Operation Family

by Dobson, Marissa

  “Ten minutes and you’ll have him back,” Tony promised.

  Mac followed his father through the house and out the back door to the workshop, with hopes that whatever he was about to hear would be along the lines of what his mother already stated. He wanted both of his parents to like Nicole because even if things didn’t work out romantically, she would always be a big part of his life. They shared children together now.

  “What do you think?” Dad nodded toward the antique cabinet that had been original to the house. When they brought it over, Mac had little hope it would survive, but there it was looking as good as ever. The wood was smooth and stained to a warm brown, the polished handles decorated the front. There was a circular cut in the top for where the sink would go, now that they had repurposed it.

  “I never thought you’d be able to save it. It was so rough.”

  “I have a way of bringing life to the unwanted.”

  Mac glanced back at his dad. “I know, I’m a prime example,” he joked, knowing he’d get a kick out of it. His parents had never hidden the fact he was adopted, instead they reminded him all the time they chose him, unlike all the other parents who got saddled with their brats, as his father always joked. They had even embraced his decision to seek out his birth mother, one that in the end only led to a gravestone.

  “Yes, and now you’re doing the same.”

  “Gabriella and Sophia aren’t unwanted, they’re orphans.” For some unknown reason he felt the need to defend them; Shawn hadn’t left them like his biological parents had.

  “True, but you’re still willing to step up and give them the family they deserve. That’s the man we raised you to be and we couldn’t be prouder of you.” He leaned against the workbench. “Now this Nicole, she seems like a very nice woman.”

  “But?” Mac prompted when his father stopped. He only hoped the age difference wasn’t about to rear its ugly head.

  “She seems very committed to the girls, which is good, and your mother said you’re planning to have the paperwork drawn up to share custody. If you screw things up with her, you could lose Gabriella and Sophia. Are you prepared for that?”

  “I’m not going to screw this up. Nicole and I have something I’ve never felt with another woman, there’s a bond there. But more than that it’s chemistry, like we’re made for each other.”

  “It’s the same with your mother and me.” Tony grabbed a rag from the bench and started to rub his hand with it, as if he was trying to clean off some invisible dirt. “This brings me to my next point, one I know you’re not going to like very much. Maybe it’s time you considered retirement. You’ve put in more than anyone could ask for, you’ve done your twenty years. Consider staying here with your new family, with all of us.”

  “Dad…” Mac leaned against the cabinet, the air suddenly gone from his lungs. Of all the things he considered hearing from his father, retirement wasn’t one of them. They had always supported his career.

  “I just want you think of how Nicole feels. The girls have already lost two parents, should you risk yourself after all of this?”

  Mac was unsure if he should be angry or not. Being a SEAL was his life, the very idea of retiring made him sick. How could he do anything but what he’d done his whole life? He wasn’t worried about the money, he could always sell the house if he needed to. He was worried about what he’d become without the thrill and adrenaline. Would he still be the same man?

  It was inevitable that someday the time would come that he’d have to retire. His body wouldn’t keep up with the demands forever. Until a few days ago, he had hoped he’d die in battle. To go down in a blaze of glory surrounded by the brass casings of used rounds and his men would be the best way for him to leave his world.

  Otherwise, he might go stir crazy with boredom.

  With Gabriella and Sophia changed and put down for the night, Nicole stepped out onto the porch. Mac had taken refuge there while she slipped out of her dress and into gray yoga pants and a matching long sleeve shift. He had been distant since he returned from the shed with his father, making her wondering what had happened between the two of them. Did it have something to do with her? She thought Maria and Tony had liked her, that the evening had gone smoothly. Maybe it was just a show so as not to cause tension. Whatever it was, she was about to get to the bottom of it.

  “Mac?” He had been so lost in his thoughts she wasn’t sure he heard the door open and shut. To be safe, she called to him as she came up behind him, because in the time they had been together she learned he didn’t like being snuck up on. It tensed every muscle in his body, putting him on edge, ready to attack.

  She laid her hand on the railing and watched him. His body was relaxed so he knew she was there but he didn’t turn to look at her or say anything. He just gazed out at the darkness and remained silent. Whatever was on his mind had him stressed. Was it work? Would he be deployed before they had time to celebrate Christmas? Or worse yet, before they had time to draw up the paperwork for the girls? If something happened to him while he was deployed, what would happen to the twins, would she lose them? Her mind was brimming with questions until she forced herself to take a deep breath and calm down. This was no time to have a panic attack. Right now Mac needed her.

  Her fingers itched to be drawn through his short, thick blond hair, to watch the glints of silver around his temples peak through like diamonds in the sky. Damn he was gorgeous, even when he was a million miles away mentally. She wanted him like she had never wanted anyone before.

  There was a soft side he kept hidden from everyone else; the world saw he wasn’t a man to be fucked with. When she first met him, she realized she needed to tread carefully with him, especially when it came to custody of the girls. She suspected his don’t fuck with me attitude was from all his years as a SEAL, but tonight when she met his brother she realized it was a family trait. Angelo had the same attitude and protection mentality that Mac had. His eyes held a haunted look like he’d seen the worst in people and it had begun to make him jaded.

  Both the García brothers needed a woman’s touch to show them there was still good in life. She was just the woman to do that for Mac, and hopefully Angelo would find someone to help ease the pain she’d seen in his eyes. Angelo worked too hard, it showed in his salt and pepper hair. At thirty-five, he had far more gray than Mac who was nearly five years older.

  “Go back inside. You’ll catch a chill.”

  Mac’s order brought her back into the moment. “Come with me.”

  “I’ll be in soon.”

  She put her hand on his back. “What’s going on with you? Since coming back from your parents’ house, you’ve been more distant than when you found out I was twenty-four. What’s going on in that head of yours? Do your parents not approve?”

  “It has nothing to do with us. My parents love you and the girls.”

  “Then you admit there’s something bothering you. Why can’t you talk to me? Mac, please, look at me and tell me what’s going on.” When he didn’t, she pulled her hand away as if she’d been burned and stepped back. She wasn’t going to stand there in the cold when he insisted on remaining closed off. These moments when he withdrew deep inside himself were becoming irritating. They were still getting to know each other and every time he shut her out, it set them back. “Fine, goodnight then.”

  “Wait.” He reached out, grabbed hold of her wrist, and pulled her into his embrace. “I’m sorry, amore, I was just thinking.”

  “You can talk to me.”

  “Let’s go inside.” He held her for a moment longer before finally letting his embrace drop away as he slipped his hand into hers. “Talking to someone is new to me. I’ve always been distance when there’s something I need to figure out, but I guess if you’re going to be in this for the long haul you have a right to voice your opinions.”

  “Why does that very comment send uncertainties rushing through my mind?”

  “Amore, that’s because you are a worrier,
where I’m the planner and will work us out of any situation we find ourselves in. So have no qualms.” He opened the door and the heat from the house welcomed them. “I could start a fire.”

  “I believe you’re stalling.” She raised her eyebrow, waiting for him to spill whatever had prompted his silence. “Let’s sit down and you can tell me what’s on your mind.” With her hand in his, she strolled through the entryway and into the living room toward the sofa. “Now out with it.”

  “So demanding.” He smirked and pulled her onto his lap, surprising her. But she didn’t pull away. “The cabinet Dad refinished is beautiful. It will take the place of the counter in the downstairs bathroom. He’s got the hole cut out for the sink already and—”

  Biting back a sigh, she interrupted him. “This isn’t what I meant, but we can take the long way around to you telling me what’s gotten you worked up. Though I’ll warn you, now that the girls have returned to sleeping through the night, I had considered other adventures for this evening.”

  “Now that sounds promising.” He ran his hand up her thigh, slipping under the edge of the long sleeve shirt.

  “Not until you confide in me.” She pressed her hand over his, stopping his movements.

  “Dad thinks I should retire. Twins are twice as demanding, so it’s time to settle down and be a proper family man.”

  Not wanting him to jump to any conclusion, she stilled. “What do you want?”

  “I was just about to ask you that, after all you’d be the one stuck with the girls if I’m deployed. You’d be alone, without any help, since you are against me hiring a nanny.” He reminded her of the earlier conversation and let his head fall back against the edge of the sofa.

  “I can handle the girls. If I need help, we can get a nanny, or there are always your parents and occasionally babysitters. Don’t worry about that, you need to do what’s right for you, what you actually want.”

  He lifted his head back up until their gazes met. “What about you? It’s not just about me anymore. I need to consider you, Gabriella, and Sophia.”

  “Mac, if it was about your career I wouldn’t have come to Virginia. I would have fought you for the girls and kept them in Texas. I wouldn’t have agreed to this, and I wouldn’t be here with you now, opening up my heart to you. I would never ask you to be other than what you are, and your career adds to who you are. If you want to retire then do it, if you want to continue know that I’ll support you.”

  To some, it might have been empty words, but to her it wasn’t. His career was important to him and she understood that. Hell, she respected it. What he did was an amazing thing. There would be times when he was gone more than he was home, there would be stress and uphill battles, but she realized she was in this for the long haul. It might have started out for the girls, but she was falling in love with him. It scared her that it was happening so quickly, and it made her want to put her heels in the sand, but it was also empowering. She never knew love could make her feel so free.

  “Thank you.” He leaned forward and claimed her lips for the first time. It was tender at first, just a light peck, but she leaned into him and it grew deeper as he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth before letting it go again. She released a soft moan as he slid his tongue into her mouth. Then he pressed one last kiss on her lips before pulling back.

  Damn, that man is good.

  Before she could gather her thoughts, he dove back into the conversation. “I don’t want to give it up. Retirement wouldn’t suit me; I’m not one to do nothing. I know you and the girls would keep me busy, but I need the rush I get from my job.”

  “You don’t need to defend your decision to me. I know everything will work out fine. When you’re home we’ll make the moments count. I only ask one thing.”

  “If it’s joint custody of the twins, you have it. I’ll calling Mr. Batty tomorrow to have him draw up the paperwork right away. I don’t want to take the chance that I could be called up on a mission before the paperwork is signed.”

  She shook her head. “It’s not that. I want you to promise me you’ll do everything in your power to come home to us.” Swallowing her tears, she watched how his eyes glaze over as if he was thinking about the men he’d lost, the men who would never make it back home to their families.

  “I will, amore, I will.”

  The last few days had flown by, leaving just over a week until Christmas, and there was still so much Mac wanted to get done. They had only been in Virginia a short time but Nicole and the twins had settled in comfortably and everything was going smoothly. Even their shopping expedition had gone over without a hitch, and he despised shopping. Thanks to his parents, it was a day they were able to spend completely alone together, and it gave them time to get to know each other better. He had tried to take things slow, but he wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold off his desires to have her in the most intimate way possible.

  He pulled the last box of Christmas decorations from one of the guest bedroom closets where he had stored it and glanced out the window for the hundredth time. The package from Mr. Batty with the custody papers and Nicole’s Christmas gift had been overnighted, now all he had to do was wait for them. Instead of stalking the mailman, he decided to gather the Christmas ornaments, so that evening they could decorate the tree. This year he had decided on a real Christmas tree, one he had gone out hours before to cut down himself. It would be the first real tree since he had lived with his parents. Most years he had been too busy to consider decorating and last year his team volunteered for a mission around the holidays, so they hadn’t even been home.

  This Christmas was going to be the first memorable one since he was a child. He’d make it special for his new family. The girls wouldn’t remember it but they’d have a picture album to look back on, and even if they didn’t it was something he and Nicole would always cherish. Their first Christmas together, the four of them. Look at me, I’m turning into a family man.

  Tires crunching on the gravel driveway had him setting the box aside and going back to the window just in time to see Angelo’s truck making its way toward the house. What could he want at this time of the day? He should be in his office preparing or in court prosecuting the next big case. Angelo didn’t have the highest conviction rate in the JAG core without putting in endless hours. It was unlike him to leave his office while there was still sunlight.

  With only one way to find out, he turned and headed downstairs to the front door. He stepped into the hallway just as Nicole came out of the nursery with Gabriella and Sophia on each hip. “Someone’s coming up the drive, are you expecting anyone?”

  “It’s Angelo.” As she neared her, he reached over and plucked Sophia from Nicole’s arms. “How’s my sweet pea?”

  “It seems when you’re around no one wants me.” Nicole bounced Gabriella up on her hip and shook her head at the girls. “Somehow I went from being their whole world, to second place.”

  “You want Mommy, too, don’t you?” He glanced down at Sophia, who only giggled in response. “See I told you. Does the fact that I want you make up for it?” He slid his hand up her arm, teasing his finger along the lines of her freckles.

  “Maybe you’ll have to show me just how much you want me,” she teased.

  A truck door shut, reminding him time was short before Angelo would be ringing the doorbell. “Soon, amore, soon.” Not having time to show her just how much how he wanted her, he headed downstairs. He had been waiting to take things further but was respecting that she might need time. Everything in her life had changed so quickly he didn’t want to rush her.

  “Mac…” The concern in her voice made him pause halfway down the steps and turn back to her. “As much as I like the sound of Mommy, are you sure it’s the best idea?”

  “We agreed we’d raise the girls as our own. Mommy, Daddy, that’s who we are to them. When they’re older we’ll tell them about their parents, but for now this is the best way. Our little girls are blessed with two sets of
parents, one watching over them and us.” The doorbell rang and he was forced to put his worries for their future aside. He bounced Sophia on his hip. “Let’s find out what my brother wants.”

  “Mac, I know you’re in there. Open up.” Angelo yelled through the closed door.

  “Wait.” On the last step, Nicole stopped him with a brief touch on his shoulder. “Give me Sophia and I’ll take the girls back upstairs. You might need to be alone.”

  “I doubt it’s anything like that but whatever he’s here for can be said in front of you. Remember, no secrets. We’re a team now, we face any issue together.” Keeping Sophia in his arms, Mac pulled open the door. “I was just checking to see if Hell had frozen over, you never leave work at this time of day.”

  “Which one are you, little one?” Angelo asked the baby in Mac’s arms as if he thought she’d answer.

  “Sophia.” Mac tipped his head. “Gabriella is over there.”

  “How do you keep them straight?”

  “Sophia’s hair in two shades lighter than Gabriella’s and her temperament is a little different. She’s more easy-going and is the snuggle bug of the two.” Nicole came to stand next to Mac. “She’s also a little smaller in size.”

  “Women notice those things. Men would need shirts to tell them apart.” Angelo pulled his finger back from Sophia. “Are you going to invite me in? Or leave us all stand in the cold until we’re sick? That’s fine with me but I don’t think you want two sick babies on your hands with the holidays.”

  “Come in.” Mac stepped back allowing his brother to enter, then shut the door and strolled toward the living room.

  “Can I get you some coffee or anything, Angelo?”

  “No thank you.” He smiled at Nicole. “I’ve got to be back in court shortly, so I only have a few minutes.”

  “Are you going to tell me what brings you here or shall I start guessing?” He sat Sophia down in the playpen.

  “Can we have a minute alone?”