“Are you okay?” his mom asked.
He nodded. “Yeah, I am.”
His parents shared a glance, then turned their attention back to him, his dad speaking first. “Son, we haven’t wanted to pry, but… well, we just wondered how you and Lynn are handling this.”
He scrubbed his hand over his face and heaved a sigh. “The two days that Lynn and I spent together were special. More special than I’ve ever had before or even thought I would have. So, while everything happened backward, I asked her to not call an attorney until we have a chance to find out if we have a future.”
His mom clapped her hands with glee, crying, “I know all of this was not how you wanted it to be, Son, but I truly think you two could be so happy together.”
“I hope I’m not raining on your parade,” his dad began, “because I really like Lynn. But you’re getting ready to leave in a couple of weeks. I guess I’m wondering—and perhaps worrying—about how the two of you plan to make a marriage work—”
“Nick!” Rita scolded.
“No, Mom. Honestly, Dad is right. I wish I could give you all the answers now, but I can’t. I’m excited to rejoin my team. I’m excited to get back to training. But I’ve always known I wasn’t going to be a SEAL forever, and even my teammates have shown me that there’s more to life than just our missions. Hell, Dad, I’ve always planned on coming back here to work with you in the family business.”
“Yes, and I look forward to that when the time is right. But how does Lynn feel about waiting?” his dad asked.
“That’s why we’re not going to rush things. She’s got a lot of fear of the unknown and we’re still getting to know each other, but I just don’t think it makes sense to get a divorce while we're figuring this out.”
His mom leaned over and tapped her finger on to the Marriage Certificate. “Seeing this today… how does it make you feel?”
Unable to keep the grin from spreading across his face, he smiled widely. “I always thought it would feel like a noose, but it doesn’t. It feels like a new beginning.”
21
“C-Note! How the hell are you?”
“I’m good, Ringer, but forget about me… where the fuck are you? Still laying around, moaning about a stomachache?”
“Fuck you, old man. I thought getting shot before hurt like a bitch, but who the hell knew a ruptured appendix would take me down?”
Benjamin Blackwell had been the oldest member of their team, always willing to lend a helping hand and one of the most dedicated SEALs Nolan had ever met—and had recently decided to leave the SEALs, a decision not made lightly. At thirty-seven, he didn’t want to slow the team down or cause someone’s death.
“So, when do you get cleared to go back?” Benjamin asked.
“I’ve had a preliminary evaluation, and everything is on track for me to return in two weeks. I fly to California and have a final evaluation before I can rejoin the team for active duty.”
“Good to hear, Ringer. I know you’ll be glad to get back.”
“Gotta be honest, I wanted to ask you a question that I can’t fuckin’ believe I’m asking.” Silence on the other end of the line met him, and he knew his friend was just waiting to hear what he wanted to say. “The rest of the team, including you, have been falling like fuckin’ dominos when it comes to women. Most stayed in, you’re out. I want to know what it’s like being out.”
Another pause settled between them before Benjamin chuckled. “Fuckin’ hell, Ringer, you’ve fallen in love… and you’re thinking about leaving.”
Words were not necessary at the moment, so Nolan remained silent but anxious.
“It hits us all.” Benjamin sighed. “I’ve been in longer than the rest of you, on more teams, had more deployments. Hell, lost more friends. We do what we do because we can’t imagine our life not as a SEAL. But, at some point, it hits everyone that there might be something else out there. For some, they fight it kicking and screaming and hate every moment. For me? I was ready.”
“How the fuck can you tell?”
“Ringer, if you’re already questioning it, then you’re getting ready. If I had one piece of advice that I’d give to you? Don’t fight it. There’s no dishonor in deciding that what you’ve done for your country is good enough and you’re ready for something else. Believe me, man, there’s life after the SEALs.”
They chatted a few more minutes before disconnecting, and Nolan shoved his phone into his pocket, his thoughts swirling. The news from the doctor was that he was healing ahead of schedule and could return to his team in California, even if it was on light duty while he regained all of his strength. That should have been more exciting than it was. If the news had come a week ago? He would’ve been over the fuckin’ moon. But now, the thought of leaving Lynn before they had a chance to hammer out exactly what they were sent chills through him.
They had spent the last week dating: dinners out, long walks, even going to one of the local bars for drinks and dancing. He wanted to not only sweep her off her feet but take her to bed—but that needed to be her choice. She had asked him to spend the night last night, but all they did was wrap their arms around each other and sleep together. As much as he ached to make love to her, it felt right to have her tucked in close to his body all night.
Glancing at his watch, he grinned. They had taken Lynn’s car to the auto shop that morning and then he dropped her off at work before going to the construction site. Now, he was heading to pick her up. With Benjamin’s words, ‘There’s life after the SEALs,’ ringing in his ears, he was ready to talk.
“So, how can I be sure that he won’t resent me?” Lynn sat in her office with Nancy, who stopped by on her way home.
“Why on earth would Nolan resent you?”
Lynn nibbled on her bottom lip, her gaze cutting to the side before moving back to her best friend. “As much as I was embarrassed for making a fool of myself when he joined the Navy, I couldn’t help but try to learn everything about what he was doing, especially when he decided to become a SEAL. I got on the Internet and read everything I could find, still knowing that I was only scratching the surface. But one of the things I came away with was the intense dependence and trust and friendship the SEALs have with each other.” She shifted her gaze back to Nancy’s face and asked, “I don’t want him to walk away from that to be with me. If he does that, he might feel that he’s given up too much of himself.”
Nancy, usually quick to give her opinion, leaned forward to place her forearms on Lynn’s desk. Reaching across, she grabbed her hands. “I think, for the first time in our friendship, I’m not sure what to say. The one thing I would ask you to remember is that he was already talking about getting out before all of this happened. It might be moving his timeline up some, but Lynn, he’s been happier here in the past week that I’ve seen him in a long time.”
She nodded, her lips curving slightly at the memories of the past week. Nolan had not held back in making sure she knew he wanted to be with her. He had taken her to dinner, everything from an expensive restaurant where they dined overlooking the river to fast food that they grabbed on the way to the park for a picnic.
It had been hard not to give in to the urge to throw him on her bed and pounce, but she needed to make sure it was not just about sex. Nancy’s laughter brought her attention back and Lynn blushed.
“I can tell where your mind went!” Nancy said.
Giving her head a quick shake, she rolled her eyes. “Well, I know you didn’t come over here to talk about me and Nolan. What’s up?”
“I wanted to let you know what was going on with Sally Hightower.”
Interest snagged, she leaned forward. “Oh, yes! What’s happening?”
“I got a call from Sally yesterday and she informed me that she filed for divorce. She also informed Errol that she knew of the chapel’s true income and had proof that he had been moving money around, possibly through illegal channels at the casino.”
Eyes wide, she could n
ot imagine Errol’s face when presented with that tidbit of information. “And?”
“Sally said that he was furious at first, denying everything she said. But she had printed up a lot of the records that you had given her and showed them to him. She told him she had a lot more evidence, and that she had no problem taking it to the police if he fought her on the divorce. She also mentioned that she knew he hadn’t been faithful—”
“Oh, shit! I was kinda hoping she wouldn’t say anything about that!”
“I wouldn’t worry about it, Lynn. It sounds like he has enough problems with everything else.” She stood and reached inside her purse, pulled out a check, and laid it on top of the desk. “Sally was extremely pleased with the evidence you handed her and paid us very well. This is for you.”
Picking up the check, she grinned widely. “Oh, my goodness! This is twice what I was expecting! If I keep making paychecks like this, I’ll be able to move into a larger space.” Her office was small, consisting of the bare necessities. Her part-time receptionist had a desk in the outer room, and the only other spaces were her office, a restroom, a supply closet, and a minuscule workroom.
“I think we can expect business to pick up, not only for me but for you also. Sally mentioned that she’s already told several friends about my investigation business, and she’s specifically mentioned you as a forensic accountant.”
“Nancy, that’s great, but I’ll tell you right now, my days of sneaking into places are over! From now on, clients have to bring their records to me!”
The two women embraced, and when Nancy pulled back, she kept her hands on Lynn’s shoulders. “I know we’ll always be sisters of the heart and you still have things to think about. But I can’t help but be excited to think that you’re my sister-in-law for real.”
With that, Nancy walked out and Lynn heard the front door open and close as she left. Sucking in a deep breath, she let it out slowly and whispered, “Me too.”
Looking back down at the check on the desk, she grinned then carefully tucked it into her purse. Her part-time receptionist had already left for the day, so she would ask Nolan to run her by the bank when he picked her up. Now, opening her laptop, she made sure to log in the payment in her business accounts.
Nolan. Just the thought of him made her smile. Clicking out of her business account and into the Internet, she began searching accounting businesses in California near Coronado and the surrounding cities. She had said nothing to him because she’d only begun to consider the possibilities of moving. She just wanted to be able to offer an alternative to him leaving the SEALs. I don’t want him to lose part of himself because of me…
She heard her front door open and called out, “I’ll be right there!” She didn’t hear a reply and hurried around her desk to see if a client had come in. Before she had a chance to step into the short hall, a body rushed forward, pushing her back into her office. She squeaked as her arms windmilled to keep her upright, her gaze landing on Errol Hightower.
No longer the smiling, dapper businessman, he was dressed in a wrinkled shirt and slacks, his hair unkempt, and it appeared he hadn’t shaved in a couple of days. “You! What are you doing here?” she cried, taking a step back.
He stomped forward, his face red with rage, and lifted his hand, a wad of crumpled papers clutched tightly. “You bitch! You’ve ruined me!”
Taking another step back, she raised her hands in defense and shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about—”
“Don’t fuckin’ lie to me. I know about the private investigator my wife hired. And I know you were the only one who had access to getting this information.” His face contorted as his chest heaved. “I’ll lose everything.”
Her chest quaked as her heart pounded. Forcing her voice to steady, she said, “Mr. Hightower, you need to leave. I have nothing to do with what’s going on between you and your wife.”
“You gave her the accounts. And there you were at the casino, and now she knows about that, too! Don’t you realize what you’ve done?” he shouted, his hands still waving the clutched papers.
“You need to leave or I’ll call the police. What’s going on between you and your wife is between the two of you, not me.” Her whole body was shaking. Her office was so small that with him standing just inside the doorway she couldn’t escape.
“You think this is just between me and my wife? How naïve are you? You stick your nose where it doesn’t belong and now I’ll have a fuckin’ target on my back!”
His words were barely registering, but at his last shout, her brows lowered, and she shook her head slightly, not understanding.
His gaze had not wavered from her, but as he stepped another foot closer, his eyes darkened. “My God, you are that stupid. You have no idea the people that I’ve gotten into bed with. You have no clue what they’re like. These people are not going to like that my tax shelter system could be exposed, in turn exposing them.” He stepped another foot closer, his chest heaving as his glare seared through her. “They’ll come after me, and when they’re finished, there won’t be anything left. I won’t even be a stain in the dirt.”
The desire to ward off his fierce anger was overwhelming, and she shook her head back and forth quickly. “You need to leave. This has nothing to do with me!”
He stopped approaching, and her breath halted in her chest as she waited to see if he would turn and leave. Instead, his free hand slid into his coat pocket, and when it came out again, he was holding a gun. Her gasp erupted as her gaze now locked on the weapon pointed toward her.
“I’m going to disappear, and I’m going to make sure you’ll never tell anyone what you found out.”
“Hey, babe! You ready for dinner?”
She heard Nolan’s shout from the front of the office, and screamed, “No—” but Errol was faster. He shoved the chair in front of her desk out of the way and bolted to the side, the gun now only a foot away from her head just as Nolan made it to the doorway of her office.
22
Nolan was almost to the door when he heard Lynn’s interrupted scream. He rounded the doorframe, his feet halting as he saw her standing just a few feet away in her tiny office. Her eyes were huge as they stared back at him. And Errol Hightower was next to her, a gun in his hand.
His heart pounded so hard, he was sure it slammed against his ribs. Locking his fear down, he emptied his mind of everything but getting her safely out of the situation. The only problem was he wasn’t sure how.
As a SEAL, he’d been trained in tactics, weapons, search and rescue, recovery, direct action warfare, reconnaissance, counterterrorism, and a host of other duties achieved through critical thinking, sheer willpower, and absolute dedication. Hostage negotiation with the man holding a gun to your wife? Fuck no…
Instinct kicked in and he slowly lifted his hands to the side, hoping to calm and placate Errol. “Hey, man, take it easy. No one needs to get hurt here.”
“You! I don’t know what you did, but you helped her!”
It was on the tip of his tongue to deny that he knew what Errol was talking about, but a glance at the sheaf of papers wadded in his hand gave evidence that Sally had handed her husband divorce notice and her demands. “Whatever you’ve done, man, it’s on you. This has got nothing to do with Lynn.”
“You don’t understand! If this gets out, I’m dead.”
“It’s too late for that.” Lynn’s soft voice cut through the thick cloud of emotion filling the room. He wanted to tell her to stay quiet, but she turned her head ever so slightly to the side and looked at Errol. “The information that I obtained has already been sent to the local FBI office. It doesn’t matter how I obtained it, it’s enough for them to start an investigation.”
The emotions ran over Errol’s face, settling on rage. He turned his gaze toward Nolan and said, “I’m leaving, and she’s coming with me.”
“That’s not gonna happen, man. You know I’m not gonna let that happen.”
“Then s
he’s dead.”
“Think about what you’re saying, Errol. Right now, you’re facing a lot of charges, but murder isn’t one of them. You don’t want to add that to the list.”
“It won’t make any difference to me. The people I owe will be able to get to me in prison. Like I said, I’m fucked either way. Now back up.”
Nolan knew that Errol was no physical match for him. And if it was only the two of them, he would be able to rush and disarm the smaller man. But in the tiny office with Lynn standing between them, he had no room to maneuver safely. His gaze slid to Lynn’s, seeing love and trust shining toward him. He locked his knees for fear of dropping to the floor, buckling under the weight of her faith. Her body was trembling, but the corners of her lips turned upward ever so slightly.
Preferring his odds of getting to Errol and keeping Lynn safe outside the small confines of her office, he nodded. He stepped back with his hands still lifted to the side.
Errol waved the gun, giving Lynn a little push. “You go out first.” Raising his voice, he added, “And if your husband tries to interfere, I’ve got no problem putting a bullet through you.”
Nolan stepped to the side in the small reception area, his hands still lifted as his eagle-eyed gaze never left Errol or his weapon.
“You’re staying here. She’s going out with me and we’re driving away. I’ll have the gun on her the whole time so don’t even think about trying to send the cops after me.”
Lynn placed her hands on the bar of the front door, casting her eyes to the side, pinning him once again with her love and trust. Pushing through the door, she walked outside with Errol directly behind her, the gun pressed to her back.
As soon as the door closed behind Errol, Nolan turned and raced through the small office, past the little workroom, and slammed through the door leading to the alley in the back. Dialing 911 as he ran, he circled around the back corner of the building and continued racing until he came to the front corner where he halted. Peeking around the corner, he watched as Errol clicked the locks to his car and forced Lynn into the passenger side.
Hot SEAL, Undercover Groom (SEALs in Paradise) Page 17