A SEAL Always Wins

by Holly Castillo

  “Thank you.” She had hoped he was about to tell her he had made a mistake, that he really wanted her and never should have pushed her away. The compliment kept things exactly as they should be—professional and courteous. She needed to remember that, and the very important fact he already had a woman in his life.

  She turned back for the barn. “Your first horse show will be this weekend. I’ve already made all the arrangements. I think you’re going to find competing in horse shows addictive. I know it is for me.”

  Phantom followed behind her silently, and she wondered what he was thinking. Was he nervous about his first horse show? Or was he feeling just as conflicted as she was about the undeniable attraction between them?

  They worked together to put Strawberry in her stall and give her fresh oats and hay. The sun had started to set, creating long shadows down the aisle of the barn, as Elena stepped out of the feed room and nearly collided with Phantom. Then he surprised the hell out of her with his question. “Would you like to stay for dinner?”

  * * *

  Phantom didn’t know why he had asked her to stay for dinner. It had been impulsive. He hadn’t wanted his time with her to be finished already. With her around, all the ugly and dark things he knew existed in the world seemed far, far away, unable to enter the circle of joy and excitement that seemed to follow Elena everywhere she went.

  She wiped her hands on her jeans and gave him a hesitant smile. “I’d enjoy that.”

  The dining room and kitchen were loud and boisterous as the team gathered to eat dinner. Elena turned to Phantom before stepping into the room and crashed into his chest. He caught her by the shoulders to steady her and felt the warmth of her skin through her shirt. His heart kicked up.

  “Sorry,” she mumbled. “Where can I go to freshen up?”

  He cleared his throat. “There’s a bathroom just around the corner.”

  She nodded, a blush staining her cheeks as she took a half step back. He realized belatedly he still held her shoulders, and he released her quickly. She turned and headed in the direction of the bathroom, and he swallowed hard. His resolve to keep a safe distance from her was in serious jeopardy.

  He quickly went to the bathroom in his bedroom and washed up, returning to the hallway just as Elena emerged. Together, they walked into the dining room, and the team greeted her enthusiastically. Anya pushed through the group and embraced her friend. “I wasn’t expecting you for dinner tonight! This is a nice treat.”

  “Phantom asked, and I couldn’t say no to some of Snap’s cooking.”

  “Thank you!” Snap called from where he hovered over the stove in the kitchen. “It’s nice to know that someone appreciates all my talent and hard work.”

  Santo approached Elena with a big grin on his face. “It’s good to see you again. You hang out at the barn too much.”

  Elena shrugged as she smiled up at him. “It is where I work, you know. You could always come out and say ‘hi.’”

  “When we aren’t working the ranch, I’ll have to keep that in mind.”

  Phantom scowled at Santo. What kind of game is he playing? We’ve already talked about Elena. Is he seriously going to try to pursue her? Fuck, I’m the one that invited her to stay for dinner.

  “What’s for dinner, Snap?” Phantom asked, stepping farther in the room. Santo glanced up at him, and they stared at each other for several moments before Santo turned from him and picked up a conversation with Brusco.

  “Enchiladas, my specialty. You couldn’t have picked a better night, Elena.” Snap chuckled.

  “See what happens when you compliment him?” Phantom asked, moving to stand near Elena.

  She looked up at him with the bright smile that made him feel as if his stomach was turning flips. “He’s harmless. Let him have his fun.”

  Her words nearly made him laugh. If only she knew the kind of harm Snap could cause. He was a deadly force to reckon with. He wondered how Elena would react if she knew the truth about who they all were. Would the trust between them be broken completely?

  “Elena, I’d like you to meet the newest partner here on the ranch,” Stryker said, and Lobo stepped forward. “This is Lobo.”

  Lobo extended his hand to her. “Anya speaks favorably about you.”

  Elena smiled at him. “Don’t believe everything you hear. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Soup’s on!” Snap announced. “Grab it while you can.”

  Elena hesitated, and Phantom urged her forward before the guys could beat her to it. “Guests first.”

  After grace had been said, they all dug into the delicious enchiladas Snap had made. Phantom knew Snap was an exceptional cook, but it was too much fun to pick on him. He glanced over at Elena, who seemed to be enjoying the food the same as everyone else.

  “So,” Santo said, pausing in his eating for a moment, “when you aren’t training horses and wayward cowboys, what do you do, Elena?” Phantom hadn’t failed to notice that Santo had elected to sit directly across from her.

  She finished chewing and smiled. “Puzzles.”

  “Puzzles? As in the thousand-piece monsters that take the patience of a saint?” Santo quirked an eyebrow at her.

  “Sometimes I’ll do those, but not often. No, I like puzzles of all kinds.”

  “What other kinds of puzzles are there?” Brusco asked.

  “Well, there’s my favorite, the Rubik’s Cube, but I’ve already got that one figured out, so I only fiddle with it when I don’t have another puzzle handy. Then there are grid puzzles, riddles, and math puzzles.”

  “Wait, did you just say that you’ve figured out the Rubik’s Cube?” Brusco asked.

  “Don’t even get her started on all this,” Anya groaned.

  “No, this is getting good,” Phantom argued. “I’d like to know how she figured out the cube.”

  “Most puzzles are all about math and patterns. The Rubik’s Cube can be solved with an algorithm. There’s a really simple pattern to making it happen, and you can do it in just a handful of moves.”

  “Sure. I’ll believe it when I see it,” Stryker said, chuckling.

  “I’ll have to bring my cube with me next time I’m out here to prove it to y’all.”

  “See what you started?” Anya glared at Santo. “You won’t be able to get this to stop now.”

  Elena laughed and elbowed Anya. “Yeah, you make a lot of noise about something you brag about being able to do too. And who taught you?”

  Anya rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Rub it in.”

  “What about cards?” Santo asked as they began to wrap up the meal. “Do you enjoy playing cards?”

  Phantom wanted to growl at Santo. He wasn’t getting the chance to have any type of conversation with Elena. He didn’t know exactly what he would talk to her about in front of the entire group, but he didn’t have a chance with Santo dominating the table.

  “No, no, no. Bad idea, Santo. Seriously. You think it’s crazy that she likes puzzles? Did you miss the part where she talked about math? That’s what cards are all about.” Anya shook her head at Santo.

  “So you think you’re good?” Santo asked, his gaze never leaving Elena’s face.

  A smirk crossed her lips and she shrugged. “I win from time to time.”

  “Good. Let’s get this stuff cleaned up and play. What’s your poison?”

  “I suppose it depends on how many people are playing. Personally, I prefer spades.”

  “I’m playing,” Phantom said instantly. He had invited Elena to stay for dinner to be with him, not to hang out with Santo.

  “Count me out,” Anya said. “I know what’s coming.”

  “I’m in,” Buzz said.

  “Perfect. Elena and I will be one team,” Phantom said quickly before Santo could speak up.

  “Game on,” Santo grinned. They clean
ed the dining room and kitchen in record time, and Phantom led Elena to a part of the house he knew she hadn’t seen yet—their game room.

  “Must be real hard on all of you when you have downtime,” she said sarcastically as she looked around.

  “Yes, it’s nice to have. To tell you the truth, though, we hardly get to use it. There’s always work to be done.”

  “That’s what happens when you have seven men trying to manage such a large ranch all on their own. Lots of work to be done and never enough time in the day to take care of it all.” A curious look crossed her face. “Why did you ask me to stay for dinner?”

  Phantom nearly choked on the beer he had been sipping, completely caught off guard. He studied her face for several moments, trying to think of the best way to approach his answer. “I like having you around. You’re always happy, always optimistic. It’s nice.”

  She watched him intently, then opened her mouth as though she was about to say something, but Santo and Snap came into the room, followed by Brusco and Lobo. “From the way Anya’s talking, you two are about to die painful, merciless deaths,” Brusco teased Santo and Snap.

  Elena turned from him and sat at the table, a grin once more on her face. Phantom sat across from her and wished he could ask everyone to leave so he could talk to her in private. He wanted to know what she had been about to say.

  “I think Anya’s just trying to scare us away from the game to make her friend look good. We’ve got this,” Snap said smugly.

  Several hands later, Snap wasn’t anywhere near as smug, because Elena and Phantom were stomping them in the dirt. “Okay, new rules,” Santo said, sighing heavily. “From now on, Elena and Phantom aren’t allowed to partner up. They are an impossible force to conquer.”

  “You’re just being a sore loser.” Phantom laughed and out of the corner of his eye saw Elena’s face light up. He must have done something right.

  Just a few hands later, Santo and Snap conceded defeat, much to the laughter and cheers of Brusco and Lobo. “That has to be the best game of spades I’ve ever seen,” Lobo chuckled.

  “I’ve learned my lesson,” Santo groaned as he stood. “I’m never going up against someone who loves math again.”

  “Math may play a role, as I work out the probability of each hand we’ve been dealt. More than anything, though, it depends on having a great partner who’s ready to jump in and run the hand with you,” Elena said, smiling at Phantom. His heart did a somersault.

  Elena stood with the rest of them, and Santo gave her a brief hug. “Good game, Elena. I think you missed your true calling and should have gone to Vegas.”

  She chuckled. “I’m much happier with horses than gambling. Thanks for the great night, guys. I need to get home, though. It’s already past my bedtime.”

  Phantom glanced down at his watch, startled at the late hour. He had been so enthralled in watching Elena’s talent with the game and trusting her with every move they made that time had slipped away. “I’ll walk you out.”

  The sound of crickets and cicadas filled the otherwise quiet night air. Their boots crunched on the gravel as they walked to her truck, and Phantom felt he needed to say something to fill the silence. What do you tell her? That you want her even though you pushed her away, even though you’re all wrong for her?

  “I enjoyed tonight. It was a nice change of pace.” Elena broke their silence as she stopped in front of her truck door.

  “Different than your usual night of puzzles?”

  “I like a simple life. What can I say?” She shrugged.

  “Elena, about the other day… I need to explain…”

  “No.” She shook her head. “No explanation necessary. It’s in the past, and we should just forget about it and move on. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

  Trying? Did that mean she was having a hard time forgetting how it felt to be pressed together, tasting each other, same as him? “Be careful driving home. You know the deer out here can be bad late at night.”

  She grinned. “I know. I’ve been out here longer than you have, remember? You’re still a newbie as far as I’m concerned.”

  He opened the truck door for her and waited until her taillights disappeared down the road before turning back to the house. He found Santo in the kitchen, and his temper flared. “Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?” he demanded, storming up to Santo.

  Santo raised an eyebrow at him. “Debating on a snack. You have a problem with that?”

  “You know what I’m talking about. What are you trying to do?”

  “She’s a strong, beautiful woman. Someone here should try to win her over, if possible. If you won’t, I might as well try.”

  Phantom’s hands curled into fists at his sides. “Elena deserves everything good life has to offer. What exactly do I have to offer her? I could be the worst thing to ever happen to her.”

  “Fine. You think you aren’t good enough? Then I’ll try.”

  “And exactly what do you have to offer her? None of us are good enough for her. We’ll be handing her a life of anxiety and uncertainty. She doesn’t deserve that.”

  “Is that what you think Stryker is giving Anya?” Santo asked, his tone tense. “You think she doesn’t deserve better? Or you think Stryker is giving her a raw deal? It’s one or the other.”

  Phantom took a step toward Santo, his muscles bunching with the need to strike out at his friend. “I don’t believe either of those things. It isn’t the same. Anya’s comfortable with the life we live, and Stryker is going to bend over backward to give her the world.”

  “You saying you wouldn’t do the same for Elena?”

  “You’re deliberately twisting this around, and you’re starting to piss me off,” Phantom growled.

  “If we need to step outside so you can throw a few punches and feel better about yourself, I’m game.” Santo’s eyes were narrowed, a muscle twitching in his jaw.

  “Elena is off-limits. If I need to pound that into your brain to get you to understand, then I’ll do just that.”

  “Excuse me, guys,” Buzz said, stepping between them and heading for the freezer. “I’m in need of some ice cream. Don’t stop fighting for my sake. It’s been rather entertaining so far.”

  Phantom stepped back to give Buzz room, and the ridiculousness of the situation hit him. Santo had been by his side through some hellish times over the years, and he knew his friend would never try to do anything to hurt him. He looked away from Buzz and back at Santo and gave a half-hearted smile. “Shit, man, I’m sorry.”

  Santo smiled. “I’m not. I hoped some healthy competition would get you to see the light.”

  “You mean you were deliberately trying to tick me off?”

  “I was deliberately trying to get you to see the prize you are letting slip away right underneath your nose. Snap was right the other day when he said she only has eyes for you. It’s clear to everyone she’s interested in you. Why are you fighting it so hard?”

  Buzz finished fishing around in the freezer and emerged triumphantly with a tub of ice cream, grabbed a spoon, and nodded to them with a broad smile on his face as he left the room. Phantom shook his head. “She’s special, bro. She’s so strong and independent and stubborn as hell. She needs a good man at her side, and I don’t know that I can be the partner she deserves.”

  “You’ll never know if you don’t try. The two of you work well together. It’s obvious you get along by the way you were in sync throughout the entire game tonight. It’s worth a shot.”

  “If things get serious enough, I’ll have to tell her the truth about why we’re really here. She’s all about trust. That alone could be a deal breaker.”

  “All of us know the risks we’re taking out here. If she can’t come to terms with what you’re doing, it wasn’t meant to be in the first place.”

  Phantom sighed heav
ily. Everything Santo said made sense. He couldn’t bear the thought of another man being in Elena’s life. Still, he didn’t know if he could handle losing her once he finally had her. “Shouldn’t I try to keep my relationship with her professional? Hell, I’m her client.”

  Santo began to laugh so hard he nearly doubled over. “Yeah, good luck with that,” he said when he gathered his breath. “Once you fail miserably, and you will, you owe me a steak at that really expensive place in Laredo.”

  Phantom smiled at his friend. “I don’t think I’m willing to take that bet.”

  Chapter 12

  “I still can’t believe you made the choice to live out at the ranch,” Evie said.

  Anya wiped refried beans off her lips and took a big sip of sweet tea before responding. “Is there a reason I shouldn’t have?”

  “It just seems so fast. I know, I know.” Evie held up her hands. “You said you know when it’s right, it’s right. Given my past, I have a hard time putting my faith in that.”

  Elena glanced back and forth between her two friends and shrugged. “If it’s what makes you happy, I say go for it. I’m glad you’re finally back at work, though.”

  “I’m glad to be back too. I was going stir-crazy at home.”

  “Home. You do realize you just referred to the ranch as your home.” Elena bit down into her potato, egg, and chorizo taco, enjoying the heat from the spices as she chewed. It was almost hot enough. She reached for the pica sitting in the middle of the table and slathered some generously over her taco. She glanced up when she realized Anya was taking too long to reply. Evie also watched Anya closely.

  Anya wore a sappy smile, and Elena knew they were about to hear about Stryker. “It’s where he is. That’s home for me. Wherever he is.”

  Elena tried not to choke on her taco. Her best friend had never been the type to go moony over a guy. She was a successful veterinarian, had built her business from the ground up, and had always joked that she would never need a man. She was independent, and fierce and…everything that Elena had thought had made all three of them so similar. Which now had her doubting herself.