile over the phone and see the blush creep over her cheeks. “Bye.”
Nick ended the call and grabbed the cups off the desk to refill them. He wasn’t sure how, but they would get through this with Logan. No matter what it took. A SEAL didn’t leave a man behind, in death, in life, or in loss of limb. Their brotherhood ran deeper than blood, and Nick would give anything to make this better. Janus had better pray she died before he found her.
Chapter 12
IT’D BEEN A little over a week since the team left California. And it had taken only a moment to change one’s life forever. The plane engine shut off, and Nick and the team grabbed their gear. Logan sat in a wheelchair. He’d refused to be too medicated to see Kim, but Nick noticed the faint strain on his forehead and the way he clenched his fists when he believed no one was looking. Watching him, Nick realized he’d never seen such courage. Molly hit the nail on the head. Her daddy was a hero in every sense of the word, and the world would never know it.
“You ready, man?” Nick grabbed the handles of Logan’s wheelchair as the rest of the team gathered around. Every eye solemn, every heart carrying the weight of a wounded warrior.
Logan made eye contact with every man in the group. “Hold your heads up. This isn’t your fault.” He looked up at Nick, and Nick again saw a flash of pain cut across his face before Logan concealed it. “Take me to my wife.”
Ground crew scurried around, checking the plane and putting it to bed. X waited with Kim, but Nick had eyes only for her. Again, he thought he’d never seen a stronger warrior. Logan married well. Kim stood head erect, eyes clear, with an American flag in one hand and her other resting over her stomach as if comforting their unborn child.
Nick realized the rest of the guys were still following right behind him, ushering Logan all the way home, to his family, his heart, and his purpose. They all stood a little straighter when they saw Old Glory in her hands, and Nick knew Logan didn’t regret the events of the past week. He’d done what he set out to do—fight for the country he loved. Kim came forward and wrapped him in a hug.
Only Liza and Kim waited for them. Most of their families lived in other states, and Logan and Titus were the only two married, although Nick and Colt were close. On a full deployment this moment would be sweet and much more energetic, but Nick thanked the Lord for the low-key greeting. It gave Logan and Kim the chance to react however they saw fit.
Liza came forward and met Titus. Nick noticed Titus hug her a little tighter. It could have been any one of them. They could have come home in boxes. Nick sent up a silent prayer of thanks for safety and protection. Kim took Logan’s wheelchair from Nick and began to push her husband toward the waiting car. He would go to the hospital for more testing and hopefully find an antibiotic that would treat the infection. The pain became more difficult to mask with each passing moment.
Nick looked to Micah, his jaw clenched tight. “Let’s get answers, Bulldog.”
“No need to tell me twice.”
X approached both of them and shook their hands. “Welcome home. Glad you’re safe.
” He nodded toward the buildings behind him. “Let’s go debrief. I want to hear what happened. And I hear we might have more info on Janus.” Titus, Jay, and Colt appeared behind Nick and Micah, and X greeted them.
“We’ll see. Gotta hand it over to intel.” Micah held the bag like it contained an infectious disease. With every piece they discovered about her, they came one step closer to justice, but this info had come at a price. A price they’d all signed up for but still hated to see in actuality.
“Miss Kaylan, why isn’t my mommy home with my daddy yet?” Molly lifted her Barbies and placed them in the pink house sitting in the middle of her bedroom floor. For the past hour Kaylan and Molly had undressed and redressed each Barbie. Kaylan peeked through the door to find both the boys playing Mario Cart on the Nintendo.
“Well, your mommy went to meet your daddy so they could have some alone time before they see you.” Kaylan tapped Molly’s nose with a smile.
Molly rolled her eyes, her dramatic personality in full swing. “Oh, Miss Kaylan, I know all about alone time. Conner and Tanner leave me alone all the time.” She put her hands on her hips. “They always want to play ball but never with my dolls.” A pout furrowed her little brow. “I hope my mommy gives me a baby sister when her stomach explodes.”
Kaylan smothered a laugh. Logan and Kim had decided to find out the gender of the baby when they delivered. Kim was due within six to eight weeks, and Kaylan secretly hoped they had a baby girl too. For Molly’s sake.
Molly grew still as the ringing of Kaylan’s phone sounded through the room. Her pale green eyes doubled in size as Kaylan answered.
“Kaylan, it’s Kim. Can you bring the kids to the hospital? Logan is ready to see them.”
“Sure thing, Kim. They’ve already had dinner, and they’ve been waiting for this phone call.” Conner and Tanner came to stand in the doorway, Tanner the spitting image of his daddy.
“And Kaylan, can you maybe prepare them a little before they get here? Just tell them he’s in the hospital. I’ll tell them the rest before we go in to see Logan.”
Kaylan inwardly groaned. “Sure. We’ll be there in about thirty minutes.”
The boys ran from the room to put on their shoes, and little Molly pulled her sandals on her feet.
Kaylan ended the call and stood from the floor, calling through the house, “Whoever makes it to the car in the next sixty seconds gets free ice cream!”
All three kids sat buckled in the car in thirty.
The automatic doors slid open, and Kaylan walked through the hospital door with all three kids in tow, each markedly more subdued than they’d been at home, despite their stop at Mickey D’s for drive-through cones. Kim waited for them by a few armchairs.
“Looks like Miss Kaylan let you have ice cream. I guess we’ll have to ask her to baby-sit more often.” She hugged all three kids as Kaylan stood back and watched.
Molly’s green eyes filled with tears. “Mommy, why are we at the hospital? Where’s Daddy? I thought only sick people come here.”
Kim crouched down in front of her daughter and played with her braid. “Daddy hurt his leg while he was working, and the doctors want to check some things. But he’d like to see you.”
“Is it bad, Mom?” Seven-year-old Conner’s eyes never wavered from his mother’s.
“We’ll see. Let’s just go see Dad. He’s missed you guys.” She reached for his hand.
Kaylan followed Kim and the kids to another wing of the hospital. She marveled at how strong this young mother remained. She didn’t know the extent of Logan’s injury, but Nick wouldn’t have called her if it hadn’t been important.
She wondered how she would handle a phone call like this when she had kids one day. She blushed, realizing she’d pictured Nick’s blue eyes and rich voice in her daydream. Maybe her feelings ran stronger and deeper than she wanted to admit.
She pictured a little green-eyed daughter or towheaded son and almost ached for that kind of life. But she knew she needed to fully understand this community first. Kim practically lived as a single mom most of the year. Kaylan admired how Kim commanded her home with ease and a firm hand, handing the leadership role back over to Logan when he arrived home. The Carpenter kids appeared well-mannered and energetic with a strong faith in Jesus. Kaylan prayed they never lost that faith.
They approached a waiting room where Nick stood leaning in the doorway. She stopped, her eyes drinking in the sight of him, scanning him for injuries. He’d slipped back into board shorts, a gray V-neck, and flip-flops, his face smooth of scruff and his blue eyes stormy. She closed the remaining feet between them, and he lifted her into his arms, burying his face in her neck, his grip tight with pent-up emotion. Her heart thudded from more than his touch. Something had gone terribly wrong. Desperation and sadness poured from him, and she clung to his neck as he set her down, leaning back only to look in his eyes.
“Welcome home.”
He ran his thumb over her chin and tipped her face to meet his eyes, his lips covering hers in a kiss filled with pain and passion. She knew him too well to miss the rage and hurt he tried so well to hide. She’d never seen him like this before. She pulled back and rested her head on his chest.
“Thanks for taking care of the kids.”
She laughed. “Those have to be the easiest kids I’ve ever baby-sat in my life. Kim and Logan definitely should win some kind of award.”
Someone cleared his throat behind them, and Kaylan pulled away to find her brother with his arms crossed.
“Excuse me, what am I? Chopped liver? I do believe it’s my turn for a hug and welcome home. I was out there too.”
Kaylan rolled her eyes with a smile and met her brother in a tight hug. “Are you sure you aren’t my baby brother? That was an awful lot of whining.” She pulled back and noticed the butterfly bandage over his eye for the first time. “Micah Richards, what did you do?”
“Well, it’s a great story actually. I got in a fight with this huge tiger shark.”
Nick rolled his eyes and grabbed Kaylan’s waist, pulling her back against him as she listened to her brother.
“So I’m wrestling this shark the size of an elephant, and Hawk wouldn’t even help. I finally beat him and got nothing but this little scratch.”
“And let me guess . . . all you have to show for it is one lousy tooth?” Her voice dripped with sarcasm.
Micah threw his arms into the air as the rest of the team chuckled in the waiting room. “Exactly. Now it will just be a legend.”
“Uh-huh. Did someone look at that?”
Micah’s eyes squinted into slits. “You sure you’re my baby sister and not my mom?”
“You’ll wish I were Mom when she gets hold of you.”
Micah’s voice turned serious. “Kayles, we don’t need to tell her. This will heal and be no big deal. You’re going to have to get used to a lot of tall stories and vague answers. There’s a lot you don’t know, and there’s a lot you never will.”
Nick’s arms tightened around her waist before he let her go. She hugged Micah again, leaning into him under his arm. “Well, I’m glad you beat the shark. And I’m glad you’re so tough.”
A cry came from down the hall, and Conner walked out holding his sister’s hand. Kaylan let go of Micah and walked to meet the little girl. Molly ran the rest of the way to Kaylan and leapt into her arms, her tears soaking Kaylan’s t-shirt.
Nick came up and put his hand on Kaylan’s back, leaning to peer into Molly’s eyes. “Hey, ladybug.”
“Uncle Nick.” She reached for him, and Kaylan let her go as Nick took her weight. For the first time she got a small glimpse of what life would be like with Nick, with children. Her heart warmed at the thought.
“What’s the matter, ladybug?” Nick smoothed away Molly’s tears.
“My daddy got hurt. Why didn’t you protect him, Uncle Nick?” Her tears nearly broke Kaylan’s heart, and she saw pain flash across Nick’s face. The guys behind him bowed their heads. Jay paced.
“Sometimes things happen that we can’t control, Molly. We got him home as quickly as we could, and the doctors are going to take good care of him.”
She nodded and leaned her head on Nick’s shoulder as he rocked her. Kim came out of Logan’s room with the boys.
“Kaylan, do you mind taking the kids home and putting them to bed? I’ll be home in a little bit.”
Kaylan looked to Nick, who answered for both of them. “We’ll both take them home. Why don’t we stay with them tonight? I’ll take them to school in the morning since Kaylan has her internship. That way you can stay with Logan tonight.”
Relief flooded Kim’s face. “Are you sure?”
“Our pleasure.” Nick nodded to the men who had gathered around them.
Jay stepped forward. “I’ll follow you and bring an overnight bag for Kim and Logan.”
“But . . . ”
Kaylan intercepted Kim before she could protest. “I’ll pack it. Don’t worry.” She hugged Kim. “We’ve got it under control.”