“Thank you,” The president raised a hand. People began to take their seats again when it was clear that the president was ready to speak. “There are some men and women who go out every day,” He looked from one person in the audience to the next, making eye contact as he did it, “to protect our country from people who would do us harm.” The president took a breath and looked around. “It is not everyday that I get to thank one of these extraordinary individuals for one of many acts of bravery they perform everyday.”
The president turned and looked right at Ty. Ty’s face widened.
“Today I get to do just that,” The president turned back to the camera then various other dinner guests. “In the face of an explosion, this soldier ran toward the danger, not from it. In the effort to save many lives he jumped into action, never once thinking of his own safety. For a man who refused to be anything but the last person out, I am happy to honor Captain Ty Forrester of the United States Army.”
There was a loud round of applause that Ty could hardly hear anything through. The room was getting to its feet and so did Ty. The secret service woman gave his arm a little push to get him walking to the small platform where the president now stood and Ty began his path toward it.
When he’d climbed the stairs without incident, Ty stood in front of the president as the president showed the bronze star to the audience then to Ty. Then, after showing it around, he pinned it ceremoniously to Ty’s uniform. Ty turned to the dinner guests and the camera and smiled then moved toward the podium where the president had just been speaking and where the president himself signaled for him to go.
“Thank you, thank you very much. I can’t tell you what it means to me. To be accepting this honor tonight is unbelievable. I would like to dedicate this to the men, my friends and comrades, who never made it to their own ceremonies.” There was another round of applause and Ty clapped for his friends too, hoping they could hear somewhere, wherever they were.
“I would also like to dedicate this to a special Doctor who was working in the children’s unit the day that building was blown up. She, like a soldier, thought only of her patients, not once for her own safety. She refused to leave a fellow doctor in his last moments of his life even though it may have cost her own.” Ty took a breath and looked into the camera. “Léonie Fournier is proof that you don’t have to wear a uniform to be one of the bravest people in the world.” There was a small silence before more applause. “Thank you very much,” Ty leaned into the microphone before he turned to shake the president’s hand one more time.
Ty walked back to his table, trying to control his emotions. People he’d never met before, patted him and shook his hand as he moved along.
“Hey Mattie baby?” Ty leaned in to his daughter when he made it back to their table. “Daddy has to go somewhere, will you be ok with grandma?”
“It depends, where are you going?” Mattie said with a smile at her dad.
“There is someone very special that I have to go see. Someone I…I just have to see.”
Mattie pressed her lips together, “Is it a girl?”
Ty stared at his daughter for a moment then nodded, “Yes. It is.”
“The woman… the Léonie Fournier?” Mattie’s pronunciation made her name sound like “Lee-oh-knee Four-Nigh-A.”
Ty gave a curious nod.
“Do you love her?” Mattie asked in a very matter-of-fact tone.
Ty stared at his daughter again then nodded, “Yes. I do.”
“Then go,” Mattie opened her hands wide as if to push her father out of the room. Ty smiled and kissed his daughter.
“When did you become so smart?” He asked.
“Oh Puh-lease dad… I saw Pretty Woman at Laura’s house. It’s from the eighties...”
Ty looked at her perplexed.
“I know all about love,” Mattie explained with a know-it-all face Ty could help but love.
“Well, I don’t think—” Ty began.
“—Just go.” Ty’s mother cut him off, “Go get your Leo.”
Chapter Fifteen
Léonie sat with her knees tucked into her chest as she watched the television with her aunt. She’d spent her first full day home lying in hot water and bath salts. She put all of her travelling clothes in the hamper then pulled out fresh clothes that had spent too long going unworn in her closet. She slipped a cashmere sweater over her head, and slid into her favorite jeans. It felt strange to wear heeled boots again but it also felt wonderful to see over heads she had previous been stuck underneath. Léonie popped round to a professional hairdresser to have her hair snipped into proper shape, then walked the familiar streets of her home.
The sound of French being spoken around her, cooed in her ears. She slipped into bookstores, record shops, and picked up a strong French coffee along the way. By the time she got back home she was exhausted. It would take a few days to adjust back to her normal surroundings no doubt, but perhaps a harder adjustment without her usual work to fall back on.
Léonie was told that she was required to take a full three weeks of off work. After that time she could be relocated. There was also the possibility that she might look for a position in a hospital in Paris. She’d meant to spend a good chunk of her first years working or MSF, but she could also rationalize that working in a combat zone probably counted for a longer period of time then another, more innocuous, location.
Back in her aunt’s apartment she sat in her favorite window seat with a book spread over her lap, yet she wasn’t reading. She stared down on the grey streets below her as Ty’s image slid in and out of her mind.
“Bonsoir,” Léonie’s aunt sang out from the front of the duplex.
“Bonsoir,” Léonie repeated without turning her head. Léonie could hear the sound of items being set down on a table then the clack of her aunt’s wooden soled shoes. Marceline had huge curly hair that made her easily recognizable anywhere she went. Léonie gave a quick turn and smile then returned her focus out of the window.
Marceline sat next to her niece and pulled her own legs up on the other side of the window seat. Both women stared down on the small Parisian’s going about their daily lives far below.
“How are you?” Marceline’s voice had a natural lyrical quality to it that had made a young Léonie ask for an inordinate number of stories to be read aloud to her.
“Good,” Léonie smiled for her aunt.
“No, I meant, how are you really doing?”
Léonie stared outside for a moment longer. “I’m not sure. Perhaps… not so good,” She looked at her aunt. Marceline moved to the other side of the bench and took Léonie into her arms as if she were no more then a child.
“Is it the explosion?” She ran a cool hand across Léonie’s forehead.
“No,” Léonie said honestly. She found it very difficult to lie to her aunt. Her aunt had such a good nature, she never judged and Léonie had found out long ago that to tell her aunt the truth often led to a better understanding of the truth. Léonie let her head rest on her aunt’s shoulder, “There’s a man.”
“Ah, one of those problems.”
“I don’t know what to do. No,” Léonie lifted her head. “That’s not true. There is nothing for me to do. I just… I…”
“Shh. Does he know how you feel?”
Léonie was silent. Did he know how she felt? No. Not from her telling him anyway. Perhaps he could read it on her the way she’d thought she could read it on him.
“Ah,” Marceline said with a soft understanding. “That is where you must focus. You tell him how you feel. If this is done, then you have done your work, if it is not done then—well, maybe then you will regret him forever.”
Léonie looked at her aunt at once understanding the rightness of her words. Marceline lifted up and stood next to Léonie. She reached out a hand for her young niece to take, then helped her to her feet.
“You want me to call him now?” Léonie asked. An involuntary tremor ran over her body.
&n
bsp; “Of course not,” Marceline turned and began walking up the stairs to Léonie’s room. “You must go to him.”
Chapter Sixteen
Ty had walked through the tables, the patrons, the extra handshakes and pats, and walked out the front door into the cool DC night.
“I’m sorry sir but no one can go through until the presidential motorcade has left the premises,” A man in a black suit with an earpiece held a hand out to Ty to keep him from walking any farther forward.
“But I need to get to the airport,” Ty’s body was in flight and it did not want to stop now.
“I’m sorry sir but there’s nothing I can do, you’ll just have to wait here.”
Ty exhaled and looked at the sky.
“Congratulations Captain Forrester,” A familiar voice was behind Ty’s left ear. Ty turned to see Major O’Donnell behind him.
“I didn’t know you would be here,” Ty took the offered hand and gave it a hearty shake. “I didn’t see you.” He gestured inside.
“Of course I would be here, I wouldn’t miss meeting the president for anything. I’m your commanding officer plus I was the one who recommend you so I’m allowed.” He held up his hands and smiled broadly as if he’d pulled some sort of trick. Ty felt a overwhelming warmth toward the man and suddenly found himself giving his senior officer a bear hug.
“Where are you going?” O’Donnell asked Ty when he’d been released from his hug.
“The airport,” Ty was suddenly wary. He had not asked permission to go away. He had not even touched base with O’Donnell. “I was just about to call you,” Ty lied. “I have to go to Paris, just for—a day—maybe two at most.”
O’Donnell laughed loudly, “And what the hell are you going to Paris for?”
Ty exhaled, “I have to see her, Léonie from the MSF hospital. I have to tell her that I—I just—I made a mistake letting her go.” Ty felt a heavy pressure push down on his chest and O’Donnell stopped laughing.
“Hm,” He looked Ty over with a sharp appraising glance. “Tell you what. I’m not usually a romantic sort, Forrester. It’s not my way—I don’t really believe in all that stuff—” O’Donnell swatted a hand at the idea.
“I thought you have a wife and three children, sir?” Ty’s brows crossed.
“So I do, doesn’t mean I’m a hopeless romantic.” O’Donnell lifted his eyebrows high to make his point. “But, I can appreciate it in you—plus I’m in a good mood because I met the President of the United States tonight.” O’Donnell smiled happily as he looked at the empty road. The sounds of the motorcade were starting up and Ty would be allowed to leave soon. “I don’t know how long you can stay, probably not long. But, I’ll drive you over. I doubt to hell you’ll get a ticket, but we can try.”
Ty pulled O’Donnell back into a bear hug and this time O’Donnell pushed himself free of it.
“But no more of that. With a wife and three kids at home I get enough of that without you,” He looked over his eyes. “And don’t forget that I’m still your commanding officer.”
Ty nodded, “No, sir. Never, sir.”
With a flourish the motorcade pulled out, one car at a time, into the empty street. The street would fill in again once the roads opened back up to traffic, but for now, with the almighty presidential powers, the whole block was shut to outside traffic.
“I rented a car this morning,” O’Donnell nodded his head in the direction of his car. “Back to the base in the morning. Twenty-four hours one way, twenty-four hours in DC then twenty-four hours back. But it’s worth it. I’ve been waiting a long time to meet a president.”
Ty was beginning to tune the pattering’s of O’Donnell out. His mind had jumped straight to Léonie and showed no signs of jumping back. O’Donnell started walking in the direction he’d just motioned and both men trotted down the sidewalk.
“Jump on your phone and look up flights. DCA, IAD, or BWI, one of them might have something going out. Maybe early morning? Can’t be sure.”
Ty pulled out his phone and began plugging search terms while he tried not to trip face first into the concrete.
O’Donnell was quiet for a long moment before taking a breath, “What about when you get there? Do you know her phone number? Home address? How will you find her?”
Ty had been thinking of this since he’d decided to go, but he didn’t have a good answer yet.
“I’m not sure. She had a phone just for Afghanistan, I don’t think it would be her French phone too. I figured I could look up as many Léonie Fournier’s as I can find. I could call them all. I could go to the MSF headquarters and hope that someone is willing to breach Léonie’s private records.”
O’Donnell nodded along but didn’t seem taken by any of Ty’s proposed options, “I’m afraid I can’t help you there. Wish I had some sort of sway but I don’t.”
“It’s ok,” Ty nodded. “It will work out.” His words rang of confidence and there was a settled feeling to them as well. Without a good reason, he believed his own words.
“Whatever you say, Forrester,” O’Donnell shook his head as he unlocked his car. Both men got in.
“It’s got to be Dulles,” Ty said as he stared down at his phone. In truth he probably was shit out of luck for tonight, but he had to try, he had to move. So he would go.
Though Ty hadn’t registered O’Donnell as a hard metal guy, he was. A blaring metallic, ripping sound issued from the rental car’s very capable speakers. Ty tried to block out the music, a task that proved an impossible.
Too afraid to ruin his good juju with O’Donnell, Ty reconciled himself to the noisy car ride and the possibility of damaged hearing. He opened the top of his window and put his face close to the opening, breathing in the cool fresh air.
When O’Donnell pulled up to the airport he grabbed Ty’s wrist. Ty paused and turned to the other man.
“Just because I don’t believe in romance and all that shit, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.” O’Donnell’s face was very serious and Ty nodded at him. “Ok,” O’Donnell released him. “Go get her.”
“Yes, sir.” Ty got out of the car, gave one last wave to O’Donnell as he pulled away then walked into the terminal. Still in his dress blues people did not feel it in bad taste to stare openly at him.
Ty felt eyes on him with every step as he moved along toward the Air France ticket counter. Ty moved up to an open station where a woman was doing work behind a counter in her little navy uniform.
“Hello sir,” The woman turned to him and took in him and his uniform before bringing her eyes back to his face.
“Hi, I’m trying to get on a flight to Paris tonight.”
“I’m sorry sir, all flights for this evening are booked. I believe the last one…” She turned to her computer and plugged in a few things before looking back up at him, “It is leaving in five minutes and it is full sir. Even if there was a space the plane is done with boarding.”
Ty exhaled.
“Can I help you book another flight?” The woman seemed genuine enough.
“Early morning?”
“I’m afraid we have nothing tomorrow but the next day we might have something?” She turned to her computer.
His spirit was deflating quickly. “Don’t worry about it, that would be too late.” He turned from the woman and walked a few feet away.
So that was that. He’d had an idea, he’d tried to follow it through, and it hadn’t worked out. The excitement that had been building in him since the dinner was trickling out of him now. He walked slowly along the bright, clean floors. Well, he would get to spend an extra night with his daughter and maybe, from home, he could figure out a flight for the morning from one of the three major airports nearby. Maybe he would even have time to look up Léonie’s information, or get some leads.
Really, he shouldn’t be out running around in his dress blues anyway. Ty put a hand to the back of his neck then cracked it.
There was no way to call O’Donnell back and even if he could,
Ty didn’t feel like disappointing anyone else tonight. Mattie would could be distracted with something, she could even help look up Léonie’s information.
Ty walked down toward the baggage claim. Outside of baggage claim was where the taxis would be and that was what he was looking for now.
“How? No. No, that is impossible.”
Ty stopped walking. Words and a voice floated into his ear. He turned slowly and looked at the back of a woman standing with her weight pushed to one side. Her toe was tapping rhythmically to her own personal timing and her body was tense. She had a perfect silhouette under her cropped dark hair.
“But, it was a direct flight. I saw the bag with my own eyes. I saw it being put on the flight while I was waiting.” Léonie’s voice was loud and sharp.
The woman she was talking to mumbled so badly that Ty only heard little breaks and phrases of the woman’s explanation.
“No, but then don’t you see, it must still be on the plane?”
Ty heard the word, “Takeoff.”
The silhouette let out a loud, annoyed sigh, “I would like to speak to the manager, please.”
“I’m impressed,” Ty said behind the silhouette. “You said please.”
The silhouette turned around and Léonie’s perfectly sculpted face looked at Ty in utter surprise. Léonie looked at Ty. She took one step forward and without any warning she burst into tears.
Ty, just as surprised to see Léonie cry as Léonie must have been to see him standing behind her, took two large steps forward and pulled her into his arms.
“No, no, I’ll get your fancy uniform wet,” She stepped back when she saw what she was about to cry on.
Ty smiled, “I don’t care.”
She cried for a surprising amount of time, when she finally pulled back Ty looked over her face. She was gorgeous. Her makeup was a little runny but even that only enhanced her face.
Ty wrote down his address for the woman at baggage to have Léonie’s suitcase sent to his house when it was retrieved, then the two got a cab headed for Capitol Hill.
Romancing the SEAL: The Complete Box Set (SEAL Military Romance Series Book 4) Page 9