Way of the Warrior

by Suzanne Brockmann

  Just then Julie rounded the corner with an armful of new paintbrushes and roller pans that she promptly dropped on the floor as she ran toward Jonah with a squeal of delight. “You’re here! Oh, I knew you’d come. Somehow, I just knew.” She threw her arms around him for a huge hug.

  Didn’t anyone understand how hard this was for her? The answer was a resounding N.O., as the Tomses and Jonah joked around. It was as if she wasn’t even there.

  Alisha was dismayed. The havoc that Jonah had wrought in her life was enormous, and Julie knew it. Not that Alisha was willing to admit that she still carried a torch for the SEAL. Why did men have to be so infuriating?

  Opening up the can, she stirred the celery-colored paint. Sweet. This was going to be a gorgeous trim for the bright yellow walls of the kitchen, and it would complement the pastel dreamland of wildflowers in the mosaic tiles of the backsplash behind the stove. Julie understood her artistic palette, and she wasn’t afraid of allowing Alisha to demonstrate her love of the rainbow on these walls.

  “Alisha,” said Julie. “Are you hungry?”

  Alisha glanced over her shoulder at her best friend.

  Julie gestured for her to come over.

  Shaking her head in the negative, she went back to what she was doing. Yep, Alisha told herself, I do have to stand by as my best friend Julie hugs and chats amicably with Jonah. She wanted to shout “traitor,” but that would get her exactly nowhere.

  Picking up the proper sized brush from the pileup on the floor, she walked past the chatty bunch and into the kitchen. The trim only needed to be painted in a few spots, and then it would be her version of a Van Gogh. Well, if Van Gogh had been an interior designer.

  She could hear the happy camaraderie from the other room.

  “I know what Alisha likes. Pick up the fettuccine Alfredo with a Greek salad and dressing on the side, and I’ll have the same. Why don’t you two go pick up the food, and I’ll help Alisha finish up in the kitchen? I know she has a lot to finish before the night is over.” Julie sounded upbeat, happy even.

  Alisha gritted her teeth. I wish that didn’t sound delicious, but it does. Will I have the stomach to eat with him? She put the paint down and looked at her friends. She wanted to interrupt and offer them money. They’d never take it. But, she wasn’t taking a cent for her materials and time either. That’s what friends did…watched out for each other. So, why did Kevin befriend Jonah? Was there something she didn’t know about him?

  “I’m kinda tired. How about I stay here, and you two go,” said Kevin.

  Julie nodded. “Of course. Let me get my purse.” She leaned down and kissed her husband.

  “How are you doing?” asked Jonah, his tone serious.

  “I’m going to need another surgery. Julie doesn’t want to talk about it. The wives of the guys from my support group seem to be helping her out some. Mostly, she relies on Alisha. I don’t know what we’d do without her.” Kevin’s voice was low.

  “She’s something special,” Jonah agreed.

  Alisha had ducked back behind the doorway. They hadn’t seen her, and she didn’t want to let on that she was there. She was trying not to listen, but they weren’t exactly whispering.

  “Are you going to talk to her…about that night?” asked Kevin.

  Jonah sighed. “I don’t know. How can I tell her how much I like her in one breath and why that was precisely the reason I abandoned her in the next.”

  “Seriously, man, chicks dig that stuff. It’s called romance.”

  “Riiiiiiiggghhhht,” Jonah scoffed. “If she ‘dug’ me, I’d have heard from her over the years instead of me holding some damn torch for her Highness.”

  “I’m ready,” said Julie, coming abruptly back into the room. “Let’s go. I’m starved.”

  “Get the antipasto, too,” added Kevin.

  “On it,” said Jonah as they headed out the front door.

  CHAPTER 3

  Clouds filled the sky. The wind had picked up, swirling dust and debris into the air, and the temperature had cooled, making it look as if it might rain at any minute. But, the weather genie in Julian was fickle, and it didn’t storm unless the winds stilled and then, and only then, would a deluge occur.

  “Have you seen your family?” asked Julie.

  “Nope. They don’t even know I’m here yet.”

  “Oh, God, your sisters are going to freak when they find out you’re in town. You grew up here, right?”

  “Yep, and I couldn’t wait to run away. Funny thing is…when I really grew up…I couldn’t wait to come back.” Jonah held open the passenger door of his truck. “Your husband spent most of his holiday breaks here with me and fell in love with the town.”

  “I’ve heard the stories enough times to recite them by heart.” Julie hopped inside. “Thanks,” she said, before he closed the door behind her.

  He walked around the truck. His eyes strayed to the large front picture window where he could see Alisha and Kevin talking.

  His lips drew into a thin line. Alisha. She was passion personified, and the woman drove him bonkers!

  Opening the driver’s side door, he slid behind the wheel, fastened his seat belt, and turned on the truck. As he pulled onto the empty road, he noticed that Julie was staring at him.

  “Don’t look at me like that! You know I’ll stop by and see my folks and siblings tonight or tomorrow. My priority is to spend time with you and Kevin. Okay?”

  “I appreciate it. He does, too. Things…are better when you’re here. It’s hard…at times.” Julie admitted.

  “I’m always just an email away. The minute I get it, or can get away from what I’m doing, I’d be here for you both. There are times I go dark, but Kevin has the emergency contact. I can be reached…eventually.”

  “Thanks. We know that.” Julie hesitated. “I don’t want to bring it up, but you know I’m going to…”

  “What?” he asked.

  “You like her. Why are you such a dick to her?”

  His shoulders tensed. “Seriously! A dick? Thanks for the feedback.”

  She smiled. “Maybe that word is too harsh. Those three weeks we all spent together before the wedding, that’s when it happened, you fell for her.”

  “Do we have to rehash this?” He knew his face betrayed the wealth of emotion he had for Alisha.

  She clapped her hands together. “I knew it! Another point for my intuition. That’s great, Jonah!”

  “No, it isn’t,” grumbled Jonah. No man wanted his heart to be worn on his sleeve for the whole world to see. It was simpler and much safer to keep those emotions hidden.

  “Don’t be like that,” said Julie. “I’ve known you for a lot of years, and not once have I ever heard you talk about a lady. And now I know why.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Drop it, will ya? I didn’t come up here to deal with Alisha.”

  “Whatever! I’m poking at this bear until he growls. Ah, let’s see what else can I find out.” She grinned at him.

  Jonah frowned. That was the problem with military wives, the good ones knew when someone was running a line of bullshit and they were determined to get to the truth and make that stream run clear. Shit! If Alisha ever learned to read him that well, he was doomed. “You’re not going to be happy unless I bare my soul, are you?”

  She nodded her head, and Julie’s smile could light up San Diego. “I’ll tell you what; we can make a trade. You can ask me any question about Alisha, but I get to do the same in return.”

  He sighed. He knew when he was cornered, but maybe he could delay revealing anything too personal. And, if he played it right, he just might get some good Intel out of Julie.

  • • •

  “I got it.” Kevin snapped the phone shut and smiled at Alisha. “Sorry to interrupt our chat, but that was one of the best phone calls of my life.”

/>   “No worries,” said Alisha. “What did you get?”

  “Hug me, first.” He opened his arms.

  She leapt into them and hugged him enthusiastically and then stood back up and waited. To her, Kevin was the brother she had always wanted growing up. Now, with all of her family gone, the relationship with Julie and Kevin was even more precious.

  “Alisha, that’s the best thing. You’re willing to celebrate without even knowing why.” Kevin tipped his chair back slightly and spun around.

  Alisha sat down on a box full of books, so Kevin wouldn’t have to tilt his neck back at an uncomfortable angle. “Stop with crap-tastic stuff, and tell me about it. I’m not waiting until the rest of them get back to hear this big news. Your smile is practically taking up your whole face.”

  He nodded. “Okay. So, you know how I’ve been going to support meetings sponsored by the Wounded Warrior Project. Well, some sponsors from Southern California got together and set up a job fair for the men and women in the programs. One of the companies had an opening. And, it’s not just any job, but the position I’ve been dreaming about with an aerospace company that’s working on an advanced return flight craft that is both space and seaworthy. Alisha, this is exactly what I’ve been looking for! It’s less than an hour from here driving on back roads, so the commute is easy, too.”

  “Oh my goodness, what fun!” exclaimed Alisha. “You must be thrilled.”

  “I am,” said Kevin with a nod. “Jonah is going to be green with envy.”

  “Why?” Alisha shifted her weight. Every time Jonah’s name came up she wanted to scream and yell, and yet at the same time, she craved information. Why couldn’t she forget about this man in all these years? She knew she didn’t want to answer that question.

  Kevin chuckled. “As you know, we went to engineering school together. It was the best and worst experience at the same time. Labs at seven in the morning and professors who enjoyed making us sweat—worse than boot camp. Then, we were forced to devise something unique to develop a master’s thesis on; in this day and age when practically everything has been done to death, too.” He sighed. “I’m glad school’s over, nothing could convince me to get a doctorate.”

  “So, why will Jonah be jealous?”

  “Because he’s a huge Jacques Cousteau fan, and that’s one of the main reasons he wanted to be a SEAL. He loves marine life, conservation, and…this is the most important part…he felt there was a link between outer space and water. I bet he’d give his eye teeth to be a part of this project.” Kevin did a wheelie. “Dang, I can hardly wait ’til they get back.”

  “Cool!” she said. The need for more information had questions tripping off her tongue. Besides, Kevin loved retelling his stories. “Did you both get a masterʼs degree from…?”

  “MIT for the master’s and we both went to Stanford for undergrad.”

  “Wow.” Now, that was impressive. “Brainiacs.”

  “Yeah, well, we were the two scholarship kids. I went into the Marine Corps to pay for my education, and Jonah joined the Navy, but only after we’d both gotten exactly what we wanted out of our educations. Ultimately, both of us wanted to be astronauts and go into space or be deep sea divers and work in the ocean.” Kevin took off his left glove and rubbed his hand. “Hey, I’m going to head out to the car and get my water bottle.”

  Alisha could see how raw his fingers were from all the extra work he’d done. She stood up quickly. “No way! I’ll get it.” She’d do anything for him.

  “It’s in the cup holder,” he shouted after her, before she disappeared out the door.

  She was back in a flash. She handed him the water bottle and watched him take a long drink before clearing her throat. “Um, can you tell me more about…Jonah?”

  Kevin’s gaze locked on hers. He raised his eyebrows. “Caught your interest, huh? I knew it. Thought there was some chemistry during the wedding. But you never asked anything. Why now?”

  “I don’t know,” she scoffed. “The wedding was like…years ago. I just was wondering what has been going on with him. You know, to have a friendly conversation with him.” Friendly! What possessed me to say that! Truthfully, I want to kick him in the ass.

  “Right,” he said skeptically. “Let’s see…”

  • • •

  Jonah could barely contain his laughter. The stories Julie was sharing about Alisha were a riot. He loaded the food from Romano’s into his truck and then pulled out of the parking space, taking the short way out of town toward home. As much as he wanted to keep pumping Julie for info, cold food was no fun.

  “The house was supposed to be a light periwinkle, and she painted the walls bright Barney purple. The owners had a fit. You should have heard them yelling, but none of that fazed Alisha. She just hustled them out of the house. Told them that they needed to wait until her whole vision was complete, and if they hated it then, she would completely redo it.” Julie took several short breaths. “I nearly lost it when they came back two days later and congratulated her on a job well done. Seriously, Alisha pulled off Barney-colored walls, and these people ended up loving it.”

  “She really found her niche. Seems like the past few years have been good for her.” Jonah turned down a side road.

  Julie quieted. “Sort of. I mean, professionally, yeah, she’s been great. The happiest I’ve ever seen her. But personally, no.”

  “In terms of relationships…” He hated asking that question. Honestly, he didn’t want to know. He’d rather think Alisha had been celibate for all the years they’d been apart. She was a beauty, though, and there was no doubt in his mind that she’d had plenty of suitors knocking at her door.

  “I shouldn’t tell you this,” she said flatly. “Her past few boyfriends have been a disaster. Beyond the worst of the worst, and now she doesn’t even want to date anymore. I think part of her has been holding out for you.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” said Jonah. And yet, he wasn’t. On one hand he wanted her happy, but he also wanted her with him. But could it really work? The reason he left her that night had to do with his job—she said that she didn’t want to be with a military guy, and he wasn’t leaving his career. He knew the core of him would forever be a SEAL—that wasn’t ever going away whether he was active duty or retired. How did one get past a major roadblock like that? In his mind, you didn’t.

  • • •

  “Well, Jonah’s a good guy. I’ve known him for years. He’s the one who talked me into going to the Wounded Warriors and the Housing Project for help. He’s been involved with both of them for a long time. Seems a friend of his, Declan Swifton, Master Chief from Team FIVE, needed help modifying his house and consulted the groups. Now, a lot of the Team guys contribute some muscle on their downtime or vacations. I’ve gotten a bunch of my Marine Corps friends involved, too.”

  Kevin took a long, slow breath. “It makes a difference, knowing that other people want to see you heal and succeed. I’ve got a lot of pride, and I didn’t think I’d be able to handle reaching out for help, but what I learned is that a strong person reaches and a coward stays locked away and silent.”

  Alisha leaned over and hugged him. “I’m glad you reached out. Otherwise, the two of you would still be renting and it would be FOR-EVER before I could decorate a place for you. Speaking of which, I just need ten more minutes and then the kitchen is done. I’d like to check it off my list before they get back.”

  “Go for it, my sister,” egged Kevin. “I’m going to make a few calls, if you need me.”

  “Righto,” said Alisha cheerily as she went back to her kitchen tasks. She was glad that they’d talked. Speaking with Kevin had been enlightening. She wondered what had prevented her from doing this sooner.

  Her mind shouted an answer. Ego, my dear. It always comes back to ego.

  Alisha sighed as she picked up the paintbrush and went back to compl
eting the celery trim. So true.

  CHAPTER 4

  Dinner had been relaxing. In essence, it was a replay of years ago, before that fateful night when Jonah and Alisha had hooked up. All of them were laughing and enjoying each other’s company so much that it took some doing on both of their parts to get Kevin and Julie out the door so the house projects could be completed. Reminding the happy couple that tomorrow was moving day as well as a celebration for the volunteers had made Julie stress out, and she willingly dragged Kevin back to their rental.

  The silence after the Tomses left was almost deafening, and Jonah wanted to be the bigger person and break it. “I’m sorry,” he said to Alisha as they cleaned up the empty plates and containers from dinner.

  She stilled. “For what?”

  “Damn,” he said. “You’re not going to make this easy, are you?”

  “I thought, ‘The only easy day was yesterday,ʼ if I’m quoting the SEAL adage correctly.” Alisha wiped her hands on a napkin and put it in the bag with the rest of the trash.

  “You are.” He took the bag from her and put it on the ground. “Give me a break here. I’m trying.”

  She sat down. “I’m listening.”

  He followed suit, sitting across from her. The box threatened to give way beneath him, but he balanced himself so it wouldn’t. “Here are all my cards. Meeting you. Spending time with you…that was an important time for me.”

  “Not more important than whatever dragged you away from me,” she said.

  “Alisha, I left because you said that you only wanted a man who could give you his sole focus. You told Julie’s mother that it was a nine-to-five man or nothing. I was devastated. I’m not that! I’ll never be that. Even when I retire, I’ll probably do something else that has me on the go 24/7. I can’t stop being me.” Jonah hadn’t meant to state it that way, to put the onus on her, but bottled emotion expressed passionately had a way of becoming greater in the heat of the moment.

  Her mouth was hanging open. “You…you weren’t meant to hear that. How…did you?”