Page 48 of Bewitched

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Blake sat in the Salty Dog bar and enjoyed his beer. Mark, Travis, Chris, and Max were playing pool, and he watched the game progress. This was the first bar he’d visited after securing his own Hell Week way back when, and it seemed like an appropriate place to commemorate the end. Laird and David walked in and sat on either side of him. “Thanks for coming.”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” David said. “How does it feel to be old and washed up?”

“Don’t know. Can you give me any pointers, since you’ve been that way for a couple of years?”

Laird ordered them a round and then laughed. “I’m enjoying the hell out of retirement. I don’t get shot nearly as much, and I still get access to all the fun toys. Last week I was hanging out of a chopper as we left a snatch and grab, so my days are not all that different.” Leaning back, he pulled out his phone and held it up. “Except this is what I go home to every night.”

Blake looked at the picture of Lexi and Bella and for the first time understood what his friend had been yammering on about for the last year. “Not a bad trade-off.”

“Hell, there’s no trade-off,” Laird responded. “I’m on the winning side of life right now. Do you know what my beautiful wife asked me before I left this morning?”

“I have no idea.” Blake shook his head and waited.

“She asked me if I wanted anything special for dinner.” Crossing his arms, he grinned like an idiot. “The most perfect girl in the world loves me and wants to make me something special for dinner.” Rapping his knuckles on the bar, he laughed. “I won the fucking lottery.”

Blake let out a snort and slapped his friend on the back. Six months ago, he would’ve listened to the story and thought his friend was off his rocker. But not today. Today he completely understood. Somewhere in the last month, he’d crossed the line. He was now one of the poor saps that he’d always felt sorry for. The ones he’d never understood until he met Paige.

David’s phone rang, and he pulled it out and smiled. “Got to take this. It’s my wife.”

Blake watched him walk away and shook his head. “Still can’t believe there’s someone in the world who married him.”

Laird drained his beer. “Not only married him but about to have his baby. I think Jane is due at the end of summer.”

“Same as Paige. Our son is due the second week of September.”

Laird set down his glass and laughed. “I guess you ended up using the info I put together.”

The pool game ended, and the rest of the guys walked back over. Laird signaled to the bartender. “We need another round. My friend is not only retiring but also becoming a daddy.”

Blake dragged his hand down his face. “Thanks for stealing my thunder, man. I was going to wait until we all sat down together.”

Max slapped him on the back. “Congratulations. You’re about to give up sleep on a permanent basis. You think BUD/S was hard? Wait till you’re a father. That’s when the real test begins.”

Mark leaned against the bar. “I’m going to take a moment and bask in the glory of my success. Clearly, it was my advice that helped you find a life outside the Teams.” Giving the group a satisfied smile, he lifted his beer. “Good for you. It’s going to be the best thing that ever happened to you.”

Blake lifted his beer and saluted his friends. It had been one of the toughest days of his life, but it also felt like a new beginning. His career had ended, but it wasn’t the end of the world. Because he was going to build a new life with Paige. “Thanks, man. I think this is the easiest part of the journey.”

Chris snorted loudly. “That’s the truth. Wait till your kid gets here and you realize you’ll never have another easy breath for the rest of your life.”

Travis gave each man a pitying look. “Girls are the true test. I’m about to have two, and I’m not looking forward to the day a boy knocks on my door and wants to take one of them out.”

“There’s an easy solution to that,” Mark said with confidence. “It’s called parochial school. I’ve already got Maddy’s all-girl high school picked out.”

“Twins are the answer,” Max added. “My daughter has a built-in bodyguard. There isn’t anyone who’s going to get past Alex. Gemma is going to be just fine. Now, with the second boy, we’ve got backup.”

David rejoined the group and looked around. “What did I miss?”

“Nothing,” Mark said. “We’ve been talking about kids for the last twenty minutes. Blake is joining the ranks. Paige is due the same time as Jane.”

“Congratulations. When are we going to meet your lady?” David asked.

“Maybe next week. I haven’t spoken to her all day. We keep missing each other. She had her amnio yesterday and wasn’t up to talking. The doctor recommended it after her last ultrasound.” Lifting his hand, he checked his watch. “I left her a message to call so I can let her know what’s going on.”

“When you talk to her, tell her you already have a job. I hope you’re going to come over to SAI,” Max said.

“Thanks for the job offer. I will definitely keep it in mind. I may end up in Texas, so we’ll have to see.”

“Great,” Max responded. “Did you ever have Ryan Cordell on one of your platoons?”

“He was on one several years ago,” Blake responded.

“He retired almost a year ago and went to work for Joel and Grady. It didn’t last long because he fell for the company’s vice president of operations. They ended up opening an office in Austin, and they need operators. So if you decide to stay in your home state, you can go work with him and Ivy.”

“Damn, it’s a small world. Paige went to school with Ivy, and they’re good friends. She told me about her and her SEAL husband, but I didn’t put it all together,” Blake responded.

“One way or another, we’ve got you covered. San Diego or Texas, take your pick,” Max said with a laugh. “Soon we’re going to have an office in every major city.”

“Lots to think about,” Blake said. “I guess I better talk to Paige and see what she thinks.” Pulling out his phone, he sent off a quick text and figured they would talk first thing in the morning. They had a whole life to figure out, and he wanted to start as soon as possible.

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