Page 5 of Shielding Soledad

“I wouldn’t have expected you to. I’m a little surprised you didn’t adopt the entire shelter,” I said teasingly, earning a smile.

“It was hard not to,” she admitted, meeting my eyes, the smile still on her lush red lips.

Looking at her, it was easy to remember why I fell for her in the first place. She was beautiful, with her dark hair and complexion. The curve of her lips made me aware of the curves of her body hidden under her leggings and sweatshirt. The physical attraction between us had been strong, and we’d always been very compatible in bed. In other ways, though, we weren’t your typical pair. We were different in a lot of ways. She was an optimist, seeing the good in everything. Through my background as well as my training, I saw the potential for ruin in any situation. Like our relationship. It had ended as I’d known it would.

Well, except for Luke. That part was unexpected, but I’d do right by my child, which meant supporting Soledad. The romantic part of our relationship was done with, but she deserved anything else I could provide for her.

“How long are you home?” she asked, as if reading my mind.

My commitment to serving my country had been a source of conflict between us since she’d seen it as part of the reason why I wasn’t willing to commit. She didn’t object to the military, but she didn’t like missions that drew me away, completely out of touch, for extended periods.

“Not sure,” I answered after a long minute. I wasn’t ready to tell her that I was considering retirement. My current enlistment was nearly up, and I had decisions to make. If my last mission hadn’t been such a shitshow, I’d have signed on for another hitch without hesitation.

My plan on arriving home had been to think through the possibilities and deal with the aftermath of Bruce Lewis’s treachery—but I hadn’t had time for anything but brief snatches of sleep in between long stretches of baby care since I’d walked in the door. And now that I had a son, my responsibilities were different in any case.

Besides, my reasons for not wanting to settle down had a lot to do with how I’d grown up. I just hadn’t been able to imagine myself being a good husband and father after the awful example my own dad set. But Zach and Colin grew up in that same house, and they were both kicking ass at being family men. They were great husbands, great fathers. And they were happy. Happier than I’d ever thought they’d be. I still wasn’t sure that I could do what they’d done, but I’d started to think about it. To want it. To imagine that it might be possible…maybe. With the right woman.

“Okay,” she said. “It’s not my business, but I’m glad you took all this so well. To be honest, I wasn’t sure, with the way things were the last time we saw each other. But I’m glad you were here for Luke’s birth, and…” A cry over the baby monitor stopped her next words. “I’ll get him.”

I watched her walk past me, not sure that I’d said the right things. But we’d had the conversation, cleared the air somewhat, so we could focus on caring for our son. I was glad for that.

“Come on, girl,” I said to Frankie. The dog, tail wagging, jumped down from the couch and trotted to me. “Let’s go outside.” I stepped out on the back porch and grabbed a ball that had been left on the wooden planks. I lobbed the ball into the yard. Frankie shot down the steps, snagged the ball, and returned to me.

“Drop,” I commanded, and Frankie let the ball go. “Good girl.” I’d always wanted a dog, but my schedule hadn’t allowed for it. I tossed the ball a second time, my eyes following its trajectory into the barren yard. My career hadn’t left any time for gardening either. There were some basic shrubs, enough to keep the place decent-looking, but Chance’s dad hadn’t really been one for gardening, and after he died, no one else had ever really gotten around to doing anything with the yard. It was set up with a nice grill for family cookouts, but that was about it. It was a shame since I loved to work in the soil.

Soledad was one of the few people who knew that about me—the only one outside my family. I’d gotten my love for gardening from the Admiral, the man who’d taken me and my brothers in when we were on the path to being teenage delinquents.

I’d kicked up a fuss at first when the Admiral put me in charge of trimming the hedges and mowing the grass, but I’d grown to love it. Not that I ever let the old guy have the satisfaction of seeing that. I smiled at the memory of planting a vegetable garden with the Admiral. I had complained the entire time, but my foster father had ignored everything I’d said—maybe because he’d been able to see my enjoyment, even when I’d tried to hide it.

When we had more tomatoes, squash, and peppers than we could eat, I saw the merit in the work and realized I had a green thumb. After that, I quit my grumbling and learned what I could about gardening. When my temper got the better of me, as it had frequently when I was a teen, I’d retreated to the green space that surrounded the Admiral’s home and gotten my hands dirty.

Maybe I could plant a few more shrubs and get some landscaping going while I was home. I’d filed for paternity leave, giving me extended time off. My future, though, was still murky. It was going to be harder to leave Springwell behind now, with Luke in my life. But on the other hand, was I really ready to leave my SEAL team and the career that I’d built? If I wasn’t a SEAL, what would I do with my life? I needed time to think. Gardening would help me do that.

I walked out into the backyard, evaluating sunny and shady spots while visualizing possible plant choices. I was nearly at the far end of the yard when my phone rang. The display read Travis: Travis Cole, one of my SEAL teammates.

“Hey, Travis. What’s up?”

“You need to watch your back,” Travis said after we exchanged greetings. “Bruce is out for blood.”

At the end of our most recent mission, I had turned Bruce Lewis in for misconduct. I respected every man I served with except Bruce, who was a douchebag and a criminal who didn’t deserve to wear the same uniform we did.

“So?” I said.

“So he’s got more connections than you do. His father’s a colonel with a post at the Pentagon. Grandpa was an admiral. They’re calling in all the favors to protect their boy. You don’t have that kind of pull on your side.”

“I’ve got the truth,” I insisted. Bruce’s actions were unconscionable. Anyone would have turned him in had they known.

“The truth isn’t always enough, and you know it. They’re trying to hush it up, and if they succeed, it wouldn’t surprise me if Bruce tried to turn the whole thing around on you.”

“No one’s going to believe I was involved in that crap,” I said. The military wasn’t perfect, but I had faith that as long as I’d done things by the book—and I had—I wouldn’t wind up on the short end of the stick.

“I hope you’re right about that,” Travis said. “But that’s not the only thing to worry about. Rumors are spreading like wildfire about Bruce, and his family is only going to be able to protect him so far.”

“I’m not sure how that’s anything but good,” I pointed out. It was long past time for that spoiled little prick to realize that actions had consequences. If someone had taught him that lesson ten years ago, the Navy today would only be better for it.

“You know Bruce isn’t the type to turn the other cheek,” Travis replied. “He’s pissed as hell at you for ratting him out. If this does blow up on him and messes up his career plans, he’ll be looking for revenge—and he’ll come after you.”

“I can handle Bruce,” I said. My eyes landed on the window of Luke’s room on the second floor, and my thoughts took a strange detour. I could handle whatever Bruce handed out. But it was no longer just me who I had to worry about.

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