“Should I be worried?” he asked. “Damnit, I’m worried.”
“Just come to the party,” she said. “Sit down next to her, and see what happens. If she stands up and walks away, well, then you’ll know.”
“Yeah, or maybe she’ll bring Brad as her date,” Jim said. Jesus, had he waited too long?
“You know that expression, snowball’s chance in hell?” Colleen said. “Those are the odds, in my opinion of course, of Ashley getting back with Brad. Just come to the party.”
“I don’t know anymore,” he admitted. “I hurt her really badly. I’ve been thinking about applying to law school in New York or maybe Boston…”
“With all due respect, Lieutenant, you’re a SEAL. I’m married to a SEAL. My brother’s a SEAL. I no doubt someday will give birth to a SEAL—and she’ll be more kickass than all of you combined. But my point here is that I know SEALs. You walked away from Ashley, because that’s what she wanted, but your plan was to walk completely around the world if necessary, so you couldaccidentallymeet her again, at some point in the future. This phone call was to ask me if I thought that the future had finally arrived. But only Ashley can answer that. Icantell you this: IfIwere a good-looking Navy SEAL rocking a two-months-long beard, who’s also spent the last few months borrowing and reading every book on women’s issues and intersectional feminism on his teammate’s wife’s bookshelf—and it’s abigshelf…? I’d shine myself up, and go celebrate this happy occasion in your good friends’ lives, and while you’re there, smile at Ashley, and see if she smiles back. If she does, move a little closer—but not too close—and sayHey, how are you? I miss you.Then listen to whatever she tells you, and if it’s back off, then back off. Why do men find this so hard?”
“I’m aformerSEAL,” he said.
“Oh, my God,” Colleen said. “That’swhat you focus on…? Here’s a message from my unborn Navy SEAL daughter, Lieutenant: There’s no such thing as aformerSEAL. You make it through BUD/S, you’re a SEAL forever, and you know that, so don’t be a baby. Come to the party. I’m hanging up now. Man.”
***
Ashley loved spending time with Colleen’s friends from SEAL Team Ten, but the baby shower for Lucky and Syd was a slight exception.
This was going to be abigparty—usually Ashley hung out with Colleen and Bobby, and Colleen’s brother Wes and his wife Brittany, and Britt’s sister Melody and her husband Harlan, who had the ridiculous nickname,Cowboy.
But this time all of Team Ten, past and present, was there—including a high-ranking admiral the women all calledJake, but the men all calledSir.
Jim Slade was there, too.
He looked… tired. He’d grown a full beard in the months since she’d last seen him, and it was… a very good look for him. His hair was longer, too, but still looked freshly cut. He was wearing a colorful button-down short-sleeved shirt that fit well, hugging his broad shoulders and chest, and showing off both the muscles in his arms and his collection of tattoos. He still wore braces on both knees, but his shorts didn’t have multiple cargo pockets—they were khaki and tailored to fit. His transformation, however, didn’t quite make it all the way down to his feet. He had on flip-flops, of course, which was the SEAL footwear of choice when boots—or swim-fins—were not an option.
He was in the kitchen when Ashley arrived—he was taking something that smelled delicious out of the oven, but he glanced up and directly into her eyes and smiled, and she flashed both hot and cold as she froze.
“Out of the kitchen!” Wes scolded, going as far as to clap his hands at her. “Men only!”
“We’re in charge of food prep,” Bobby said.
“And serving, and cleaning up after,” Wes’s wife Britt added, taking Ashley by the arm and leading her back to the huge deck off the living room, where the party was being held. “As well as all diaper changes and child management. We usually share those duties, but every now and then we impose what we call the Goddess Rule. It’s partial payback for when the Team goes wheels up, and the spouses have to do it all. Of course, we’re not the ones getting shot at, so there’s that…”
Ashley glanced back to see that Jim’s tentative smile had faded, and now, as he gazed after her, before turning to the pan of food in his hands, he just looked tired.
But okay. She’d survived that. She hadn’t quite managed to sayhelloor even smile back at him, but first steps were good.
“Gifts go there,” Britt told her, pointing to a table just inside of the huge sliding glass doors, and Ash added hers to the large pile.
She’d gotten Syd a large stack of her own favorite romance novels, including the latest by Shirley Hailstock, Sarina Bowen, Alyssa Cole, and Alexis Hall. For the last few months of pregnancy, sleep could be elusive, and there was nothing quite as comforting as an old-school printed book.
Britt stepped outside and pointed to a cooler in the shade in the corner. “Beer, soda, wine is over there. Help yourself, and grab a seat.”
“Thanks,” Ashley said, waving to Colleen—and oh, Dunk was here, too. That was a little awkward, but he smiled and waved, too.
They were sitting beneath an array of colorful umbrellas with most of the other women and at least one other SEAL.
It was gorgeous out there. The big yard’s fence was bordered by a jungle of drought-resistant plants, many of which were blooming from the recent rains.
A series of grills were already fired up out in the yard, manned by more SEALs and surrounded by a large, portable play-pen, so the smaller kids couldn’t get too close. Ashley could smell both steaks and barbeque—when it came to food, Navy SEALs didn’t play around.
On the other side of the yard, Thomas King and Rio Rosetti were refereeing a group of the slightly older kids who were playing croquet. It was then, as Ashley took her wine and sat down in the empty seat next to Colleen, that she realized both of the SEALs sitting in that circle, under the umbrella, were holding babies. Dunk was. As was Dave—a young and relatively new member of Team Ten, who’d gone through BUD/S as one of the first openly gay service-members to be accepted into the program as a SEAL candidate. Not that there hadn’t been plenty of gay SEALs before him. ButDon’t Ask, Don’t Tellhad definitely made life harder for them. It was good that everyone could now live openly and honestly.
“I’m completely in love with her,” Dave said now, gazing down at the sleeping baby in his huge arms. He grinned. “Things you generally don’t hear me say. Along withOh my God, I think maybe I want one. I mean, not tomorrow, or even next year, but someday…”
Dunk laughed—quietly because the baby he was holding was fast asleep, too. “You might feel differently after spending a little time with a baby who doesn’t sleep.”
