Kel rested his hand on her stomach and looked at her, a combination of awe and excitement swelling within him. “We’re going to have a family?”
“We already are a family,” Marilyn corrected. “And this family needs for you to be happy.”
“Marilyn . . .” Kel started, his voice serious once more.
“Here.” Marilyn reached for the papers she had dropped onto the coffee table, the last few pages of her novel. “Read this.”
Again, Kel’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t understand.”
“Just read it,” Marilyn insisted, shifting her weight so that she could lean back against him as he read. She didn’t have to see his face when he got to the part that she knew would change his mind, the words that had come to her in the night as she had rolled to the end of the story. She could close her eyes and hear them crashing over her.
Watching him as he slept, she finally understood. If he didn’t go, he would stop being the man she loved, the man she wanted to love forever. She would miss him when he left, but she was ready now. She knew that a constant ache would be her companion in the months to come, just as she knew every letter and every call would lift her above it. No distance could truly separate them, and no joy would be greater than the day he made it home.
Kel shifted so he could see her face. “Are you saying . . . ?”
Marilyn nodded. “Kel, you need to be a SEAL, and your squad needs you.”
“I’m not sure I’ll be going back to the Saint Squad, actually.”
“What?”
“Admiral Blake came to meet with me yesterday. I’ve been offered the command of SEAL Team Eight.”
“Exactly what does that mean?”
“The Saint Squad is one of many units that make up SEAL Team Eight. Basically, I would be taking my commanding officer’s place.”
Marilyn’s eyes widened with excitement. “Are you serious? That’s huge!” Then their conversations of the past few days came back to her, and she studied his face. “What did you tell him?”
“I told him I needed some time to think about it.” Kel paused for effect. “And to talk to my wife.”
A smile slowly crept over her face. “In that case, tell him your wife approves completely, provided he’ll give you leave in about seven and a half months.”
“I think we can arrange that,” Kel said. And then he kissed his wife.
About the Author
Originally from Arizona, Traci Hunter Abramson has spent the past two decades living in Virginia. After graduating from Brigham Young University, she worked for Central Intelligence Agency for six years before choosing to stay at home with her children and indulge in her love of writing.
Traci also coaches the North Stafford High School swim team. She currently resides in Stafford, Virginia, with her husband, Jonahtan, and their four children.
Other Books By Traci Abramson
Under Currents Series
Royal Target Books
Saint Squad
Stand-alone titles
Compilations
Backlash Page 24
