Dr. Duval caught his attention without even trying. He watched her walk away, braid swinging, with a straight posture despite the chaos around her. She moved as if she were someone used to command. His mind reminded him that women were dangerous in a different way than a disaster.
Wyatt’s phone rang. He didn’t look at the caller, just answered. “Boone.”
“Roper.”
Wyatt smiled. “Maxim, how’s it going?”
“Good. You seem distracted.”
“Yeah. We had some woman consulting on our training today.”
“Oh?” Maxim cleared his throat. “You know Banner always says women make it go sideways.”
“Sure,” Wyatt grumbled. “Do you need something, or did you just call to bust my balls?”
“Banner’s got an issue with a friend in Virginia. He was hoping you could be on backup if we need you.”
“Of course. What’s going on?”
“Do you remember Olivia? Commander Callahan’s wife?”
“Yes. Is she okay?”
“There was an incident. Banner got her to safety, but someone is looking at our SEAL team.”
“That sounds ominous. We’ve all been out for a while now.”
“It’s the only thing that makes sense with what was disturbed at her house,” Maxim said.
Wyatt’s jaw tightened. “Let me know if you need me. Calder won’t have an issue.”
“Thanks,” Maxim responded. “Try not to fall in love with that woman.” He chuckled as he hung up the phone.
“Asshole.”
Letty strolled up. “Talking about yourself there, Roper?”
“Dr. Duval.” He dipped his head. “A friend. Call me Wyatt.”
She nodded. “Make sure I get that list of scars and injuries. Cal said it was emailed to you earlier.”
“Of course, doctor.” Wyatt cringed inside, regretting the snarky tone.
Dr. Duval sauntered away, leaving Wyatt to stare after her.
LETTY
Letty retreated to the quiet edge of the dock once the group disbanded, her heart still thudding harder than it should. Grabbing her phone, she snapped photos around the dock, the boats, and the ocean. If there is ever an emergency here at the dock, we’ll be ready to go. She flicked through the photos from before their training, comparing them to what she had just taken. Once done, she exhaled and dialed on instinct.
“Callahan?”
Letty’s shoulders relaxed. “Hey, Livvy. Tell me why I thought coastal field research was a good idea.”
Her sister laughed. “Because you don’t do safe, Letty, and you know people need help in natural disasters near the water.” She paused. “How’s Tidehaven?”
Letty’s gaze drifted back to Wyatt Boone, Roper, who was laughing with Cal, the easy confidence in his posture completelyat odds with the scars she’d already noticed. He rolled a silver dollar over his knuckles like a nifty trick. “Complicated.” She stared for a moment. “And I think I just met a man who’s going to be trouble. He’s the kind that makes your life more complicated the moment he walks into it.”
Livvy hummed. “The good kind or the hospital kind?”
