But really, she didn’twantto take the call. Instead, she’d hide from her ongoing battle with her father by letting him go to voice-mail. She’d respond later, via email.Sorry, too busy with work to talk. Hope you’re well, hugs to Cynthia…
Instead, she checked her email as she hid back behind the Dumpster, breathing through her mouth. She responded to a message from her boss, Jessica Rae Cofer. The local women’s shelter had approached their tiny firm with another pro bono request. Another battered woman, like Betsy Ramsey, attempting to legalize her separation from a monster through divorce. Did Ashley have time to add another non-paying client to her already busy schedule?
Of course, she did. Always. Ash quickly fired back her response.
There was an email about a scheduling issue from opposing counsel on one of her paying cases, so she checked her calendar and responded to that email, too.
It was while she was answering another email from her little brother Clark—No, if he adopted a shelter dog, she wouldnotbe able to dog-sit for him. Yes, she loved dogs and yes, she was a pushover, but her condo association had a strict no-pets rule, sorry—that she realized that she was simply accepting her fate.
She’d reached the point where she’d prefer to spend god-knows-how-long hiding from her life behind a stank-fest of a Dumpster rather than risking getting upset—or facing someone else’s potential upset, anger, or disappointment.
Something had to change.
Shehad to change.
On impulse, she texted Colleen.Is that trained-by-a-Navy-SEAL class thing you were telling me about still open?
Colleen’s husband was a man-mountain of a Navy SEAL chief named Bobby Taylor, and he’d told Colleen—who’d told Ash—about a week-long class at a place called SEAL World, run by a former SEAL chief named Duncan Something. Or maybe it was Something Duncan…? Anyway, his class combined Outward-Bound type activities with exercises designed to boost self-confidence. Participants—mostly corporate types—apparently gained self-respect and self-esteem through the physical challenges.
Colleen didn’t text back—she called. “I’m looking it up right now,” she said, without any greeting. She’d been wanting Ashley to take this course ever since she’d first found out about it, years ago. “And yes, Dunk’s website says—whoa! He’s had a cancellation. He’s usually completely sold out, but there’re still a few slots open for a class that starts… oh, this Saturday.”
“Saturday?” Ash echoed. It was already Thursday. “Crap, that’s too soon.”
“No, it’s not,” Colleen said. “It’s actually perfect. It gives us just enough time to get together, so you can fill me in on your cases—so I can handle anything that comes up while you’re away.” She raised her voice, calling to their boss, who always worked with her office door open. “Jess, you okay with Ashley taking off for a week, to take that Navy SEAL class thing I was telling you about? I’ll cover for her.”
Ashley could hear Jess calling back, “Yes, absolutely!”
“I’ll come over tonight,” Colleen told Ashley. “You’ll have time tomorrow to shop for any gear that you might need—but not enough time to second guess yourself and get scared.”
“Yeah, thanks, I’m already terrified,” Ashley said. “I don’t know, Col. I had this flash ofMaybe I need to do something, but now…”
“Why are you whispering?” Colleen asked.
“Um…”
“Are you hiding in some bathroom again?” Her friend’s voice was not unkind. “Look around you. Take a moment and take a deep breath. Is this really where you want to be? I believe, completely, that you aresomuch stronger than you think. And I think this class is exactly what you need so that you can start believing that, too.”
Ashley looked around, but didn’t dare take a deep breath. Colleen was right. She had to do this. And she was ready. Or at least as ready as she’d ever be. “Can you do me a huge favor?” she asked her friend. “And sign me up…? Right now…? On the website…? Use your credit card—I’ll pay you back.”
“We’re past the date where you can cancel and get a refund,” Colleen warned her.
“I know,” Ash said. She’d surfed the SEAL World website many times, wishing she were brave enough to take the plunge. “Do it. Now. Quickly, please, before I chicken out!”
***
Jim sat in his truck.
He knew he had to turn the key, start the engine, drive out of the Navy base. He had to pick up something for dinner at the grocery store. He had to go home, ice his knees, cook his dinner, ice his knees, eat, and again ice his knees. Twenty minutes at a time.
He had to rest.
That was the doctor’s order—and it was a literal order because the doc was a captain, and outranked Jim.Get a coupla weeks of rest while the medical team reviews these latest MRIs and scans. At that point, we’ll take another look, and talk about your options.
When the captain said that, he’d seen Jim’s face, and had both sighed and chuckled. Based in Coronado, the man saw a lot of injured SEALs, and he knew that, to them,restwas the nastiest of all of the four-letter words.
It had been four years since Jim had taken any leave that wasn’t connected to rehabbing his injured knees—it was all right there in his record.
So as the doc signed the necessary papers, he’d clarified.Take a real vacation. No running, no basketball, no jumping out of airplanes. Exercise in moderation, preferably in a swimming pool, with a daiquiri in your hand. Walking is okay—in moderation—to get from your room to the hotel lounge. Feet up when you can, and plenty of ice. Make use of the time off, Lieutenant. Visit family or friends.
