“The end prize was worth it.” She smiled back, just as wide.
“Yes, it was, baby. Yes, it was.”
Epilogue
Three months later…
* * *
“Don’t even think about it,” Jodi said without turning around.
Tuck gripped the edge of the bar and chuckled. “Woman, I’m convinced you have eyes in the back of your head. How can you possibly know what I’m thinking from behind the bar?”
She finally spun around, handed a beer to a customer, and sauntered toward Tuck. She was smirking. “I have my ways. Get your hands off my bar. You’re banned from coming back here.”
He sighed, mollified somewhat when she leaned over the edge and kissed him briefly. “I don’t see why you have to be so strict about this new rule of yours. There are only a few people in the bar. It’s early.”
She shook her head as she reached above to pull down a wine glass. “Hard rule. I’m not going to bend or qualify my rule based on how many people are in the bar. Every single time you get in my space, you start touching me, and then I can’t think, and then I mess up the orders.”
He smirked. The truth was he loved how flustered she got when he wrapped his arms around her. It was endearing.
“Could you two go make out someplace else,” Stan teased. He glanced dramatically at his watch. “Yep. It’s been about an hour since you last kissed.” He waved Jodi off, lifting the end of the bar for her. “I can handle things for a bit.”
Jodi giggled as she passed through.
Before he could usher her out of the main bar and down the hallway, Tuck heard his name being called from behind.
He spun around to find Evan, one of his SEAL friends, sitting at a high-top table with a woman Tuck had to imagine was Presley. She fit the description. Chestnut hair with red tones. Green eyes. Tuck had seen Evan at McP’s last week, and Evan had told him about this woman he was interested in—specifically that Evan didn’t want her to know he was a SEAL for some reason. This could be fun.
Tuck grabbed Jodi’s waist and led her over to the table. “Hey.” He held out a hand to shake Evan’s.
Evan shot him a look to the side as he greeted him. A warning look. Apparently he still hadn’t told Presley he was a SEAL. Interesting. “Thought I’d come by and see this bar you told me about.” Evan turned toward Jodi. “You must be Jodi.” He shook her hand next. “I love the place.”
“And you must be Presley,” Tuck stated, reaching across to greet the slender woman.
Presley nodded, looking confused.
Evan cleared his throat. “I saw Tuck last week at lunch one day. Told him about the wedding you and I are planning for John and Chloe.”
“Ah.” She finally nodded.
“You’re wedding planners?” Jodi asked.
Both Presley and Evan shook their heads at the same time. Evan groaned. “No. I’m the best man. John thought it would be fun to plan his own wedding while his fiancée is out of the country. And then John had to leave town, which left me in charge. It’s the most convoluted story you’ll ever hear.”
Tuck disagreed. He was more interested in why Evan was keeping his personal life from Presley. That had to be a great story.
“How do you two know each other?” Presley asked, glancing back and forth between Tuck and Evan.
Tuck lifted a brow at Evan. Whatever weird story he was concocting was his to tell.
Evan swallowed. “Oh, we have mutual friends. We met years ago.”
Tuck nodded, fighting not to laugh. He couldn’t wait to see how this eventually panned out. Granted, his relationship with Jodi had started out with a pile of secrets too, so who was he to judge? But he couldn’t think why any man wouldn’t want his girlfriend to know he was a SEAL.
There was a pile of folders on the table between Evan and Presley. Apparently this was a planning meeting. “Well, I’ll let you two get back to your wedding plans.”
“It was nice to meet you,” Jodi added.
“You too,” Presley responded.
Tuck nodded toward Evan. “Catch up with you later.” He turned around, grabbed Jodi around the waist, and pulled her down the hallway toward the office. The moment they were inside, he kicked the door shut and nuzzled her neck.
She shoved at him playfully. “That was a strange exchange with your friend. And don’t break rule number two.”
He groaned. “But I hate rule number two.”
“Yeah, well, that one is hard and fast also. No sex while the bar is open.”
He chuckled before finally letting her go and rounding the desk. “Yeah, I don’t have a clue what is up with Evan, but I bet it’ll be good when I find out.”
“Is he a SEAL?”
“Yep.”
“And she doesn’t know it?”
“Apparently.”
Jodi giggled. “That is funny. Unless you’re her, of course.”
“True. Anyway, the reason I lured you back here was because I wanted to talk to you about something.”
She narrowed her gaze mistrustfully. “Your idea of talking usually ends with me too hot and bothered to continue working.”
He wiggled his brows. “If you let go of rule number two and rule number three, I could take care of that problem.”
She shook her head and crossed her arms. “Nope. No sex in this office either. Not even when the bar is closed.”
He couldn’t help it. Teasing her was fun. Finally, he grabbed a folder off the desk and held it up. “I spoke to the realtor earlier. Sounds like we should be able to finalize the deal with the lease next door by the end of the week.”
Her eyes widened. “Really? Already?”
“Yep. It’ll take some time to renovate and figure out how to attach that space with the bar, but I think we can easily pull it off within a few months.”
She stared at the numbers for a few minutes and then handed the folder back. “You’re sure we can afford it? We’re barely in the black.”
He rounded the desk again and pulled her into his arms. “We can afford it.”
She still looked skeptical. “I don’t like you using a giant chunk of that money from Cold Feet to expand. It makes me nervous.”
“Why? You planning to dump me anytime soon?” he joked.
She rolled her eyes. “No. The wedding date is set. The venue is paid for. No backing out now.”
He laughed. “That’s a lame reason to marry someone.”
She smiled. “Oh, that and the fact that I’m in love with you and I’ve never been happier in my life.”
“Ah, well then. Since you put it that way. Jodi, adding on to the bar just makes good business sense. Adding a café makes it possible to also serve food in the bar. It’s a win.”
“What if we need that money for something else?”
“Like what?”
She glanced away for a second. “We might not want to live in the cramped apartment upstairs for the rest of our lives for one thing.”
“What? But it’s so spacious,” he teased. “Since your dad decided to move out, it’s downright huge.” Tuck wasn’t the least bit worried about the space. It never bothered him for a moment. He hadn’t wanted to share it with her dad, but Bill had immediately gotten another apartment nearby when he returned from Colorado three months ago. It made sense for Jodi and Tuck to live above the bar.
Sure, there were probably plenty of couples who couldn’t survive as much togetherness as Tuck and Jodi, but so far every moment with her was a gift to Tuck, and he had no intention of changing their arrangement.
She leaned into him. “It’s fine. For now. But it won’t be big enough if we add another person.”
He furrowed his brow. “Why the hell would we add another person? I thought your dad was settled. Does he need to move back in or something?”
“Nope. He loves his new community. Several of the men who have been regulars here live there. He’s thriving.”
“That’s good.” He was still confused.
She drew in a breath and played with his collar. “We have a lot of sex, Tuck.”
Now he was more confused. “Yep. I like it. So, adding another roommate would be inconvenient.”
“What if the new roommate was only about twenty inches tall and weighed about eight pounds?”
Tuck sucked in a sharp breath and froze, realization dawning. He gripped her waist tighter. “Are you pregnant?”
She chewed on her bottom lip, holding his gaze for a moment, and then nodded. “I know we didn’t plan it. I thought we were careful. But it happened anyway. I know the timing sucks. We’re just getting started. I wanted more time alone with you. I’m—”
He cut her off when he lifted her in the air and kissed her, spinning around in a circle. His heart rate picked up as he held her so close before finally setting her down. When he released her lips, he only pulled back a centimeter. “We’re going to have a baby?”
“Yeah. I guess we should have used condoms last month when I was taking that antibiotic.” She winced.
A grin spread across his face. She was right. They hadn’t planned this. But people got pregnant. No birth control was one hundred percent effective.
“Are you mad?”
“Mad? Hell no. I’m excited.”
“We aren’t even married.”
He shrugged. “So? It’s planned for next month. We’ll be fine. We’ll just have to come up with some funny story to tell the little guy or girl about why he or she was early.”
Jodi laughed. “We’re not lying to our kid about his or her conception.”
“Okay. Fine.” He couldn’t stop smiling. A baby. He was still wrapping his head around the idea. It wasn’t like he hadn’t thought of having kids with Jodi. He had. Many times. She was the right woman for him. He’d known that for months. Maybe they hadn’t discussed the timing yet, but they had agreed they both wanted kids.
“I just took the test before we opened. I didn’t really mean to tell you in the middle of the work day. But you started talking about the money and all. It made me nervous.”
“Baby, don’t worry about the money. There is plenty. As long as we have each other, I don’t care about the size of our living space right now. I kinda like having you close all the time. Someday, we’ll move out, but for now, I’m content the way we have things. Your old bedroom can be a nursery. We’ll do a little rearranging. It’ll be fine.” He was excited. She had just made his entire day brighter.
A tear fell down her face and she swiped at it. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”
He cupped her face and kissed her softly. “Yes. Because I love you so much it hurts. And I’m going to love watching you grow round with our baby.” He slid a hand down to her belly. “Nothing else matters. We’ll figure it all out.”
Tuck was at peace. After months of dealing with a crazy wife on a stupid reality TV show, all of that was totally behind him. He never would have imagined finding the perfect woman in the middle of that madness. But he had. And now she was going to marry him and have his baby.
Life was perfect. He couldn’t ask for more.
Please enjoy the following excerpt from the next book in the series, Hot SEAL, Best Man. The links for the rest of the series are also listed below.
“I need you to help me plan my wedding.”
Evan “Cowboy” Lancaster gave his head a good shake, suddenly sure there was a disconnect between his ears and his brain. The idea his hearing was beginning to fail was too ridiculous to consider. He was in top physical condition. His heart was strong. Sure, he gave his liver an occasional workout, but it, too, functioned at a high capacity. As did all of his other organs. His eyesight was damn near perfect—a requirement for his job as a Navy SEAL sniper. He could out-swim, out-run, out-shoot, and out-wait more than half the guys on the teams. Hell, his time on the O-Course would be legendary if it weren’t for his teammate Nick “Pretty Boy” Nelson, who had a freakish ability to move like a gazelle.
Still, there was no way Evan had heard John correctly.
Evan leaned forward, in case he was wrong and hearing aids were in his future. “Come again?”
“I need you to help me plan my wedding,” John repeated, a little slower this time but with no less enthusiasm.
The words didn’t sound any less insane the second time.
Evan sank back in his chair, mentally calculating how many espresso shots John had consumed. His childhood friend had been known to over-indulge in caffeine when he was on a deadline, but the triple shot Evan had watched him drink wasn’t enough to twist the guy’s brain. And unless John had had a complete personality transplant, Evan could be certain his friend wasn’t high. Or drunk. That left one option.
John Peterson had finally lost his fucking mind.
“Evan? Hello?”
The wadded-up napkin bouncing off his forehead brought Evan’s focus back to the table. He downed what was left of his own coffee and set the now empty mug on the table with a thunk. He shook his head again. John was his oldest friend. He loved the guy. He did. But, “No.”
John’s chest deflated, his bony shoulders curling inward. “That’s it? Just, no?”
“What else do you want me to say? No way? Are you crazy?” Evan glanced at the table of young girls drinking lattes nearby before lowering his voice. “Not on your fucking life?” All were relevant in this situation.
Clearly frustrated, John blew out a breath. “I want you to say yes.”
Evan studied his friend, wondering if there was something to that whole body-snatching thing they’d seen in a movie as kids. The request didn’t make sense. Harebrained ideas were not part of John’s DNA. He wasn’t spontaneous. He wasn’t a romantic. John was a screenwriter who took his risks on paper, rarely in life.
And planning a wedding while the bride was out of the country was the very definition of risk.
“Come on, man,” John implored. “I can’t do this without you.”
“There’s a reason you can’t do this without me. Or with me. Dudes aren’t supposed to plan weddings. It’s the law.”
John rolled his eyes. “No, it isn’t.”
“Well, it should be.” Evan stared down at his empty mug, wishing it would magically refill. “The wedding is in two weeks. I don’t believe for one second that you let the details slip. You wanna tell me what’s really going on?” Although he had a good idea.
John shifted in his chair. “The network extended Chloe’s assignment. Again. Her delay home means we have to postpone the wedding. Again.”
Nailed it.
Chloe was a dedicated photojournalist for a major news network. Her schedule was as erratic as Evan’s was as a Navy SEAL. She and John had already pushed back the wedding date twice. Each time, John had complained about the loss of deposits and the ability to reschedule to their new preferred date, so he and Chloe had to basically start over with the preparations.
“When is she coming home?”
“Four weeks.”
Evan swore. Two weeks too late. “I’m not sure what’s worse—that the network is selfish enough to keep her away for a measly two extra weeks when they know you’re getting married or that Chloe agreed to the delay.”
“This, from the man who lets the Navy dictate his every move.”
Evan didn’t bother pointing out the differences between his job and Chloe’s, but John had a point. Evan had no business judging Chloe for doing exactly as he would’ve done—put the job first. That left one question.
“Is she staying safe?” Chloe’s desire for reporting the truth took her through some rough terrain.
John scratched his jaw. “The network might not care about her personal life, but her actual life they take very seriously. They have her back. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you about the political protests in South America. From what she tells me, and from what I’ve seen on the news, things have been relatively civil so far. She’ll be all right.”
Evan knew all about what was happening
in South America. His team received consistent briefings as to the political unrest happening in several areas. The situation was moderately civil now, but Evan knew how quickly things could change. He didn’t like the tension brewing any more than his superiors did. Since Evan couldn’t share his intel, he went with distraction.
“I still don’t see where Chloe’s extended work assignment leads to me helping you plan the next wedding,” he said, purposely redirecting John’s focus. “Why don’t you start over when she gets back, like you’ve done before?” A thought occurred. An out. “And anyway, Chloe won’t want my help. She thinks I’m bossy.” She’d been telling him so since the ninth grade.
“You are a pushy fucker, but there’s no need to worry. Chloe doesn’t know anything about this. I want it to be a surprise.”
Evan choked out a laugh. “Are you kidding me? A surprise wedding? Uh, uh, man. That’s an even harder no than before. That is, by far, the worst idea I’ve ever heard.” And that was saying something. He’d been through BUD/S, where ideas were the kind that resulted in him flat on his back in the sand while waves of freezing ocean crashed over him, literally, for hours on end.
“I wouldn’t say it’s the worst idea.” John’s fingers drummed against the tabletop. The guy was practically vibrating. “And besides, you haven’t heard my plan, so you can’t make assumptions until you do.”
Evan cocked a brow. “Exactly how many Red Bulls have you had?”
He’d seen John like this before, too many times to count. Whether it was John’s hyped-up ass over-running his plays in football, or whispering too loudly to Evan during the SAT’s—getting him kicked out so he had to take them again, or shouting a Marine’s oorah at the top of his lungs at Evan’s Naval graduation, John plus energy drinks never ended well for him.
John’s gaze darted to his fingers, and the drumming stopped. “I was up all night working on a new project proposal, but I’m not hyped on sugar. This is excitement. I’m going to marry my high school sweetheart, and I’m asking my best man to help plan my wedding.”
“I see what you did there.” Playing the “best man” card. Evan agreed to be best man more than a year ago—but the sentiment still warmed his chest. John was family. His brother-from-another-mother. Yeah, he was a pain in the ass sometimes, but John had been by Evan’s side through thick and thin. Of course he would stand by John’s side as he and Chloe committed their lives to each other. He’d be damn proud to be there.
Hot SEAL, Cold Feet Page 16