Page 7 of Summer with a SEAL

“Yeah, the other night,” Jessica said, flushing. The place had been teeming with military men. Briefly, she wondered if Jacob had been there or if he thought they’d gone there just to meet some guys. “We were walking down the boardwalk and spotted it.”

“We haven’t been in a week or so,” Jacob said. “It’s kind of a hangout of sorts for our team. I’d definitely remember if I spotted you there.”

“That he would’ve,” Taylor agreed.

“You definitely would’ve noticed us thanks to Michelle,” Jessica said dryly. “She was practically dancing on top of the bar the other night.”

“She had a few too many,” Taylor said smoothly. “Nothing we haven’t seen before. You should ask Bailey to tell you some stories—she’s a bartender further down the beach and gets all sorts in there.”

“I can’t even imagine,” Jessica said, gingerly taking the hotdog that Jacob handed to her. Steam rose from it, and she took a careful bite of the roasted hotdog, watching as Jacob raised his eyebrows.

“No ketchup? No mustard? Nothing?”

“It’s better this way,” she insisted.

“Oh man. You are missing out,” he teased, grabbing some of the condiments standing on top of another cooler.

A tall guy walked up and snaked his arm around Taylor’s shoulders, pulling her close. “Hey, I’m Mason,” he said easily.

Introductions were made, and Jessica began to feel more at ease as she glanced around the group.

“We’re going for a swim!” Michelle suddenly declared, dragging Ryker along with her toward the water. Some of the men chuckled as Ryker let her pull him along.

Jessica scanned the area, realizing that Amy was nowhere in sight. She’d been talking to the guy they’d met earlier down by the water, but neither of them were anywhere on the beach.

“Everything okay?” Jacob asked, noticing her concern.

“I’m just looking for my friend Amy. She went down to the water to talk to that guy she met the other night. I don’t see her—actually, I don’t see him either.”

“Looks like they’re swimming,” Mason said, nodding toward the water. Two small figures bobbed in the distance, and Jessica gasped as she realized how far out in the ocean they were.

“Oh my God, are they okay?” she asked.

Jacob frowned. “I’m not sure, angel. There aren’t any lifeguards at this end of the beach, and they’re pretty far out in the water.”

Suddenly Michelle and Ryker turned toward them from the shore. “They need help!” Ryker shouted, gesturing to his friends. Without any discussion, four of the men began running toward the water. Michelle shrieked for help at the water’s edge, and Ryker was already diving in fully clothed, swimming toward the couple.

Jessica dropped her forgotten hotdog, hurrying behind Jacob to where Michelle was standing.

“Oh my God, call 911!” someone shouted from behind her.

Chapter 3

Jacob sprinted toward the surf and dove into the warm Atlantic alongside Mason and Noah. Ryker was already on his way toward the swimmers in distress, and Jacob pushed himself harder, knowing it would be hard for Ryker to help two people at once.

He cut neatly through the waves, his body easily finding a rhythm as he surfaced. He wondered for a brief instant about Jessica. He’d left her on the beach without so much as a word of goodbye, but it was her friend in danger.

There was no time to think, no time for anything but action.

Seconds counted in instances like this, and there was no telling how long they could stay afloat or exactly how long they’d been out there.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mason and Noah swimming beside him, easily keeping his pace. Hunter had run down to the water with them but stayed with the women, no doubt calling 911 as well. The Virginia Beach Police Department had inflatable rafts to get out in the ocean quickly for rescues, and the Coast Guard could be quickly dispatched as well.

Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that unless they somehow got swept further out to sea.

There were riptides in the area that swimmers had to be careful of. They’d either not known about them or not been paying attention.

He kicked harder, wishing he was in his SEAL gear—a wetsuit and flippers were a hell of a lot easier to swim in than shorts and a tee shirt. He hadn’t had time to think or strip down to his boxer briefs though—he’d just immediately dove into the water.

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