I smacked his arm, laughing. “Come on, Han Solo. There’s a beer with my name on it, and I’m thirsty.”
I followed him down the barely illuminated beach to where the waves rolled up on the sand, waiting for him to lay out the blanket. He was quick, spreading out the soft gray material and motioning for me to sit first. I dropped down, careful not to put my sandy feet on the blanket to contaminate our spot.
When he sat, he didn’t leave much space between us, grabbing two beers from the six-pack and twisting off the tops. “Fair winds and following seas,” he said, clinking the glass bottle against mine before I had a chance to lift it to my lips.
“What’s deployment going to be like?” I asked before taking a sip of the cool liquid.
“It’ll suck for the first few months before you’ll settle in and realize there’s no turning back.”
“Fantastic,” I muttered against the rim.
“It’s not that bad. You get to see some pretty cool places even though you’re not there for long.”
“When was your last deployment?”
He didn’t say anything for a minute, just stared at me. “It’s been about five years since I’ve been deployed on a ship for any extended period of time.”
I almost choked. “Five years? How is that even possible?”
He stared straight ahead, not giving me his eyes. “I haven’t told you everything.”
“I figured that much,” I muttered.
Austin leaned back on his elbows, stretching out his legs. “Your dad’s former military, yeah?”
I nodded, not saying anymore.
“Elite, not just a run-of-the-mill soldier?”
I nodded again.
“Me too,” he admitted softly, but I wasn’t surprised by his words. “I get deployed for short missions all over the world, but I’m not stuck on a ship for months on end anymore.”
“A SEAL?” I asked, knowing the answer before he confirmed my suspicions.
“Yeah.”
“My dad too. It’s honorable and dangerous.”
“Honorable?” He laughed. “Maybe. Dangerous… sometimes. I just wanted to do more than I was after I enlisted. I love what I do now and can’t imagine doing anything else in the world.”
I peered over my shoulder at him. “No SEAL imagines doing anything else with their lives until it happens.”
“I felt the need to do some good after my father did so much bad.”
I kicked off my sandals, brushing the sand from my feet before I turned on the blanket to face him. “What did he do? You don’t have to tell me, though. I know we just met, and it’s none of my business.”
“It’s not like it’s classified information. He was greedy and got involved with the wrong people. He’s the reason my mother was murdered. The men he worked for were looking for something my father stole and tried to use us to draw him out.”
“I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. “I’m only sorry my mother was sacrificed for his greed. My father can rot in prison forever. You’re lucky, though, Mak.”
“I know,” I replied, resting my arms around my knees. “I never knew how lucky I was until I was older.”
“What was it like growing up in your house?” he asked, twisting the beer bottle in his palm. “I’ve been around loving families who were selfless and caring, something I didn’t experience much of as a kid.”
“I don’t think I could’ve had a better childhood. I wasn’t the easiest kid. I was a little too wild for them sometimes, but they loved me the same.”
