Chapter 6

 

Patrick flashed his ID and pulled onto Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek at 0600 Monday morning, easily maneuvering his large black SUV into an empty parking spot. He ground his jaw as he grabbed his gear from the back, wondering what the latest from the CO was.

The barbeque at his place had been a good time last night, but he hadn’t liked that Rebecca and Abby had driven away when it was over. So far they’d kept their sleepovers to the weekends, but now?

With her pregnant with his baby?

He wanted her in his bed every damn night.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he glanced down at the screen to see a text from Rebecca.

Just woke up. I was sick again this morning.

Which made three mornings in a row, he thought with a frown. He quickly thumbed a response.

Sorry, sweetheart. Hope you feel better before court.

Me too.

Hell. He was a man used to fixing things. Solving problems. Facing danger head on. It fucking killed him that she was waking up sick in the mornings, and he couldn’t do a damn thing about it. She’d said her morning sickness hadn’t started this early with Abby, but what the hell did he know about things like that?

He imagined he’d only worry more as her pregnancy went on.

His gaze swept over to Brent “Cobra” Rollins revving the engine on his motorcycle a few spaces down. Until recently, Brent had been the last single guy on their team. That had changed in a flash though with him rushing down to Florida to help Ella, a college student he’d met a couple of months ago. Brent had always been the biggest player on their team—a new woman every night. Patrick sure the hell never had expected to see him smitten with a woman.

Wonders never ceased.

“Ice,” Brent said in greeting, stashing his helmet and grabbing his gear for the day.

Patrick shook his head in disbelief. “I’m still in shock you brought Ella to the barbeque last night,” he said with a grin. “Glad you did though. She’s good for you.”

“There was no damn way I was leaving her down in Florida,” Brent said. “Not in that shithole of a cocktail lounge where she was working.”

“Understood,” Patrick said. “It sounded like a bad situation all around.”

“Understatement of the year. And hell. I sure as shit didn’t expect you to tell me last night that you and Rebecca were having a baby,” Brent said.

Patrick chuffed out a laugh. “Wasn’t exactly expecting it either. We haven’t announced it to everyone yet—we just found out over the weekend.”

“Shit. Well congrats, man, if I didn’t say it last night. Rebecca’s a good woman.”

“The best,” Patrick agreed as they fell in step beside one another walking toward the door. “The CO told me we might be headed out on an op soon.”

“No surprise. The world keeps turning, and we keep deploying all over it.”

Patrick smirked. “When did you get so philosophical?”

“The hell if I know. Must be an off morning or something.”

“I’m guessing it has more to do with Ella. Can’t say I ever saw it happening with you,” he said with a grin. “A relationship. But hell. Now every last man on the team is spoken for. Guess it’s Delta’s turn to chase after the women of Virginia Beach,” he said, referring to the other SEAL team on base.

Brent guffawed. “Yeah, let those guys have fun for a change. I heard they’re back in town this week, too. I wonder what’s up.”

Patrick frowned as he pulled open the door. “I’m guessing we’ll find out soon. The CO said we’re starting with a briefing this a.m. instead of PT.”

“It’s too fucking early for me,” Brent said.

“Hell, you’re in the Navy. What do you expect?”

They dropped their gear in the locker room and strode into the bullpen to see the CO, Captain Ryan Mitchell, already standing there, arms crossed and a frown on his face as he watched the newsfeed on a massive TV screen.

Patrick narrowed his gaze. It had been all over the news this morning that an American woman was missing in Afghanistan. Possibly taken hostage. Didn’t take two plus two to figure out this was the all-important situation unfolding that his CO had warned him about over the weekend. He ground his jaw.

Patrick’s team deployed all over the world. They’d conducted rescue operations numerous times. The fact that this shit was already all over CNN wouldn’t exactly help the situation. Or that the hostage in question was apparently an American civilian.

It was a little hard to keep an op under wraps when the media was intent on giving the public a play by play of every move.

Hell.

Ryan’s gaze swept toward him. “You heard the latest?”

“Affirmative. I assume this is what our briefing is about?”

“Roger that. The woman missing and presumed taken hostage is the daughter of a congressional aide—one connected to someone very high up in Washington. It doesn’t help matters that the media is all over this. I don’t know who the hell leaked that information, but it just makes our job harder. The Pentagon wants us to move in on a rescue op as soon as we get confirmation of her location.”

“Any idea when that’ll be?”

Ryan grunted. “Could be tomorrow. Could be a week from tomorrow. The fact that this shit is all over the news almost makes our mission FUBAR before we even started it. Damn it.”

The rest of the team came in, and the CO briefed them on the minimal information they had so far. The men all stood with hardened stares as they watched the briefing. Not one of them took the idea of harm coming to a woman lightly. And the fact that she was being held hostage? They were all protective, assertive alpha males. They were used to battling enemies unknown. Rushing into harm’s way with guns blazing. But to know an innocent woman was being held captive? That she’d potentially be tortured, raped, or killed?

Patrick’s blood boiled.

It was hard as hell to leave his son and Rebecca when he was sent out on operations, but this was why he became a SEAL in the first place. To help others. Defend the defenseless.

Duty called. And no matter how badly he was needed at home, he’d be the first on the plane.

 

***

 

Rebecca held her cell phone to her ear with one hand as she carried several plastic bags of groceries from her car to the house. The sunlight coming through the leaves on the trees danced on the driveway, and she smiled.

She’d always loved summer. Abby was out of school and had fun in camp every day. Soon they’d be packing up her house and planning their move into Patrick’s. They’d have new baby stuff to think about, new schedules to get used to—an entirely new life together.

It was almost hard to imagine coming home from court and having Patrick and Logan there, too. She was sure there’d be adjustments all around, but life was feeling pretty fantastic at the moment. And didn’t that say something after a hectic Monday.

“Yeah, I just pulled in the driveway a minute ago,” she said into her phone. “I had to stop by the grocery store and pick up a few things. Abby’s inside with our nanny.”

“Hell,” Patrick said over the phone. “You shouldn’t be carrying heavy things like groceries. You’re pregnant.”

Rebecca burst into laughter as she slid the key into the lock and pushed open the front door. “I’m barely pregnant at this point,” she said quietly, shutting the door behind her. “Yeah, it’ll be a pain six months from now—”

“And by then, we’ll be living together. And I’ll do the grocery shopping.”

“And what if you’re deployed?” she asked, waving hi to Abby and her nanny, currently sitting in the living room working on a craft.

Patrick grumbled over the phone.

“Seriously, I’m fine. I mean, I was sick again earlier, but I’m perfectly fine to carry the groceries in. Although I have to admit, the grocery store has never looked so unappealing in my life. It’s tough to buy food when you don’t want to eat a single thing.”

“I can imagine. Sorry I didn’t get a chance to call you earlier today. I knew you were in court this morning, and I had training this afternoon. What’d the doctor say? Did you get a chance to call them?”

“No problem. I know we both had busy days,” Rebecca said, setting all the grocery bags on the counter. She kicked off her heels right there in the kitchen and poured herself a glass of iced tea. “It’s just like I expected—they don’t want me to come in for another month. The first appointment doesn’t need to be until eight weeks.”

“Hmmm.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I just don’t know when I’ll be gone again—or for how long. I feel like I should be there with you.”

“Well, if I have to go alone, I have to go alone. It’s not the end of the world. I mean, if I went in this week, they’d just have me pee in a cup. It’s too soon for ultrasounds or to see anything. Besides, there’ll be tons and tons of doctor appointments, and as long as you’re there at the birth….”

“God, that would be hell to be deployed then. We’ll figure something out as it gets closer. I’m not missing the birth of my child.”

Rebecca let out a sigh. Soldiers and sailors deployed all the time. The military couldn’t plan around each and every birth. Goodness, hadn’t Alison just joked the other night that it was a good thing she worked in the ER in case Evan was deployed when their baby arrived? At least Rebecca had been through it all before. It was scary enough giving birth the first time around even with your husband or significant at your side. But going through it alone for the first time? The thought was downright terrifying.

“Did you see the news today?” she asked. “An American woman was kidnapped in Afghanistan. I was listening to updates on the radio on my way home—I can’t imagine how terrifying that must be.”

“It’s an unfortunate situation,” Patrick said, his voice calm.

A beat passed, and Rebecca pressed her lips together.

Right.

Of course he couldn’t say anything. Because if a woman was in fact kidnapped, who’d be rushing in to save her? The U.S. military, and there was a definite possibility that Patrick’s SEAL team could be involved. She didn’t like that he was always deploying to dangerous places, putting his own life in danger, but she was proud of what he did. And he would never be the type of man to sit around at a desk all day, pushing paperwork, watching the action from afar.

He needed to be in the midst of it. Rushing in to beat the bad guys and jumping out of airplanes. It many ways, the two of them couldn’t be more different. Their lives, their careers, everything. Yet, somehow, it worked for them.

“I need to get Abby dinner,” she said, changing the subject. “Are you home already?”

“Leaving base. I just wanted to check on you since I didn’t get a chance earlier.”

“I love you,” Rebecca said quietly. “Let’s talk later tonight.”

“I wish I could be there again tonight. It was rough as hell having you and Abby leave last night after dinner was over.”

“I know, it’s just easier on a work night to stay here at my own house. I have to get Abby off to summer camp in the morning, and she moves much faster at home.”

“Want me to call up a moving truck?” Patrick quipped.

“I think I’d need to pack first,” Rebecca said with a laugh. “Plus, I need to rent out the house—or sell it. I can contact a realtor this week to start getting some ideas about what’s the best option right now. Renting is a pain, but if it would be better to hold off on selling, I’ll do it.”

“I’ll ask around,” Patrick said. “There’s always people coming and going on base—moving in and out of the area. I’ll see if I can get any recommendations so we can speed things up a bit.”

“In a big hurry, are you?” Rebecca teased.

“Hell yeah. That’s an affirmative, ma’am.”

She laughed and then said goodbye so he could get home to Logan and she could get dinner started for Abby. Life would definitely be easier when they were all under one roof.

She blew out a breath, her wispy bangs ruffling in the air. There were so many changes going on at the moment, she wasn’t sure she could handle anything else.