Page 5 of Stranded with a SEAL

Hunter let out a low whistle. “Sounds stupid as hell.”

“Yep,” Noah agreed, ordering a beer when the waitress came over. “Is Taylor working tonight?”

“Do you see Mason here?” Hunter countered, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

“Guess that answers my question,” Noah said with a chuckle. “Those two are inseparable now.”

“Can’t say I blame them after what happened,” Hunter said. “Hell, when those assholes were after Emma, it was all I could do not to kill them with my bare hands. Completely rip them to shreds.”

Jacob glanced over at them as the woman he was with excused herself to go to the ladies’ room.

“Don’t be long, sweetheart,” he said with an easy grin.

She blew him a kiss, and Jacob leaned in closer as she walked away. “I think I’m about to get lucky.”

“Me too,” Hunter said. “Emma’s waiting at home.”

Jacob waved him off. “That doesn’t count. She’s your girlfriend. It’s a lot more work being single.”

Hunter guffawed. “Easy to say when you don’t have a woman.”

“Emma didn’t want to come out tonight?” Noah asked, taking a pull of his beer. “And I’m with Hunter on this—women are a hell of a lot of work. Which is why I’m single myself.”

“Negative,” Hunter said, answering his question. “Emma got home late and didn’t want to deal with the crowds here. But tomorrow is Saturday, so I’ve got all weekend to spend with her.”

Noah crossed his arms, glancing around the crowded bar. Waitresses were weaving back and forth between the tables, loud laughter erupted from time to time, and glasses clinked together. His mind drifted back to Bailey over at the bar where she worked.

Normally he loved hanging out at Anchors with his buddies, but at the moment, it was hard to get the blonde bartender out of his mind.

“Yo, Earth to Viper,” Jacob joked.

He glanced back at his buddy, frowning. Ryker turned back around to face them as the two blondes he was chatting with walked away.

“Where are they off to?” Noah asked, nodding in their direction.

“They’re seventeen,” Ryker said with a shake of his head. “I sent them on their merry-fucking way.”

“Hell,” Hunter said, letting out a low whistle. “How’d they get in here?”

Ryker shrugged, taking a pull of his beer. “Fake IDs? Who knows. I told them to come look for me here when they turned eighteen.”

Noah chuckled. “There’s plenty of other women around, man.”

“Amen to that,” Ryker said.

“You fellas want to hit up the beach tomorrow?” Jacob asked. “It’s supposed to be a hell of a hot day for late fall.”

“I’m game,” Noah said. “We won’t get many more chances until the spring. We can toss a football around, grab some food from a spot on the boardwalk.”

“Not me. I plan to spend a relaxing morning in bed with my girl,” Hunter said.

Ryker cleared his throat. “I might. Text me in the morning.”

“What? You got better plans?” Jacob asked. “We’re talking sunshine, sand, and women in bikinis.”

“There’s something I might have to do,” he said.

“That’s vague as hell. Whatever, we’ll have the ladies to ourselves,” Noah said.

---