The Commander: Red, Hot, & Blue, Book 12

by Cat Johnson

  Dedication

  Love comes at different times for different people. This story is for everyone brave enough to start a new chapter in their lives, no matter what age it begins. May you all find your own happy ending.

  Chapter One

  “Commander?”

  Hank Miller glanced up from the stack of papers and folders on his desk to see Jimmy Gordon, one of Task Force Zeta’s team members, hovering in the doorway. “What’s up, Gordon?”

  “We’re fixin’ to head on over to the bar. You coming?”

  Jimmy’s thick-as-molasses Southern drawl had the New Jersey–native inside Hank smiling, but the invitation out tonight? Not so much. It had been a long time since Hank had been young, single and energetic enough to think going out after a full day of work was fun. Now, in his forties, divorced and tired, Hank looked forward to going one place when his day was done. Home.

  In Special Ops, their workday could literally last thirty-six hours, depending on the mission. In comparison, today had been easy. Some training exercises followed by this never-ending stack of mind-numbing paperwork that Hank found far more exhausting than a good hard workout with the team.

  “Thanks for the invite, but I was going to finish up with this crap, then head home and crash.”

  “Understood, but could you come for a few minutes? You don’t have to stay, but I’d like to talk to y’all together.”

  “Hey, hey, hey. Wait one minute.” Matt Coleman leaned in the doorway, some kind of gadget in his hand. The man was like a walking computer store. Hank had long ago stopped trying to keep up with his new toys. “I agreed to going out for a beer, but no one said anything about having a team meeting tonight.”

  Jimmy frowned at Matt. “It’s not a team meeting.”

  “Fine. Tell me when we’re leaving.” Matt slunk away, leaving Jimmy still waiting on Hank’s answer.

  “You sure you want to talk at the bar, Gordon? Wouldn’t you rather discuss whatever this is at the meeting in the morning?”

  “No, sir. It’s not work related. It’s…personal.”

  “All right.” The stack of paperwork Hank had no inspiration to finish was as much a factor in his decision as Jimmy’s intriguing summons. “One beer, a quick talk and then I’m outta there.”

  Jimmy smiled. “Thank you, sir. Trey and Jack are there already. I’m heading over now with the rest of the guys. We’ll wait for you.”

  On the short drive to the bar just outside the base’s back gate, Hank considered what Jimmy was so anxious to discuss it required the whole team assemble for it. A few possibilities came to mind, none of which he liked very much. He could only hope Jimmy wasn’t about to announce his retirement from the military, or that he was leaving the team.

  Group dynamics could be a tricky thing. Hank had recruited and added a new member to the team a few months ago. So far, John Blake had worked out fine, but it could have just as easily gone the other way. He’d hate to make another change so soon about as much as he hated the thought of losing a valuable senior team member like Jimmy.

  Inside the bar, Hank’s men surrounded two tables they’d pushed together. As Hank made his way back to them, he saw Trey Williams headed in the same direction with two hands filled with bottles of beer. It wasn’t such a bad thing that Trey had started dating the woman who owned the bar. Carly made sure they received extra good service whenever they were here.

  When everyone was settled and as quiet as they were going to get, Jimmy stood. “Y’all know I’m not real good at speeches, but I’ve got something important to announce.”

  This sounded serious, which made the chances of Hank liking whatever Jimmy was about to say slim to none.

  “Well, I am good at speeches, big brother.” Bottle poised in one hand, Jack Gordon looked up at Jimmy. “Let me tell ’em.”

  “Don’t you dare. I can do this my own damn self.” After glaring at Jack, Jimmy paused long enough to draw a deep breath. “Lia and I are getting married, and I want all y’all to stand up with me at the ceremony.”

  No retirement announcement. No plans to quit the team. Just a wedding. That, Hank could handle. “Congratulations, Gordon. It would be an honor to stand up with you at the altar.”

  “Congratulations, buddy.” Bull stood and slapped Jimmy on the back with enough force it knocked Jimmy a step forward.

  “Congrats, man. When are you gonna take the plunge?” John Blake asked.

  “Um, well that’s the thing.” Jimmy cringed and glanced at the group. “It’s next weekend.”

  “Next weekend?” Trey planted his bottle on the table with a clunk. “Jeez, Jimmy. What the hell. Why so soon? You knock her up or something?”

  All eyes focused on Jimmy. His silence answered the question as Hank began to suspect Trey had hit the nail right on the head.

  Jack grinned. “Yup. I’m gonna be an uncle.”

  Some of these guys seemed so damn young that there had been times Hank felt more like a father to them than a commander. Now they were having kids of their own. What did that make Hank? He didn’t even want to think the word grandfather. Which reminded him, he needed to call his daughter. It had been far too long since he’d spoken with his only child. Thank God, she wasn’t married or even talking about it yet. Hopefully he had some time left before he became a grandfather.

  Jimmy shot Jack a less-than-happy look. “Thanks a lot, Jack.”

  “They would have noticed eventually, Jimmy. Lia’s tits are getting huge.” Jack held one palm out in front of his chest.

  The punch Jimmy delivered to Jack’s arm splashed the beer in his hand all over the table. “Keep your mouth shut and your eyes off her chest.”

  “Easier said than done. I mean holy shit, she’s—” Jack never finished his ill-advised observation as Jimmy dove at him. Bull and BB Dalton were up just as fast, each one grabbing a Gordon brother.

  It could be a hairy situation when men trained to kill with their bare hands got into a bar fight, but Hank figured the Gordon boys had been scrapping with each other their entire lives. Not to mention there were half a dozen men here trained just as well to break them up. Hank decided he could afford to sit back and relax for this one. It might be because he was tired and bored as shit even thinking of that paperwork on his desk, but he found the two brothers bickering amusing.

  Bull, still holding on to Jimmy, eyed him. “You gonna calm down so I can finish my beer?”

  Jimmy scowled one more time in Jack’s direction, then nodded.

  “Jack? You done?” BB asked.

  “I didn’t start it.”

  “Are you done?” BB’s tone left no question he’d had enough with Jack being a smart ass.

  Jack scowled. “Yeah, I’m done.”

  “Fine.” BB let him go and sat. “And congratulations, Jimmy. I’m happy for you. I’m sure every one of us would be honored to stand up with you.”

  “Of course, we all will. As long as we don’t get assigned between now and then.” Matt pointed out the one glitch that could sink the whole plan. The team could be called out on a moment’s notice, unless Hank did something to avoid it.

  “Where are you having the ceremony?” Hank asked.

  “I want to have it at my mama’s.”

  “In Pigeon Hollow?” Trey laughed. “Does Lia’s daddy, the state governor, know his only daughter’s getting married on a horse farm?”

  Jack snorted. “I, for one, don’t give a flying pig crap what the governor thinks. He should be proud to have his daughter married to a Gordon and at our home to boot.”

  Jimmy ignored Jack. “Lia and I discussed it with him and he’s fine with it.”

  “Really? Hmm.�
� Hank considered that tidbit as interesting as it was odd.

  “Remember, he’s all into supporting the small farmer.” Jimmy scowled. “He thinks it’s good press for us to get married at the farm.”

  “And he’s all right with, you know, the little Jimmy on the way?” Bull asked.

  Jimmy treated them to his crooked grin. “With a little one on the way, he’d much rather have us married than not.”

  “Matt made a good point, though. For once.” Jack tipped a bottle to Matt in a salute. “What if we get called out on an assignment between now and then? What do we do?”

  The team turned toward Hank for an answer. Luckily, he had one. “Well, boys. I say it’s time we turn Central Command’s asinine rules right back on them.”

  “I sure do like the sound of that.” Jack grinned. “What do you have in mind, sir?”

  “Remember when they forced us all to take that two-week mental-health leave because none of us was using our leave?” Just remembering how command had tried to tell him how to run his team pissed Hank off.

  Jack let out a short laugh. “How can I forget?”

  Trey and Matt exchanged a look and Hank shot them all a warning glance. “I think we best not discuss that right now.”

  Hank knew damn well Jack had done some shit he shouldn’t have during that leave, and that Jimmy, Trey and Matt had joined him for it. He’d long since decided when it came to this particular situation, what he didn’t know, couldn’t hurt him. Particularly since what Hank did know was that four of his team had conveniently converged in Pigeon Hollow just hours before a mysterious tip led the feds to evidence that landed an infamous mobster in jail.

  Matt, the one man in this group most likely able to hack into the mob’s computer, send the files to the FBI and not leave a trail, raised his longneck bottle in a toast. “Yes, sir.”

  Hank turned the subject back to safer territory. “Anyway. I propose, if you are all agreeable, that we use a few of our accrued days to go to Pigeon Hollow for the wedding. Central can’t complain. It’s their damn rule that we can’t travel out of range unless on assignment or official leave. They’ll just force us to take it some other time if we don’t use it.”

  “I’m fine with that.” Matt nodded. “Vote? All in favor?”

  There was a collective response of, “Aye.”

  “All right. I’ll put us all in for it effective tomorrow on my way home.” This was one bit of paperwork Hank wouldn’t mind doing.

  “Thank you, sir.” Jimmy’s gaze shifted from Hank to the rest of the team. “All of y’all. Your being there means a lot.”

  “Wouldn’t miss it for the world, Gordon. Besides, I can finally meet the famous Mama and taste her prize-winning sweet-potato pie you’re always bragging about.”

  Jimmy laughed. “I’d love to have you meet her, sir. Knowing Mama, I’m sure there’ll be more pie than any of us can eat.”

  Hank took the last sip of beer and rose. “If that’s all for the announcement, then I’m heading out.”

  “I’ll walk out with you, sir. I don’t want Lia to worry.”

  “Whipped already and you haven’t even said I do yet.” Matt shook his head.

  “Jealous?” Jimmy’s brow rose.

  “Damn right, I am. My girlfriend’s in a different country right now. And let’s not forget I was on the comm unit and heard you and Lia going at it the night you met her. It sounded pretty—”

  Hank braced himself, expecting to have to hold Jimmy back before he pummeled Matt. “Watch it, Coleman. She’s the mother of his child and about to become his wife.”

  Jimmy didn’t lunge. He just shook his head. “You’re a dick, Matt.”

  Maybe fatherhood would mellow the man.

  Not acting as smart as he was, Matt continued, “Come on, Commander. You heard it too. You have to admit—”

  “Zip it, Coleman.” Hank’s tone was stern enough to convey to Matt that he should shut the fuck up.

  “Yes, sir.” Matt sighed.

  Sometimes it was good to be in charge. His duty done, Hank threw a five-dollar bill down on the table for his beer and said, “Good night, all. Anyone who comes in tomorrow morning with a hangover gets an extra ten miles on the course.”

  Jack frowned. “I thought our leave started tomorrow.”

  “Oh, it does. At twelve after our workout.” Hank smiled as grumbling followed him and Jimmy to the exit where they pushed through the door to the parking lot.

  Hank decided to feel Jimmy out a bit while he had him alone. “You all right with this happening so fast, Gordon?”

  The parking-lot light illuminated Jimmy’s face enough Hank could see him beaming with a smile. “I’m thrilled. I’m more than ready to be married to Lia. She was so busy running her father’s political career, she wasn’t in any rush to make things permanent. The baby changed that.”

  As they reached his car, a suspicion struck Hank. “You didn’t—”

  “Get her pregnant on purpose? No, sir. But it sure worked out in the end. I’m in my thirties. I’m ready. And now she has to marry me.” Jimmy grinned wider.

  “Our line of work is tough on a marriage, son. You better be prepared for that.” Hank didn’t want to butt in, but their discussion was already about as personal as it could get.

  “We’ve been together for quite a while now. Lia knows what to expect.”

  “A baby might change things.” That was one thing Hank knew too well.

  Jimmy shrugged. “Then we’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it.”

  “All right.” Hank had done all he could. “So, what day does Zeta descend upon the unsuspecting town of Pigeon Hollow?”

  The ringing of the phone stopped Lois Gordon midway between the laundry machine and the bedroom. Over the pile of sheets in her arms, she glanced at the caller ID on the readout of the hallway phone.

  Juggling the pile of laundry, she grabbed the cordless receiver and managed to hit the button to answer. “Jimmy. Hey, darlin’.”

  “Hey, Mama.”

  “Where you at?” Dumping the pile of sheets onto her absent middle son’s mattress, Lois Gordon forced herself to sit down amid the chaos so she could concentrate on talking to her eldest.

  It seemed as if ever since he’d sprung this wedding on her, she’d been spinning in circles. Hosting a wedding at the farm with two weeks’ notice, and with the governor and his highfalutin friends as guests, was crazy.

  “In the car with Lia on our way there. The team’s following behind me.”

  She blew out a slow breath to calm herself. “Great.”

  Lois tangled her hand through her hair, tempted to tear it out. The stress was starting to get to her. Oh, Jimmy would never know it. Neither would the guests. By the time they arrived, the house would be perfect and the food would be ready. But until then, inside she’d allow herself a small amount of panic.

  She’d already calculated how many she could accommodate in the house. As much as she hated it, the rest would have to make do in the empty apartment above the barn. “I hope your friends won’t mind doubling up in the beds.”

  “No worries, Mama. I called the Hideaway and reserved a bunch of rooms. You’ll probably only have to deal with Lia and me at the house. Maybe Jack unless he’s staying with Nicki at her place.”

  “You didn’t have to get them hotel rooms. It’ll be tight, but they’re all welcome here.” Lois had never turned away a guest in need of a place to sleep and she never would.

  He laughed. “Yeah, I did. It’s just easier this way. The guys all have girlfriends now. I told them there’s a strict no-sharing-a-room-before-marriage policy under your roof.”

  “As it should be.” Lois didn’t tell Jimmy her policy had fallen by the wayside with Jared getting a girlfriend of his own. When Mandy was in town and not traveling for business, she was practically moved in to Jared’s room. The boy was old enough now. He could make his own decisions. She couldn’t reprimand him anymore like he was a teenager. Jared
was the man of the house with his two older brothers away.

  “Yes, Mama.” There was a smile in Jimmy’s voice.

  It took great restraint to not remind Jimmy that his living under the same roof with Lia before marriage had led to Lois becoming a grandmother and this quickie wedding. It wasn’t like she was a prude. Far from it. She wasn’t under any delusion that her sons weren’t going to have sex at their ages, but she wasn’t even fifty yet. That was too damn young to have someone calling her grandma, in her opinion. Even if she didn’t have a sex life or a man, she didn’t need the label of grandma slapped on her making her feel old or like her life was done.

  Lois shook that morbid thought away and got back to the matter at hand. “How many people are coming with you?”

  She glanced at the clock. If they didn’t speed, which she knew they would, they’d be here in about two hours. She needed to get these beds made, check on the ribs slow-cooking in the oven and see to some last-minute details for tonight’s party for Lia. Lois glanced down at herself. Changing into something that didn’t make her look like a farmhand should probably be on her list at some point as well.

  “Let’s see, there’s me, Lia, the commander, Matt, but he’s alone since his girl can’t make it, Bull, his girl is coming but not until tomorrow, Jack of course, Trey and Carly, BB and Katie and their new baby. Oh, and the new guy John and his girl, but she’s driving out with Bull’s girlfriend. How many is that?”

  “Thirteen.” Lois ran out of fingers on her two hands. That wasn’t counting the infant he’d mentioned and all the folks already in Pigeon Hollow—Jack’s girlfriend, Nicki, and Jared and his girlfriend, Mandy.

  “You bake a pie today, Mama?” Jimmy asked. “The commander is looking forward to tasting what I’ve been boasting about for years.”

  “Yes, darlin’, I made a pie.” Lucky for Jimmy, she’d baked six.

  Jesus wasn’t here to turn her water into wine or make one pie serve the more than a dozen people Jimmy had brought with him. Good thing Lois knew better than to bank on what her sons told her. He’d originally said today’s visitors would be just his teammates. Lois hadn’t thought to ask about girlfriends. Last she’d heard, they’d all been single and looking.