SEAL's Second Chance (A Navy SEAL Brotherhood Romance)

by Ivy Jordan

  “Shrimp scampi over linguini,” I said proudly.

  I wasn’t much of a cook, never had much interest in learning. But shrimp scampi was my favorite dish, and probably the only one I could execute without staring at a cookbook.

  “Wow, impressive,” he said.

  “What about you?” I asked.

  “I’m making steak,” he boasted.

  I could see the large, sliding-glass door behind him, and a wooden deck beyond that. A small, round grill sat outside the door, and as he opened the door, he laughed, asking if I could smell that sweet smell of charcoal.

  I carried the laptop into the kitchen, adjusting the screen so he could see me while I prepped and cooked. “I have something for you,” he said, pulling a bouquet of full, red roses into the screen.

  “They are beautiful,” I gushed.

  “I wish I could actually give them to you. But I’ll keep them for you for now.”

  “Thank you,” I said.

  I drizzled a pan with olive oil while Silas salted his steak. His muscles flexed as he shook the shaker, and when he twisted the pepper mill, they popped beneath his tight, tan skin. “You like to cook?” he asked.

  I shrugged and shook my head with a laugh.

  “That’s okay. I love to cook,” he said with a wink.

  I chopped garlic and put it into my hot oil and then squeezed lime juice all over the shrimp. It was weird, watching him as he moved about his apartment. He seemed a little nervous, but that somehow made me calmer. He said he’d done this once or twice before, so this wasn’t new to him like it was me. At least he wasn’t so comfortable that I’d think he done this every night with a new woman.

  “So, you’d cook for me?” I asked.

  “Every night for the rest of your life,” he smiled.

  “Wow!”

  “Wow, indeed! There aren’t many men like me left, Lucy,” he teased.

  I could believe that. I knew for a fact there weren’t any like him in my small, Minnesota town.

  “I love your accent, by the way,” he said.

  I blushed, realizing I must sound wild compared to what he’s used to in Texas. He didn’t have much of a Southern drawl. His voice was too deep to carry much of a twang. It was masculine, sexy, but if I had to say where he lived using only his voice, I’d be at a loss. Me? There was no way anyone wouldn’t be able to pinpoint my origin using only my voice.

  “I hate it,” I admitted.

  He shook his head and pointed his finger at the screen. “You can’t hate it if I love it.”

  My shrimp sizzled in the pan while I opened the package of fresh pasta and turned the oven to broil for my bread. I minced garlic into a tub of butter, and then smeared it all over the bread. Silas was whistling while he placed his steak on the grill, a TV theme song that was familiar, but I couldn’t name. Something about him soothed me, made me feel comfortable, and made me want more.

  “How do you like your steak?” he asked.

  “Medium rare,” I answered quickly.

  “Good girl,” he winked, flipping the thick cut of filet to its other side on the grill.

  I pushed my bread into the oven, under the broiler, and then flipped my shrimp before adding the pasta and butter into the oil. I chopped the cilantro while Silas tossed a salad, and then quickly removed his steak from the grill to rest.

  He asked me a random series of questions while he waited for me to finish my meal. One of the questions—have you ever been in a serious relationship—made me cringe.

  I wasn’t sure I wanted to tell him about Jimmy, but I knew I didn’t want to hide anything from him. He listened, didn’t judge me, and told me he understood. “Sometimes, no matter how you feel about someone, if it isn’t right, it isn’t right,” he said.

  I agreed. It was tough letting go of Jimmy. I told him I knew he wasn’t going anywhere, but he was still at least a comfort to me. He was always there, and the one day when he wasn’t anymore, I’d felt like I made the worst mistake of my life. But now, I knew I’d made the right choice, and being alone wasn’t so bad. It was certainly better than being with someone you didn’t belong with.

  “You’re a very wise woman, Lucy,” he said sweetly.

  I tossed the pasta with the shrimp to coat it with the scampi sauce. I pulled my bread from the oven, and set the table with my laptop in the center. It was strange at first, this video dating thing. But after talking, and making a meal together, it didn’t seem strange at all.

  Silas was on my screen in front of me, almost as if he were across the table on an actual date.

  “This actually feels like a real date,” I boasted.

  “Anything’s possible, thanks to the Internet,” he laughed.

  “Well, not anything,” I teased, my mind drifting to a more intimate kind of date.

  “Oh, you’d be surprised,” he boasted, cutting into the steak.

  “Really?” I asked, my interest piqued, and my jealousy starting to show.

  “Not that I’ve done anything like that,” he said, his face turning red, and his lips curling into a mischievous smile.

  “Oh, yeah, like I’m gonna believe that smirk,” I laughed.

  He pushed his fork toward the screen, showing me how perfectly his steak was cooked. I knew he was changing the topic, and in a way, I was glad, although, my curiosity was still piqued. What had he done on here? And with who?

  “That looks delicious,” I said, allowing him to change topic without an argument.

  “I’d love to try your scampi,” he said.

  “Here,” I teased, pushing my fork toward the screen.

  He pretended to take a bite, laughing at his own silliness. This was nice. This was actually the best date I’d ever been on.

  After dinner, we talked while I snuggled on the couch. We were both watching Dancing with the Stars and critiquing their routines when my eyes started to get droopy again. I yawned, covering my mouth, but he caught it.

  “You need sleep,” he insisted.

  He was right. But I wasn’t ready for this date to end.

  “I do. I’m gonna do something I’ve never done on a first date before,” I said curiously.

  “What’s that?”

  “I’m gonna take you to bed with me,” I said softly.

  His eyes widened, and that smile melted my soul. I wished he could snuggle in next to me, not just through a computer screen, but flesh to flesh.

  “I’m honored,” he said.

  “So, I know you’ve done so much on here and all, but don’t get any ideas,” I teased.

  “I’ll keep my hands to myself,” he promised.

  I carried the laptop into my bedroom and set it on the dresser. “I’m turning you around while I get undressed,” I said quickly.

  I heard him let out a whistle as I slid out of my jeans. My skin tingled just knowing he was there with me, even though he couldn’t see. There was something erotic about having him on my dresser while standing in my panties and bra behind him.

  “Not even a peek?” he teased.

  For a moment, I had the urge to walk past the screen, giving him a glimpse of my half-nude body. “No way,” I said, quickly sliding into my short sleep shorts, and tight tank top. I slid my bra off, leaving my nipples hard and visible against the thin material.

  “Okay. I’m ready for bed,” I announced, turning the screen back toward me.

  “I have to admit, that was kinda hot,” he said.

  My pussy was still aching, and my nipples felt as though they would burst. Yes, it was.

  I climbed into bed, placing my laptop beside me. Silas and I talked until I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer. “I would’ve tried to kiss you,” he said softly.

  “I would’ve let you,” I admitted.

  “I would love to do this again soon, Lucy,” he said.

  When he said my name, my entire body reacted with excitement.

  “My twenty-fifth birthday is this Thursday,” I said.

  “I�
��ll have to do something special,” he replied.

  Chapter Four

  The rain slammed down hard, crashing into my windshield faster than the wipers could keep up. I parked in front of the shop, running fast to the front doors with my jacket over my head. “Forget your umbrella?” Kayla laughed.

  I knew I was a mess. My hair was soaked, my shirt was clinging to me, and I could feel my makeup sliding down my face as I hit the dry air of the shop.

  I shrugged it off, grabbed a towel, and dried myself off. “I hope it doesn’t do this on my birthday again,” I growled.

  Every year since I could remember, my birthday was filled with rain. It was never just a drizzle, or even a partly rainy day; it would storm from the time I woke up until the time I went to bed.

  Kayla laughed, knowing that my birthday was cursed with bad weather. My mother had always told me it was a rainy night when I was born, probably one of the worst she’d ever seen. Ugh!

  “What do you care? You’ll just be all snuggled up with your computer boyfriend,” she teased.

  My cheeks burnt red as my embarrassment grew. I’d not thought of Silas as a ‘boyfriend’ before that moment. I realized I liked thinking of him in that way, minus the computer part.

  She pushed for details about our relationship as I started to unpack the shelving stacked next to my counter. It was obviously going to be a slow day, so it was perfect for installing the shelves, and talking about Silas.

  I knew there was no hiding the fact I liked him, especially to Kayla. “He’s amazing,” I admitted, sighing after I spoke.

  I told her about the date, and how sweet he had been. My mother had already grilled me for details, probably to send back to Christine. I had to admit, she was good. He was perfect, with the huge exception of being so far away.

  “Do you think you want to meet him?” she asked.

  I set the shelf down onto the floor and paused for a moment. I knew I liked him, like a lot. But if I met him, and fell for him, then what? “I dunno.”

  “I thought you really liked him?” she asked, surprised by my answer.

  “I do,” I replied. “I just don’t know if this is even a possible relationship,” I admitted.

  Kayla sighed, rolled her eyes, and then started cleaning her countertop.

  My phone rang with Silas’s face lit up on my screen. Seeing his smiling image instantly gave me goosebumps. Kayla giggled as I slid the phone to answer.

  “Hello,” I said cheerfully.

  “Hey gorgeous,” he said, his tone just as cheerful as mine. “I’ve got some news.”

  There was urgency in his voice as he spoke. The hairs on my arm stood at attention while I waited to hear what this ‘news’ could be—good or bad.

  “I’m being deployed to Turkey for nine months,” he said quickly.

  “When?” I asked, my mood quickly turning sour.

  “I leave in ninety days,” he answered.

  My heart sank. Turkey? So, he was going even further away?

  “Wow,” is all I managed to get out before someone called for his attention.

  “I have to run. I’ll call you later, I promise. Prepare to stay up past midnight. I plan to be the first one to wish you happy birthday,” he said charmingly.

  “You promise?” I asked, fighting back the lump in my throat.

  “I promise, gorgeous,” he said.

  “I wish you could tell me in person,” I said softly.

  “That would be the perfect send-off for me, baby,” he replied, and then hung up.

  “What’s wrong?” Kayla asked, watching me slump back into the booth seat.

  I told her the news he’d just given me, and how he sounded excited. It felt as though my heart had just been ripped from my chest. “That’s… what? Five thousand miles away, at least?” I asked, a tear falling from my eye.

  “It’s only nine months,” Kayla said, moving toward me to offer some comfort.

  “I was stupid for even getting involved with him,” I said, wiping the tear from my cheek.

  I wasn’t going to cry over this man. I’d never even met him, and now it sounded as if I never would.

  “Lucy, don’t give up on him yet,” she whispered, her hand caressing my back.

  “I just don’t see how we could build a relationship like this. Across the globe, doing Lord only knows what, there won’t be time for video dating, and certainly no way to see him in person,” I laughed nervously as I spoke.

  “You don’t know that,” she insisted.

  “If I don’t meet him before he leaves, then I don’t see the point in continuing this while he’s overseas,” I scoffed.

  “Why not?” Kayla asked.

  “Because. You don’t know if you have chemistry—I mean real chemistry—with someone until you meet them in person. Why spend almost a year of my life getting attached to someone that I may not even like when I meet?” I snarled.

  “I don’t think that’s true. Chemistry is chemistry, whether in person or over the computer screen,” she pushed.

  I wanted to believe her. “I don’t know. I’ve never dated anyone over the computer before,” I laughed.

  “Well, there’s a first time for everything,” she smiled.

  I nodded, trying to convince myself that this was somehow, going to be okay.

  “You have good chemistry when you’re on the phone or the computer, right?” she asked.

  I nodded.

  “And I saw how you lit up when he called, so you like him, right?” she pushed.

  I nodded.

  “Seems to me, you two have a lot in common, and having chemistry without meeting is a lot harder than having it with someone in front of you,” she barked.

  “Maybe,” I replied.

  “A relationship has to start somewhere. This might all work out; just wait and see. It’s not like you’re in a rush to find someone; you weren’t even looking, so relax, and just enjoy this,” she suggested.

  Everything she said was true. And I did like Silas, a lot. I didn’t realize just how much I liked him until he told me he was going away. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit it hurt like hell thinking I’d lose him forever. I just truly didn’t see how this could work with him across the world.

  Chapter Five

  I was still reeling with what to do about Silas. Our midnight phone conversation was sweet, and even though I voiced my concerns about him leaving before we even met, he filled me with the same hopelessly romantic reassurance as Kayla had earlier that day. Why was he so perfect?

  “Happy Birthday, dear Lucy, Happy Birthday to you!” my mom and sister sang in unison, although not in tune.

  I closed my eyes and blew out the candles, making the only wish I wanted to come true.

  “How’s it feel to be half way to fifty?” Kayla teased.

  “Don’t know yet. You’ve had two years to deal with it, what does it feel like?” I teased back.

  “After you get past the grey hairs sneaking up on ya, it’s not so bad,” she laughed.

  My mouth fell open in disbelief. Grey hairs? No, thank you!

  “I’m teasing,” Kayla said.

  “We have mom’s genes. We’ll never go grey,” she patted our mother’s dyed-blonde hair.

  “Yeah, not as long as we color it every month,” I laughed.

  Annette rolled her eyes and began slicing the cake. “Next year I can tell you what it’s like to actually be fifty,” she scoffed.

  My phone beeped, causing me to jump to check the text. Mom and Kayla laughed at my anxiousness and enthusiasm as I unlocked my phone to read Silas’s message.

  Silas: Hope you’re having an amazing day gorgeous…

  Me: At mom’s having cake. Wanna know my birthday wish?

  Silas: If you tell me, or anyone, it won’t come true….

  Me: I’m sure it isn’t anyway

  Silas: Enjoy your family. I’ll see ya later 

  I stuffed my phone back into my purse. I was excited to see Silas o
n our scheduled video date, but my heart ached that he couldn’t be here.

  Kayla poured me a glass of wine. “Was that Silas?”

  My smile widened across my face as I lifted my glass to my lips. The wine was sweet, but not nearly as sweet as Silas.

  “You two seem to be hitting it off,” My mother said sweetly.

  “Yes. But I don’t know what’ll happen once he leaves,” I sulked.

  Mom leaned back in her chair to look toward the front door. She seemed distracted by something. “Are you expecting someone?” I asked.

  “Christine said she might stop by,” she said quickly.

  Her tone was strangely curious, and filled with an anxiousness I couldn’t quite pinpoint. “So, what’s your big birthday plan?” my mother asked.

  “Silas has a video date planned. He said he has a special surprise for me,” I replied.

  Kayla was beaming. I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d had a few glasses of wine before I’d arrived.

  “I wonder what it is,” Kayla gushed, her eyes batting as fast as my heart beat.

  “I don’t have any idea,” I admitted.

  I tried pulling it out of him several times that day with no luck. He was closed-lipped, and wasn’t willing to give up any details, not even a single hint.

  Mom leaned back again, checking the front door.

  “Does Christine want to check up on her love project?” I laughed.

  “I guess so,” Mom replied.

  Kayla lifted a piece of the sliced cake and placed it on my plate. She proceeded to repeat her actions until she and our mother each had a piece in front of them. “So, what did you wish for?” she asked curiously.

  I sighed. “I can’t tell you,” I scoffed.

  “Oh, so it’s something you think might come true?” she asked, her eyebrows lifting high on her forehead.

  “Maybe,” I said, knowing in my heart it was impossible. I’d wished for Silas to be here, spending my day with me.

  “Look at that,” Mom said, leaning back into her chair one more time.

  I stood from my chair and looked toward the front door. The rain stopped. It was the first birthday I remembered without rain. “Wow,” I exclaimed, making out the gold shine of Christine’s car coming up the lane.