As impressive as all that was, it fell invisible when you caught sight of the view out the back of the house.
The Pacific, in all her glory, filled the room, overpowering everything else. Once you dragged your gaze away, you got lost in the manicured yard and the fancy in-ground swimming pool.
Who paid all that money for a pool when the ocean is just steps away?
“Hey, guys, look who finally made it home?” Declan yelled as we walked out the door.
I’m not sure if what I was doing could be called walking. It was more like being dragged like a dog at the end of a leash with a choker chain. I looked at the gunny when he stepped out onto the patio next to me. At least there was another jarhead with me. Although I still didn’t understand how he and Declan knew each other or what he was doing here, far be it from me to look a gift horse in the mouth.
“Ooh-rah!” was yelled from the corner of the yard, and moments later, Walker Holt stepped out of a throng of people.
He walked toward me, and I snapped to attention, our hands drawn up in a salute. He was retired and not in uniform, but the man was a colonel and deserved our respect. A glance out of the corner of my eye told me the gunny felt the same way as he also stood at attention with a salute locked in place.
Walker paused, his eyes dancing across the ribbon rack on my chest before he nodded, returned the salute, and shook my hand. “Welcome home, Hayden. I’ll be happy to hand Declan’s worrywart ass back over to you now that you’re here.”
“Hey!” Declan cried out in offense, but I noticed he didn’t correct the man.
Walker turned to Gunny, saluted the man, and said, “Goddamn, you got old.”
“Well, I had to put up with your sorry ass for how many years?”
Walker laughed, grabbed the gunny’s hand, pulling him into a back-slapping hug. “You’re a sight for sore fucking eyes, Gunny.”
A beautiful, leggy older woman approached, hugging the gunny. “Taz… It’s so good to see you.”
“Ma’am. If anyone is a sight for sore eyes, it’s you. How’re them babies?”
“All grown up, unfortunately. Livvy met a young man and is head over heels in love, and Jackie is…”
“Tomcatting around the country while trying to get himself killed,” Walker muttered.
Someone yelled, “Come and get it!” from across the yard.
Declan leaned into me and whispered, “Let’s go grab some food before we’re subjected to Walker grumbling about his son not following in his father’s footsteps.”
“Please.”
He pulled me away, and I nodded at Walker, Gunny, and the woman with them, who I’m assuming was the colonel’s wife.
“That was Walker’s wife, Lillian. They have twins not much younger than you—a boy and a girl. The girl is Walker’s princess and can do no wrong, but their son is a wild buck like all the men in our family. We’ve all been involved in stupid hobbies and sports, but Jackie wrecked recently, and it scared the shit out of Walker, so he’s being extra tough on the kid.”
I nodded. Something about the names seemed familiar, but the thought vanished as we rounded the pool—again, who has a pool when the ocean isrightthere—and were surrounded by people converging on the counters of the outdoor kitchen laden with food.
As we stood in line, I tried my best to keep the gawking to a minimum, but who the fuck lived like this? This outdoor kitchen was bigger and nicer than most people had inside their houses. A U-shaped bar with six barstools shoved under it made up the side where all the food sat. The remaining L-shape included a sink, a fridge, a dishwasher, and a four-foot-wide built-in grill complete with a smoker.
“I was sure you’d be starved. I remember the homecomings we did for Walker after a float, and he could always eat the ass end out of a dead rhino,” Declan said, pulling my attention from the grandiose surroundings I found myself.
Lincoln groaned, “Gross, Deckie. I’ve not been home in ages, don’t put me off my feed.”
“Watching you eat is enough to put a hog off slop, so don’t even go there about what he said, especially since I’ve heard you use the same expression a thousand times,” Heidi said.
I leaned over and whispered in Declan’s ear, “Deckie?”
He groaned under his breath, “Please don’t.”
“Oh, Deckie, you’ve not told him?”
“Told me what?” I asked, curious as I watched Declan’s face flame.
