The man stared at the dispatch. An attempt had been made on one of the safe houses of the Left Hand. He snorted derisively. They would never catch him. The arrogance of these dogs will be their downfall.

22 days

The team had yesterday off after getting home so late the night before, but Hick hadn't been able to rest. Instead, he spent the entire day repainting the interior of the small bungalow house he owned near Ocean Beach. The rental on the apartment where he currently lived would be expiring soon. Hick wanted to be ready to move in by then. Besides, keeping busy kept his mind off Annabeth and he desperately needed a distraction from her. Ever since their conversation on the plane, he had a sinking feeling he was losing her and no idea how to fix it.

He had been so intent on finishing the painting that it was well after two in the morning before he dropped in the bed exhausted. Waking up after two hours of sleep for PT and work guaranteed today would suck and he had been right.  Now everything was done, and he could finally go home.

"Are you going out with us?" Railroad stood from the table and pulled his keys from his pocket. "Bruise is going to Olivia's, Cowboy is packing for Wyoming, and Finch disappeared for his time off hours ago. That leaves you, Toad and me."

The thought of his sofa, a cold beer and the television called to him. He didn’t even care to eat first, and that was saying something. However, going home didn’t mean he would be alone. The ghost of Annabeth would haunt his thoughts until he finally succumbed to sleep sometime in the wee hours. Yeah, no thanks. Better to go out with the guys for a while instead.

"Sounds good," Hick answered dully.

"Aces or Dirty Dan's?" Toad had joined them and stretched. "There'll be more women at Aces, but the food is better at Dan's. Plus, Dan's is still quiet and small."

"And Dan will be at there as well. I've noticed you watching her, Toad. Be careful with that one. She'll tear you apart and lose the pieces," Railroad laughed. "She's not one of the normal barracks bunnies looking to make it with a SEAL. She owns the place and knows how to handle herself. I'd rather not get thrown out of there. They have the best-overloaded fries in town."

"And Danielle has the best body I've seen in a while. If I keep it up, my overwhelming charm will win her over eventually." Toad clapped his hands together. "So Dan's it is?"

Hick groaned, and Railroad shook his head. "Yeah, that'll work. But if we get banned, I'm coming after you."

An hour later, dressed in their civvies, the three entered the quaint little bar to find it hopping busy for a change. Railroad caught a rather harried looking Danielle's attention from behind the bar. She lifted a hand in a wave then went back to throwing drinks together.

"Standing room only," Toad grumbled. Together the three worked their way through the shoulder to shoulder crowd to the bar. Elbowing in, they waited to catch Dan's attention again.

"Hey Railroad, Hick, Toad. Crazy tonight isn't it? Three on tap?"

They nodded as one and waited for their drafts to get there. Drinks in hand, Hick leaned over and shouted, "What happened? Not that I'm not happy for the success, but this crowd is intense."

Picking up her bar towel, Danielle pointed to a place on the wall behind her. Railroad read the framed print out loud. "The newest little sensation that nobody knows about, Dirty Dan's Pub has atmosphere, attitude and some of the finest food and craft beer you can find in San Diego." He grinned. "Congratulations, Dan. I guess those days of sitting and talking is over."

She barked a laugh. "I love the success, but I'm hoping it will tone down a lot. Ever since that article came out, I'm to the brim with college kids and yuppies out for an experience. That never was my target. I was thinking more of the neighborhood pub where friends could meet and spend some time together." She grinned largely, "And maybe pull in a few of the local hotties for eye candy."

Toad puffed out his chest. "See, I told you Dan likes me. She just called me a hottie."

"Oh, yes, of course, you too Toad. You're also welcomed to come around," she laughed at his put-on pout and turned back to help her harried bartender with orders. Beside him, Railroad and Hick roared in laughter.

"Shut down," Toad moaned. "My heart is broken."

"Got to have a heart to get it broken," Hick reminded him. "You've given yours away so many times there's no telling where it is now."

"I've loaned my body, but the heart is still safe." Toad patted his chest.

One of the tiny tables next to them paid their tab and got up to leave. Before the waitress could clear off the glasses, Hick was picking them up and dumping them into the bus pan beside the bar. Railroad snagged a bar towel to wipe off the surface and Toad dropped into a chair. Dan gave them a wink."Thanks, guys. First round on me," she told them over the crowd.

Railroad lifted his beer in a silent salute, and they settled in to enjoy a Friday evening. As was usual, it didn't take long before three women detached themselves from the crowd, sashaying over with sultry looks on their faces. "Heads up, here come the bunnies," he mumbled as he took a drink.

Toad sat up straighter and threw a smile on his face. "Ladies!" he called out. "Hello."

"Hi," purred a tall blonde. "I'm Brandy. The redhead is Sarah and behind her is Karmyn."

"With a K, not a C," piped up Karmyn, "and a y, not an e."

"Nice to meet you, Karmyn with a K and a y. I'm Toad with a T and a d, next to me is Railroad with two Rs, and across the way there is Hick - spell it like you hear it, plain and boring." He grinned charmingly. "Pull up a lap and let us buy you a drink. Something fruity unless I miss my guess."

Brandy giggled and turned to her friends. "I told you they were military. Did you hear the nicknames?"

Slowly, Hick closed his eyes. He was not in the mood for barrack bunnies tonight - the name given to women who chased military men to sleep with them. Instead, he drained the last of his beer and stood. "Here's a chair. I'm sure you can find a place for them to sit."

Toad snorted and pulled a pliable Brandy into his lap. "Yep, I've got a perfect place for you."

Sarah watched Hick for a moment then scooted around and placed a hand on his arm. "Are you alright?"

For a split second, Hick could almost see his Georgia in the woman standing beside him. They both had red hair, freckles, and deep green eyes. However, where Georgia had gorgeous womanly curves, Sarah was lithe and tall. The lack of a Southern twang was also obvious. This woman could never come close to the one who already possessed his thoughts.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Please excuse me, ladies. PT comes early in the morning." He pulled a bill out of his wallet and tossed it on the table. "The next round is on me. Enjoy."

Disentangling her hands from his arm, Hick gave the group a tight smile then worked his way out of the pub. Once outside, he took in a few deep breaths of the salty air then stuffed his hands into his pockets. Turning to the left, he walked away from the parking lot and stepped off onto the sand. Finding a bench, he dropped onto it and leaned back.

"She must be pretty special."

Hick's eyes flew open. Sarah stood by twisting her fingers nervously.

"Who?" Hick asked with a bit of confusion.

She slid her hands behind her thighs, flattening the slight flare of her skirt then sat down. "The woman that I'm not," she answered.

He pushed his hand through his hair. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude."

She laughed softly. "I didn't take any offense. I didn't even want to come out tonight, but Brandy guilted me into it." The salty air filled with the sigh of waves breaking on the shore before she continued in a soft tone.

"I saw you when you walked in with the other two. Brandy said she just knew you were in the navy and probably SEALs. To let you in on a secret, Karmyn bet Brandy she couldn't bag one of you."

Hick let out a disgusted breath. "Well, if she's after Toad, she has a good chance. He's the poster child for man-ho anonymous. Railroad is a bit more reserved. He's particular about who he dates. And then there's me."

"The emotionally unavailable one," Sarah finished.

"It's that obvious, huh?"

She smiled and gave a little shrug. "Maybe just a little bit. I've been down that road before; trying to get back into the dating game while getting over heartbreak. Did something happen to her?"

"Not exactly. Georgia... I mean Annabeth lives on the other side of the country."

"And long-distance relationships are hard."

Hick didn't know why he was so forthcoming with what was going through his mind. Perhaps it was because of Sarah's resemblance to Annabeth or maybe it was the obvious concern on  her face. Either way, it felt good to voice the uncertainty that plagued him.

"Yeah, really hard," he admitted. "We've been friends for a while now. With my job in the SEALs and hers in Atlanta, the logistics of getting together are almost impossible."

Sarah slid her foot out of the two-inch heels and buried her toes in the warm sand. Slowly she pulled them out, letting the sand trickle off the top. "My mother always said where there's a will there's a way. If you two want a relationship, then you'll have to work for it."

Hick leaned forward and braced his elbows on his knees. Staring out at the moon kissed waves, he considered her words. They had tried to work for it for a year now, but they were no closer to what he craved than the first night they met.

"She's on a date tonight," he said in a low voice.

"Ah. And you're not happy about that."

He looked at Sarah, but she kept her eyes on the breaking waves. "I want her to be happy. It's not fair to ask her to commit to me when there's so much working against us. She deserves better than that. I don't know what to do."

"Oh my God, are you serious?" Sarah jumped to her feet and glared at him. "Who are you to make that choice? You alpha males are all alike. You think you know what's best for others, but you have no clue." She started to pace slowly. "Here's an idea of what you should do. You should get your head out of your ass and talk to her. Why don't you call her and tell her how you feel?"

"And watch her run?"

Sarah snorted. "If she hasn't run from your career, then I'd say she thinks there's more than just friendship there. Seriously, what do you have to lose? You said yourself that there's a distance between you. You said the career makes things difficult. In my thinking, you're already experiencing the hardest part. Give the woman a chance to know her mind."

Her sudden outburst shocked Hick to his very core. This little spitfire stared him down as if daring him to take her advice. Suddenly he burst into laughter. "I think you just pulled my head out after all." He leaned back and pulled his phone out. He hesitated a moment. "What if she's still on her date? What if they are together?"

"What if she thinks you don't want her and you lose your chance?" She squeezed his arm and then slid on her shoes. "The world is full of what-ifs and antagonizing over them is just going to drive you crazy. I'm going to go find the others. Good luck, Hick."

He watched her make her way back to the raucous little pub down the street then stared at the screen in his hands. He made up his mind, pushed a button and waited for the call to connect.

"Hick?"

The hope in her voice was clear. With a smile, he replied, "Hey Georgia. You've been on my mind again."

 

 

Hick was calling her.

After the last conversation they had had, she wasn't sure how this would go. Then, he said those words that always made her smile.

"Hey. How are you?"

"I'm good. How was your date?"

The words came out tight as if he dreaded hearing the answer.

Letting out a heavy breath she blurted out, "It was a disaster. Andrew is an ass. I never even got to eat dinner. Not that there was much to eat anyway. Why is it the fancier the restaurant, the smaller the portions?"

He chuckled; his laughter was rich and full of light-hearted mirth. "I've never really understood that either. When I'm hungry, I want to eat a full meal, not nibble on a sliver of meat."

"Oh, speaking of meat, I ordered the pork belly dinner. It didn't look anything like bacon. I like mine crispy, not thick, lumpy and covered in a bunch of grass."

"I'll keep that in mind. No lumpy, limp, bacon for my Georgia. Got it. I'll remember that the next time I cook you breakfast."

He called her his Georgia and was planning on fixing her breakfast. Suddenly the uncertainty of the last few days was wiped away. She relaxed and snuggled into the cushion and cradled the phone. They sat in comfortable silence for a bit. She could sit there for hours and not say a word, just be content to know he was there on the other side.

"Is everything going okay with you?"

She nodded then remembered he couldn't see her. "Yeah, all's good here. How're the guys?"

"Cowboy's dad isn't doing very well, so he's on leave to be with his family."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I'll be praying for him."

Annabeth flipped off her television and curled up on her sofa. Snuggling down into her blanket, she felt the fear evaporate. "And the others?"

"Finch is on leave as well. I don't know what's going on with him. Bruiser is keeping his mouth shut about whatever it is. Bruise is so blissfully happy in love with Olivia; he stays with her as much as possible. Railroad is good, and Toad is his normal self."

"In other words, he's still womanizing," she guessed.

He laughed softly. "Yeah, pretty much. In fact, he was working on it tonight when I left the pub."

Annabeth felt her breath catch. "You were out at a pub?"

"Yeah, I was for a little bit."

"Oh." She chewed on her bottom lip a moment. "Do you want to get back to them?"

"No, Georgia. I want to talk to you. If I wanted to be in there with them, I'd be there."

"Really?"

"Yeah, honey." He blew out a breath. The line was silent for several moments. "Annabeth? Look, I think we need to have a long talk."

She felt her breath seize. Was this the end? Was he tired of being friends? "A talk about what," she asked with a tremor in her voice.

"Oh, it's nothing bad. I think we need to discuss things; discuss what's going on between us. Talk about this thing that's between us." He stammered over the words. "Because where we are now isn't working."

She swallowed and clutched the phone tighter causing the plastic to creak. "You sound unhappy."

"I am, Georgia. But not how you think." He sighed heavily again. "I'm messing this all up. Look, I know you are busy but how about after Phoenix we take some time together. I'd like to see where we are and maybe, where we can be. I don't know how else to explain it."

Her stomach tied in knots. Was Hick asking what she thought he was asking? Was he seriously talking about something more permanent between them? Her heart leaped into her throat at the thought, and she swallowed it down.

"Georgia? You there?"

"Yes, sorry, I'm here. I'd like that a lot, Hick. I can't promise I won't have to work some, but most of what I do can be handled remotely. How long do you think you can get? I know you never know when you have to go and how long you'll be gone."

"That's true. But, if I'm not already on a mission, I'll take some leave. Okay?"

"Okay."

She relaxed. Hick was going to take some time for them to spend together. It sounded too good to be true.

"Alright, honey. It's getting late there. I don't want to keep you from your beauty sleep, although you don't need it."

She giggled at his words. "It's always better to be safe than sorry."

Softly she heard him sing to her with his deep sexy baritone. Her toes curled, and a huge smile brightened her face. "Georgia on my Mind" hadn’t been one of her favorites until she heard him sing it. When he finished, she wiped a tear from her cheek. "Thank you, Hick. That was beautiful."

"Never be more beautiful than you, my sweet Georgia. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Hick."

The line went dead. Annabeth hugged her phone to her chest and lay back on the sofa. Only three weeks until Phoenix then she could spend some time alone with Hick. It sounded perfect, and she couldn't wait.