Saving the Seal 2: A BWWM Navy Seal Interracial Romance

by Cristina Grenier

  “What are you grinning about?” At Sean’s question, Owen stuffed a chip with dip into his mouth to save face.

  “Besides winning the case, you mean?” Sean winced at his statement, uttered through a mouth full of spinach an artichoke. .

  “Is the man not entitled to celebrate his victory?” Captain Ryce took a swallow of his Amstel before chuckling. Owen, who had never seen the man outside of uniform, found it slightly strange to be having beers with a man he knew had seen Genny in diapers and had saved his ass more times than he could count. He didn’t have the rapport with Captain Ryce as he did with Sean, and so, he still found himself nervous around him.

  If that wasn’t a sign that SEAL was still strong in his blood, he didn’t know what was.

  When Sean hurried off to pacify Gina over some thing or the other, the elder man leaned close to him, finishing his beer before taking up another. “I’m glad to see you doing so well, Sinclair. It looks like Dr. Thomas has been a very good thing for you.”

  That was the understatement of the century. “She’s an amazing woman.” Owen managed, hoping an officer wasn’t trying to dupe him into saying something incriminating.

  “That she is.” Ryce returned, gazing fondly over at the Genny where she played tug-of-war with Eddie. “You know, her father asked me to look out for her, before he died.” The man sighed, shaking his head. “I should have taken it as a sign. But, you know, we weren’t as aware of veteran mental health back then as we are today.”

  Owen didn’t quite know what to say, so he only nodded in agreement, taking another handful of chips. “She wants you to get back to active duty just as much as you do. Only she wants you to do it in the right way.” Ryce nodded. “And I think that day will come sooner rather than later, Owen. You just make sure she’s prepared for it.”

  He made a good point. When and if Owen did make it back to active duty, it would mean leaving Genevieve for long stretches of time. Weeks or even months. He wondered if, in her and Gina’s gossip, the women had covered what it was like to be the significant other of a man in the service. Genny would, of course, know more than most, having lost her father to his own personal war. But how would she deal with knowing he might not return to her every time he left? How would he deal with putting her in that position?

  The thought made him frown. What was between him and the psychiatrist had never been simple, but it seemed that every time they overcame an obstacle, another one reared its ugly head. “Calm down, Owen.” At his expression, Ryce only smiled, patting the soldier on the shoulder. “I wouldn’t be talking to you about Genny if I didn’t think the two of you can handle it. You said it yourself: She’s an amazing woman. And you’re one hell of a frogman. I know you can make it work.”

  With that, the captain moved off to talk to Martha, leaving Owen in a quagmire of his own thoughts. Could they make it work? Owen had hurt Genny once, and the last thing he wanted to do was to hurt her again. Even if that meant his never returning to active duty.

  Damn. At the thought, he shook his head in amazement.

  He really did have it bad.

  **

  The impromptu party caught Genny completely by surprise. Neither she nor Owen had been expecting it, but that didn’t mean they would enjoy it any less.

  Even while Owen was bantering with Sean, however, every so often he would cast her a glance that said very clearly that he hadn’t forgotten what he promised to do to her later. The mere thought was enough for the young woman to rub her thighs together unconsciously in desire.

  It was quite the task to push her desire to be completely dominated to the back of her mind and enjoy the revelry of her friends, but somehow, Genny managed. She hadn’t seen Stella in ages, as the redhead was still busy working at Riperton and she herself had been let go nearly a year ago. It was good to catch up over a few glasses of wine. Not to mention, watching her mother get tipsy over a mere one.

  A few others she’d used to work with at Riperton as well had come to congratulate her on her achievement. After years of frustration stemming from the fact that no one that worked in the department would say a word about Kant, Genny was suddenly flooded with affirmations of what she’d always known. The man was a money-grabbing, heartless criminal. At least two of her workers had similar stories to hers – where their patients had entered the care of Dr. Kant and been relegated to mountains of drugs and unsympathetic therapy. Though Genny felt that part of her should be bitter, all she could feel was relief that she would never have to deal with the man again. Even after he got out of jail, if he still sought to practice, no one would hire a man with a history like his.

  No one would have to face the man’s dubious machinations and keep quiet for fear of losing their job, like she had.

  “Genny, congratulations.” To her surprise, Emily White, one of the co-directors of the hospital, was there as well. Psychiatrists hardly ever met with hospital directors. That was usually the head of the department’s job; and while Genny had spoken to Emily once or twice in a purely professional sense, she wasn’t sure the woman was fond enough of her to show up at a congratulatory party in her honor.

  Nonetheless, the young woman wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. “Director White! Thank you for coming.” She shook the gray-haired woman’s hand firmly. “I’m honored.”

  “The honor is all mine, young lady,” Emily returned, her steely eyes gleaming with pride. “You had the heart to do what no one else at our hospital would, and expose Kant for his crimes. I tell you, it makes me sick now to know what was going on under my nose. I myself must shoulder some of the blame. I was part of the staff that hired him.”

  Genny wasn’t best friends with the director, but by reputation, Emily was a kind, fair woman. It was hard to imagine that she’d intentionally set the likes of Kant on vulnerable patients. “It’s not your fault, Doctor White. We were all silent for maybe a little bit too long.”

  “Indeed. I couldn’t agree more. Which is why I’m taking action now to rectify bad decisions.” The Director cleared her throat, seeming to hesitate a moment before she continued speaking. “Doctor Thomas, is there any way you might agree to returning to work at Riperton?”

  Genny’s eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat. Was the Director serious? For the past few months, every time she had the wherewithal to contemplate finding a new job, it had seemed like an impossible task. She had been working at Riperton ever since she’d become a doctor in her own right, and, despite the difficulties she’d had there, she’d become attached. It had been a harsh blow to be let go, and taking it with dignity had been hard.

  But now, the co-director herself was asking her back?

  “Back at the psychiatry department?” She inquired in disbelief, hardly daring to believe her luck. Her question elicited a small smile from Director White.

  “Actually, Genevieve, we were hoping that you would head the department.”

  The young woman’s heart stuttered in her chest and she was sure she looked like a deer in headlights. She, be the head of Riperton’s psychiatric department? She was barely thirty years old. If she took the position, it would make her the youngest department head in the hospital, if not the east coast.

  She didn’t know what to say.

  The position would require lots of hours. Being on call nearly constantly and being pushed to the absolute limit to ensure that all patients received the care that they deserved. Genevieve couldn’t dream of anything she’d enjoy doing more.

  “I…I…” She couldn’t quite bring the words to her lips.

  Thankfully, a grinning Stella overheard the conversation and rushed to her aid. “Of course she’ll take the position.” The redhead quipped, squeezing her friend’s shoulders reassuringly as she looked from her to Director White. “She’d be thrilled to.”

  The elder woman arched an amused brow. “Is that so?”

  “Yes!” Genny finally burst, absolutely elated. “It is! Definitely!”

  The d
irector laughed softly before extending her hand once more. “Well, let me be the first then, to welcome you back as our head of psychiatry, Doctor Thomas. Congratulations.” By this point, everyone present had fallen silent for the announcement.

  As Genevieve took Director White’s hand in her own, their guests burst into applause.

  Slowly, the young woman looked over every face in the room. People who had helped her get to this point with their love, support and encouragement. She wouldn’t be standing where she was if it weren’t for each and every one of them. When her eyes caught Owen’s she found him grinning widely.

  He, who hated Doctors and hated hospitals. He who she struggled to get into the office on a weekly basis.

  She didn’t think she’d ever been so happy in her entire life.

  Genevieve didn’t get to sleep until the wee small hours of the morning. It was around eleven or twelve when all the party-goers left, and she was still riding on a high from her new position at Riperton. She still couldn’t believe that they’d chosen her, out of all of the doctors in the department, to be the head honcho.

  Of course, Stella and her other coworkers made it sound like anyone would have been crazy to have made any other choice. She put her heart into her patients and her work was more important to her than almost anything else. Genny’s spirits were bolstered even further when she realized that they seemed just as excited as she was.

  The young woman had forgotten how tired she was until she and Owen were left alone. The apartment was a mess, but the last thing she wanted to do was clean it. Not that Owen would have allowed her to, anyway.

  The man fairly dragged her to bed and spent the next few hours reminding her of some of the many reasons she was in love with him.

  By the time Genevieve fell asleep, it was close to five in the morning. She might as well have been in a coma, so deep was her slumber, and around noon, she woke up to the divine smell of vanilla rooibos and bagels.

  She was sure she looked a sight as she stumbled into the living room, but no one would have known from Owen’s expression. The man stared at her like she was a rare twenty four ounce T-bone, and Genny immediately raised her hands to stave him off.

  “God, let me wake up first, Owen.”

  A chuckle rumbled from him as he held out her tea. The decadent scent of vanilla and hazelnut had her clamoring to get the top off and take her first sip. When she winced at the temperature, Owen merely sighed, shaking his head. “Calm down, woman. It will still be there when it’s cooler.”

  “Yeah,” the psychiatrist croaked sleepily, “but I need it now.”

  Her boyfriend objected no more, and Genny settled on the couch, half-watching the baseball game he’d turned to as she slowly became one of the living again. It was only after she had finished her cinnamon-raisin bagel with cream cheese, however, when Owen spoke again. When he did, his tone was hesitant.

  “Genny, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

  Her stomach twisted a bit and Genevieve finished the last of her tea, exhaling a cautious breath. She’d thought this conversation was coming. Though she had no doubt that Owen was happy that she was going to be working again, no doubt he wondered what impact her new schedule would have on her personal life – as well as the therapy he was still undergoing.

  “Sure.” Setting her coffee cup down, she turned to face him as he shut the TV off. The man looked surprisingly uneasy. She had never really known Owen to be nervous about making demands. “Is it about Riperton?”

  “Yes and no.” As he spoke gruffly, the SEAL ran a hand through his still-damp hair. He wore only a pair of sweatpants, and Genevieve had to force her gaze up from the divinely sculpted slab of his chest. “I actually wanted to ask, reasonably: When do you think I’ll be ready to return to active duty?”

  Oh boy. That was a question she hadn’t expected. Genny had already told Owen not to put himself on a timeline. That when he was ready, they would both know it, and to go slowly and steadily. He knew how she felt about this. “Before you answer,” The man spoke again, obviously reading the disapproval in her expression. “I just want you to know that I’m not trying to rush things. I know what we’re doing…what I’m trying to do, can’t be put in terms of black and white. I just…I just want an idea. I’ve been talking to Captain Ryce and Sean, and…like I said, I just want something. A generalization, even. I won’t hold you to it. I’m just asking for your opinion as a professional.”

  His request was more difficult than he knew. Since she had become romantically involved with Owen, it was harder to see his issues subjectively. For all intents and purposes she was extremely emotionally entangled with him. Therefore, giving him an objective answer wouldn’t be easy.

  But Genny knew that she had to try. This meant a lot to Owen – it always had. She knew his ultimate goal was to be the man he had once been.

  And she wanted to help him get there – with all her heart.

  Taking a deep breath, the dark-skinned woman did a few calculations in her head. Owen was making good progress. His night terrors had long stopped, and he was growing used to talking about his issues rather than bottling them up. He still had the occasional outburst or pent up frustration, but on the whole, he was probably well on the way to recovery.

  All the same, if she was going to give him a number at all, she had to err on the conservative side. He wanted realistic? She would give it to him a straight as it was within her power to do.

  “I’d give it a year.” She finally replied, softly, her eyes locked with his. “Perhaps a little less, but almost certainly at least a year.”

  Slowly, Owen nodded. Reaching out, he wrapped his arms around her waist to tug her into his lap. His lips met hers sweetly, leisurely, and he tasted of mint and cinnamon. “Gen…” He murmured slowly against her mouth. “Will you be alright with me going back?”

  In truth, Genevieve wasn’t one hundred percent sure. She’d heard her share of horror stories from Gina about the anxiousness of waiting for Sean to return. Of getting cryptic messages from command that could be telling her husband was in danger as easily as they told her that he was coming home. There was no doubt about it: knowing the danger Owen was in, both as his psychiatrist and as his girlfriend, would no doubt keep her up at night.

  And then, contemplating what might happen if he didn’t come back. Having to grieve…to lose someone who had all but become a part of her?

  She couldn’t even imagine.

  But the fact of the matter remained that this was what Owen wanted. Being a SEAL – a part of something greater – was in his blood. She loved him too much to deny him that.

  With a small smile, she cupped his stubbly face between her palms. “Will you be able to handle my long hours at the hospital? My coming home late and being driven insane by my workload?”

  Owen’s lips curved into a teasing smile. “Are you asking me to move in?”

  Genny’s heart leapt, even as she hoped she hadn’t overstepped her boundaries. “I mean….not really. Not if you don’t want to-”

  “Good.” He cut her off succinctly. “Because I don’t.” For a moment, the young woman just stared at him, totally nonplussed. He didn’t want to live with her? Had she read his tone completely wrong?

  After what seemed like an eternity of leaving her with bated breath, the man continued. “Your apartment is way too small. There’s not enough space for my stuff, and Eddie needs a yard to run around in. Which is why,” without pretense, he reached into the pocket of his sweatpants to fish out a key. Presenting it to her, he smirked, “you’re moving in with me instead.”

  Genny’s entire form quivered in relief and pleasure as her cheeks flamed. So much for asking him!

  She smacked her boyfriend’s arm in annoyance, only to end up wincing herself as her hand connected with the hard marble of his bicep. “That wasn’t funny.”

  “Of course it wasn’t.” Owen chuckled lowly, taking hold of both of her hands before she could hit him again. “It was
hilarious.” Any protests she might have had were stifled by his mouth against hers.

  It was a very long time indeed before Genevieve had the opportunity to speak again.

  Chapter Three: Unease

  It was quiet.

  After two weeks of running around trying to get all of Genny’s things moved into his house before she went back to work, Owen’s first day without her was almost eerie. There was no more tension, no more waiting for the next damning news report – though there were plenty of them. It was finally time to just relax.

  Which had never come easy to him.

  That morning, he had gone to the base shooting range to practice his marksmanship. He was worried to find that he was a little rusty. He couldn’t quite hit a target dead center from one thousand yards anymore, and the fact irked him. He’d stayed for three hours trying to hit that target, until Sean convinced him to stop beating himself up.

  His friend and commanding officer was preparing to ship out on a nine month deployment – one of his longest in years. Though he wouldn’t say so, Owen knew that he was upset to be missing the first six months of his son’s life. He assured Sean that he and Genny would be available to help support Gina.

  Though he knew that because of that promise, he was now bound to watch a baby being born. The thought made his stomach tighten in nervousness. He knew very little about childbirth, other than that it included a lot of pain and screaming on the part of women. God knew Gina screamed at him enough as it was.

  Aside from that nervousness, however, he couldn’t help but feel envy watching Sean prepare to lead their team back to the Middle East. The captain knew him well enough to pacify him with the hope that the next time they shipped out, they’d be going together.

  Owen could only hope.

  He glanced over at Eddie, who was lounging on the couch beside him, chewing on one of his favorite rawhide bones. The damn dog was lucky. He got to do whatever the hell he wanted all day. Thanks to Genny, Owen now had a concerted schedule he had to follow. He knew it was supposed to be good for him, but the mantle was difficult to take up after nearly a year of being idle.