“Oh, you can call me Eli. And I am good with hard.”
Chris glimpsed back at Rory, who had tears in her eyes, then focused on his brother. “I can help you prepare if you’d like?”
“Are you serious?” Eli set his hands alongside him and sat taller, then winced from the pain of his quick movement.
“SEALs have a saying, ‘Do today what others won’t, so you can achieve tomorrow what others can’t.’ You think that’s you? Can you be that guy?” He tipped his head, searching Eli’s eyes for an answer.
“I can,” Eli said with a firm nod.
“Well, since you missed your flight, why don’t you stick around for a bit? There’s a Halloween party coming up, and I can introduce you to a whole room of Teamguys who can give you some tips on BUD/S.”
“I don’t know what to say.” A few tears rolled down Eli’s cheeks.
“Say no.”
Chris’s head dropped at the sound of his mom’s voice behind him. Her sharp words and presence had his chest tightening.
“Mom,” Eli whispered, and Chris slowly turned, his heart racing faster than when on any operation.
Chris lifted his head and connected his eyes with the woman that looked far too similar to the mom he remembered before she’d left him. Had she aged at all?
Golden blonde hair that went to her shoulders. Blue eyes sharp on Eli, avoiding eye contact with Chris. Heels and her red pantsuit.
“Chris,” his mom acknowledged him in a curt tone, finally sweeping her gaze from Eli to him. She nodded, then sidestepped him to go to the only son she seemed to care about. Her actions, her everything, were a knife to the heart he didn’t deserve and hell, he didn’t need to put up with.
“You should go,” Eli said. “And, Mom, I’m talking to you.”
Chris reached for Rory’s hand and backed up to the wall near the door and away from Eli’s bed, needing space between him and his mom.
“I’m not leaving you.” She scoffed and faced the room, searching for help from Chris and Rory on the matter, which was insane.
Rory surprised Chris when she released his hand and strode confidently toward his mom. “You lost out big,” she began. “The man your son became is the most amazing, incredible, and kind person I’ve met. And I can’t begin to express how sorry I feel for you that you didn’t want to be in his life for the last twenty years. It’s your loss. Not his.” She folded her arms and tipped her chin as if waiting for Chris’s mom to dare say a word to the contrary. Chris stared speechless as she faced off with the first woman who broke his heart, finding himself in total awe of the woman who’d mended it.
Rory turned back toward Chris, her face flushed but looking satisfied with herself. This woman was everything to him, and he was overcome by emotion. “Marry me,” he said under his breath, unable to stop the question from flying out of his mouth.
Probably the worst possible time.
The worst possible place.
But . . .
“I regret nothing that’s happened in my life,” he said as he moved toward her, ignoring his mom, only able to focus on the love of his life that stole his breath and made him feel like life was worth living to the fullest. “It all brought me to you.” He was choking up as Rory stared at him with a shocked look on her face—whether it was a good shock or a bad one, he wasn’t so sure.
He reached for her hand and pulled her out of the room and away from his mom, needing privacy for what he was about to do. But he had to do it. He had to do it right the hell now. Life was short, and tomorrow you could get hit by a truck, so yeah . . . maybe it was insane, but—
“A perfect kind of crazy for each other,” she said, tearing up when he dropped to one knee.
“You’re my adventure. My thrill.” He smiled, his eyes watering, too. “The woman who makes me feel like I can fly.”
Rory knelt before him, so they were on the same level because that’s who they were, a team. Equals. They may have only been together for a short time, but he loved her so damn much that time didn’t matter. Not at all. He knew she was the one. His only. His fortune.
She pressed her lips to his in a tender but searing kiss, then whispered, “Hell yes.”
Epilogue
Chris hopped out of his Jeep Rubicon and removed his sunglasses, blinking in surprise at the sight before him in the parking lot at his doctor’s office. Today was his first appointment with Riley Logan, the therapist who specialized in veteran PTSD therapy. What he hadn’t expected was to see the rest of Echo Team standing in the parking lot.
“What’s going on?” He’d fessed up to the guys about some of his struggles earlier in the week after they’d returned from the Caribbean but hadn’t mentioned his appointment. Chris had opted to hang back with his brother while they’d helped take down smugglers, including the Trott brothers.
Eli had chosen to stay at a hotel, but he’d come to the house every day. He couldn’t start working out until his ribs healed, but he was good with animals and participated in Bear’s training while they got to know each other. Their mom had returned home, and Chris wasn’t sure if he’d make the effort to reach out to her. Though she’d emailed and called to apologize after the hospital, he needed time. Maybe twenty more years.
A.J. flicked the brim of his khaki cowboy hat and stepped forward, Wyatt alongside him. Roman and Finn flanked their sides a few seconds later.
Shit, are we getting spun up? Elaina would be disappointed. Trick-or-treating was Sunday, and the Halloween party was tonight at Liam’s house. The wives all said they had a surprise, too. Chris was slightly petrified about what they defined as a surprise, to be honest.
“No rolling solo, brother.” A.J. set a hand to Chris’s shoulder.
“Huh?” So, they were operating?
“We’re here to support you,” Wyatt explained, removing his sunglasses. “If you’re going to see this doc, well, we’ll see her, too. We have appointments after you. One by one, we’re going in.”
“What?” Chris asked in shock. Was he dreaming? No, this couldn’t be real. They were punking him. “You got Roman to agree to talk?” He scoffed. No way.
“We want to support you,” Finn spoke up, his eyes connecting with Chris. “And I’m sure we’ve all got some shit we could work through.” Finn used humor to hide his feelings just like Chris had done before Rory, so maybe he could use someone to talk to. But Chris never expected this. “Plus, I heard through the grapevine this doc is hot.”
“Married to a Marine,” Roman said with a shake of the head. “Off-limits.”
Finn grimaced. “Shit, my bad.”
Chris folded his arms, still working on wrapping his head around what was going on.
“Bravo was going to come, but we couldn’t swing ten back-to-back appointments,” Wyatt added. “But this is important,” he said while narrowing his eyes. “Lost too many guys in the silent war that many fight once they’re back home, and I just . . .” Wyatt was getting emotional. He reached his hand out, and the guys stood in a circle and all touched fists.
“Together,” Roman said. “We got you.”
And damn, are my eyes watery?
“Hooyah,” they said at the same time, the light shining down on them like a spotlight. One of hope, one that these guys and Rory brought into his life.
Chris banged on Liam’s en suite bathroom door at his D.C. home. “Come out. Let me see.”
“They can’t be bloody serious. I’m not opening the door,” Liam called out.
Chris went to the mirror over the dresser in the bedroom and looked at his Halloween costume. The so-called surprise the women had promised all the guys.
“What are we, cowboys from the YMCA song?” Chris fidgeted with the black cowboy hat and checked the buttons on his vest.
“They’ve been watching too much of that Yellowstone show,” Asher said after entering the bedroom and closing the door behind him. Asher had given Jessica a hell of a time about the outfit.
Supposedly, the tw
o-step dance they’d all performed a few weeks ago at A.J. and Ana’s surprise wedding party had given the women the idea for the costumes. They’d had Elaina deliver the request since Elaina had the guys wrapped around her finger.
Cowboys. All ten of them were supposed to be in a cowboy get-up. The pirate idea Elaina had requested went out the window when she’d overheard about the idiot Trott brothers Roman had the pleasure of “taking care of” five days ago.
Of course, to A.J., this wasn’t much of a stretch from his typical ensemble. He’d actually provided the majority of the guys some of his clothes for the costumes. He wouldn’t share his hats, though. Apparently, they were sacred.
“Are we doing this?” Asher grunted. His faded denim jeans and boots were on, but he’d yet to change out of a plain black tee or put on a hat.
“I can’t come out of this bathroom,” Liam said in protest.
“It can’t be that bad,” Chris replied. “I mean, I look pretty good,” he added with a laugh. “And my future wife wants this as much as your wives want this.”
Wife. Damn. I’m doing it. Marrying Rory. They had yet to set a wedding date, but he’d snuck to the jewelry store and planned on giving her a little treat instead of a trick tonight, one in the form of a diamond.
His first therapy session with Dr. Logan earlier that day had gone surprisingly better than he anticipated, and he couldn’t wait to tell Rory some other interesting tidbits he’d learned from the doctor about how small the world actually was. And it really was.
Doctor Riley Logan’s husband, Ben, worked in private security with Jake Summers, Emily’s brother. And Liam reminded Chris earlier that Ben and Jake, as well as some of their colleagues, actually went after smugglers now. And the icing on the cake was Gia, the wife of their New York City acquaintance, Cade King, also worked with Ben and their team on occasion to help stop human trafficking. So yeah, a small, connected world.
Rory liked to say everything had come full circle, and damn, how could he not agree? Maybe Rory might even want to work with Ben Logan and his crew from time to time if she felt the urge to take down some bad guys.
Rory said she was happy with training canines, but he wanted to make sure she knew he’d never stop her from spreading her wings.
“Come out,” Asher urged and banged on the door. When it finally opened, Liam stepped out, his head hanging down and his hat about to fall off.
“Oh man, you got the chaps. I mean,” Asher said around a deep, throaty laugh, “at least you have jeans under there, and we’re not staring at your schlong.”
“My dick?” Liam looked up and cracked a smile. He shook his head and went over to observe himself in the mirror. He had on the same hat, vest, and boots as Chris, but the chaps . . . probably a special request by his wife. “Where’s Luke? He better be in this get-up, too.”
“Believe it or not, he’s out there and dressed up.” Asher jerked a thumb toward the hall. There was a knock at the door, and Chris opened up to let A.J. inside. “Why do I feel like this is all your fault?”
A.J. tipped his head back and belly laughed at the sight of the guys. “I gotta be honest, I think you’ll find it worth it when you head out to the backyard and see the women waiting for us.”
“Is Jessica in a naughty cowgirl outfit?” Asher raised a brow, excitement in his tone, and when A.J. nodded, Asher peeled off his tee and put on his western shirt in a hurry, ready to go see his wife.
Another knock on the door. Finn.
“Seriously, guys, I think I need to get married. I’m jealous. Not gonna lie,” Finn said straight away.
“You saw them?” Liam asked, attempting to peek into the hall as if he could catch a glimpse of his wife out there.
“I did. They’re outside dancing. Cowgirl boots and hats. Jean skirts even though it’s a bit chilly. And well, they’re your wives, so I won’t describe the rest of their, uh . . .” Finn looked to the ceiling as if suddenly pretending he hadn’t noticed the hot women outside.
“Roman see Harper yet?” A.J. asked Finn. “Maybe something will finally happen.”
“If nothing happened on a deserted island or in that luxurious prison resort of Carter’s,” Chris said, “I’m not feeling too optimistic. But I’m gonna go out there. You fools take your time. Looks like I have a date with a cowgirl.”
“Oh,” A.J. said while catching his arm, “Jesse is here. His outfit is real, so I wouldn’t joke about it being a costume.”
“Shit, thanks for the warning.” I would have. “He see Ella yet?” Another couple that Chris had no idea when or if they’d ever get together.
“I don’t know, but they’ll probably kill me when they realize Rory and I set them up,” A.J. said.
“Be right behind you,” Asher called out as he finished getting ready, and Chris and the others went outside where everyone was gathered.
Chris slowed at the sight of his gorgeous fiancée talking to Harper off to the side of the yard. Chris smirked when he noticed Harper’s tee beneath her open jean jacket, which she must have designed because it read in red letters: I survived Mona Island, and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.
Harper may have been chatting with Rory, but she kept tossing looks Roman’s way.
Roman was already dressed in costume, and he was talking to Bravo One. And yup, both men had actually done it. They were in their outfits. Wyatt’s twenty-one-year-old daughter, Gwen, was also dressed in a cowgirl outfit, and she was helping Luke and Eva take care of their baby, Easton, and their daughter, Lara.
“You know who that is? I mean, stupid question. She’s here, so of course, you know.”
Chris turned to see his brother standing next to him. It would take some time for Eli’s ribs to heal, but he was tougher than he looked, and he didn’t let on he’d been hurt last week. The bruises on his face and cuts were already healing, too. Most hidden by his suede cowboy hat that was a little too big on him.
“Yeah, that’s Gwen,” he told Eli, then pointed to Wyatt talking to Natasha across the yard. “And that’s her dad. Echo One.”
“Oh.” Eli immediately looked away from Gwen. “Yeah, I’m gonna go, uh, get a water to, um, cool off.”
Chris stifled a laugh, then started for Rory but was stopped by Elaina and Bear. “You look so handsome, Uncle Chris. I mean, I still think you should go as Captain America on Sunday when we trick-or-treat. We’ll get extra candy because everyone will think you’re a real Avenger.” She grinned. “But I do have to say, you”—she opened her palms—“are all the real heroes.”
Chris crouched before her, and Bear howled. “You think so, huh?”
“I do.” Elaina closed her eyes and lifted her chin to the night sky. “One of these days, I’m going to save people, too. I just know it.”
Yeah, he felt that in his bones. “You will. And you’re already a hero.” His words had her lids parting. “You saved my brother.” He poked her belly button in her cute pink and brown cowgirl get-up. “You gave me a chance to get to know him. I don’t know how to thank you.” He tipped the brim of his hat to better see her.
“No thanks needed! Heroes do what is right because, well, it’s right.” She turned when Liam called out for her. “Save a dance for me,” she said while looking from Bear and then to Chris, “the both of you!” She darted off.
Yeah, she was special. And he wanted a daughter, too.
Did Rory want kids? He needed to introduce Rory to his dad. His dad had made a lot of mistakes, but he’d like for him to meet the love of his life.
As he pushed upright, Rory came into his line of sight. Long, gorgeous legs in a jean skirt. Brown boots. A denim jacket over a tank top. Her khaki cowgirl hat on. She had to be a bit cold, but they’d been fortunate it was still in the fifties.
“Hey, cowboy.”
“You always wanted to marry a cowboy, huh?” Chris teased while Rory looped her arms around his neck.
“No, plenty of cowboys where I came from,” she whispered. “But no one like you
.”
“No one?” He arched a brow, his arms hooked around her waist.
“Nope. Not a one.” She wet her lips. “Traveled all over the world, and no one like you anywhere else, either.”
“You’re one of a kind, too.” He dipped his hand into his vest pocket in search of the ring box, then stepped back and held out two fists. “Trick-or-treat?”
“Ohhh.” She closed one eye. “I do love a good trick, especially that one you do in the shower, but I’ll go with treat.”
“Yeah, um.” Okay, now he was growing hard picturing their naked bodies beneath the water as they made love in a naughty, filthy, and absolutely amazing and hot way. Focus. He blinked, and his eyes dipped to the curve of her tank top as he continued imagining them having sex. “Okay, so we’re going to need to do that later. But first.” He opened the ring box to reveal the white gold infinity diamond band with a princess cut stone set at the top. “I’m sorry I didn’t have this before. Still want to marry this guy?”
She swallowed, tears shimmering in her eyes. “Absolutely,” she said as he slid the ring on her finger. “Infinity. It’s perfect.” She pressed up in her boots and kissed him. “Love you so much more than a ring, though, you know that, right?”
My issues. My mom. Right.
“I know,” he replied, and his answer was one hundred percent the truth. He trusted her with his heart and with his future. “Can I ask you something?” He returned the empty box to his pocket.
“Of course.”
“You think someday you’ll make me a father?” He’d never wanted to be one, given his childhood, but then he’d had no idea he’d meet Rory.
Her brows pulled together, and her eyes lifted to his. He released a shaky breath right before she leaned closer and murmured, “Now that’s an adventure I think I could get behind.”
“A little dangerous,” he warned. “And messy.” He thought about the diaper changes. “Probably scary. Lots of pulse-racing kind of moments.”
Chasing Fortune (Stealth Ops Book 8) Page 40
