by Zoe Dawson
About an hour later, Mike’s phone rang and after answering,he sat up straight, frowning, his eyes glittering. Uh-oh.
“When?” The grim lines on his face deepened. “Are you sure?” He leaned back and let out a breath. “Dammit!” Her co-worker’s heads came up and rightly so. They exchanged looks. That tone wasn’t good.
He slammed the phone down. “What is it?” Paige asked.
“Anderson is dead.”
She sucked in a shocked breath. “What? How?”
“Hit when he was being transferred. Some bold shooter took him out. Sniper round to the head. We’ve got nothing on those warheads and weapons! He died before revealing his contact in DC. Son of a bitch!” I’m heading up to TacOps.” He was going to talk to the director at headquarters in DC from their specialized, secure area with a big screen on the far wall, and equipment and computers to the left.
She watched his retreating tight shoulders and sighed. If only… Finding those weapons was not only an NCIS priority, but a Navy priority as well. She was sure they wouldn’t hear the last of this. Her gut clenched. Six ballistic warheads. God.
As mid-morning rolled around, she heard the strumming of a guitar, and then Ashe’s rich, deep voice singing behind her “The Power of Love.” She stood up and turned around, saw Cowboy, Kid’s best friend walking behind him, both of them in their uniforms. People in the cubicles were standing up, watching him slowly walk toward her.
The lyrics brought tears to her eyes, and he stopped in front of her. Cowboy’s knowing smile reaching all the way to his attractive whiskey eyes. She laughed out loud when he still sang the ‘lady and man’ lyrics wrong.
He finished out the song his voice rising with the notes. People were clapping and smiling as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “You are unbelievable,” she whispered. “I’m so in love with you.”
“You’re beautiful, so beautiful.” He kissed her.
“I thought you had to leave.”
“We finished the debrief early, and I wanted to say I love you one more time before I go.” He took a breath and met her eyes, his so warm and filled with the love he’d just declared. “Paige, I was going to wait until I got back home, take you out for dinner and ask you this by the water at that place we love on the docks.”
“Ask me?” Her heart was feeling so tight in her chest, just like when her lung had collapsed, only with a lot more anticipation and no pain. “Ask me what?”
He got down on one knee and looked up at her. “Will you marry me?”
He offered her the velvet black box and when she opened it, the ring nestled inside. And she thought about Caitlin and how much she had hurt him, how she wasn’t able to handle this man and his absences, but Paige had no doubts in her heart or mind.
“Oh, God, so many yeses.”
Cowboy laughed and pumped his fist. “Hoo-yah!” he said, and Ashe stood up and took the ring out of the box and slipped it on her finger. “We’ll celebrate when I get back. Start planning the wedding. I don’t want to wait too long.” He turned away, and Cowboy smacked him on the back of the head. “Oh,” he handed her a piece of paper. Here’s my mom’s number and address, and my sister, Emma’s. Call them and go meet them.”
“Without you?”
“Yeah, it won’t matter. They’ll love you, too.” Cowboy tapped his watch. “I’ve got to go. He kissed her several times and they left. She couldn’t bring herself to tell him about Anderson and ruin the mood. There would be time enough for that later.
Over the time he was away, she did just what he asked. Missing him like crazy but each time she looked down at the ring, she glowed with such happiness.
“So, you’re just telling me this now?” Kid said as Cowboy reclined against a boulder, his weapon braced against his inside thigh. They were back in Mexico. But there wasn’t a donkey in sight.
“Yeah, it’s no big deal.”
Kid took another bite of his MRE. “You hate going home, but now you’re going to your high school reunion? Sounds like a big deal to me.”
“Me, too,” Blue said, sitting down.
“Oh, dang it, now we have the whole peanut gallery.”
“One guy isn’t the peanut gallery,” Scarecrow said.
“Right.” Hollywood sat down. “But the more the merrier. Spill, big man.”
“Oh, geez,” Cowboy said. He explained what had happened when he’d gone home for the wedding.”
“Your sister crying would do me in, too. I have a sister, and I couldn’t resist her. I get it.”
“That’s not everything,” Cowboy said, looking sheepish.
“What’s the other reason?”
“Kia Silverbrook, a girl I knew in high school. I didn’t talk to her then.”
“The one that got away?” Hollywood said thoughtfully. “I don’t know what that’s like, but I bet it bites. I say get her out of your system.”
Scarecrow shrugged. “Be decisive, man. Right or wrong, make a decision. The road of life is paved with flat squirrels who couldn’t make a decision.”
“Great. That’s your advice. I’m roadkill?”
“Um…” Scarecrow looked confused. “No,” then he said it again.
“There’s no need to repeat yourself. I ignored you fine the first time.”
The guys laughed.
Blue took a breath and said, “Cowboy, regret comes from the things we don’t do, but wished we had. If you’re attracted to this girl, make a move.”
“Naw, it’s a fantasy. She lives in Texas, and I’m, well, I’m with you punks.”
That got more laughter. “You’re doomed,” Kid said and clapped him on the back.
“I say, there’s your chance. Get her done,” Hollywood said. The guys meandered away.
Cowboy leaned over and whispered, “I don’t know. She’s different. She makes me feel different.”
“Scared?” Kid asked under his breath, making sure the guys couldn’t hear him. “That’s not a bad thing.” He nudged him. “Suck it up. You’re a SEAL. We can do anything.”
As the guys started giving Cowboy a hard time about his love life, Kid’s had fallen into place. He couldn’t wait to get home so that he could love Paige in every way.
When the day finally came and he walked off the plane, he was confused. He didn’t see her waiting for him. But as he came up the walk, there were balloons and welcome banners everywhere, a wonderful aroma coming from the backyard. When he went inside, everyone was there. Not exactly what he hoped for because he wanted to get into her before he actually had to socialize.
But when he spied his mom, sister and nieces, he was overjoyed to see them. They hugged each other tight.
Then he kissed and hugged his future bride.
“What is all this about?”
“Oh, we’re getting married next weekend. I have a ton of things for you to do.”
“We’re getting married?” Could one man be this happy?
“It’s batshit crazy, but you told me to be ready.” She smiled. “What is there to wait for? I have a million things to talk to you about.”
He took her hand and said, “If you all could excuse us.” He dragged her out of the backyard and up the stairs. Before she could protest, he was kissing her and having his way with her. Once they could breathe again, with her wrapped in his arms, he whispered against her fragrant skin, “Okay, give me the million details. I think I can concentrate now.”
She started to talk and he nodded, his heart full. There was a time when he thought he was going to be a failure at this shit his whole life, but then this woman had drop-loaded into his life like one-hundred percent adrenaline. Now all he had to do was hold on.
He watched her face as she talked and thought: It’s going to be one hell of a ride.
Thank you for reading Kid Chaos!
Reviews are appreciated!
Book 3 in the SEAL Team Alpha series, Cowboy, is next. A trip home, an old, guarded secret, and the woman he couldn’t get off his mind add up
to one heck of a homecoming for Wes “Cowboy” McGraw. For him, things changed ten years ago, now he going to find out the truth. Will it make him or break him?
Glossary
Comm - The equipment that SEALs use to communicate with each other in the field.
DZ - Drop zone, the targeted area for parachutists.
HALO - High altitude, low opening jump from an aircraft.
HVT - High value target
Klicks - Shortened word for kilometers.
LRRP - Long-range reconnaissance patrol.
LT - Nickname for lieutenant.
LZ - Landing Zone where aircraft can land.
MRE - Meals, Ready-to-Eat, portable in pouches and packed with calories, these packaged meals are used in the field.
Tango -Hostile combatants.
SERE -Stands for survival, evasion, resistance, escape. The principles of avoiding the enemy in the field.
Six - Military speak for watching a man’s back.
About the Author
Zoe Dawson lives in North Carolina, one of the friendliest states in the US. She discovered romance in her teens and has been spinning stories in her head ever since. Her heroes are sexy males with a disregard for danger and whether reluctant, gung-ho, or caught up in the action, show their hearts of gold.
Her imagination runs wild with romances from sensual to scorching including romantic comedy, new adult, romantic suspense, small town, and urban fantasy. Look below to explore the many avenues to her writing. She believes it’s all about the happily ever afters and always will.
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You can find out more about Zoe here:
www.zoedawson.com
[email protected]
OTHER TITLES BY ZOE DAWSON
Romantic Comedy
Going to the Dogs series
Leashed #1, Groomed for Murder #2
Hounded #3, Collared #4
Piggy Bank Blues #5, Holding Still #6
Louder Than Words #7
Going to the Dogs Wedding Novellas
Fetched #1, Tangled #2
Handled #3, Captured #4
Novellas (the complete series)
Romantic Suspense
Ruckus #1
New Adult
Hope Parish Novels
A Perfect Mess #1, A Perfect Mistake #2
A Perfect Dilemma #3, Resisting Samantha #4
Handling Skylar #5, Sheltering Lawson #6
Hope Parish Novellas
Finally Again #1, Beauty Shot #2
Mark Me #3, Novellas 1-3 (the complete series)
A Perfect Wedding #4, A Perfect Holiday #5
A Perfect Question #6, Novellas 4-6 (the complete series)
Maverick Allstars series
Ramping Up #1
Small Town Romance
Laurel Falls series
Leaving Yesterday #1
Urban Fantasy
The Starbuck Chronicles
AfterLife #1
Erotica
Forbidden Plays series
Playing Rough #1, Hard Pass #2, Illegal Motions #3
