by Cat Johnson
He didn’t know why, but again Nick did as told. He wasn’t willing to incur Ray’s wrath if he didn’t.
Ray met him halfway on his path to the table. “Go on. There's an empty seat waiting for you.”
“I don't know what you think they can do—”
“Trust me. Those two guys might be the only two people on Earth you can talk to about this. At least, they’re the only two in this bar.” The old man guffawed at his own joke before he shooed Nick away. “Go on. Talk to them.”
Not knowing exactly why, Nick walked to the table. “This might sound crazy, but Ray says I'm supposed to talk to you.”
They both chuckled.
“Always listen to Ray,” the dark-haired man said. “He's a smart man.”
“Yup.” The younger guy nodded, then continued, “So I hear you're tangled up with New Millennia Media.”
The name of the production company, spoken by the lighter haired man, caught Nick’s attention. “Yeah. Do you know them?”
The question elicited another laugh and a glance between the two men.
“Oh, yeah. We know them.” The dark-haired one stood and extended a hand. “Clay. Team One. Retired.”
The other man stood and also shook Nick’s hand. “Zach. Team Three. Active. Take a seat.” Zach tipped his chin toward the empty chair.
Team guys. Just like Nick had guessed. But one question remained.
As he set his beer down and scraped the chair out from under the table to sit, he asked, “How do you guys know about New Millennia?”
“Not through any fault of our own, mind you.” Clay scowled. “They bought a property out from under me. The only way to get it back was to be on their damn renovation reality show. Fucking extortion is what it was.”
“Hey, as far as reality shows go, you could have made out worse. Hot House wasn’t that bad,” Zach pointed out.
Clay scoffed. “Not that bad? Damn cameras were up my ass twenty-four hours a day.”
“I know,” Zach said to Clay before turning his focus to Nick. “My girl won a contest and ended up with a decorating show. Which turned into a second show that I somehow ended up in. Hell if I know how that all happened.”
“I did enjoy watching you digging through dumpsters for trash for Gabi to turn into treasure.” Clay grinned.
“Yeah. Thanks a lot.” Zach rolled his eyes.
Both of their stories sounded about right to Nick. He still wasn’t sure how he’d ended up in this mess with New Millennia Media, but unlike these two, he intended to get out of it.
“So, how’d they get you?” Zach asked Nick.
“I’m out on medical leave and was bored. My friend is a production assistant for New Millennia and needed help on set, so I took a temporary security job.”
“Which show is it?” Clay asked.
“Cold Feet. Wedding show.” Though that descriptor didn’t come near to describing it.
Zach barked out a laugh. “Oh, man. I heard about that one.” He glanced at Clay. “It makes yours and my shows seem like nothing in comparison. It’s crazy.”
“Yup,” Nick agreed. It certainly was crazy.
“So what’s the problem?” Clay asked. “It’s a temporary security gig. Sounds like easy money.”
“The guy who was the groom had to leave and now the director wants me to be in the cast. As the new groom.”
Clay took a sip from his bottle and then said, “I take it you don’t want to be the groom.”
“One hundred percent, no.”
Zach shrugged. “So tell them that.”
“I’m going to. Just not real sure how to tell Maria so she’s not pissed.”
“Maria?” Clay burst out in a laugh. “Oh, man. Maria is the director for Tasha and my show. She doesn’t mess around. But I mean she can’t force you to do it. She doesn’t have anything on you, right? She and Joanne aren’t holding your house hostage or something, is she?”
“No. But I’m afraid any issues on the show will hurt my friend’s career. It’s her first big show.”
Zach nodded. “I hear you. Same with Gabi. I let them get away with a lot, all for her.”
“So you understand.” Nick said.
“I do.” Zach nodded.
Nick needed to leave Ray a real big tip. He’d been absolutely right. These two guys were the only two who knew exactly what he was going through. Eerily so.
“But there’s no way I’m going to legally marry some chick just for a show and to get twenty-five or fifty thousand dollars . . . or whatever the hell the payout is.”
Clay’s eyes widened. “Damn. You gotta actually get married to get the money? That’s hardcore.”
“Told you it was nuts.” Zach nodded and raised his beer to his lips.
The commiseration was great and all, but what Nick needed was some concrete suggestions. An actual battleplan. “So, any idea how to get me out of this thing?”
“You definitely don’t want to do it?” Zach asked.
The only woman he could picture standing at an altar with was Dani. Nick’s mind went to Dani and her face every time she’d see him with Katia, even if he’d never wanted to be with Katia in the first place. His doing this would kill Dani.
“No. Definitely not. There’s this girl . . .” Nick let the sentence trail off.
Zach let out a snort. “Isn’t there always?”
“You know what you need?” Clay asked. “A sacrifice.”
Zach raised a brow, apparently as confused as Nick by the comment.
Clay looked at Nick. “Don’t you have any good-looking dude friends who are single and wanna earn a wad of cash? Bonus points if they’re a team guy. That’s Maria and Joanne’s Achilles heel. They fucking love SEALs in their shows. Believe me. I know.”
Nick was about to say no, he didn’t know anyone like that. His teammates were all active duty, so they couldn’t do this show even if by some stretch of the imagination they wanted to.
Then it hit him. He did know somebody. A guy exactly like who Clay had described. And he’d be perfect!
THIRTY-FOUR
She could do this. Walk into that beach house and do her job like the professional she was, even if it meant watching Nick and Katia together.
On the show. At the altar.
Dani’s stomach clenched but there was nothing to throw up. She’d purposely not eaten or drank anything this morning. Turns out that had been a good call on her part.
It felt like a cement block was on her chest as she drew in a breath. This show might actually kill her. And with the way she felt about losing Nick, that might not be such a bad thing.
She glanced at her cell. There was the text from Nick that had come in about six o’clock last night asking how she was doing. The one she hadn’t responded to because what could she say? That she was dying inside?
Right below Nick’s text was one from Dave. A reminder to be on set early this morning to shoot the footage they’d need of the new groom.
Nick.
With Katia.
Kissing.
She glanced at the clock on her dash. She was late. Good. Maybe Maria would fire her.
Dani flung open the car door, got out and slammed it hard behind her.
She’d go inside and face her worst nightmare. It couldn’t hurt anymore seeing it than it did imagining it.
After rounding the corner of the house, she walked across the pool deck and stopped when she saw the camera crews in the distance. There was Katia and her new groom down on the beach. She was in a long flowing white dress that was blowing in the breeze as he carried her across the sand and toward the surf.
She’d been wrong.
Seeing it was most definitely worse than her imagination. She swallowed the acid in the back of her throat.
She should have answered that text. She should have had him come over last night.
They should have discussed this. Discussed them. She should have told Nick she was falling in love with him and didn’t want him t
o be with Katia, even if it was fake. Then they should have made love, all night long, so he’d remember how great they were together.
Now, it felt like it was too late.
“Hey. Everything going okay down there?”
Dani’s eyes popped wide. She spun to find Nick behind her, eyeing the group on the beach.
“You’re here.”
“Of course. Where else would I be?” He laughed. “This is my job. Well, for now anyway.”
“I thought you were down there. I thought you were the new groom.” She pointed to the beach where the groom—the groom who was not Nick—still posed with Katia.
Nick cringed. “You knew about that? Maria wanted me to step in for Carl, but I said no. I was hoping you hadn’t heard since she talked to me about it after you went home sick.”
“Katia told me they were asking you to be the groom before I left,” Dani said, breathless.
“Aw, I’m sorry.” Nick looped an arm around her shoulder and pressed a kiss to her head. “I should have told you I said no. You must have been worried all night.”
“Worried. Why would I be worried?” Dani forced out a nonchalant laugh.
“Oh my God. Even now you can’t admit you’re jealous of Katia.” Grinning, Nick shook his head. “You are such a brat.”
“And you’re a . . . a . . .” Her mojo was gone. She was so relieved it wasn’t Nick on that beach, she couldn’t come up with a single worthy insult.
“Speechless? Wow. Never thought I’d see that.” Smiling, he turned so he was facing her head on. “Guess I’d better take advantage of it while I can.”
Nick bent his head low and captured her lips. She didn’t fight him. Let the others see. Let Maria get mad. She didn’t care. Nick was hers and she wanted everyone to know it.
Cheering from the direction of the house had Nick raising his head.
Dani peeked around the bulk of Nick’s broad chest and saw the cast falling over each other to watch them through the doorway of the house. She ducked to hide her face against his shirt, secretly smiling as she did.
“Get a room,” one of the guys shouted.
Nick shook his head, grinning. “Looks like we’re no longer a secret.”
“Good. I don’t want you and I to be a secret anymore. Do you?” she asked.
“I’ll shout about us from the roof of that house if you want me to.”
“Not necessary but thank you.” Dani smiled before she took a quick headcount of the guys sitting on the patio drinking their morning beverage of choice and came up with eight. She glanced at the beach and then back to Nick. “So if you said no, and the groomsmen are all in there, who is that down there with Katia?”
He grinned. “That’s Tucker Lawler. A friend of mine. I’ll introduce you to him later.”
“What do you mean, a friend of yours? Maria only asked you yesterday. You had time to find a replacement?”
Nick lifted one shoulder. “Eh, he had nothing else to do. Besides, he could use the distraction—and the money—since he left the teams. He’s a real good guy. He deserves a win.”
“And Maria and Katia were okay with that? They just accepted your choice of a stand in? No problem?”
“Yup.” He shrugged again.
Dani shouldn’t care or worry how or why it had all worked out this way. She was simply grateful Nick wasn’t the groom. Nothing else mattered.
But still, the professional career woman in her, the one who had worked so hard to get even this questionable job, needed answers. “I can’t even bring Maria Dunkin' Donuts coffee instead of Starbucks or she gets mad, so how the hell did you get her to accept this new guy as a substitute?”
Nick grinned. “I found out Maria’s Achilles heel.”
“And that is?” Dani asked, more than curious now.
Nick leaned low and nuzzled her ear as he whispered, “Sexy Navy SEALs.”
Dani leaned back. “It’s a little disturbing—not to mention narcissistic—that you’re actually calling yourself sexy. Although you noticing your male friend down there is sexy is a close second.”
“I don’t care what it sounds like. I’m not the one down there. I’m right here with you. That’s all that matters.”
Nick pressed a kiss to her lips again and this time, she kissed him back with all the enthusiasm she’d been holding back.
When she finally pulled away, she saw Wes on camera three zoomed in on her and Nick.
“What are you doing?” she asked him. Wes didn’t answer, but Dani didn’t really need him to. She glanced at Nick. “I think we’re a part of this show now.”
Nick chuckled. “Baby, I think we have been for a while.”
She cocked up a brow. “So I’m baby now?”
He glanced up at the sky for a second and then smiled back down at her. “Yeah, you are. I think I like it. Baby it is.”
Dani frowned. “Slow your roll, big guy. I’m not sure how I feel about that one yet.”
“Fine. We’ll keep exploring.” He squeezed her hips and nuzzled her ear to whisper, “I’ll enjoy exploring lots of things with you.”
The cast on the patio responded to Nick’s continued attention to Dani with a few whoops and comments. One of the girls shouted, “Hey, Dani, does he have a brother?”
“So glad we decided to make our dating each other public.” She rolled her eyes.
“So, you admit we are dating then? Officially?” he asked, looking pleased.
She might be falling for the guy, but she wasn’t going to let it go to his head. Somebody had to keep Nick’s ego in check. “I guess I have to admit it now, don’t I?”
He grinned. “Yup. So what are you going to call me, honey bunny?” he asked.
“Honey bunny?” She shook her head. “Nope. Keep trying. And believe me, I have a few ideas of what I’d like to call you.”
He laughed. “I’m sure you do. And I can’t wait to hear them all.”
Hauling her close, he leaned low. “As long as we’re part of the show, might as well give them something really ratings-worthy.”
The kiss he gave her definitely was that.
Maybe being part of the show wouldn’t be so bad after all.
THIRTY-FIVE
“Have you been going to physical therapy and doing the recommended daily exercises?” the older male doctor asked.
Sure, Nick had gone to physical therapy. Once. But he did take the printout of recommended exercises and had done them on his own. And he had been very good about wearing his knee brace. All day, every day.
The brace had become more of a prop than a necessity lately, but he liked having it on as a reminder to the production company that his employment with them was only temporary.
He didn’t need Maria or Joanne getting any more bright ideas. It seemed the dreaded good idea fairy was alive and well outside of his military command.
Admittedly he was a bad patient. But he felt good. Strong. Healed.
Walking all over the house and the beach for the show the past couple of weeks had to have helped exercise his leg.
He’d been getting real hard workouts with Dani in bed too. That should count for something.
Nick nodded, not feeling all that bad about saying to the doctor, “Yes, sir.”
“Good.” The doctor nodded, bending Nick’s knee. “No pain?”
“No, sir.” He watched as the man walked to the counter and typed into his tablet. Nick held his breath, hoping, praying, he’d be cleared to get back to the team.
After a few initial texts that first week, razzing him for getting hurt on the O-course, Nick hadn't gotten even a single message from anyone on the team.
That was probably a good thing because at least he didn't have to lie to them about what he was doing in his time off. Working on the reality show was something he probably needed to explain fully in person. Even then, it was going to be a source for jokes for the next month.
But the entire team going dark for this length of time meant they were no longe
r at Coronado. It could be as simple as training in the desert in a cell phone dead zone. Or as complicated as an overseas mission.
Nick had been so busy with the show and Dani, he hadn't even been keeping track of current events lately to see if anything had happened that might have sent the squad scrambling.
That beach house really was like a black hole. They wanted to keep the cast isolated, but the side effect was the crew working there eighteen hours a day became just as detached from reality.
“All right.” The doctor turned and took off his glasses, shoving them in his breast pocket.
“All right?” Nick prompted, his heart pounding.
“Everything looks good,” he began.
Nick sat forward on the table, ready to jump down and sprint for the door.
“But—”
That single word took the wind right out of Nick’s sails.
“But what?” He drew in a breath, braced for possible bad news.
“I know you team guys,” the doctor continued. “If I clear you today, you’ll be back on that obstacle course in an hour or doing something else to try to test your leg.”
Nick opened his mouth to swear he’d be good but didn’t get a chance.
“I’d like to see you take a couple of more days to rest, so how about I clear you for duty starting next week? Does Monday work?”
His grin spread wide. “Monday works. Thanks, doc.”
He forced himself to walk slowly out of the office, but by the time he’d exited the building, he was sprinting across the parking lot.
Chances were good he wouldn’t get a reply, but he pulled out his cell and shot a text off to Eric anyway. Eric would read it when he could. Since he’d been the one to carry Nick into Medical, the guy deserved to hear the good news first.
He’d be back in action Monday. The euphoria began to get tempered as he held his phone to type in the second text. This one to Dani.
There were a lot of changes about to happen. He wouldn’t be working with her all day, every day. Then there were the missions and the deployments.
How was she going to handle being a SEAL’s girlfriend?
Girlfriend. The word instilled a grin-inducing happiness that couldn’t be dulled by concern over what ifs.
