by Melody Anne
“Yep, the pollywog revolt. Most aren’t brave enough to do much, knowing the punishment the next day will be too much to make it worth it,” Mallory said.
“Yeah, I knew if I was going to be in it, I was going to dive in all the way. My mindset was that I made it through way worse training than anything these guys could throw at me, so I went all in,” Green said with a laugh.
“But I bet you were pretty creative,” she said.
“Yep. I joined about thirty other sailors standing at attention who were getting their orders for the day. The boatswain’s chief petty officer told us we had a free day to revolt. But he also warned us of the payback coming the next day. He said it was our lives to gamble with. He also told us any revolt would have consequences.”
“He can’t tell you that you can’t revolt,” Mallory said, horrified.
“Nope, but he could scare the living hell out of all of them. I just laughed to myself. He stood six four and was well over two hundred pounds of solid muscle. No one dared mess with him — at least up until that point. I figured he didn’t have much experience with guys like me.”
“You messed with your boatswain’s chief petty officer?” She gasped. The story was getting good.
“Ah, the good old days,” Green said as he leaned back and looked at the stars. “After quarters I got with a couple of the shipmates and told him we had to get the sonofabitch. Out of six or seven guys I talked to, only one stepped up to the plate. His name was Ty. He wasn’t too confident the plan would work but he had a fighter’s spirit, and a few screws loose, and I liked it. Actually, him and I became pretty good friends after that day”
“Yeah, I can see why,” Mallory said with smirk in her voice.
“I told him to go to engineering berthing and grab three or four feather pillows, cut them open, and dump the feathers into a bag. I headed to the mess-deck to steal a five-gallon bucket of maple syrup.”
“You didn’t?” Mallory gasped. “No way did you pull that off.”
She could feel Green’s smile grow wide. “That’s pretty much what Ty said. He looked completely dumbfounded and asked if we were going to tar and feather the chief. I told him we were going to make him look like Big Bird.”
Mallory was laughing so hard Green had to stop for a minute. He waited. “Please tell me you have a picture,” she demanded.
“Let me finish the story,” he said.
She was still giggling, but she zipped her lips and waited.
“I made it to the mess-deck and grabbed the five-gallon bucket, then had the cook tight on my ass as I ran through the ship. The only thought on my brain at that point was about how much damn trouble I was about to get into, but I’d come too far to turn back, so I ran forward. It was a good thing I was fast.”
“Did you get away from the cook?” she asked.
“Yep, I reached the starboard weather deck, and Ty was there. We didn’t give ourselves time to think. I ran up to the chief with a big smile on my face. He looked down and asked what I had in the bucket. I simply said, you want to see what I have, and then I emptied the entire bucket of syrup all over him. He was so dumbfounded, he didn’t move. I quickly stepped back, and Ty rushed forward, opening his bag and letting the wind do the work. Man, you should’ve seen the number of feathers flying. And at least half the bag stuck to the chief.”
“Holy cow,” Mallory gasped.
“Yep, he did look a lot like Big Bird. I’m telling you, the man was huge,” Green said.
“What did he do?” Mallory gasped.
“Well, nothing that day. He couldn’t,” Green said. “But before we ran away, I saw the light in his eyes and knew payback would be hell. I didn’t care. It was well worth it,” Green told her.
“I bet. You had to be celebrities on the ship after that.”
“Hell yes, we were. I’m sure I’m still a legend . . . no, I know I am,” Green said as he puffed out his chest.
“What happened on initiation day?” she said.
His grin fell. “Well, it was pure hell, but I took it like a man. My day began as I was rolled out of bed at 0400 hours by the chief himself. He took me down so hard I came up fighting, punching at the presence in front of me. It could have been ten men; I wasn’t going to stop until I heard my master chief’s voice tell me to stand down. The two of them had woken me from a dead sleep, what did they expect? As soon as I heard him, I came to attention.”
“And then the pain began?” she asked.
“Yep, the berthing was a madhouse. All of us pollywogs had to dress inside out and backward, line up on our hands and knees, and crawl through a line of men who slapped the crap out of us with firehoses. The chief himself had a special hose for Ty and me, and I think my ass was red for a week.”
“Still worth it?” Mallory asked.
“One thousand percent worth it,” he said with a grin. “We crawled through gunk and were fed slop I wouldn’t give an animal, though they’d probably like it since they think deer poop is gourmet dining.”
“True,” she said.
“Ty and I were put through a few more rounds than the others, but at the end of the day we were officially shellbacks, and the punishment was well worth the revolt.”
“Was that the end of it?” Mallory asked.
“Yep, that was the end. After that the chief and I were friendly. It’s easy to think everyone respects anyone who went through SEAL training but, I think, he had some respect for me as a person, which meant quite a bit to me back then. As a matter of fact, I even went on a date with his daughter.”
“Oh really?” She raised her brow.
“Yeah, but I was nineteen and she was seventeen, so it didn’t go anywhere.” He pulled her tight to him. “And now I’m here with you and I couldn’t be happier.”
“Good save,” she told him as she turned sideways, one of his legs over her lap, taking the kiss he was offering. He pulled back, a mysterious light in his eyes.
Then Green stood and held out his hand. “Do you want to do something crazy?” he asked, and she felt her belly clench.
“It depends,” she said. She found, though, that with this man she wanted to do all sorts of things that were normally out of her comfort zone.
“You just have to agree, and I promise you won’t regret it.”
She reluctantly gave him her hand and stood. He reached behind her and undid the strap of her bikini, watching it fall to the ground. She immediately covered her breasts as she looked around.
“It’s two in the morning and everyone’s locked up inside. Let’s skinny dip,” he said. He stepped back and dropped his shorts, his impressive arousal standing at attention.
Mallory felt a surge of heat and humor at the same time. She only hesitated another brief moment before sliding her fingers into her bikini bottoms and pushing them down her legs. The desire in his eyes was her reward.
“You need some cooling off,” she assured him before she held her chest and ran to the water, diving in only a millisecond before Hendrick joined her.
They stopped trying to solve the world’s problems as they splashed and played in the water for nearly an hour, doing lots of touching and kissing as they played catch and release.
Finally, Hendrick scooped her up in his arms and swiftly walked back to their blanket where he carefully laid her down and covered her body with his own.
“It seems most of you confirmed bachelors have fallen. Who do you think will go down next?” she asked with a laugh, her arms wrapped around him as they lay beneath the moonlight, water beaded on their skin.
“I don’t know, but I do know there’s no way I want to talk about any of the men on my team when I’m about to slide inside of you,” Hendrick said as he nudged her thighs apart.
“Mmm, good thinking,” she said, the laughter ebbing as she looked into his passionate eyes.
He leaned down and kissed her, and then they stopped talking as he showed her again how much pas
sion the two of them shared. This might be the beginning of their journey, but she had no more doubts that they were going to finish the adventure together.
The real world would step back in when they returned to Washington, but this fairy tale she’d found with Hendrick was going to end with a happily ever after, and she was the mermaid princess for the first time in her life.
Epilogue
It was the Fourth of July, and Smoke had been serenading his team with Christmas music, making them all moan and groan as they performed security for a large Anderson family gathering. Joseph hadn’t been happy with how easily his home had been breached, and Brackish was in heaven revamping the entire system. It was a process that took a lot of time, though, with a place the size of Joseph’s estate.
Two weeks had passed since they’d returned from Fiji. Their lives had changed in the past few months, making the days feel like years instead of a short period of time. They’d accomplished so much in their work and personal lives, so it was easy to see how time could stop having any meaning.
Three out of five of their team members had fallen in love, and now, all eyes were on Smoke and Eyes, the last two bachelor’s of the group. Though, from the sparks that had flown in Fiji, it didn’t appear as if they’d be single much longer.
“Sleigh bells ring, are you listening . . .” Smoke began singing yet another Christmas song. Then the air shifted.
“Hold up,” Green said, all humor dropping from his voice. The team was instantly on alert. No one asked questions, no one said a word. They waited. They knew that tone, and they knew the recon had gotten serious . . .
Green put his hand over the team comm system, only speaking to Smoke.
“It’s hard to tell right now, but can you confirm what I think I’m seeing?” Green asked.
Smoke quietly lifted his own binoculars and took in the view.
They were up in the hills, staring down at the private beach the entire Anderson family was currently on. The sun was beginning to set, casting a stunning sunset over the water, painting the skies vivid colors of pinks, purples, and blues that seemed to just be for the Andersons. The other members of their team were down there with the family, eating, drinking, and laughing while remaining on alert.
“At the second bend, just before going out of sight, it looks like a boat with a person looking through binoculars at the Anderson party. Look through the trees. It won’t show up easily,” Green said as Smoke found the location.
Smoke smoothly transitioned his point of focus to the area. The sun was playfully bouncing off the small ripples in the otherwise smooth water that lapped against the shore of Joseph and Katherine’s property. The beach had been carefully crafted, sand brought in, and a large oasis for fun-in-the-sun had been built many years ago.
“Yep, I see it. Your young eyes aren’t tricking you,” Smoke said. “I see the reflection in the binoculars. What has them so interested in the family? Do you think it’s reporters?”
“Could be nothing more than tourists wanting to get some pictures of the Andersons, but I don’t like it,” Green said.
“Are your Spidey senses tingling?” Smoke asked. He was joking, but they were both taking it seriously. Someone studying a family they were protecting was a serious matter.
“Call it in,” Smoke said.
“We have a boat coming down the river, hugging the bank approximately nine hundred yards to the beach,” Green said to the team. “Binoculars can be seen. We don’t know how many are on board.”
The Andersons loved the Fourth of July, enjoying their time each year celebrating the freedoms that had allowed them to not only prosper themselves, but to give tens of thousands of people jobs, lifting those employees and contractors up with wages and benefits better than any other company in Seattle and her surrounding cities.
The Andersons also knew the sacrifices that had been made over the hundreds of years their beloved country had been forming and growing. Those sacrifices had allowed them to be in the position they were currently in. That was why they’d created the veterans center and why they gave so much money and time to Wounded Warriors. It was the men and women who answered the call that allowed the Andersons to be in the position they were in. Because of that, the Fourth of July was their second biggest celebration of the year. Katherine’s birthday was number one because Joseph insisted none of his success would be worth it or possible without his wife at his side, and her birth deserved to be a national holiday.
“I hope this is nothing. The family has had a great day so far,” Green said.
“Yeah, I’m not usually into the family party thing, but I’ve been a little bummed to miss out on their different events,” Smoke told him.
“I know. Did you see the kids’ faces at that parade?” Green asked, his eyes never straying from the boat inching closer to the shoreline.
“Yeah, those kids are far outnumbering the adults. They looked like ducks scattering on a pond as people throw bread. I was half expecting them to drop to their knees and start pecking at the candy being thrown from the floats,” Smoke said in a deep chuckle.
“I laughed so hard I about peed when Mark Anderson joined in with the kids and came up with two handfuls of candy,” Green said.
“He was like a madman, running around while the kids tugged on his shirt and jumped up at him, trying to get his candy,” Smoke said.
“Mark is most definitely an overgrown child,” Green said.
“Like we aren’t?” Smoke asked. “If we were down there, we’d have been grabbing and running, then bribing the kids with the candy.”
“Very true,” Green said. “Who needs money when you have candy to bargain with?”
“But when that VFW float came into view with men and women in their uniforms — young and old, walking along, their shoulders back, their chins held high — all of the horseplay stopped,” Smoke said with respect.
“Yeah, and they were playing the Star-Spangled Banner, not blasting Christmas carols,” Green pointed out. “My respect grew deeper for Mark when he stopped, and he and the kids all stood at attention to give respect to the servicemen and women. I was very impressed, looking down the line of the family and seeing them all showing the same respect.”
“Jasmine’s still my favorite,” Smoke said. “When the parade paused right then, she took one of the younger girls, walked to the float, and handed one of the older men a small flag. His face lit up when Jasmine and the younger Anderson thanked him for his service.”
“Yep, if I was a softer man I might’ve teared up over that one,” Green said.
“Ha, I’m sure you did,” Smoke teased. But there was no doubt they’d both choked a bit at that one.
Green and Smoke had moved positions after the parade and had been watching the Anderson property ever since, while the family played games, barbequed, and set fireworks off amidst music, talking, and laughing a heck of a lot.
They’d just started to settle down to get ready for the fireworks display in the sky when the boat came back into view, making Green and Smoke nervous.
As was the tradition for the past twenty years, except one year when they were utterly rained out, Joseph and Katherine set off the first firework for their family. Then a hired company put on a show that rivaled the shows most towns put on across the country. Outside of Christmas, Joseph spent more on the Fourth than any other holiday.
“Sleep, how’s it going down there?” Green asked.
“We have our eyes on the boat. But Joseph’s getting ready to speak so we’re standing back and watching without upsetting the family,” Sleep replied.
“I agree. I don’t want to jump the gun,” Green said. “But my gut’s telling me something’s off.”
“Mine too. We’re watching. Eyes is in position near the water, and Brackish is close to Joseph. I’m in between.”
“Sounds good,” Green said.
Joseph started talking, and they all remained silent. “My
beautiful family and friends, thank you for being here today,” Joseph started. He didn’t need the microphone, his booming voice easily carrying across the beach. Katherine laughed as he began speaking and stepped back from him so her eardrums wouldn’t get rattled. She smiled lovingly up at him from about a dozen yards away. “My lovely Katherine and I are going to light the first firework in just a few minutes, but I wanted to remind us all again why we’re here.”
“Because we’re free to be here,” someone called out.
“Exactly!” Joseph said with a proud smile. “We live in the greatest country in the world, and while we celebrate our freedoms, we also appreciate all of our diversity and opportunities. We appreciate the men and women who have served our nation, and we celebrate new beginnings. Happy Fourth of July to all of us. Let’s continue to celebrate and appreciate all we have.”
There was a round of applause as Joseph stepped aside and began moving toward his wife.
“Eyes, the boat is creeping along the shoreline now. He isn’t out for a leisurely float on the river. He’s just moved around the bend and is staying way too close to the shore,” Green conveyed to the team, the stress in his voice unmistakable.
Eyes was well on his way to the area Green had mentioned, but the urgency in Green’s voice got Sleep and Brackish moving faster to the same area, trying not to cause a scene and startle any of those in attendance.
“A person from the boat exited next to the bank, coming toward the beach,” Green informed the team.
Smoke started canvassing the area around the river, looking for any additional contacts, or anything out of the ordinary. The shadows made each flicker of a leaf seem like someone was walking through the woods. He knew not to let his imagination get the best of him but something, other than the person walking through the water, was wrong — he could feel it.
“We need to get everyone out of here,” Smoke calmly said.
“Agreed,” Green replied.
