He slipped her jacket from the back of the kitchen chair and opened the door for her. “Hey, no fair keeping secrets.”
She stopped on her way to the car and looked back at him.
“Never mind. I’m going to be quiet now.” She opened the back door and carefully situated the hot glass dish on the floor before climbing into the passenger seat. Molly had asked her to make Gran’s lasagna, and she just couldn’t tell her no.
“Let’s go, Mr. Frogman. I’d hate to keep everyone waiting.” She enjoyed watching him bite his lip as he closed the door behind her.
“This is torturing you, isn’t it?” she teased as he climbed into the Jeep beside her.
“So, so bad.”
“Good.” She grinned and settled back in her seat.
After he started up the car and began to drive, his hand drifted over to rest on her leg. “I could make you tell me.” His low voice held a warning that Kaylan didn’t like.
“I will not negotiate with handsome men trying to use their charm.”
“Who said anything about charm?” He squeezed the place right above her knee that always made her shriek and laugh.
“Nick, stop.” She laughed. “You’re going to have a wreck.”
“Just tell me then.” He squeezed her leg again, laughing with her this time. “Come on, babe. Just spill.”
“This is cruel and unusual punishment.”
He wagged his finger. “No, cruel and unusual punishment is when you lean in to kiss me and then won’t let me actually kiss you until I do something for you. That is just pure torture. This”—he squeezed again and she shrieked—“is just payback.”
“Nick Carmichael, let go.” She pried his fingers from her leg and held them in her lap, forcing him to concentrate on the road.
They pulled into the Carpenters’ neighborhood and stopped at a stop sign. He turned to face her, the glow of the street lights casting an evil glint to his mischievous blue eyes. “Just wait till we get there and I can use both of my hands.”
She leaned in close to him, unable to stop a smile of pure joy as she hovered inches from his face. His gaze drifted to her lips and his grin matched hers. “You, my handsome fiancé, are going to wait. Just like everyone else.” A car behind them honked before speeding around them. She leaned back in her seat as he blinked away the fog.
“I think you stopped long enough.”
Nick groaned and accelerated. “Now see, that right there, that was just mean, Kaylan Lee Richards.”
She massaged the spot above her knee where he’d dug his fingers. “It’s only fair.” They parked and got out of the car. Kaylan balanced the hot casserole dish in between pot holders and they headed up the wheelchair ramp to the house.
As they waited at the door, Nick whispered, “I can’t wait to marry you.” His lips brushed her ear as Kim opened the door.
“Great. You guys made it.” She looked back and forth between them. “We really need to get you two married fast.”
Kaylan felt heat spread through her cheeks as Nick grinned and squeezed her waist. She stepped through the door. “Only a few weeks away.”
Within seconds, kids swarmed Nick and Kaylan. “Ah, girl, let me have that hot plate,” Liza said as she swooped in and rescued Kaylan from Molly’s reaching hands.
“Aunt Kaylan, come play with me.”
Kaylan looked to Kim, who had Nadia balanced in her arms. “We’re waiting on Jay and Colt, so you have a few minutes.”
“They’re late again? Shocker.” Nick kissed Kim’s cheek and Nadia’s forehead as he moved into the kitchen. Kaylan grinned at the loud greeting she heard from Logan, Titus, and Micah, while Liza hollered for them to keep it down.
Somewhere in the past few months, this group had become inseparable, friendships forged by sacrifice and fire. Kaylan was discovering that those friends made the best ones. There wasn’t a reason to hide anything.
Kaylan settled on the floor in Molly’s room in the middle of a circle of stuffed animals. A crib now sat in one corner. Molly had her wish—a real-life little sister that sometimes doubled as a doll. Molly might not like it as much when Nadia learned to crawl away from her.
“What are we playing, ladybug?”
“In order to save the princess, the prince has to give himself over to the wicked troll.” She pointed at one of her teddy bears.
“And that’s the troll?” Kaylan pointed at the fluffy teddy bear just to be sure.
Molly nodded as she picked up her doll. Kaylan couldn’t help but think Molly looked like a little doll herself—with her beautiful blonde curls, big blue eyes, and porcelain skin, Kaylan just wanted to squeeze her. “You’re the prince, Aunt Kaylan.” Molly pointed at a Ken doll lying discarded a foot away.
“And who can I be?” Liza entered and settled in the circle with them. “I can’t handle those rowdy guys right now.”
Molly rolled her eyes, her flair for the dramatic in full force. “I know what you mean, Aunt Liza.” She sighed and shook her head. Kaylan and Liza smothered grins.
“You can be the troll, Aunt Liza.”
“The troll, huh?” She looked around the cute stuffed animals, no doubt searching for something ugly. “And which one is that?”
Molly giggled and pointed to a fluffy brown teddy bear. “That one.”
“Oh, of course. This one.” Liza picked up the bear as Molly began to tell the story. The princess was locked in a tower and the prince had to give himself to the evil troll in exchange for her freedom. But the prince had a trick up his sleeve. He wouldn’t surrender until he knew the princess was safe. So they went to the tower to release the princess, and the prince tricked the troll into entering the dungeon. He immediately slammed the doors, locking the troll away.
“And they kiss and live happily ever after,” Molly finished. “The end.”
The doorbell rang. “Molly, come wash your hands for dinner,” Kim called as Colt and Jay’s voices filtered into Molly’s room.
“Coming, Mommy.” Molly dropped her dolls and skipped off, the story already forgotten.
“That girl has quite the imagination.” Liza straightened the teddy bears in the circle.
“And romantic streak.” Kaylan stood and pulled Liza to her feet. “You and Titus thinking about kids yet? Y’all have been married a few years.”
Liza looked away, a pained expression on her face. “I want to. We just haven’t been able to get pregnant.”
Seeing the pain on her friend’s face, Kaylan pulled Liza into her arms. Liza and Titus had started coming to church more with Nick and Kaylan since the events of the past fall. Kaylan couldn’t help but think that her disaster had turned into a wakeup call for several around her. When she looked at it in that light, she could let go of the lingering anger and fear. She wouldn’t repeat the kidnapping for the world, but she didn’t wish to change it now either.
“I’ll be praying for y’all,” she said, giving a final squeeze before she stepped back.
“Thanks.”
They walked toward the kitchen, where Kaylan heard the strains of male laughter.
Soon everyone formed an assembly line and began to dig into the food. Nights like this reminded Kaylan of evenings in Alabama. Her mom and Gran believed in celebrating and enjoying life with a full spread. In these moments, Kaylan knew that wherever she and Nick moved in the future, she would have a home, a family, and nights like this. Laughter and conversation rang like a symphony before her as she studied faces she’d come to love.
The Carpenters gathered around the table, Logan helping Molly cut through pieces of her lasagna to make smaller bites and the boys pinching one another with mouths full. Liza cooed over Nadia, and Titus, Jay, and Colt stood with plates in hand, joking. Nick and Micah stood next to her, her little slices of Alabama in California. Kaylan overheard pieces of Nick’s day with Natalie as Micah listened and asked questions.
Kaylan played with the anchor now hanging from her neck. Hope. Jesus was her anchor, her hop
e. But he provided these people to be the chain that kept her ship from drifting away in the tough moments. She hadn’t realized it until now. She had everything she needed. She lacked nothing. And hope rested like an anchor in the hard moments that would come for this group, a group that had committed to something bigger than just themselves. Kaylan leaned into Nick, for the first time fully appreciating the story God had called her to, the honor of loving and learning to understand a warrior’s heart. The more she learned to love her own story, the more she gleaned of Nick’s bravery.
*
Nick was full. Full of food. Full from his day with Natalie. And overflowing with gratitude for the people in his life. Kaylan and Liza washed dishes at the sink as Kim and Logan whispered in the corner.
Conner and Tanner ran up to Micah and Nick, baseballs and gloves in hand. “Hey, want to go throw the baseball outside?”
“Sure thing. Maybe grab your coats.” Micah tousled Conner’s hair as they scurried off.
“Boys, hold up,” their mom yelled and sent them to a screeching halt. “You can go play in a few minutes. Can y’all please come over by your dad and me?”
“Is it time?” Conner grinned and rushed over to his dad.
“You bet, champ.”
“Being quiet is so hard,” Molly said, smiling at her dad from her place in his lap.
“Molly knew the big secret all night and she never said a word?” Micah asked in shock.
“Way to go, ladybug. Our new secret keeper.”
She grinned. “I’m pretty good, aren’t I?”
Logan squeezed her. “The best. Do you want to tell everyone?”
She squealed, her big blue eyes energizing the room. “Daddy gets a new leg!”
Shocked silence greeted the room for a fraction of a second before everyone exploded.
“Ow, ow,” Jay hollered. “Best news I’ve heard in weeks.”
“Congrats, brah. It’s about time.” Colt fist-bumped Logan as the congratulations continued. Nick watched months of worry and anxiety for the Carpenters bleed from the team in a rush of celebration. Logan had never complained after losing his leg. Not once in months. He’d gone to physical therapy. He’d helped Kim with the kids when she went back to work. He’d remained involved and available in the SEAL community.
“That’s not even the best part,” Tanner shouted over the din.
“My turn?” Conner looked to his dad.
“Tell ’em, champ.”
“After dad gets his leg, he’s going to be an instructor at BUD/S.”
“Those tadpoles couldn’t ask for a better instructor.” Nick shook Logan’s hand and caught Kaylan’s eye. She’d known. She’d known this would be the best news he could receive. A friend and brother had found life in the middle of catastrophe. He breathed deep for the first time in months as the kids helped Kim pass out saucers of cake and ice cream.
Nick slipped next to Kaylan and wrapped his arms around her. “How long did you know?”
“Since before you got home. He wanted to tell y’all himself.”
“Maybe you need an award for being the best secret keeper.” He kissed her cheek. She leaned back against him, her eyes focused on the Carpenters.
“I wouldn’t want to take Molly’s new title. But it was pretty fun.” He didn’t have to see her smile to feel it reach all the way through him. She’d been there, loving this family even when he was gone. She’d integrated with his world, despite her struggle with this new life. Her actions told him more than her words ever could. She would weather this just fine, and she had a whole family to help her.
“I love you, you know.”
“Keep on telling me, handsome.”
“Always.” He squeezed her tighter.
The evening passed with more stories and laughter than Nick could remember swapping in a long time. A cloud had dissipated, leaving Logan an intact and active member of their community. A mentor of warriors.
*
“Think you will catch him this time? The Kahuna?”
Nick kept his voice low, the kids now in bed and the adults gathered in the Carpenter’s small living room. “I hope so.”
“It’s time to end this,” Jay affirmed.
“How you doing with all this, Hawk?” Logan asked. All eyes turned to him.
Kaylan slipped her hand into his as he met the eyes of the men in the room. He read only confidence and personal concern. They knew he would do what was necessary. “I’m ready to never see her again. To get this Russian guy off our backs. I’m ready to slow the slaughter of women and children and Americans over in the Middle East. And all of it stems from one place.”
Titus stood to answer his phone as quiet banter broke out in the room, punctuated by loud laughter from Micah and Kim’s shushing.
Nick came alert as Titus re-entered the room.
“Time to go?” Logan asked, straightening in his chair.
Nick squirmed, knowing that despite news of his leg, Logan would never join them in the field again, a reality that Nick knew Logan would wrestle with and accept. But he couldn’t erase the ache that accompanied the longing in Logan’s eyes. He almost expected his friend to stand and walk out of the house with them.
“That was X. Grab your bags. We are out of here.”
Men stood all over the room saying hurried goodbyes. Micah pulled Kaylan in for a quick squeeze and kiss on her cheek before following the guys out the door.
“Wait up, Bulldog. I’ll catch a ride with you.”
Nick pulled Kaylan onto the front porch with him and into his arms. “There’s no time for goodbyes.” A part of him braced for her frantic pleas for him to stay.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. He felt her fear and then her gentle release. “I’ll see you when you get back,” she whispered near his face before stepping back from him.
“I love you.”
She smiled, but this time he saw peace fighting for prominence. “I love you, too. Now go. End this.”
Nick met Logan’s eyes at the door behind them. “We’ll watch out for her. Go get him, Hawk.”
With a final nod, Nick handed Kaylan his keys and ran to the idling car. He slammed the door behind him as Micah shot toward their home. It was time to cut off the head of the snake.
Chapter Thirty
They landed on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower off the coast of Spain a little after seventeen hundred on Sunday, February 6. Sun shone and glistened off the deep blue of the Mediterranean. This was Nick’s kind of deployment. Despite the versatility of the SEALs, under the cover of night and water remained Nick’s favorite time to strike.
X met them on deck, his red hair whipping in the wind stirred up from planes zipping to and fro on the flight deck. The ship teemed with life, men and women going about their daily tasks, ready to answer a distress call or respond to orders at any given second. It felt good to be back.
“Let’s go, ladies. We’ve got to get you operation-ready in just a few hours. This meet goes down at zero two hundred.” They followed him below deck to a room complete with a screen and chairs. “Take a seat, ladies.”
Nick found a seat, smothering a yawn as fifteen other guys from Support Activity 1 gathered around. Anticipation had built throughout the long flight as the comforts of home receded. The only thing Nick could focus on was the picture of Sasha. Sasha and locking Janus up for good.
“All right, at twenty-one hundred two days ago we received confirmation that Sasha, aka Kahuna, arrived in Marseille. We believe him to be traveling with his wife and one of his associates under the guise of a family holiday. Pleasure, not business, is the official line.”
He hit a button on the remote, and the screen changed to a photo of a young man with Mediterranean good looks who couldn’t be more than twenty-two or twenty-three. “Meet Milo Kozma. Milo is a small fish in a big pond, but last year he became the courier between an al Qaeda group and their dealers. Drugs, sex trade, weapons, you name it, he arranges it. Poor kid conve
rted to Islam after rooming with a radical in college. Claims God told him to rid the world of infidels. We think if we can capture him, we can flip him, hence why our good buddy is here again with us.”
Nick turned slowly, meeting Jake’s gaze before colliding with Janus’s. Now after meeting Natalie, he noticed the resemblance. Both blonde, small-boned, blue-eyed, and tough. But one had a sweet demeanor, the other an icy veneer and killer instincts. Physical qualities signified the end of their similarities.
X nodded to where Janus stood. “Janus will go under cover, pretending that she escaped from prison and is working for Sasha again. She will convince Milo to set up a place to meet the Kahuna to make the final sale. Now after our little victory in Afghanistan, the Kahuna is running scared, his trust in his associates frayed. He won’t risk sending anyone else to make the deal. We will be there to capture and kill if necessary. We have confirmed that enough evidence exists to take him down, and naturally the French want nothing to do with this little escapade, so they are turning a blind eye. We get our guy. We get out clean and make as little noise as possible. Got it? Things with the French are strained enough as it is, and we’re lucky to get this much.”
Jake and Janus slipped from the room as X continued his briefing. “Jake will get Janus in place now to set up for the meet tonight. Sasha will most likely have his wife with him to continue the romantic getaway bit. His associate is most likely his most trusted bodyguard.” The screen changed to a new photo.
“Meet Boris, trained by the KGB and now working for Sasha. He is one tough cookie. Highly skilled. Highly dangerous.” X scanned the room. “Don’t underestimate him.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the wall behind him. “I know this isn’t the way we like to move. Too much can go wrong with Janus in the game.” Nick caught the briefest glance in his direction as X continued. “But we need to end this and end it now. This will protect countless of our boys in the Sandbox and send terrorist cells all over Latin America and the Middle East in a frenzy to regroup and find a new weapons supplier. Our sources tell us this might be instrumental in stopping a pending attack on the U.S. Everything hinges on our enemy obtaining these weapons.”
Surrendered (Heart of a Warrior Series Book 3) Page 19
