Pulling her rolling suitcase down the hallway, she unpacked, put clothes in the washing machine, and turned it on. She took a long shower, washing her hair, getting all the dirt and grime of airports and travel off of her skin.
After rubbing her hair with the fluffy white towels Frankie had bought, she combed it out and secured it with an antique clip, and then slipped on her favorite nightgown, noticing her belly almost didn’t fit now. In her bare feet, she made herself a tall glass of ice water, with mostly ice. The refrigerator was fully stocked with food. Fresh vegetables and fruit in baggies tucked neatly away. Two steaks marinated in a covered glass dish. Was she looking in on a fictional couple? Or was this part of her life?
She took her glass back down the hallway to Courtney’s room. The mysterious welcoming committee had glued her daughter’s name to the door in multicolored wooden letters. She brushed over the letters with her fingers, and then opened the door.
A bouquet of light pink roses, short-stemmed, sat on the baby’s changing table and permeated the air with their sweet fragrance. Above the table, written freehand, were the words,
May you touch dragonflies and stars,
Dance with Fairies and talk to the moon.
May you grow up with love and gracious hearts,
And people who care.
Welcome to the world, little one.
It’s been waiting for you. We’ve been waiting for you.
She walked over to the roses, and touched the letters we on the wall above. They were hard to read because her eyes had filled and the tears were streaming down her cheeks. She sniffled, overcome by the message T.J. had left for her daughter, the man she had decided to leave for…for what?
She wiped tears from her cheeks with the backs of her hands, then reached up to touch the lovingly inscribed words again, like she was touching his face, the man she had decided to leave behind, like her pencil scratch in the costume closet at the theater. Except this wasn’t a memory. This was real time.
“Careful with the paint. Took me all day yesterday to do it. And I don’t think it’s dry yet.” T.J.’s voice filled the room, wrapping around her, with that warm, familiar cadence, snagging her heart, squeezing tight, and not letting go.
She turned to find him leaning against the doorway. His long, muscular legs encased in blue jeans, barefoot, light blue shirt opened to his tanned chest, revealing more muscles than he had a right to. His hips were cocked at an angle, his hands jammed into his front pockets. With his dark hair and blue eyes, the need written all over his face, he was a package she hadn’t been prepared for.
“It’s beautiful, T.J.”
“I could say the same about you. I hoped you’d like it.”
He didn’t come over to her, but his eyes drank up the sight of her like it was the last time he’d see her.
He nodded to her flannel nightie, “I see you’re not quite ready to entertain company. Perhaps I should come back another time, then?”
“Don’t be silly. You’re here.”
“Yes, I am, Shannon. I’m here. But where are you?”
She examined her bare toes. She’d had them done in pink again. Her eyes began to tear up again. Where was she? It was a good question.
“You can barely fit into that nightgown,” he whispered.
“Watch it.” She gave him a smirk and was rewarded with a tiny smile.
“But I love how you look, so full. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, Shannon. I mean that.”
She rested her hands on her stomach. “Never thought I’d need to be reassured.”
“Oh, honey, I intend to remind you every day and all night long.” His eyes pierced the veneer of her tough outer shell. She took in a deep breath and then walked over to him. “We should talk.”
He reared back a step. “We will. But I’ve got something to say first, Shannon.”
The distance between them felt achingly like the Grand Canyon.
“I love you, Shannon. I love that baby you’re carrying. Whatever you’re going to tell me next, I just want you to know that before we start.” He looked down at his feet and then pleaded with his eyes. “And I’ve missed you. God, I’ve missed you.”
It was natural to be drawn into his powerful arms, as she stepped in to feel him against her. He was careful. He simply held her tight, massaging the back of her neck at the top of her spine. She could hear his heart beating, strong and true. The sounds of his breath surging in and out of his chest cavity washed over her like the soothing sounds of waves at the ocean.
There was something she had been protecting—what was it, anyway?—and now that protection was falling away. She felt herself open up to him again, and discovered the careful, familiar reassurance that all was well. In his arms, all was well.
That’s when it hit her. She’d been shielding her heart. As she looked up at him, as his lips found hers, she knew she didn’t have to steel herself against the pain of losing again, losing what she so desperately wanted.
He was respectful and chaste with his kiss, allowing her to lead. His hands came up to cup her face as he kissed her again, this time deep, but still tender. “Missed you, baby,” he whispered to her lips.
She unwound from him. “Come. We need to talk, T.J.” She took his left hand and led him to the living room, and then turned to offer him the couch, before she sat next to him. She became self-conscious of her wet hair, but she saw in his eyes that he loved her just the way she was. It was not conditional.
“Why, why did you do all this, T.J.?”
“That’s an easy question to answer. Because I love you. Because I’m all in. I think the more important question is, what are your plans, and do they include me?”
She cocked her head to the side, lowering her gaze, not wanting to look up at him. He took it well. He straightened his back, sitting across from her, the leather couch groaning under his huge frame. He reacted like he’d been given an order, his chest filled, allowing the oxygen of his heavy breathing to calm him. It was what he did when he was nervous.
“I’ve been trying to sort it all out. Confused, here. I came home with one thing in mind, and now I don’t know—”
“Well, Shannon, you’re going to have to tell me to pack it up and quit, because not texting me or calling me back, or feeling confused, aren’t going to cut it. You’re gonna have to tell me to stop loving you, because I’m not going to unless you demand that of me.”
“T.J., don’t,” she pleaded. But what did she really expect him to do? Of course he would react this way.
“Honey, I’m trying to understand. Did I come on too fast, too strong? Did I push you? Or is it that you don’t like me, or is there someone else? Because I don’t understand why you won’t grab that big brass ring, that juice of life we have here, and go for it.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do. I thought maybe going home, back to where I was raised, would be good for me and for Courtney.”
“Away from me, you mean? You want away from me? What have I done to make you want to run away? All I’ve done is love you, honey. Make me understand, please.”
“I thought it would be good to go home, back to a place where I had happy childhood memories.”
“So this isn’t your home? This place. You and Frankie bought it right before you got married. I heard you say you never wanted to move. Ever.”
“That was when Frankie was here with me.”
T.J. nodded. “Well, that’s true. I’m not Frankie, Shannon. No one will replace Frankie. You’ll never find that, honey.”
“I don’t want to live in the past, T.J.”
“Isn’t that what going home is all about? This was your life. This was Frankie’s life. These were the men and women he loved. His community.” He looked up at the ceiling. “Oh, God, Shannon, I was hoping maybe I’d gotten it wrong somehow, but now I can see, you’re just not that into me. As hard as it is, I know I have to accept that and move on.”
He still wasn’t leaving. H
e turned and asked her, “Is there anyone else?”
“No. For heaven’s sake, no!”
“Then, can I ask you another question?”
“Fair enough.”
“Are you going home or running away?”
He was right. She was running away.
“This place, this community scares me,” she had to swallow because her voice wobbled. “Reminds me of what’s changed. It’s like I’ll never be able to escape. I’ll never be on my own.”
T.J. chuckled at that.
“What’s so funny?”
“You don’t understand diddly about being alone. I’ve been alone my whole fuckin’ life and never knew I’d missed any of it until I found the family here. Do you know what it’s like living in a community of people who would gladly die for you?”
He abruptly stood, walked around the couch and pointed down the hallway to Courtney’s room.
“We do that. We make it so there are dragonflies and angels and fairies.”
She quickly turned her back to him, weeping softly, but not wanting to show him her tears.
He came back, standing in front of her seated body, now uncomfortable because the baby was kicking up a storm as if wanting to be heard.
“You think it over, Shannon. Say the word, and I won’t bother you again.”
She was shocked at her own mixture of feelings. She’d been so set on her course, she hadn’t prepared herself for the change of heart she was clearly having. Shannon hadn’t considered this part, hadn’t envisioned it.
He put his hand on the front door handle, and suddenly the importance of his leaving woke her up. Had she been cat-napping through life? The door he was offering her could give her the world. And she was giving it up…for what? So she could be independent? She could do it on her own, but was that reason enough to do it on her own?
She knew the answer to that. And she knew she’d fallen for this hero the moment she’d kissed him. She’d been a complete fool.
His hulking frame filled the whole doorway as he prepared to step outside and out of her life forever.
“Wait, T.J.!” She stood and watched as the force of her shout out triggered a jolt in his neck and shoulders. His back was still turned to her. His hand gripped the door handle so tight she thought he might twist it off.
“Forgive me,” she whispered.
When she saw his face, she saw his tears. Of course she’d never seen him cry before. They’d spent most of their time either jousting, angling for position, sparking off each other. Even when she didn’t trust his friendship with Frankie, the passion between them had been strong.
Was she grown up enough for this big, strong man with a heart the size of all San Diego? Was she ready for the next great adventure? Was she ready to keep the memory of Frankie beside her as she made her life with this man, who she now knew loved her so completely she’d never need to feel alone again?
And could she handle it if anything happened to T.J.? Would it be worth the incredible pain of possibly losing him in order to live with him in the here and now?
The answer was yes. He was waiting for that answer. He deserved that answer, she thought as she walked slowly up to him.
“Yes. T.J. I’ve been a fool. I need your forgiveness. I need your love. I need you.”
He gathered her in his arms. “I’m right here, baby. Nothing to forgive. Never going to leave you. Never.”
She knew he’d keep his promise until his dying day. And she would too.
The End
Sharon Hamilton
NY Times and USA/Today and Amazon Top 100 Bestselling Author Sharon Hamilton’s SEAL Brotherhood series has earned her Amazon author rankings of #1 in Romantic Suspense, Military Romance and Contemporary Romance. Her characters follow a sometimes rocky road to redemption through passion and true love. Her Golden Vampires of Tuscany earned her a #1 Amazon author ranking in Gothic Romance.
A lifelong organic vegetable and flower gardener, Sharon and her husband live in the Wine Country of Northern California, where most of her stories take place.
She loves hearing from her fans:
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Her website is:
http://sharonhamiltonauthor.com/
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Life is one fool thing after another.
Love is two fool things after each other.
The SEAL Brotherhood Series:
Purchase Accidental SEAL, Book 1 in the SEAL Brotherhood Series
Also available in print and on Audible.
To purchase this short prequel to Accidental SEAL, please click here: SEAL Encounter, Book .5 in the SEAL Brotherhood Series
Purchase Fallen SEAL Legacy (Book 2 of the SEAL Brotherhood) here.
Also available in print and on Audible.
Purchase SEAL Under Covers (Book 3 of the SEAL Brotherhood) here.
Also available in print and on Audible.
Purchase SEAL The Deal (Book 4 of the SEAL Brotherhood) here.
Also available in print and on Audible.
Purchase Cruisin’ For A SEAL (Book 5 of the SEAL Brotherhood) here.
Also available in print and on Audible.
Purchase SEAL My Destiny (Book 6 of the SEAL Brotherhood) here.
Available in print and on Audible. Print version and Audible version of full length novel coming June 2014.
Purchase SEAL of My Heart (Book 7 of the SEAL Brotherhood) here.
Available in print and on Audible. Full length version available on Audible and Print end of July 2014.
Anthologies
SEALs Of Summer
SEALed With A Kiss
Other Books by Sharon Hamilton
Golden Vampires of Tuscany Series
Purchase Honeymoon Bite (Book 1 of the Golden Vampires of Tuscany) here.
Also available in print and on Audible.
Mortal Bite (Book 2 of the Golden Vampires of Tuscany) please click here.
Also available in print and on Audible.
The Guardians Series
Heavenly Lover (Book 1 of The Guardians) please click here.
Available in print and Audible soon.
Underworld Lover (Book 2 of The Guardians) please click here.
Available in print and Audible soon.
Breaking Ties
A SEAL TEAM Heartbreakers Novella
Teresa J. Reasor
Navy SEAL Oliver ‘Greenback’ Shaker is used to making sacrifices in service his country. Yet he’s blindsided when he returns from a training rotation and learns his wife, Selena, has kept a terrible secret for weeks, as she waited for him to come home—a secret that may require a sacrifice he’s not prepared to make.
Faced with a life threatening illness, Selena wants to follow the same code of strength and perseverance her husband does as a SEAL, but she can’t go it alone. She needs a team, headed by her husband, to see it through. But in Oliver’s line of work, duty comes first.
Still reeling from her first diagnosis, they learn Selena is pregnant. Now with two lives hanging in the balance, the emotional and physical toll stretches the ties that bind their marriage to the breaking point. But as a SEAL, Oliver never gives up. And Selena proves valor and courage don’t just live on the battlefield, but in every person’s heart.
Dedication
To Joyce Brown, breast cancer survivor and Certified Breast Patient Navigator for the Baptist Healthcare Oncology Services of Corbin, Kentucky, for your help in clarifying the medical procedures needed by my character.
Any mistakes I’ve made are totally my own.
God bless all those brave women and men who face the battle with cancer every day with courage and humor.
And to all you ladies out there: Please do monthly exams, yearly clinical exams, and mammograms when your doctors recommend them!!
Go
d bless our military men and women. Your sacrifices do not go unnoticed.
Bio
Teresa Reasor was born in Southeastern Kentucky, but grew up a Marine Corps brat. The love of reading instilled in her in Kindergarten at Parris Island, South Carolina made books her friends during the many transfers her father’s military career entailed.
Though an art teacher and an artist for over twenty years, writing has always been her first love and passion. She is a multi-genre published author, writing Military, Contemporary, Paranormal, and Historical Romantic Suspense.
Chapter One
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Ensign Oliver ‘Greenback’ Shaker used the dense shadows to hide his position, easing into the narrow, masonry-clogged alley between two battle-scarred buildings. His body armor trapped the heat and reflected it back against his skin, and sweat poured down his back and sides like he was being sautéed inside his BDUs. He’d experienced heat before, but Iraq was surely like being trapped in the third circle of hell.
The distant sound of a baby crying came from one of the dark buildings. Through his night vision goggles he detected the dim glow of a light barely visible across the street. Some of the structures still housed families just struggling to survive while terrorist and military forces battled around them for control of the area. They had nowhere else to go, so they hunkered down and hoped the violence would pass.
What would he do if he were faced with such a terrible dilemma?
For a brief moment he allowed his thoughts to stray to Selena, waiting for him at home in San Diego. She had just sent him a short video of the doctor’s most recent scan of their baby, showing how much it had grown. He’d never seen anything as beautiful as his wife’s belly swollen with their child. He wanted to reach through the computer screen, to run his hands over it and feel the baby move.
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