by Hart, Lea
The door flew open and Mark rushed in. “I didn’t miss anything, did I?”
“No, man, you made it in plenty of time.” David responded.
Birdie leaned over to Rory. “He knows when he wears that uniform that it makes me a little crazy. I think he does it on purpose.”
Rory leaned over. “You two don’t need any help, trust me. I swear that some evenings I can hear you two at my house.”
Birdie looked at her best friend and gave her a knowing look. “I’m surprised you can hear anything over the noises that you and Max make. I don’t how you two can be so loud with children in the house.”
They both started cracking up and looked out over the room. “Who would have guessed a year ago that we would be standing here?”
“This all started because you decided that you wanted to use poor Mark as a slump buster.”
“So you’re saying that I’m single-handedly responsible for all of the things in this room?”
“Yes, I’m going to say that. You met Mark and the rest is history.”
“I don’t thinks that’s right at all. I think this is Mark’s fault. He was the one who came after me.”
“After you went after him.”
“I never had the chance to go after him because he was already coming after me. Do you realize that this weekend is the one-year anniversary of our first date? Actually it’s today. One year ago today he came to my house after his training exercise and never left.”
“Happy anniversary.”
“Thank you.”
Mark walked up to them and kissed his wife. “Hi honey. You look beautiful. Happy anniversary.”
“Did you wear that uniform so that you would get extra lucky tonight?”
He looked at her with as innocent a face as he could manage. “Birdie, I’m surprised that you think that I would stoop that low.”
“Oh, stop. I know what you’re up to.”
“I got a call that said I needed to take a shower and put on my dress blues and come and speak on behalf of one of the men I commanded so he could get the baby to start his family. That’s what I did. If as a side benefit my wife finds me irresistible, then so be it.”
“OK, if that’s your story.”
He looked down at his wife with all the love he had in his heart. He hoped that she was going to tell him some good news when they got home. “That’s my story.”
Cary watched as Mark spoke with his wife and it still amazed her. He looked like such a hard-ass, but all of that fell away when he looked at Birdie. All of the hardness, toughness and cold detachment was gone. Just like that. The same could probably be said for a lot of the men in the room. Everything they were got transformed in the face of love.
The room quieted down as the side door opened and the judge entered the room. All of the men stood up straight in a modified parade stance, and Cary looked around. If you ever wondered if this country’s money was well invested in the armed forces, then all you had to do was look around this room. You would never ask that question again, because the men who stood here represented tens and thousands of men and women who put their lives on line every day in defense of this country.
The judge slowly looked around the room and met everyone’s eyes as he studied the group that had gathered. “I see you brought the party with you.”
Soft laughter rippled through the room. “I guess it’s true what they say about SEALs. Once in the brotherhood, always in the brotherhood.”
A low murmur of agreement came from the men as they remained still and at attention. Sofia, once again dissatisfied with the lack of attention, let out a loud babble and made everyone look at her. Satisfied that all eyes were on her, she rewarded the crowd with a happy, drooly smile. “Ah, I see the star of the show would like to get things started. Everyone have a seat. This should be quick and relatively painless.”
The twins decided that Sofia shouldn’t have all the attention, so they started babbling loudly as well. Rory stood up. “I guess they want their five minutes of attention, too.” Everyone let out a laugh as Rory and Max moved toward the door. “We’ll just wait outside.”
Max grabbed the bag. “Someone come get me when it’s my turn to speak.”
The judge looked at him. “What’s your part in all of this?”
“Travis works for me at ASI, so if you need a reference about his employment, I will happily provide it. Actually, my wife can do that as well, since she runs the show.”
The judge laughed. “That’s a sign of a smart man. I’ll let you know if we need you.” Max nodded and left the room.
“I’ll have Travis Mathers and Cary Simmons come up front with Princess Sofia. The rest of you are welcome to wait in the hall, and I will call you if I need you.”
Everyone started filing out, and they shook Travis’s hand on the way out and gave Cary a kiss on the cheek. It was overwhelming because she hadn’t had a family in such a long time. The support of all of these people felt like such a blessing. They turned around and faced the judge and were about to take their seats when Cary noticed the face Sofia was making. She elbowed Travis, and he gave her a knowing nod and handed her the diaper bag. “Excuse us a moment. It seems that our daughter needs a freshy.” With that she turned and walked toward the door. She almost made it but the unmistakable sounds of Sofia’s grunts filled the room. Cary turned back and smiled at the room as if she were addressing Congress. “I don’t think the sweet plums were such a good idea after all.”
The laughter filled the room along with the unmistakable scent of Sofia’s sweet plums.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The crowd gathered at Nicky Rotten’s later that afternoon as Cary and Travis hosted the group for a late lunch. It had been a long time since everyone had been together, because Platoon One had been out for almost eight months on a heavy rotation. Travis and Mark hadn’t seen most of the guys since they were injured back in October, almost a year ago.
It seemed like a lifetime ago when he and Mark were airlifted onto the medical naval ship after their op went south. He didn’t remember much about the last minutes when he and Mark sustained their injuries that ended their careers. It was probably better that way. He looked out on the crowd of people and remembered the last fifteen years of his career like it all happened yesterday. He looked at the faces of men whom he was closer to than his own brothers. Being on the Teams did that for a person, made bonds between the men stronger than anything genetics could produce. There were men in the room who had saved his life, and there were men whose life he saved. It was bittersweet to see his old life and his new life together in the same room. He knew that if he were still on the Teams, he would’ve never met Cary. He looked over at the woman who had his heart in her hands and felt like it all made sense now. His retirement had allowed him the second part of his life, and the second part of his life looked pretty damn good to him right now.
He watched Cary sitting with Birdie, Rory, Karen and Josh’s wife Maryanne. He needed to congratulate them quickly because it looked like Maryanne might not make it through lunch before she gave birth.
Babies were being held, stories shared and bonds forged. Maybe this was the greatest gift he could give Cary, the gift of all of these people in this room. She’d had no one in the world and now she had him, Sofia, his family and all of the people here. He knew he had to make a speech but decided it could wait until after everyone ate.
Max came up to him with his son in his arms and clapped him on the back. “Congratulations on making it through your first step of adoption. This is just the beginning, man. Rory told me that you guys want six kids.”
“Cary wants six kids, which means that I want six kids. I come from a big family, so I’m used the chaos. I’m happy to put as many babies in her as she wants. It will be my pleasure because I feel like the more kids we have, the more secure my place is. Even when she gets tired of me, she won’t be able to get rid of me.”
“I understand where you’re coming from. Ev
eryone knows that I tried to get Rory knocked up as soon as I could. I’m glad it worked, and think she, is too.”
“I thought you were crazy when I heard about it, but now it’s a crazy that I understand and admire.”
“That’s usually how it works out. The singles look at the marrieds and wonder what the hell is wrong with them until they meet the person who helps it all make sense. Welcome to the almost married crowd.”
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to the wedding at the ranch. I’ve made my mom very happy that were having it out there. It should be cool enough in October so that everyone can enjoy our celebration.”
“I’m looking forward to it. We just found out that Rory’s mom and my mom want to take care of the twins for the weekend. So it will be a great getaway for us. I plan on showing up for the wedding and that’s it. I have other plans for my wife, and they might include me knocking her up again.”
“You might want to keep that to yourself for now.”
“Oh, I plan on it.”
They laughed and noticed that the women looked over at them with skeptical glances. Max waved back with an innocent smile as he kissed his son’s head. “Remember, don’t tell Mom what we’ve been talking about.”
Rory gave him a long look and then turned back around to the conversation. “I know my husband is up to something. I just can’t figure out what it is.”
Cary took the bottle out of Sofia’s mouth and sat her up so she could get her to burp. “How can you tell?”
“I can tell because he’s trying to look innocent and failing miserably. For a man with so many skills, he fails completely when he tries to get one over on me.”
“Does he know that you can see right through him?”
“Of course not. I let him believe what he wants to believe. It makes life a little easier.”
Travis watched the women and knew they were talking about them. “She didn’t buy your act for a minute.”
“I know. She can see right through me. She thinks that I don’t know, but I do. It’s fine. We play the charade and we don’t get in a fight. I think I’m getting away with something, and she thinks that she’s letting me. We both walk away happy.”
“Choose the battle and live another day.”
“Choose the battle and make sure that my wife wants to have relations with me every day. That’s my priority, and it makes us both happy.”
“I’m going to remember that. Being a hard-ass only gets Cary mad at me. If I prove I’m right, I’ve just proven that she’s wrong. Who wants to be in a relationship like that?”
“There are very few things that I won’t move on. Rory understands what they are, and she respects them. I try to do the same thing for her. Ultimately she wants to take care of me and love me, and if I remember that, how can I not want to do the same for her?”
“Which goes back to the happy wife, happy life motto.”
“If my wife is happy then the children are happy and then I’m happy. It’s pretty simple.”
Travis watched Alex make a face. “I think your son is making you a little gift.”
Max looked down at his son and watched him scrunch up his face as he worked on making room for the next meal. “Good work, son. Let’s go find Mom and get the diaper bag.”
Travis watched him walk away and hoped for some sons. He needed to even out the odds at his house. Right now it was three women to one man. Maybe he could put a boy in Cary and start to tip the scales in his favor.
He was about to walk over and check on Cary when David came up to him. “So, we accomplished the mission. The judge liked what he saw.”
“Yes, the first step is done with many more to go. After we’re married, we’ll move on to the next phase.”
“Whatever happened to the kid?”
“I went to his arraignment and suggested to the judge that he give Kevin the option of joining the navy instead of jail time. I figured if he went to jail, he was just going to become a better criminal. The navy may offer him a small chance at becoming a responsible human being.”
“Did you hear what he decided?”
“No, Kevin has to go through the trial and then tell the judge what he’s decided. It’s his last chance at a life, so I hope he takes it. By the way, thanks for everything you’ve done over the last couple of weeks. When we get custody, we’re going to name you the godfather. Sofia will be very lucky to have you in her life.”
“No problem. You know you can count on me for anything. I already worked it out with the baby, and she already considers me her favorite.”
“Good to know. I may need backup when she starts to date.”
“You’re going to let her date?”
“Yes. When she graduates college, then she can date.”
David clapped him on the back. “Just keep repeating that to yourself.”
Lunch was being delivered. He went to find Cary and take the baby so she could have a chance to eat first. The women moved toward their husbands, and everyone sat down to enjoy their food. His old teammates sat around him, and he was happy to catch up-that is, until they decided to share stories with Cary.
Will, Cody and Caid were having a good time as they tried to top one another in sharing embarrassing stories about him. As much as it pained him, he was happy to hang out with the guys again. Cody smiled at Cary. “I think my friend found a good match. I didn’t think it was ever going to happen, but I can see that it did.”
Cary smiled back at Cody, and Travis watched him blink. It never failed. No one ever saw it coming and then they got hit with it. He laughed at his friend and shook his head. It was never going to get old watching his friends fall one by one.
Will spoke quietly in Travis’s ear. “How’s your sister Tory doing?”
Travis turned and gave him a hard stare. “She’s fine. I think she’s still dating a guy from the hospital.”
“Does she know where she is going to end up working?”
“No, she is evaluating her offers right now. She has a ton of offers because ER doctors are always in demand.”
Will nodded his head and stared at his plate. “I told you that I would never ask her out on a date until I retired from the Teams, and I meant that. The timing will probably never work out, but if it does, then I’m going to throw everything I have at it.”
“As long as your intentions are good, then I’m fine with it. Talk to her at the wedding and see if there is still anything there.”
Will nodded in agreement and felt a small ball of hope bloom in his chest. He knew that he didn’t have much longer on the Teams. At the age of thirty-seven, his body was starting to give out. He never wanted to be less than his best and cause the Team not to be able to perform because he couldn’t keep up. In his world, he was getting old. In the real world, he was in his prime. Maybe it would all work out. He looked around the room and saw the retired guys who worked for Max, and he saw how happy they were. Most of them had amazing women at their sides, and families. The view looked pretty good from where he sat.
Everyone was finishing up, and Travis knew it was time to thank the people in the room before everyone started to go.
He got up and looked around the room. Using his loud combat voice, he called for everyone to be quiet. “I just want to thank everyone in this room for their support today. It means the world to my family. I know a lot of you just came off a tough rotation, and I appreciate you taking showers and putting your uniforms on and showing up today. For those of you who are part of our new future, thanks for taking us in and making us feel welcome.
When I asked Cary to marry me, you all were part of the package. So in some way, everyone in this room has helped me achieve every dream I’ve ever had and some that I wasn’t even aware of. I think that my fiancée is about to join the match making team of Birdie and Rory, so she’s available if anyone here needs some help finding a date. Thank you again, brothers.” He lifted his glass and all the men yelled hooyah at the same time. “We also look forward to seeing
everyone in about a month at my family’s ranch for our wedding.”
Cary stood up, took Travis’s hand and looked around the crowd. “Thank you for making me feel welcome and including me in this amazing group.”
Sofia waved to everyone because she felt like everyone must be looking at her. “Our daughter is also very happy to have so many new admirers as well.” Everyone watched Sofia clap and smile at everyone. “Well, at least she knows how to work a room.”
Before Travis sat down, he looked at all the men with a serious expression. “I will be calling for backup when she starts dating, because from what I can see, she’s going to be hell on wheels.”
The men nodded their heads in agreement. No one wanted to be in Travis’s place when that happened.
Everyone finished their meals and slowly started to leave the restaurant. Mark came up to Travis and shook his hand. “Good day, man.”
“It’s been almost a year since our op. I can’t believe how much has changed. I never saw any of this coming.”
“I think that’s the way it works. I never saw Birdie coming, but once I did….I was hit and that was it.”
“I never understood it until it happened to me. Now it all makes sense.”
“I told you and you never believed me. So here it goes…I told you so.”
Travis laughed and shook Mark’s hand. “You we’re right.”
“Sweeter words were never said.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“Travis Mathers, you’d better move that hand of yours.”
“Honey, I won’t make it through the day unless you let me get at you.”
“We have already broken all kinds of traditions by spending the night together before our wedding day. I don’t want to bring any bad luck to our marriage.”
Moving his hand lower, he felt her begin to respond to his fingers as he moved them around and around. “This doesn’t feel like bad luck…this feels like the best luck in the world.” He rolled her on top of him and smiled into her eyes. “Let’s make a baby on our wedding day.”
