Lang had been adamant from the first that Zoe wouldn’t cave. That she’d settled in for the long haul. If Trish’s info had given him an edge, he deserved it.
“You’ll get some of it back the next meal we share at Lang’s house, so think of it as a team food allowance.”
“Point taken, L.T.,” Greenback said with a grin, stuffed his earplug back in place and moved on to his seat.
Hawk replaced his earplug and pulled the latest picture of Zoe from his pocket. Zoe had sworn Trish to secrecy after they’d deployed. Trish had emailed Lang not to tell Hawk about the baby, but too late. The secret already out, she’d emailed Lang pictures to pass on to him as Zoe’s pregnancy had advanced.
The rounded bump beneath Zoe’s blouse looked as though she’d smuggled a basketball under her shirt, and she was wearing her brace. Possibly the added weight had thrown her balance off. She looked beautiful as ever. She’d tucked her hair up into a bun baring the tender slope of her neck and showing the spot just beneath her ear he loved to kiss so he could feel her shiver.
He shoved the picture back into his pocket and looked up. Damn, he wanted this plane on the ground. Impatience revved through him like the stuck throttle on a Humvee.
“May I have your attention, please,” the flight controller announced over the COM. We have started our descent for landing at Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar, and San Diego, California.”
Every man roared his approval.
The controller waited until the sound dissipated. “The temperature is 70.4 degrees and the weather is clear. All electronic devices must be turned off at this time. Please remain seated until all engines have come to a complete stop. Deplaning instructions will be given as soon as we are on the tarmac.”
Ten minutes had never seemed so long.
The plane cruised in, the landing a little heavy, but smoother than some he’d had. The engines came to a stop. And when the announcement went up that no formation dismissal would be done, the men sounded off another roar of approval.
Hawk secured the seat against the bulkhead and grabbed the small duffle he’d carried on board. His heart pumped a mile a minute with every step. It seemed to take forever for the men ahead of him to file off the transport. When he hit the doorway, he spotted Brett behind the barrier and scanned the crowd for Zoe. He thought he spotted the top her head, but there were too many people between them. He jogged down the ramp and strode toward the group, using Brett as a navigation point. He dodged around several people. Trish and Lang were in a welcome home-clinch that promised more to follow. He skirted them.
And there she was. His feet were suddenly glued to the asphalt as he got his first good look at her. She was round. Ready to pop any day, if the scuttlebutt Trish had fed him was true. And she looked beautiful. She limped toward him, her expression a little anxious. He smiled, strode forward, and took her in his arms.
“I didn’t want to worry you,” she said her voice shaking and on the edge of tears.
“I love you, Zoe.” He kissed her with all the pent-up love and longing he’d stored up for six long months. When he drew back, he studied the bump resting against his stomach. “God, Zo. What a homecoming gift.”
She laughed. “I love you so much.”
He palmed her belly, fascinated by the shape and feel of her beneath his hand. “Are you, both of you, okay?”
“We’re wonderful, now that you’re home.”
She held his fingers against her and he felt something move beneath his touch. His baby, their baby. He wasn’t waiting another moment. Hawk reached into his jacket pocket for the rings. “I’m a little late from the look of things, but I have something for you.” He popped open the box. He let her get a good look at them. “They say forever in Arabic, Zoe. I took a chance and bought wedding bands to match hoping you’d make an honest man of me? Will you marry me?”
Her eyes were tear-glazed, and he thought she might cry, but she laughed instead.
“Yes. Oh yes.”
Emotion clogged his throat as he slipped the ring on her finger. She was the woman he was supposed to be with for the rest of his life. He loved her, more than anything else in the world. They needed each other. “What do you think?”
Everything he was feeling was reflected in her eyes. And she sounded breathless when she said, “Hooyah.”
Hawk laughed and drew her against him to kiss her again. She felt so good. Smelled like heaven, and he couldn’t get close enough to her.
***
Brett strode forward to join them. He figured he’d given them enough privacy. He was too far away to hear what Hawk said as he popped open the ring box, but he understood fine when Hawk tugged one free and slid it onto Zoe’s finger. Lang and Trish grinned from ear to ear as they watched. His throat tightened with emotion as he glimpsed Zoe’s happy expression. She deserved this.
“Welcome back, future brother-in-law,” Brett said as he reached them. He punched Hawk in the arm. “You’ve been saved by a ring. I was going to kick your ass if you didn’t do right by my sister.”
“Brett!” Zoe admonished.
Hawk narrowed his eyes, then smiled. “I may be late, but I’m not a fool.” He laughed and hugged Brett. They pounded each other on the back.
“Good to have you home, Hawk,” Brett said when they drew apart. And meant it. He’d missed him and the other guys like hell.
Hawk reached for Zoe again and held her against his side. “Thanks, Bro. How’s the training coming?”
Brett grinned. “I’ve finished advanced sniper training and been assigned to the third Platoon, Team Seven. So, you’ll still be seeing my ugly face. I just won’t be rubbing elbows with you.”
“I’m glad, Brett. You deserve it.” Hawk extended his hand and they bumped knuckles.
“Mom and Russell are at your house preparing a welcome-home feast for you and the other guys. As soon as you collect your gear, we’ll hit the road.”
“I’ve got my duffle.” He raised the bag. “Everything else I need is right here,” Hawk said, giving Zoe a squeeze. “The rest will be delivered to the base.”
Brett handed Zoe the car keys. “You two wander to the car. I’ll go say hello to the usual suspects and put out an invite. I think Mom reached everyone but Doc, Tyler, and Logan. I’ll hunt them up and get them moving in that direction, if they want to join us.”
He grabbed Langley around the neck and slapped his back. “I’d kiss your ugly face, but your wife’s already done it. Glad you’re home, man.” Next to Hawk, he felt closest to Lang. For the first time Brett acknowledged how relieved he was that they were home safe.
Trish laughed and Brett bent and kissed her cheek, to cover the emotion he knew was plastered on his face. “Go get the kids and come to Hawk’s for some food.”
A few minutes later, he wandered back to the car to find Hawk and Zoe standing next to his cherry-red Mustang. Hawk had a look on his face Brett had never seen before. As soon as he saw Brett appear, he signaled double time it, the hand gesture abrupt, filled with— panic. Hawk never panicked. Hawk was a rock. Brett broke into a run. “What’s wrong?”
“My water just broke,” Zoe announced.
Brett’s eyed the wet spot around her feet, her wet crop-pants and his heart surged. The panic on Hawk’s face was suddenly a living breathing entity inside him. “Oh, shit.”
***
“Take a breath, guys. I’m okay.” Zoe said. She fought the urge to bite her lip as a contraction hit. The pain seemed to start in her back and circle around her belly, the muscles tightening like a vise. It felt like a giant Charley horse encompassed her whole torso.
Hawk looked pale beneath his tan as he jerked the passenger car door open. “Come on, baby, get in the car.”
Zoe eyed Brett’s cream-colored leather interior. “I’ll ruin the seat.”
“Fuck the seat, Zoe. Get in the car,” Brett said, his tone abrupt.
She started to laugh, then caught her breath as another contraction hit. Where was
that transition thing that was supposed to happen? She’d had a backache all day and a few twinges she’d thought were Braxton Hicks contractions, but nothing major. This was—bad.
“Give me your jacket, Hawk,” she said.
He bailed out of the garment like it was on fire. She spread it over the seat and lowered herself onto it. He knelt to help her swivel her legs into the car and she cupped his face. His pale gray eyes were filled with concern. She shoved her own fear away and forced a smile to her lips. This was not the homecoming she’d hoped for him. He should have had some time to get used to the idea of having a baby before it actually happened.
“The baby and I are fine. It takes hours for babies to be born. We’ll go to the hospital and this homecoming gift will be in your arms in a little while.”
He nodded and helped her lift her legs into the car. Zoe gripped the seat as another contraction hit. How close were they coming? She couldn’t tell.
Hawk slammed the door, rushed around the car, tossed the keys to Brett and, shoving the bucket seat forward, dove into the back seat. Brett got behind the wheel, jammed the key into ignition, and cranked the engine.
His tires squealed as he backed out of the parking space and Zoe reached for the seat belt. He pulled out of the lot into a total gridlock. Cars sat bumper to bumper in front of them. “Shit!”
Zoe mentally seconded the expletive as another contraction hit. She started to shake. When she could breathe again, she said, “Guys, I think we need to dial 911.”
Brett handed the phone across the back of the seat to Hawk, turned his flashers on, and pulled off the asphalt onto the grass. Hawk spoke to the 911 operator while Brett laid on the horn and passed the line of cars until they reached an eight-foot tall section of fence and could go no further.
Her throat dry with fear, Zoe turned to look at Hawk. He reached between the seats and offered his hand. She gripped it. Her lifeline.
Brett hung out the window and motioned for the guy next to him to roll down the window. “We have a medical emergency. We have to get through.”
The man motioned him ahead of him, but once again they were gridlocked in the row of cars that stretched on to the front gate.
Hawk put the 911 operator on hold and dialed another number. “Doc, we’re stuck in traffic. Zoe’s water broke, and she’s hurting bad. We need you, man.”
Oh no. That wasn’t happening. Doc was not going to deliver her baby. Doc wasn’t seeing her up close and personal like that. He wasn’t seeing any part of her. Pain raced around her, cutting off her breath. Her face felt numb and she realized she was hyperventilating. What if all this was hurting the baby? Fear raced through her. Zoe reached for the door.
“What the hell are you doing, Zoe?” Brett asked as she climbed out of the car.
“I’m getting in the back with Hawk. I need to lie down.” She pushed the seat forward, and climbed into the back seat.
“I need you to hold me,” She said. She lay across Hawk’s lap on her side.
He stroked her hair back from her face, his forearm beneath her head supporting her. “It’s going to be okay, Zoe. I’ve got you.”
Zoe nodded. She was going to be okay. Her baby was going to be okay. Nothing could happen to either of them as long as Hawk was holding her.
Doc’s sweat-misted face appeared through the open door, he was breathing hard. “The guys are coming. We’re going to clear this traffic so you can get through.”
“Thank, God,” Brett spoke for them all.
He slammed the car door and disappeared. Zoe gripped Hawk’s hand as another contraction tore through her. “It’s happening too fast,” she said more to herself than him.
“They’re getting people to pull over, Zoe. And the ambulance is coming,” Hawk soothed, his arms around her. But he was trembling as badly as she was.
In a few minutes, the car pulled forward. The sound of an ambulance approaching reached them, the siren closing in and becoming a scream.
Brett bailed out of the car like he’d been shot out of a cannon and pulled the seat forward. Hawk eased Zoe into a seated position and exited the vehicle. When he reached in to offer her a hand, his expression was grave with worry. As soon as she’d stepped on the asphalt, he scooped her up in his arms. Every bounce jarred her and she bit her lip and buried her face against his t-shirt to keep from crying out as another pain struck.
He lowered her to a gurney. It seemed to take too long for them to secure the straps around her.
Zoe lost her grip on Hawk’s hand as they pushed her into the ambulance
“I’m coming, baby.” He climbed in.
Zoe looked up into his face. Her body no longer felt as though it was hers. It was all contracting muscles and pain. And a driving force beyond her control. “I have to push.”
Hawk’s face reflected panic, the young female paramedic’s calmness. “No.” they said in unison.
***
Clara sprinkled paprika over the bowl of potato salad she’d fixed to give it a little color, then slid the baked beans out of the oven. Now, if Brett would just arrive with Hawk and Zoe, everything would be perfect.
She turned to look out the window at Russell as he stood at the grill flipping burgers. He seemed to have that under control. What was it about men and the grill? Since they no longer had to hunt, maybe the urge to burn something replaced that.
She smiled at the thought and wandered into the dining room. She stared at the perfectly set table. The glassware gleamed as did the silverware and each paper napkin had been folded into a swan and left to swim across each plate. Tears burned her eyes as memories of Evan played through her mind. The ache was still there and would be for a very long time.
The sunroom door eased shut and Russell placed long-handled tongs he was using on a plate as he wandered through.
“When did you set the table?” she asked.
“While you were at the store.”
“It’s lovely. But we’ll probably have twice as many people, and they’ll end up eating in the living room and sun room, too,” she commented.
“Well, it’ll be nice until they get here,” Russell said, with a smile.
Clara turned to wrap her arms around his waist and press close. “I wish he’d been mine, Russell.”
“I do, too.” He laid his cheek against her hair. “Gloria and Carl have gotten exactly what they deserved. He’s filed bankruptcy and his lawyers have dropped him. He’ll eventually go to jail. She’ll probably divorce him before that happens and try and save whatever she can.”
She didn’t want to say she was glad for Gloria’s misfortune, but she felt justice had been served. The woman’s social standing and money had been stripped from her.
“You did a beautiful job on the table.” Clara touched one of the paper swans. “I was thinking maybe June would be a good time for a wedding. Nothing really elaborate, just the family, a few friends, and us.”
Russell tipped her face up to him, and kissed her. His hazel eyes searched her face. “You wanted to wait until Hawk was home, and he will be in just a few minutes. I want a date, Clara, not just a month. Because we’re going to have a honeymoon and that takes a little planning.”
The thought of a honeymoon brought a flush to her cheeks. Almost fifty-six years old and the thought of having married sex with him gave her a hot flash.
The phone rang. “How about the third Monday in June. It’s cheaper to fly during the week, if we fly somewhere.” She pulled away. With people coming, it might be someone checking to see if Zoe and Hawk had arrived.
“I’m holding you to that,” Russell said.
Clara answered the phone, and Brett’s voice came over the line. “Mom, Zoe and Hawk have gone to the hospital.”
***
Yasin closed and locked the front door behind him. He had searched a section of Baghdad north of their home. Every boy they passed on the streets he thought was Sanjay. After nearly four months of searching, he had yet to find him.
H
ad they done something to him during the month they’d held him for questioning? Had they threatened him? Why had he left them again?
The house lay quiet around him. Levla spent much time in Amira’s room keeping vigil over the only child they had left. With Tabarek dead in America, and after so many months, he was confident his threats were forgotten, but Levla still watched over their daughter.
He went into the kitchen and found a plate wrapped in a towel. The evening meal had long since passed, but Levla always left him a plate for when he returned. He sat down at the dining room table and began to eat the roasted lamb wrapped in flat bread, but the food had no taste and he pushed the plate away.
When a knock came at the front door, he rose to look out one of the windows. Two men stood beneath the awning. They each held a large flashlight and wore the desert cammies of the American military. Yasin cracked the door and looked out.
“Yasin al-Yussuf?” One of the men asked.
“Yes.”
“We would like to speak to you about your son.”
Yasin’s heart leapt with hope. “Have you found him?”
“No, sir. We were unaware he was missing again.”
“He left about a week after the Iraqi army released him.” This time he had taken his possessions. Some of his clothing and the MP3 player he had gotten him from one of the soldiers.
“I’m sorry, sir.” The man sounded sincere in his sympathy. “May we come in and speak with you?”
Yasin studied them. “I would like to see your identification.”
“Certainly, sir.” The two men handed him their military identification. He looked over the laminated cards. The dark haired one was Rice and the other Austen. Both were Naval investigators.
Yasin returned their cards, and, opening the door, motioned them in. He led the way to the formal living room where he and Levla had talked of Sanjay’s disappearance with the American journalist.
Breaking Through (Book 2 of the SEAL TEAM Heartbreakers) Page 39
