by Elle James
Anne’s lips twisted. “Deal.”
“Now that that’s all settled,” Sadie said, “I could use a hand getting this little guy’s diaper changed. What goes in must come out.”
Before Hank could say anything, Anne jumped in. “I’ll help.”
Sadie gave her a crooked smile. “Are you sure? He’s loaded this diaper.”
Anne nodded. “I can handle it. I used to babysit when I was younger.”
“As long as you’re sure. I need to finish packing.” Sadie handed the baby over to Anne. “Come on, I’ll show you where everything is.”
Anne carried McClain into a room decorated in baby blue paint and curtains, with a crib on one wall and a dresser with a changing table on top of it beside the crib.
“Everything you might need is in the drawers,” Sadie said, pulling the top one out. “Diapers, baby wipes and clean clothes, if he managed to saturate what he’s wearing, which he has done many times. Just beware and make sure you put the diaper over him before you remove the old one. His aim is true. He’s gotten me a couple times.”
“I used to babysit a baby boy who could pee halfway across a room,” Anne said with a chuckle. “I’ve got this. Go on. Do your packing.”
“I’ll be back in just a minute,” Sadie said.
“Take your time.” Anne smiled down at McClain. “We’ve got this.”
As Sadie started to walk out the door, Anne pulled the tabs off of McClain’s diaper and folded it back.
The baby had loaded his drawers with the nastiest, smelliest explosion of poop Anne had ever witnessed. She hadn’t taken into account the sensitivity of her belly and immediately heaved. Since she didn’t have anything recent in her gut, it was a dry heave.
Sadie was back at her side in a second. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” Anne said. “No…”
Sadie laughed. “I warned you. Here, let me take over.”
Anne backed away from the diaper.
Sadie quickly changed the baby and laid him in his crib.
The dry heaves continued until Anne sank into a rocking chair and tucked her head between her knees.
Sadie hurried over to where Anne was hunkered over. “Are you okay?”
Anne nodded. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’ve done this before. This isn’t any worse than I’ve tackled in the past.”
Sadie chuckled. “Same thing happened to me when I was changing Emma’s diaper and I was pregnant with McClain.” Sadie frowned. “You’re not pregnant, are you?”
Anne sat up, her eyes rounding. She shook her head. “No, no, of course not.” Her cheeks heated at her lie.
Sadie’s eyes narrowed, but she nodded. “You must have a sour stomach from all the travel.”
“That’s it,” Anne said in relief. “Sour stomach.”
“Well, I’ll be sure to send some provisions with you to the fishing cabin that will help to settle that sour stomach.” She wrapped an arm around Anne’s shoulders. “You’ll be all right. These Navy SEALs take care of their own.”
Tears slipped down Anne’s cheek. “I’m not one of their own.”
Sadie smiled. “You are now.”
Chapter 10
“Okay, then,” Hank said. “The sooner I get you out there, the sooner you’re off the grid. First, let’s touch base with Swede and see what he’s got for us. I want him to check you guys out for bugs. Then we’ll see about arming you with communications devices and firearms.”
“Sounds good,” Jack said.
“All of my guys are assigned to other protection duties, but in a pinch, they can be mobilized to help you out,” Hank said. “That’s where the satellite phone will come into play. Though I advise you to keep it turned off until you absolutely need it. Now, if you two will follow me, I’ll take you to the Brotherhood Protectors headquarters.”
Jack started for the front door, expecting to go to another building.
Hank chuckled. “You’re headed the wrong direction.” He gave a chin lift toward a door in the far wall of the living room.
Jack frowned. “Brotherhood Protectors headquarters is in your home?”
Hank nodded. “After the original house burned to the ground, I built this one with an underground bunker.” Hank pressed his thumb to a fingerprint scanner, and then leaned forward and let an eye scanner match him to the security database. A lock clicked. Hank turned the knob, opened the door and held it for Anne and Jack. As they descended the stairs, lights blinked on automatically.
Jack descended the steps alongside Anne. When they reached the bottom, the space opened up to a large room containing a conference table and an array of computer monitors against one wall.
A man sat in front of the array of monitors, his fingers flying over a keyboard. He briefly glanced their way but returned his attention to the monitors and continued keying. After a moment, he finished what he was doing and pushed to his feet. The man was surprisingly tall, and that shock of white-blond hair gave him the appearance of a Viking.
Jack grinned. “You must be Swede.”
The man approached them with his hand held out and a smile. “That would be me.”
Hank chuckled. “This is Axel Svenson, without whom the Brotherhood Protectors would never have grown as much as it has. He’s the brain behind the computers; he keeps my guys connected. He’s also a master of communications devices and in charge of the armory.”
“So, what did you guys decide? Am I staying with the client or is Hank?” Swede glanced from Hank to Jack and back to Hank.
Hank shook his head. “Neither. You’re going to stay put and man the communications. I’m taking Sadie to LA, and Jack, here, is taking the client fishing.”
Swede’s eyebrows formed a V over his nose. “Is she not going to be a client?”
Hank grinned and waved a hand toward Anne. “She is Deirdre Anne Tyler. You can call her Anne.” Hank smiled at Anne. “Anne, this is Axel Svenson. But everyone calls him Swede.”
Anne chuckled. “Thank you. I was beginning to feel like I wasn’t actually here.”
Swede held out his hand. “My apologies. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Anne.”
She took his hand. “The pleasure is mine.”
“Swede is also my brother in-law,” Hank said. “He’s married to my only sister, Allie, who can be a total handful on her own.”
The tall blond-haired man grinned. “But she’s my handful now, and I love her.”
The smile on Swede’s face at the mention of his wife reminded Jack of what life could be like outside the US Navy. He had to admit, the relationships between SEALs and their women didn’t all end in divorce like his had. Although there was a high percentage rate of those that had ended all too soon.
Swede seemed content. Downright happy.
Jack’s gaze went to Anne as she shook hands with Swede, and he wondered what it would be like to be the man she deserved, not the one who’d made her life miserable. What kind of man would be good enough for her? After what she’d been through, she needed a kind and caring man to help heal her emotional scars.
Hank clapped his hands together. “Come on, let’s show you what we’ve got.” He led Jack and Anne to a door in a wall and held it open for them to enter. Inside were racks of rifles, shelves of handguns and even blocks of C-4 with detonator devices, which Jack was almost sure weren’t legal to own in the civilian world.
“Did you come with your own weapon?” Hank asked.
Jack nodded. “I did. I brought my AR-15 and 9 mm Glock, as well as a .38 caliber pistol.”
“You might not need anything we have in here,” Hank said. “However, remind me to take you out to the barn where I store my fishing equipment.”
Jack grinned. “I brought my own, as well. I’ve been learning how to tie flies and cast.”
“Then you’re way ahead of me,” Hank said. “But come on, let’s go next door.” He stepped out of the armory and waited for Jack and Anne to come out. He opened the next door.
> Inside was an array of communications devices, including hardened laptops, handheld radios, cellphones and satellite phones. He pulled a drawer out which contained even smaller devices, to include earbuds for two-way radio communications.
Out of a different compartment, Hank pulled a necklace with a gemmed pendant dangling from the chain. He handed it to Anne. “Wear this at all times, including in the water. The necklace is a GPS tracking device.” He pressed a handheld device into Jack’s palm “This is what you track it with. That way if you two are separated at any time you can find your way back to Anne.” He slipped the necklace over her head and settled it around her neck.
“I thought we would be off the grid,” Jack said.
“You will be. The tracker is specific to the handheld monitor. We have other GPS tracking devices that we can tap into from computers, but this one is different,” Swede said, joining them. Swede pulled a satellite phone off the shelf, turned it on, checked the batteries, and then handed it to Jack. “Go ahead, test it. I keyed in my own cellphone number.”
Jack hit the send button and the chirp of a cellphone sounded from Swede’s back pocket.
Swede pulled out his cellphone and nodded. “It works. Turn it off, and only use it when you need it.”
Jack hit the off button.
Hank grinned. “Now, if you two are ready, I believe Sadie is packing up some extra supplies upstairs. Once she’s done, I can take you out to the fishing cabin. The cabin is totally stocked, but Sadie wanted to add a few extras since there will be more than one occupant.”
Jack cupped Anne’s elbow and led her up the stairs. The door opened outward automatically, and they stepped out into the living room.
Sadie emerged from the kitchen area. “Oh, good. I just finished.” A baby’s cry made her head jerk in the direction of the sound. “I need to take care of McClain. There’s a box in the kitchen. Carry that out to the truck for them, will you, Hank?”
Hank popped a salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
Sadie rolled her eyes as she hurried to take care of her son.
Emma carried her baby doll over to Anne and held her up. “Wanna hold my baby?”
Anne smiled down at the blond-haired girl and nodded. “I’d like that very much.” She took the baby from the little girl’s hands and cradled it in her arms. “She’s beautiful.”
Jack’s heart swelled at the tenderness Anne displayed toward the child. She’d make a good mother.
Emma smiled up at her. “Do you like babies?”
Anne nodded. “Yes, I do.”
“My baby’s name is Sadie, after my mama. If you have a baby, what will you name it? Will you name it Jack like its daddy?”
Anne’s cheeks reddened. “I don’t know. Maybe, if it’s a boy.”
“And if it’s a girl?” Emma looked up at Anne, waiting for her answer.
“I kind of like my mother’s name.”
Emma’s head tilted to one side. “What was her name?”
“Katie.”
Jack found himself committing the name to memory. Anne’s mother’s name was Katie. It was a good name for a daughter. Strong and confident.
Hank’s daughter nodded her approval of the name. “I like Katie.”
Anne handed the doll back to Emma. “Thank you for letting me hold your baby.”
“When you have your baby, can I hold it?” Emma asked.
Anne shot a glance toward Jack, the color in her cheeks growing deeper red. “Well, yes, of course.”
“Good, because Mama lets me hold McClain, if I sit very still. Don’t you, Mama?”
Sadie entered the room carrying the baby in her arms. “Yes, I do, but only when I’m watching you. He’s getting to be a big boy, and he’s wiggly.”
“I know,” Emma said in a very grownup voice for a little girl. “He giggles when I talk to him.”
Sadie smiled. “He loves his big sister.”
Anne looked from McClain to Emma. “You’re very lucky to have a baby brother.”
“Will your baby have a baby brother?” Emma asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe one day.”
Sadie exchanged a glance with Anne and gave her a gentle smile. “Enough questions, Emma. We need to make sure your bag is packed.”
Emma skipped toward her mother. “Can I bring some extra clothes for baby Sadie?”
“Yes, you can,” Sadie said. “Come on.” She held out her hand. “Jack, Anne,” Sadie lifted her chin, “I wish you luck this week. I also wish I could stick around to make sure everything turns out okay.” She sighed. “But it’s back to work for me.”
Hank’s lips twisted. “Her fans would be disappointed if she didn’t. She’s cut back considerably since having the babies.”
Sadie nodded. “And I am getting a little more selective over the parts that I do take. Thankfully, Hank brings the children, so I get some quality time with them instead of being separated by a number of states.”
Jack nodded. All the more reason for Hank to be with his wife and not taking care of another client.
“It was nice to meet you, Sadie,” Anne said.
Sadie nodded, “And it was nice to meet you. Please take care of yourself.” She tipped her head toward the kitchen. “I added crackers, vitamins, a couple cartons of milk and a few other supplies you might need. And there really is plenty of food at the cabin. Hank and I made sure of it.”
“Thank you,” Jack said. “I owe you guys.”
Hank grinned. “And I hope you pay me back someday by coming to work for the Brotherhood Protectors.”
Jack liked that Hank was persistent. It felt good that the man he respected so much was willing to wait for him to complete his commitment to the Navy. “When I’m ready to leave the Navy, you’ll be my first call.”
Jack, Anne and Hank entered the kitchen. A box stood on the counter. Hank gathered it in his arms. “Come on. We want to get out to the fishing cabin before it gets dark. The gravel road is narrow and easy to miss.” Hank carried the box out the front door and set it on the backseat of the rental truck next to the other equipment that Jack had brought along. “Give me a second to get my Jeep out of the barn,” he said, “and then follow me.” The former SEAL jogged toward the barn.
Jack helped Anne into the truck and backed away from the front of the ranch house.
A minute later, a jeep pulled out of the barn. Hank waved as he passed them and led the way toward the gate.
Jack followed with Anne sitting in the passenger seat beside him.
“Well, this wasn’t what you had in mind when you came on a fishing vacation, was it?” Anne commented.
“No, but I’ll survive. And I’ll get to go fishing, as planned.”
Anne tipped her head, staring out the front window. “You know, I actually never learned how to fish.”
Jack shot a quick glance her way. “As an only child, your dad never took you?”
She shook her head. “No, my dad was a computer nerd. He wasn’t much of an outdoorsman, although he did take me for long walks.” She smiled. “I remember holding his hand. He read books to me at night and was always there to tuck me in.”
Jack glanced her direction again. He could see the moisture in her eyes.
“He was a good man,” she said, “even if he didn’t teach me how to fish.”
“Well, if you want to learn how to fish, I can show you,” Jack offered.
Anne shook her head, “Oh, no, no. I wasn’t fishing for an offer.”
He shrugged. “Well, you’ve got an offer. Take it or leave it.”
She gave him a sweet smile. “Why are you doing this? You don’t have to, you know.”
“It’s like I told you, once somebody saves a person’s life that person’s life is their responsibility.”
Anne frowned. “I never wanted to be a burden on anybody.”
“You’re not a burden,” he said.
“I sure as hell am.”
His lips pressed together. “You promised not to apo
logize.”
She nodded. “You’re right. And if the offer still stands…yes. I would like you to teach me how to fish.”
“Actually, I’m learning myself,” he said. “At least, this kind of fishing, it’s fly fishing.”
She shrugged with a grin stretching across her face. “You could teach me anything, and I wouldn’t know any better if it was right or wrong.”
He liked it when she smiled. “Then we’ll muddle through together.”
“Shouldn’t you hire a guide to show you how to do it?” she asked.
“We’re back to that peace and quiet issue,” Jack said. “I read books and watched videos online; I think I can figure it out.”
“Good, then you can show me how.”
“And I learned to tie my own flies.”
“You’ll have to show me how to do that, too.”
He nodded. “You’ll need to stay close by while we’re out here. I understand there are bears in the area.”
“Don’t worry. I’m more afraid of Derek than I am of bears. I plan on staying close. Did your dad teach you how to fish?” she asked.
Jack nodded with a smile. “He did. He loved fishing and still does. Dad just retired last year, and he spends most his days fishing now. I could have asked him to come on this trip with me to do some fly fishing, but he had another commitment for deep-sea fishing off the coast of North Carolina. But I really needed some alone time. Instead, he’s taking mom and my sisters to the outer banks. They can play on the beach while he goes out on a charter fishing trip.”
Anne’s brows rose. “And they didn’t invite you?”
Jack grinned. “They did. At the time, I couldn’t commit so far in advance. Unlike me, they made plans months ago. I had a couple deployments in between the time they asked and the time that I got off. By that time, the deep-sea fishing trip was booked solid. Hank offered up his cabin for fly fishing, something I’ve been meaning to try for a long time.”
“Well, hopefully being off the grid we won’t have any trouble from Derek,” Anne said.
“That’s the plan,” Jack said. “But we’ll remain just as aware of a Derek sighting as we will of a bear sighting.”
