Page 48 of SEAL'S Secret Vows

“It’s the job,” I reply, then pull her into a long hug. “Let’s go inside.” I collect her bag and shut the door to see Joseph with a pair of oven gloves presenting the cake with the brightest smile I’ve seen him wear in a while.

She laughs out loud and collects the cake from him and places it on the table. She pulls him into a hug, and Joseph holds on longer than necessary. Resisting the urge to smack him, I pull them apart when I see Nora and Javier hovering behind and waiting for Joseph to be done with his drama.

“Lauren, meet Nora.” I gesture to Nora, and watch Lauren break out into a full grin before pulling Nora into a hug and catching her off guard.

“Okay. I see there's no need for further introductions.” I return to the dining table, watching them relate like long-time friends and I can see them getting along already.

“I've heard so much about you, Nora. Chase won't stop talking about you. Come on, let's have a seat.” She wraps an arm around her, only letting go to give Javier a hug.

“My dear Lauren. It's so nice to see you. I've made plenty of dishes for you, and your favorite one is still on the stove.”

“Wow, Javier. Thank you. Let me see.” She hurries to the kitchen like a little child, bringing a smile to my face.

“Come on. It's nothing. Nora helped a great deal.” Javier calls after her as the three of them head to the kitchen.

“Your sister likes Nora already. If you break Nora's heart, you'd be breaking Lauren's heart too,” Joseph remarks.

“I won't. I think she's the one for me.”

“I hope you're not hiding anything from her.” Joseph stops and gives me a steel look. “I know you, Chase. You think of yourself as the person who has to be responsible for everything. But you can’t do that in love. You’ve got to let people in.” There he goes making his worries known again.

“I am thinking. My mind is being made up. But the question is what if I'm not enough for her?” I ask, my insecurities bubbling to the surface. “What if I can't give her everything she needs?”

He shakes his head, his gaze steady and unwavering. “Chase, you are enough,” he insists, his voice firm. “You have so much love to give, and so much to offer. And as for whether you can give her everything she needs, well, nobody can. You can give her the most important thing of all— your heart—but don't break her heart. I'm sure she won't break yours. You've charmed her.”

He slaps my back twice before picking up the cake.

“Alright, guys can we dig into this cake, already? Some of us have to get to work! God, I wish I was Lauren right now. I'm going to get off work early so I don't miss all this.”

I marvel at how childish and serious Joseph can be at times. A hearty laugh breaks out from the kitchen, grabbing my attention. I glance back to find them deep in conversation like old pals. Nora's face lights up as Lauren shares some random recipe, and I can't help but whisper to myself, she's the one I want to spend the rest of my days with.

Chapter eighteen

Nora

Watching Joseph and Chase from the corner of my eye, I brew a strong cup of coffee for a burst of energy. As I wait for it, my mind wanders to Chase, and I wonder how he's feeling today. The many weeks we’ve spent together have made me see the different sides that he has. The same Chase that I called for a ride away from my wedding seems like a distant memory. I always knew he was a good friend—but now I know that’s he’s a good man, too.

This mission seems to have done something to change him inside out. I can usually tell when he’s hiding something or when something’s bothering him just like now, but he’s refusing to share this one. He’s probably still getting his thoughts together. The fight might have been a tough one, but I couldn’t miss the restraint between him and his attacker. It was like they wanted each other’s throat, yet they didn’t want to kill each other. Whatever it is, I hope he’ll tell me when he’s ready or he mighthave figured it out by then and it just might not be that big of a deal.

I look at the various dishes already laid out on the table. I notice Javier, bustling in the pantry. “Good morning, Javier,” I greet him with a smile. The web of creases in the man’s sun-bronzed skin stretches as he grins and puts some fresh vegetables in the sink.

“Good morning, Miss Nora,” he responds cheerfully.

“You can just call me Nora, you know.”

He smiles again and shakes his head. “I couldn’t. Sir would not approve.”

“Don’t worry. I don’t think Chase would have a problem with you calling me by my name.” I wink, and he shrugs.

I take a deep breath, eyes raking over the backyard, to see the wide swimming pool glistening in all its glory, and I badly want to take a dive into it but that can wait.

“Can you check on the cake? I thought it would be nice to celebrate with a cake.”

“That’s a great idea.” I check on the cake seeing it baking nicely. Javier mixes a sauce in a bowl and lets out a sound of approval.

“I have prepared a special cheese sauce for the macaroni.”

“How does it taste?”

---