“Give it a rest, Mitchell. I’m having to deal with a woman who thinks she isn’t made for long term.”
Mitchell’s eyebrows rose. “Yeah? Where did you get that idea?”
He sighed, not in the mood for a one-on-one with him, but Deke didn’t have a choice. Samantha wasn’t in the mood to talk to him right at the moment.
“Your sister thinks your family can’t be married.”
Mitchell frowned. “Where did she get such an asinine idea?”
He wondered now if the major knew about his parents. “Your folks?”
Mitchell rolled his eyes. “My parents were whacked.”
He took a sip of beer, and Deke waited. When he didn’t continue, he asked, “Why do you say that?”
“My mom knew. All those years she had no problem with my father running around. Sam didn’t know. Or the idea that my mother, well, she wasn’t the most faithful either.”
That surprised him. “Really? Sam never said anything.”
Mitchell sighed. “She didn’t want to see it. Mom wasn’t mad when Dad left because he was unfaithful, she was pissed that he ruined the perfect family.” It was said with enough scorn that Deke had no doubt of what Mitchell’s thoughts were on it. “I had no idea she had thoughts like that. Wait, she was married to you?”
“Yeah, and every chance she got, she fought me. Just like tonight. It makes no sense. She would just go off on me for no reason. I know now what she was doing. She was pushing me away. Then she used the military as the final push, and I was stupid enough to let her.”
“And now?”
He gave his brother-in-law a leveled look. “What do you think?”
“You left tonight.”
“And somehow I ended up over here. How did that happen?”
Mitchell gave him a drunken smile. “Cuz I saw you coming out of the condo and I thought I’d offer to help to get you as far away from my sister as possible.”
“I hate to tell you this, Mitch, but you suck at pushing me away from your sister.”
“I know. But then, I didn’t realize what a sap you are.”
“What?”
“A sap. God, you looked like someone had stolen your puppy when you came out of the condo. First, you looked pissed, but I could tell it was more. It is a bit disconcerting seeing a man so head over heels in love with my sister. So, I figured I would give you a break.”
“You should try it, you know.”
“What?”
“Love.”
He snorted. “There is a little too much truth to what my sister says. I’m not made for long term. Maybe after the military.”
Deke opened his mouth, but his brother decided to inject himself into the conversation. “So, you aren’t dating Zoe, right? Because I’d like to spend some time with her while I’m here.”
“I said you need to watch yourself,” Mitchell said as he rose.
“Gentlemen, I think we should avoid arguments when drinking. It only ends up—”
Mitchell threw the first punch before Deke could finish the sentence. With a sigh, he took a sip of beer and waited to see who won the fight. Either way, the women in his life, his mother and Samantha, would be pissed if one of them got hurt. And he would be blamed.
Today was just turning out to be a pisser.
* * * *
The doorbell rang at seven in the morning on Saturday, and Samantha hurried to answer it. The only person she knew who would show up that early was Deke. When she looked through the peephole, she was disappointed to find her brother on the other side. She opened the door and frowned. He looked like hell. His skin was gray, he hadn’t brushed his hair, and he was wearing sunglasses.
“What the hell are you doing up so early if you’re hung over?”
Even though she couldn’t see his eyes, she knew he winced.
“Get in here.” She pulled him into the condo. “You’re too old for this.”
“Blame Deke and that devil of a brother he has.”
“Diablo…Deke? What do they have to do with this?”
“We were drinking last night.”
Zoe came out wearing her scrubs. “Oh, poor baby. Did you have a little too much to drink last night?”
The last was said loud enough to hurt Sam’s head.
“Quit being mean. He said he was with Deke and Diablo last night.”
“They’re still there.”
“At your house?”
“Yeah, I left them there. Well, Diablo was passed out on the floor. Deke was probably out running a hundred miles or something.”
Deke always could hold his liquor, but she figured pointing that out wasn’t going to get her anywhere.
“Did you go out?” Zoe asked as she took Mitchell’s arm and walked him into the living room.
“No, we just drank at my house. I think there was an argument. Then we were singing something, then I woke up this morning.”
Zoe eased him down on the couch then set her hands on her hips and looked at him. “I’ll take pity on you and get you a cure made up. Old Anderson recipe. And some ice for your head.”
She gave Sam a look that told her she was giving them some time alone. “What are you doing here?”
“You need to take him back.”
That took her back. “Why?”
“He loves you.”
She shook her head. “That doesn’t matter.”
“Could you sit down so I don’t have to look up? It’s making me kind of sick.”
She sat on the ottoman in front of the couch.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now, tell me why I should take him back?”
“He talked a lot last night. About you. About the baby.”
“Deke? Talked?”
“Yeah, he adores you, you know? I have never seen a man who wanted a woman more than he does.”
“He left.”
“Before. Not now.”
“He always leaves when it gets hard.”
“I am sure he did, but why did he do that? Does Deke strike you as a man who walks away easily?”
“But he does every time.”
“And every time it was what you told him you wanted. I’m not saying he didn’t make mistakes. He made a lot of them, but the man who talked my ear off last night wasn’t giving up on you. I’d say he was just taking a break. Give him a chance. He truly adores you.”
“I don’t know.”
He took off his glasses, and that was when she saw the shiner. “He didn’t do that, did he?”
“No, that jackass brother of his did. But we worked it out.”
“Men. How does the military entrust you with a million dollar plane?”
“Cuz I’m the best.” He frowned. “And stop trying to change the subject. I have a question for you, and I want a straight answer.”
“Okay.”
“Do you think we aren’t marriage material because of our folks?”
She sighed, and she blinked away the tears that burned the backs of her eyes. “I worry about that. I was married once. I screwed it up.”
“You both did. I can’t believe I am here pleading his case. Seriously, you both were stupid, but do you think you would end up back together over and over if you weren’t meant to be together?”
“Fee says the same thing.”
“Fiona’s right,” she said from behind them.
Samantha turned and found her standing just a few feet away. “You usually are.”
“Go get him, Sam. For all three of you, do it.”
Could she do it? It would mean apologizing, something she hated. And it would mean getting over her insecurities and learning to control her temper. But was it worth it? The image of Deke popped into her head.
“Okay. But I need to get one thing.”
“I’ll drive you back over.”
She looked at her brother and laughed. “No. If I need backup, I’ll take Fee. You can sit here and rest.” She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. �
��God, Mitchell. Didn’t you bathe or brush your teeth before you came over?”
He opened his mouth but Zoe came in with her vile family recipe for him to drink.
“Have fun, kids.”
She ducked into her room and went to her dresser, pulling out the chain with the rings. She looked at them then slipped the chain over her head and hid the rings under her shirt.
She walked to the door and found Fee waiting for her. “Ready to go get your Seal?”
“You’re damned straight.”
Chapter Twelve
Deke showered and dressed, wondering all the while what had happened to Mitchell. Deke had left early to run but when he returned, the major’s car had been missing.
He figured he would show up some time soon. Before he could figure out what to have for breakfast, the door opened. He expected Mitchell, so he was stunned when he saw Samantha and Fiona.
“Samantha?”
She smiled shyly. “I hope it’s okay that we came over.”
Deke heard something behind him, and he looked over to find his brother sauntering toward them. “Sure it is. As long as you introduce me to your friend,” Jonah said.
He wanted to beat his brother. He loved Jonah, but he had one thing on his mind when he was off duty.
“This is Fee..Fiona Farelli. This is Diablo.”
Fee smiled and nodded. “The Marine.”
Jonah smiled at her, and Deke waited for Fee to melt. When she just continued to stare at him, Deke could tell his brother was a little disconcerted.
“Yes, the Marine.”
She nodded. “Well, Diablo, is it? We need to leave these two alone. They have a lot to tell each other. Right, Deacon?”
“Yes, we do.”
He was smiling as he watched Fiona herd his brother out to the lanai.
“Your brother fared better than mine.”
“Looks can be deceiving. I think Jonah has some bruised ribs.”
“What were they fighting over?”
“Not what. Who.”
She studied him, her eyes clouded with confusion.
“Zoe. Your brother took objection to the idea that my brother was interested.”
She chuckled. “I bet he did.”
Then silence. It was odd that two people would run out of things to say when there was so much to be discussed.
“I wasn’t sure if you would be here.”
“Where would I be, Sam?”
“I told you to go out last night.”
He looked at her, wondering if she had actually thought he would leave her that way. When he saw the look in her eyes, he damned her parents all over again.
“I love you.”
She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and nodded. “I know. I love you, too, but neither of us have been celibate.”
“That’s true. But can you tell me something?”
“Yes.”
“Did you go out right after we broke things off? Or did you go months thinking you had just lost the most precious thing in your life?”
Tears filled her eyes. “Oh, Deke.”
He stepped forward. “It was like that for me. I screwed up by walking out the door so many times. I wanted to take it back. But I figured I would let it go, and that if we were supposed to be together, we would be.”
“And then we would run into each other.”
He nodded, the lump in his throat making it hard to talk. He swallowed.
“You and I are meant to be together. I know that.”
“I want to believe that. I do. But look at last night. Look at what an idiot I was.”
“You were an idiot.”
She laughed. “I was. And you walked out.”
“You told me to leave. I did what you wanted.”
She looked away. “I’m always worried you won’t come back, but I can’t seem to help myself. Every time, I just push.”
“And I am going to start pushing right back. Just because we fight doesn’t mean I don’t love you. Now that I know better, I won’t walk. I don’t want to, and I refuse to do it anymore.”
“How can I know that this isn’t just you caring because we are together right now? The baby adds another layer to it, but what if this is just because of that, of the idea that we’re starting here together?”
“It was never like that. Never.” He walked over to her and took her hand. “Jesus, my whole life I wanted to be a Seal. I dreamed about it, prayed for it.”
“I know,” she said as she sniffed.
“Do you? Then know this. There is one thing I wanted more than that. It kept me tied up in fucking knots so tight that I couldn’t think straight.”
“What?”
He knew he had no way around it. He had to tell her what he had been feeling all the years he had known her. He had to or he might lose her.
“You. I was too much of an ass to admit it. Every minute I was gone, every second, you were there. Right here.” He pressed their joined hands to his chest. “I should have told you. I should have made you understand.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“Fear.”
She shook her head.
“No, it was fear. What if I told you? What if I said, ‘hey honey, you’re the one I need forever’ and you walked away. You had walked before. It was too much for you, and I wasn’t sure if you would want it now, would want to take that chance again.”
“And you took a job you hate to be near me.”
“I thought I would, but I am actually starting to like it. But, I can’t say that, at least for the next few years, they won’t tap me to go out in the field in case of a national emergency. You know the military. My orders might say no deployment, but if something comes up, they can pull me out. I have the training. What I want to know is if you can do it? Can you handle that if I have to do it?”
He could see her thinking about it, and his heart almost stopped then and there.
“Know that while I want to be with you, there are things bigger than us. I’m not going to do this forever, but…I have a duty. You understand that.”
She nodded. “And after. What would you do then?”
“I would come back to you. I always do, babe.”
“I liked what I was doing and there are plenty of things for someone like me to do. But know that the military is a duty. I swore an oath, and I have to follow through.”
He would. It was one of the things she admired about him.
“But I don’t live to work. That was never me. Or it wasn’t me after I met you. Everything I do, everything I am, I am because of you. I am a Seal, but in my heart, in my soul, I’m your husband.”
Tears welled up in her eyes. “Ex.”
He sighed. “About that…”
“What?”
“Answer me one question. Will you marry me?”
“Marry you?”
“Shit, I’m doing this wrong. I want us married again. I want to have ten more kids with you.”
“Ten kids?”
“Okay, not ten, but more than just one. What do you say?”
She didn’t say anything for a moment and he felt his heart sink just a little.
“Why?” she asked.
He looked at her, his gaze direct. “Because I love you. Without you, I don’t even want to be a Seal.”
“Oh, Deke.” Tears filled her eyes. “Yes.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. But, I want a ceremony here, and I want a real dress. And we’ll have to do it really soon, before I get big.”
“Okay, but about that…”
“And we’ll have to apply here for a marriage certificate.”
“Sam.”
“What?”
“See, before I came to Hawaii, I sort of got some information I didn’t share with you.”
She frowned. “What?”
Now came the moment of truth. There was probably going to be a fight, but he had her acceptance of marriage, thank God. But she would fight him.
&nbs
p; “Uh, apparently the office where we had our divorce finalized has been, well, uh...”
She rolled her eyes. “Good lord, spit it out.”
He swallowed. “We’re still married. That lawyer who handled the divorced messed up the papers, so they were never really filed correctly.”
For a second, she didn’t say anything. Her mouth turned down into a frown. “What?”
“We’re still married. The divorce didn’t go through.”
She shook her head. “What do you mean?”
“You are still Samantha Berg.”
“Married.” She pulled her hand from his and smacked him on the back of the head. “What the hell is wrong with you? Why didn’t you tell me?”
The slap had his ears ringing and he had to shake his head to clear it. “Because I knew you would get mad and blame me.”
“I wouldn’t have. I blame you right now for not telling me. Deacon Berg, what the hell were you thinking?”
“That I needed to win you back before I told you.”
She paced away, that sassy walk of hers in full force. God, he loved her. She was pissed beyond belief, and for some reason, that turned him on. He was a sick, sick man.
“I should divorce you on principle. No, first, I should shoot you.”
She was muttering now, and he knew he had won. He walked up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist. She didn’t resist. Instead, she leaned back against him and sighed. He kissed her neck. It felt good to hold her against him. He rested his chin on the top of her head.
“Tell you what. How about we have a big fancy Hawaiian wedding? Your brother can give you away, and we can do it all up right.”
She leaned back to look at him. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. Mom would love it. They’d come over. AJ should be able to take some time off, and you can see that Jonah has a lot of time on his hands. Jacob should be able to get some time off the ship, maybe, but most of us will be here.”
“And your friends?”
“Mal and Kade? Should be able to, if they haven’t been called out.”
She turned to face him then. “Can I confess something?”
He nodded and waited. She stepped back then tugged the chain out from beneath her shirt. The two rings that dangled there were familiar.
“You still have them?” he asked, his heart tightening at the sight of them.
Possession: A Little Harmless Military Romance Page 9
