“Yes,” She slipped into her seat. “My mom and dad were both born here, as were my grandparents, but they all grew up in bilingual households. They passed it on to us.”
“My bud Bowie is Mexican-American and speaks fluent Spanish. So I’m pretty good with it.”
“There are some similarities in the languages. I’m sure you’d be able to follow along when you hear it.”
“Maybe. Italian seems to have a little more music to the flow. Spanish speakers tend to race through as quickly as possible, like they’re trying to say as much as they can in one breath.”
“You haven’t been in the back of the restaurant at rush hour.”
“No, I haven’t. I imagine it gets a little crazy.”
“Crazy is a good word for it.” She raised her taco, took a bite and hummed her appreciation.
They spent a few minutes concentrating on their food.
Zach ate to give his stomach something to gnaw on so he could take more pain medication. It had been more than six hours since his first dose of the day, and his damn leg ached.
He popped the two pills in his mouth and swallowed them with his soda.
To take his mind off the pain, he concentrated on her again. Her skin had a light olive tint, and looked smooth and soft, the hint of color in her cheeks warming it. The red highlights in her hair, and even the sherry hue of her eyes, brought to mind the warmth of the Tuscan countryside he’d visited on leave one summer. “Your brothers aren’t going to go Mafioso on me if I take you out on a real date, are they?”
Piper shook her head. “No. My mother might, though.”
He smiled. “That’s a given.”
“You don’t seem too concerned.”
“I don’t plan to do anything to piss her off.”
“I hear special ops guys can be pretty sneaky.”
“Only against the enemy, darlin’. Moms are a whole different deal. You do something to get on a mom’s bad side, they may forgive, but they’ll never forget.”
“Sounds like you might have experience with that.”
He was tempted to tell her about his mom breaking Kathleen’s ex-fiancé’s nose, but decided against it. “Cynthia Stevens’ mom.”
“What happened?”
“I took Cynthia to senior prom, and we went to a party afterward. By the time I got her home, she was less than sober. I didn’t ply her with drink. Or anything else.” He held up three fingers like a boy scout. “Mrs. Stevens sicced Father Hansberger on me and I got a lecture. And she gave me the evil eye every time she saw me from then on.”
“What’s Cynthia doing now?”
“She’s been married three times and has five kids.”
Piper covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. “She hasn’t really, has she?”
He couldn’t suppress a chuckle. “Naw. I think she’s an accountant and been married to the same guy since college. But her mom still gives me the stink eye when she sees me.”
Piper shook her head and a speculative gleam shone in her eye. “Did she have reason?”
“No. Cynthia and I were just friends. Dancing isn’t my thing, since I have two left feet.” He gestured to his side. “Thus the hip injury. She and I only decided to go together at the last minute. I got up to my share of mischief, but my dad was a cop. Still is. I knew if I got into trouble anywhere, it was going to follow me home.”
“My mom has always been like that too, although my dad was a little more laid back about everything…everything but the restaurant.” A melancholy smile crossed her face.
He didn’t have to be told her father was dead. He knew the look well.
He changed the subject and smoothed things out again.
As they left the restaurant, Piper said, “I hope you’ll use those crutches you have in the back of your car when we get to the hospital.”
“I plan to. I need to rest my hip. It has to heal fast.”
“In case you’re deployed.”
“Yeah. But mostly because it hurts like a—well, pretty bad.”
“You know, I have four brothers, and I have heard a cuss word or two.”
“Don’t encourage me. I’m trying to be on my best behavior.”
She smiled and looped her arm through his while they walked across the parking lot. She was beginning to relax around him and come closer on her own, even though she put out this vibe of being a little wary, despite the kiss she’d given him.
“How long do you think you can keep up your good behavior?”
He shook his head. “I wouldn’t lay odds I won’t slip. But though we talk like salty dogs when we’re together as a team, we all try to curb our language around ladies.”
“I appreciate it. Ice will help today, maybe the hot tub tomorrow.”
“I’ll call my CO, Hawk, later and find out when I can use his hot tub.”
He handed her the keys. “I just took those meds. You’d better drive.”
Chapter 10
‡
Master Chief Flynn looked like just what he was, a man in good condition for his fifty-four years who had been brutally beaten. One side of his face was bruised, his eye was black and swollen shut, and his right arm was in a cast. No wonder the poor man didn’t move unless he had to.
Though he looked a little groggy, his one clear eye sharpened when Zach introduced Piper. “Is Gracie going to be okay?” he asked, anxiety in every syllable.
“I’ve had to put pins in her hip and a plate in her right leg, but she was up today and walked the perimeter of the run we have at the clinic. So she’s doing as well as can be expected. Ensign O’Connor is going to foster her until you get out of the hospital and can take her home.”
“You know what you’re doing, son?” Flynn asked.
“I know how to take care of her physical needs, and I’ll do massage with her. I’m a medic, so I can dispense any kind of medication she needs. But I don’t know the commands she’s used to hearing. Or if there’s any special routine you need me to follow with her.”
Flynn seemed to relax. “You on the injured list right now?”
“Yeah. I banged up my hip, and I have three weeks off until it heals. So I have time to spend with her.”
“You going to deploy soon?”
“Possibly.”
But the way he said it, it sounded like a sure thing.
“If I do, Dr. Bertinelli says she’ll take Gracie until you get out of the hospital.”
“Okay. But I’m going to be out of here before then.” The stubborn determination in Flynn’s expression had Piper smiling. It was very much like Zach’s at times. They were surely born with it. But they’d spoken to a couple of his nurses before visiting him, explaining about his dog, and the truth was the master chief was having balance issues, and one side of his body was weak. Not paralyzed, but weak. So there was some brain trauma from the beating. He was going to have to have some physical therapy and be monitored closely, probably for a longer time than he wanted.
“She’s in good hands right now, Master Chief. I really hate that I hit her. If I could have stopped, I would have.”
“From what Dr. Bertinelli said, you kept her alive until you could get her to the vet’s office. And you’ve paid for her care. She’s going to be fine. I know my dog. She won’t lie down and quit, any more than I will.”
“Have you been together long?” Piper asked.
“I did four deployments with a dog just like her. During my last three deployments, her handler and I were teammates. When he was injured, I took care of her until he was back on his feet. She did two more deployments after, and was showing signs of PTSD. She’s also got some age on her, so they decided to retire her, and I decided to go out with her. Her handler loves her as much as I do, but he knows I take good care of her, and he has other responsibilities. He comes by now and then to visit when he’s home. She’s always excited to see him.”
Piper looked away as emotion threatened. To have gone through the things he did during deployment, and survived to c
ome home, only to be beaten by the same people he had protected through his service… There was no justice in that. Not unless the police found the people who did it and arrested them.
“She’s really taken a shine to Ensign O’Connor. When he’s around, it’s like there’s no one else in the room.” Piper moved close to lay her hand on Flynn’s weak arm. “I’ll do everything I can to make sure she comes back to you whole. You do the same to come back to her, okay?”
He patted her hand. “Roger that. You can call me Flynn, Dr. Bertinelli. You’re taking care of my girl. No need for formality between us.”
“I’m Piper.”
He nodded.
Zach set aside his crutches and drew a chair up to the bed, taking a small notebook out of the back pocket of his jeans and balancing it on his knee. “Tell me anything you can think of that I might need to know while I have her. If I go wheels up, Dr. Bertinelli,… He looked up at her. “Piper will need to know, too.”
Piper listened to the two men. They spoke the same language. Conducted themselves the same manner. Even in casual conversation, there was something similar about the way they phrased things.
Was this the way Zach would be in twenty more years? Alone, with only a dog to keep him company? She hoped not.
Flynn knew his dog, and listed everything from her favorite toy to her favorite treat. “I’ll have one of my guys drop her toys by the vet’s office tomorrow.” He went over her feeding schedule and the kind of food she ate. He had a routine she followed, and they continued the training exercises she had done in the past. Being in such good physical condition had saved her life.
“She gets along well with other animals. Even cats.”
“I have a golden retriever.” Piper said. “They’ll be good buddies, I’m sure. He’s very laid back.”
“She’ll want to be the alpha.”
“Trouble doesn’t want to be in charge of anything but the next meal,” Piper commented drily.
Flynn laughed.
“He’s not very bright, but he’s great with kids, and he’s loving.”
“She likes children, too. And she’s good with other animals.”
“Maybe he’ll learn a few things from her.” She hoped so. “I’m taking her to my apartment this weekend to keep a close eye on her. If everything looks good, I’ll turn her over to Ensign O’Connor on Monday.”
“Think you’ll be up to it by then?” Flynn asked, studying Zach.
“She’s supposed to take things easy and not overdo. So am I. We’ll be great together. And I’ve put Dr. Bertinelli’s number in my phone on speed dial.”
Flynn seemed satisfied. “Don’t lose your heart to her. I want her back.”
Zach smiled. “I already have, but Uncle Sam has my ticket, and I know this is temporary.”
A quick pinch of loss hit Piper when he said it. He didn’t have a life outside of the Navy, because the Navy was his life. Did she really want to get to know him, possibly get attached, and watch him fly away to places unknown? And what if he didn’t come back?
Who was she kidding? She was already getting to know him.
Would he want to get closer to her if he knew about her past?
No, it would be too much, and he’d probably disappear afterwards, just like every guy she’d dated since. All two of them.
Zach rose. He wrote something on one of the small sheets of paper and tore it out of the notebook. “This is my cell and my address, so you’ll know where she is and how to reach me. You can call me any time.”
Piper removed a business card from her purse, jotted her cell number on the back, and laid it next to Zach’s.
“Thanks,” Flynn offered her his hand. Piper clasped it and gave it a pat. Zach laid a hand on the master chief’s shoulder.
“I don’t remember any of the guys who came after me. I was supposed to meet up with some friends and play chess at zero twelve-thirty, and I was running late. Otherwise they’d have been able to just take her, and I wouldn’t have known until I got back. I went out when I heard Gracie bark. It wasn’t just a bark like she’d seen a squirrel, there’s a different sound to it when she’s gone into attack mode. I understand why they wanted her, but I don’t get why they’d try to kill me to get her.”
“Do you always go out on Mondays to play chess?” Zach asked.
“Most Mondays.”
“They may have been watching you to see when it was most convenient to snatch her, Master Chief. She’s trained. She’d be worth a lot of money to someone who wanted a dog like her.”
Or a dog trained to attack on command. She could see where he was going with this.
Flynn did as well, and said, “Keep a close eye on her for me.”
“I will, Master Chief. I’ll be back to visit, too.”
Zach stuck the notebook in his back pocket and then gathered his crutches and swung forward with practiced ease. On their way by, they nodded to the two men sitting outside Flynn’s room.
They were almost to the elevator when she thought of something. “Wait a minute, Zach, I want to check with the staff about something.”
“Okay.”
She backtracked to the nurses’ station and leaned against the divider separating their work area from the hallway. A woman, slender and dark haired, was keying information into the computer, so Piper waited until she looked up and asked, “May I help you?”
Piper introduced herself. “I was wondering if service dogs are allowed on this floor. Master Chief Flynn has a service dog, a retired Military Work Dog, and he’s pining for her. She was injured at the same time he was, and I thought perhaps a visit might ease his concerns. It would help them both to see each other.”
“You have to fill out paperwork from the main office downstairs, but I’m certain they’d allow you to bring her in to see him. In fact, why don’t I call and see if they can email it up here, and I’ll print it out for you now.” The nurse reached for the phone.
Zach wandered over and leaned against the divider beside her. A blond nurse returned to the station, clipboard in hand. She peeked up at Zach from beneath her lashes and offered him a smile. He nodded to her, but returned his attention to Piper.
The dark-haired nurse hung up the phone, did something on the computer, then stood and said, “I’ll be right back with the paperwork. If you fill it out and fax it to the office with her picture and her shot record, they’ll email you a conformation and a badge.”
“Great! Thank you so much.”
The nurse went inside an office behind the divider.
“This is an excellent idea,” Zach said.
“I’ve thought about trying to train Trouble to be a therapy dog, but he’s still in the puppy stage and too rambunctious.”
“How old is he?”
Piper grinned. “Four.”
Zach chuckled. “There’s still time.”
“I have to go back and ask Flynn what vet he normally uses so I can get the shot record.”
“I’m good. Take your time.” He balanced easily on the crutches and held his left foot off the ground.
“How’s the hip feeling?”
“Better.”
“Good. I still think you should have another X-ray. Just to be safe.”
His smile was part amusement, part temptation. “You wouldn’t want to do it for me?”
“You know I can’t. I take care of man’s best friend instead of man, because they’re not nearly as stubborn and they don’t talk back.”
“Amen to that,” the nurse sitting behind the counter murmured.
Zach tossed a glance over his shoulder at her. “I don’t want to sit here for hours waiting for an X-ray.”
“Are you whining?” Piper asked.
“Roger that!” he said with feeling.
She laughed. “Think about it.” She patted his shoulder and walked back down the hall to Flynn’s room.
By the time she got back, the blond nurse had struck up a conversation and was smiling at him in a way he�
��d have to be deaf, dumb and blind to miss.
The dark-haired nurse who had helped her leaned across the counter and handed Piper the paperwork. She gave Zach a card. “Zoe said she’d see you in fifteen minutes in the emergency room, so I suggest you double-time it down there now.”
“Will do. I appreciate it, Jeanine.”
“You’re welcome.”
So when in the last three minutes had he gotten on a first-name basis with the nurse?
Zach fished into his jeans pocket and pulled the car keys free. “I’ll catch a ride back to your office after I’ve finished getting the X-ray.”
Piper smiled in relief. “I can run home, let Trouble out for a few minutes, do some laundry, and then come back to pick you up.”
“You sure?”
“Yes. It’s no problem.” She accepted the keys from him and the paperwork she’d asked for from the nurse, murmuring her thanks.
“Thanks, ladies.” Zach flashed a white grin at the two. “I appreciate your help.” He shifted on the crutches. “You ready to go?”
“Yes.” She walked down to the elevator while he swung on the crutches. “So how did you manage to get an appointment so quickly?”
“It seems Jeanine knows Zoe, my CO’s wife, and Zoe works with several of the ortho guys. She called and got me in to see one of them. Zoe’s meeting in the emergency room with an X-ray tech. Then I’ll have to stick around for the ortho guy to read the X-ray and check me out, so take your time and do whatever you had planned before we went on this little side trip. I’ll be a while.” He grimaced.
“You don’t want anything to hinder your recovery, Zach.” They stepped into the surprisingly empty elevator.
“No.” He narrowed his green eyes at her, and she smiled.
“I’m not happy about the way you’re moving. With a soft tissue injury, you could develop a blood clot. Is your leg swollen?”
“Yeah, but I’m bruised from my waist to my knee, Piper.”
She flinched. She couldn’t believe he was even mobile. Her worry doubled. “Then I’m glad you’re staying to get checked out again.”
The elevator stopped on the next floor and picked up two people. They fell silent. After stops to pick up three more people, they arrived on the ground floor, and filtered out with the rest of the crowd.
Breaking Out (Military Romantic Suspense) (SEAL Team Heartbreakers Book 6) Page 9