“Any time,” she smiled, shooing the guys away with a flick of her wrist.
“Your email was kind of cryptic. Am I fired?” Hawk joked, knowing there was no way in hell Seb was there to fire him. But there was also no real upward movement either at Montgomery Defense. Hawk, Stone, Gunner, Gage, and Nash were all equal partners under their former SEAL team leader, Sebastian Montgomery.
“Actually, I need your help.”
Hawk sat back in his chair, unable to hide his grin as he cracked his knuckles. “You know I love hearing that.”
Sebastian laughed, unbuttoning his jacket as he sat across from Hawk. “Yeah, I knew you would.”
“So, spill Cap. What do you need?”
“As you’re aware, the business is doing a great job coming back from everything that happened last year.”
Hawk nodded, knowing exactly what Sebastian was talking about. The lies that had led to the integrity of the teamand the businesses they run being challenged. Loss of clientele. Loss of revenue. Loss of expansion opportunities.
“Yeah, I’m well aware of how we’ve clawed our way out of that fucking mess.”
“There are new doors opening. And I know from day one, you’ve been one of the biggest champions for The Trident. Working your ass off to get that simulator up and running, putting in extra hours to perfect all the scenarios. I’m proud of you, Phoenix. I’m proud of the work you’ve done.”
His chest tightened. “I fucking love that facility, Cap. I love training there. I love running simulations. It’s an honor to get to do what I do every day.”
Sebastian nodded. “That’s why I know you are the guy I need on this new project.”
Hawk threaded his fingers together and sat forward. “New project. I like the sound of that.”
“Mm. The alphabet agencies want our direct input on a new facility, in a new town, and I want you to head up the project. It means a lot of work upfront, I’m not going to lie. And in a few months, it will mean traveling back to D.C. to schmooze and… fuck, I hate saying it. We’ll need to lobby. But you’d be first in line to run the new place. With my full stamp of approval. And I’ve already confirmed it with the people who reached out to me.”
“I don’t know what to say, Cap. I… I haven’t really ever thought about leaving here. Leaving the team.”
“It doesn’t have to be a permanent thing. You could always help get The Trident II off the ground and we can transfer it over to someone else. But I really feel like you’re the guy to see this project through.”
Hawk stood, holding his hand out to Sebastian. “I am. I won’t let you down.”
“Glad to hear it. It might take me a while, but I’ll send all the preliminary paperwork your way in the next few days. Lotsof anticipated revenue and cost projections. You’ll need to be looped in with the architectural firm I have working on design. I might have gotten ahead of myself and already sent your details along to the lead designer. Whatever issues we have at The Trident now, I want them fixed for the new facility.”
Yeah, this was just the sort of opportunity he needed. No more moping around Silver Springs. He was ready to focus on the next phase of his career. “Got it, Cap. I’ll be ready whenever that information hits my inbox.”
“Oh crap. You look as bad as I feel.”
Jessie groaned as she lifted her head off the desk inside the office at her mom’s diner. Dolly’s was a staple in Silver Springs, and Jess loved being able to work there. But she’d give anything right about then for a day off. No. Not a day. A week. What a dream that would be.
Her eyes focused on the figure in front of her. Dawn, one of the waitresses on staff, stood in the doorway, white as a ghost and shivering.
“Dolly’s sending me home. I’m so sorry, Jess. Do you want me to try and find someone to cover? She mentioned you could stay and take over, but I hate doing that to you.”
“It’s fine.” It was anythingbutfine actually, but what else could Jessie do? The flu was taking out staff left and right. It had been years since they had to shut down the diner for a day, but now it was looking more and more like a possibility. “My mom is right. I can take the rest of your shift. Go home and rest. Don’t think about coming back until you feel better.”
“Thanks, girl. I owe you one.”
“Yeah you do,” Jess smiled as she waved away the mom of two. Hopefully Dawn wouldn’t spread it to her kids. Thatwould be rough. Then again, maybe she’d gotten it from them.
“Jess, can you grab the orders for table twelve?” her mom, Dolly, hollered as she came out of the diner’s office. She’d had to lay down for the last twenty minutes to try and stop the dizziness that was absolutely kicking her ass. Knowing that she was going to have to go home to help with ranch business after working a full day at the diner instead of curling up in her bed with a hot water bottle for her belly and an ice pack for her head had tears burning at the back of her eyes.
“Yeah, Ma. No problem,” she answered as she tied the strings of her apron behind her back and around front again, creating a cute little bow that accentuated her curves.
Table twelve usually meant some of the team from Montgomery Defense decided to stop in for a bite. She forced herself not to look up from the pad of paper in her hand. If Hawk was there, she’d just keep things cool, like she had since their disastrous night together. Aside from assuring him she’d not had any issues with her IUD and they were covered when his condom broke, they’d been dancing around each other awkwardly. To be fair… she was all awkwardness. He was still his normal, charming self.
“Hey, guys. What can I get you?” Her stomach clenched when she looked up at the table of mostly unfamiliar faces.
