Page 45 of Single Mom's Navy Seals
Liam shakes his head, frustration tightening every muscle in his body. “You’re impulsive, Jax. You jump into things without thinking through the consequences.”
“Correct, and I’ve never regretted my choices yet,” I insist. “I’m not blind. I’ve seen how you and Cole look at Ava and Eli, too. You can pretend all you want, but I know you both feel it. I’m just not going to hide from it.”
Silence stretches between us. Cole finally breaks it.
“I’ll stay too,” he says simply.
Liam rounds on him. “Oh, come on. You too?”
Cole shrugs. “I trust my gut. Ava and Eli need someone who won’t vanish when this job ends. I don’t know what this becomes either, but I’m willing to see it through.”
Liam swears under his breath, dragging a hand down his face. “You guys are both insane.”
Cole continues. “I’m serious, but we can’t make these decisions without talking to Ava first. There’s a good chance she might not be okay with any of this.”
Liam jumps on Cole’s statement immediately. “Exactly. What if she only wants one of us? Have you thought about that?”
His desperation to find a flaw in this plan only proves to me how deeply he’s struggling with his own feelings. I hold his gaze steadily, refusing to flinch.
“If Ava decides she only wants one of us, I’ll respect her decision. But either way, I’m committed. You can either join us or not, Liam, but I’m not changing my mind.”
“How did she react after the kiss?” Cole asks curiously.
“Well, she responded to the kiss with gusto in the moment, but then panicked about it after.” I shrug, nonplussed. “I figure she just needs to see we aren’t leaving.”
“Hmm,” Cole muses for a second, rubbing his jaw. “We should wait to tell her that. It might make her panic more because of the massive commitment involved. Maybe we take a few more days, let her adjust, and we can encourage a deeper relationship at her pace.”
I nod, liking the idea, and Liam throws his hands up in frustration. “You’re both absolutely insane. You’re already whipped and you haven’t even gotten laid yet!”
I ignore him completely, turning back to Cole. “Let’s run to the town north of here. It’s a forty-five-minute drive there, but Eli’s excited about the horses, and I want to grab some stuff for him to feed them with.”
Cole nods immediately, placing his mug down and heading upstairs. “Sure. Give me a minute. I’ll be right back.”
When Cole disappears, I turn back to Liam, who is still glaring at me in disbelief.
“Listen, brother, I’m not going to fight with you about my choices. You know me, I’m just going to make them, and you’ll have to live with it.” I give an easy shrug, but keep my gaze steadily on him. “But, I’m not stupid. I can see a good thing in front of me when I have it. You should try to as well. Otherwise,your need to control every situation is going to make you miss something amazing here. Ava and Eli could be the best thing to ever happen to us. Don’t let your fear stop you from seeing that.”
I turn and leave him to his own thoughts, a song popping in my head that comes out as an easy whistle. Regardless of what time it takes Liam to get his big old head out of his ass, I know what I want now. I am aware of where my thoughts are and what my focus is. And Cole is on my side, so I know it won’t be long before Liam caves too.
19
AVA
Acold blast of water hits my back, making me shriek as goosebumps erupt along my arms. I spin around, water gun raised, only to spot Eli darting behind a cactus, giggling like a maniac.
“I got you, Mama!” he shouts between fits of laughter, the sound bubbling through the scorching desert air.
“You little sneak!” I yell after him, grinning wildly as I give chase, sneakers slapping against the dirt. “No one ambushes me and Eli gets away with it!”
Just as I round the rock he’s hiding behind, a second jet of water hits me—this time from the side.
I whirl, startled. “What the?—?”
Cole stands a few feet away, water gun in hand, the corner of his mouth twitching into a smirk.
“Reinforcements have arrived,” he says coolly.
“Oh, you are so dead,” I growl, laughing despite myself.
