SEALed Protection (Bone Frog Brotherhood Book 5) Read online

  She was going to dream tonight with great anticipation—all about her inside world and the young life waiting to be born.

  Chapter 3

  Tucker got his orders two weeks later. The mission had been delayed another thirty days, which came as a great relief to him, since it meant he would not miss the birth of their child. But the bad news was that the deployment was indeterminate, which meant it might be longer than previously expected.

  Their previous mission to the Canaries had been considered a fluke. They’d followed the trail of the missing American aid worker, Jenna Riley, who had been kidnapped and sold to the Dutch billionaire Jens VanValle in Nigeria and pirated away to his compound on Gran Canaria Island. In the firefight, the Dutchie was killed. Tucker didn’t want to go anywhere near that place again and considered it a stroke of extremely good luck they’d made it out of there without Team casualties or sparking an international incident.

  He was disappointed when he read that they’d be going back to the same island, this time to capture several kingpins the State Department had identified as being leaders of the organization in Nigeria. He knew human trafficking was spreading all over the world, but he was surprised it had spread to a mainly tourist location where the local police and militia would do just about anything to keep things quiet so as not to interfere with their primary industry.

  He had lots of questions about going there. He also wondered about Colin Riley’s involvement in this mission, since Riley practically bankrolled the last one. Their mission partner, a former FSK officer-turned aid worker, Sven Tolar, told him that the home of the trafficking cell was located near the Nigerian capital and operated with the full cooperation and protection of the local government. So why the Canaries?

  He’d ask his questions when they called the Team meeting, which would be very soon. He’d been given a list of shots to make sure he was up-to-date on, and the usual reminder about getting his affairs in order, which pissed him off every time.

  But he’d be home for the baby, and right now, that was where he was laser focused. He and T.J. scheduled the workday with Shannon’s former father-in-law, so they could build that small fence and get the palm trees planted like he’d promised.

  He hoped Brandy wouldn’t go into labor before then.

  Brandy seemed to perk up after the party. She turned the upstairs into a projects room where she set up her sewing workshop. He’d laid out sawhorses with full sheets of plywood on top, so she had room to cut and lay out curtains she was making, as well as a patchwork bedspread and other things for the baby’s room. The Team wives bought them a new crib, and a beautiful rocking chair to match. These were the only pieces of furniture that weren’t purchased at the second-hand furniture store or on eBay.

  She was feeling so good that he brought her to the home improvement store to shop for the final things they needed in the bathroom.

  “Now, remember, we can’t buy the top of the line. Just enough to get by for now. We can always replace fixtures later on as we get more settled, okay?” he’d warned her.

  “Gotcha. But, Tucker, I would like to see if we can find something that would fit on that refrigerator door. I’m breaking my nails trying to get it open all the time.”

  “We’ll see. Might have to get that handle made. Those things change from year to year, and since it was a closeout, don’t get your hopes up.”

  He could see she was going to object, so he interrupted her.

  “We’ll try, sweetheart. I promise.”

  That left her with a smile on her face.

  They ran into another Team Guy and his wife from Team 5, Bryce and Geraldine Tanner. Tucker had served with Tanner during his first enlistment. The couple was around his own age and now had four kids in tow, all girls. The two older teenagers were fixated on their cell phones and didn’t look up during introductions. Their father yanked the phones from their fingers and put them in his shirt pocket.

  “There you go,” said Bryce. “Problem solved.” He gave a wide, confident smile.

  “Daddy!” the taller one stomped and crossed her arms. She appeared to try to perse her lips, but her pink braces got in the way. Her fingernails were painted ten different colors.

  Geraldine shook her head and nodded to Brandy’s belly. “Kids. Hope you have boys. They’re easier, I’ve been told!” she sighed.

  Tucker noticed Brandy was eyeing the teens closely. Then she spoke up.

  “Do you guys live on Coronado?”

  “We sure do. But we’re busting out at the seams, so we might be moving. You guys bought a neat place, I hear,” answered Geraldine. “And call me Geri. That was nice of you, Tucker, but now I feel like I’m being scolded by my grandmother.”

  “Geri, then. How old are your girls?” Brandy asked.

  “Fourteen and fifteen, going on thirty,” answered Bryce.

  “So they don’t drive, then?”

  “No. Are you asking if they babysit?” Geri asked.

  “Well, I was thinking. I probably won’t need anyone for a few months at least, but when the baby’s maybe four months, yes, perhaps.”

  Geri leaned over, closer to Brandy, and whispered, “Most of us do trades. That way we don’t have to pay for sitters, if you know what I mean. But they’d be delighted, I’m sure. Right, girls?”

  “We’d love to,” the shorter one said.

  The older girl was still scowling from her father’s confiscation.

  Tucker put his arm around Brandy’s waist. “We’ll have to stoke up the BBQ and have you guys over.”

  “From the looks of things, perhaps you should let us do the honors,” Bryce said.

  Everyone laughed.

  “I always hate to descend on someone else’s home with our big family,” said Geri. “Much easier for us to entertain you. Let’s do it soon, if you can.”

  “Fair enough. Give me a call when you have a free evening,” Tucker chuckled.

  “Good thinking,” Tucker said to his wife while they were walking away. “But don’t you think they’re kind of young?”

  “Oh, I’d have them do it together. But just for your information, I started getting paid to babysit at twelve, or even a little younger. Not for late nights, of course, but I was in high demand.”

  “I’ll just bet you were,” he chuckled. “We’ll talk to them a little more, and if you feel comfortable, I’ll go along with it. Of course, your dad and Jillian will be jealous as hell. Don’t forget that.”

  “I know. I’m just planning ahead.”

  That stopped him in his tracks. Brandy walked ahead several steps, pushing their cart, until she realized he had stayed behind. She turned and cocked her head. “Tucker?”

  He slowly approached, reached out to hold her face in his palms, and kissed her. “And just how many children were you planning on having, my dear? Or were you never going to tell me?”

  Brandy blushed. But he loved that look that said her secret had been outed. She struggled to get away, but he held her close.

  “Tell me, Brandy—”

  “You never know, do you?” Her blush was still prominent, her chest blotchy red. She avoided eye contact, even though he was kissing her. They were blocking an aisle, but Tucker was driven.

  “Two? Three? Four? More?” he called off to her between kisses, as softly as he could.

  “Don’t be silly. Let’s start with one and see how that goes. And, Tucker, you’re stopping traffic.” She waived her arms, pointing behind him, so he let her go.

  Brandy smoothed her hair, straightened her top, and let out a big sigh. She continued ahead of him again.

  She was a miracle, this lovely woman who had agreed to be his wife. Had anyone else kept that kind of a secret from him, he’d have found it totally unattractive. But Brandy’s schemes were like chocolate syrup and whipped cream. He was totally turned on by the fact that she wanted more babies.

  And he’d love giving them to her.

  Chapter 4

  Steven Cook and hi
s new wife, Jillian, offered to take them out to dinner. The timing of her dad’s offer was great. Brandy began to feel tired the week after the party. She’d completed the room decorations, finished the quilt, and got it ready to be sent out to the topper to finish it off. None of her clothes seemed to fit right and she was finding it hard to sleep. She knew time was getting very close.

  So the offer of a nice dinner that meant she didn’t have to cook was pure luxury.

  Jillian and her father were so much in love. Brandy was glad that it was something she and Tucker shared. Otherwise, it would have been unbearable to be with them. She didn’t have to use too much imagination to understand why Jillian occasionally jumped and giggled nervously. Tucker had sometimes made little secret sexual advances to Brandy under the table in front of their friends as well. But it was not something she expected her father to do.

  She knew Jillian was a little uncomfortable with such a public display of affection, so Brandy interrupted the conversation about gardens and gardening to lean forward and scold her father and her new stepmother.

  “Dad? Jillian? I get it. But you’re getting a little over the top. If you want to fool around, let’s all leave so you can do that. But you don’t have to show me how much you’d rather be doing something else than sitting here talking to Tucker and me.”

  Now she’d done it. She wished she could take back her words. No one was making a move, and her father and Jillian’s mouths had dropped open. Tucker was squirming in his seat, tapping his foot against hers under the table, but his hands were safely folded on the tabletop.

  Overwhelmed, all of a sudden, Brandy burst out in tears. Her sobs were long. Hot, gushing tears ran down her cheeks, her neck, and into the top of her blouse. Then a strange sensation began in her upper chest. She looked down, placed her palm against her right breast and saw there was moisture there. She was shocked, which temporarily slowed her heaving chest.

  Jillian took quick notice, taking her other hand in hers. “It’s all right, sweetie. That’s normal. You’re beginning to lactate. Perfectly natural.”

  Brandy didn’t want to be talking to Jillian right now about her pregnancy. She wanted it to be her mother she was talking to. Her heart broke as she remembered her mother would never see her child, would not be there for her in the delivery room. She didn’t want to take lactating advice from the woman her father was fondling and showing off like a high schooler. It was all wrong.

  The tears burst forth again. She couldn’t speak. It was like her eyes and her lungs were connected by something other than her brain, and it didn’t have anything to do with her mouth, either. Her emotions rose to near panic levels. The sobbing resumed, and when Tucker put his arm around her, whispering something in her ear, she jumped at his touch. She knew it upset him because he tried to stifle his jump in reflex.

  “Brandy, are you all right?” her father asked her.

  It felt like he was clear across the room and his voice was muffled. For just a second, she couldn’t recognize his face or remember his name. And then the wave of emotions washed over her again and she inhaled deep and let out a muffled scream.

  Something warm and wet was happening between her legs. Her first thought was embarrassment, that she’d lost feeling and wet her pants. But as she concentrated on it, she discovered it had nothing to do with her bladder.

  Tucker still had his arm around her. “What is it, Brandy?”

  “My water’s broken.”

  They cancelled dinner. Her father wanted to come with them to the hospital, but Brandy wouldn’t have it. She knew it would make her more nervous. Tucker was the only one who could keep her calm and help her do this. After all the days she’d wondered how it would go, her new adventure had finally started.

  Tucker called ahead, and the hospital staff was ready for her when they arrived. She was beginning to have sharp pains first in her lower back area then rolling up the sides of her stomach. The juncture between her legs was pulsing, and she could feel every muscle. As they were wheeling her up to the exam room, the baby kicked and nearly knocked her breath out.

  “Wow, she’s not happy, Tucker. She just kicked me.”

  “Not a thing to worry about. Glad she’s strong. She’s just letting you know she’s damn good and ready. That’s a good thing, sweetheart.”

  He had insisted on driving her wheelchair even though it was not hospital policy for him to do so. The admitting nurse jumped back nearly a foot after he glared back at her when she told him she’d take the chair.

  By the time they got upstairs, she was already beginning to have small contractions. Tucker asked for some water, and the nurse quickly produced a small cup for her to take. The cool liquid tasted delicious. Their doctor hadn’t arrived yet, so temporarily they admitted her to a room after the delivery nurse confirmed her water had broken, and she was in fact beginning to have contractions. They helped her change into a gown, and a monitor was placed on her belly.

  Tucker stood idly by, his face long, as he watched everything the two nurses did. He made a couple of suggestions and a correction to the head nurse until he was ordered out of the room.

  He refused.

  “Come here and hold my hand, but you gotta let them do what they know how to do, Tucker. You need to trust them, or you’ll start making me nervous too.”

  Tucker was by her side, squeezing her hand, just as a big contraction overtook her body, waking her up to the fact that she was indeed going to feel some major pain.

  “They were right. Everyone was right!” she said announced to the whole floor.

  “Right about what, hon?” the nurse whispered calmly.

  “It hurts. It’s gonna hurt.”

  The older woman smiled. “Now, sir, you have a job. You’re here to help her with the pain. Distract her and the time will go by much quicker. You’re her coach, but you’re also her support.”

  Six hours later, Kimberly Lynne Hudson came into the world weighing just an ounce over nine pounds. She didn’t seem to mind that her father cut the cord that had her tethered to her mom. Her first cries were robust, her arms and legs moved powerfully, objecting to the bright lights and the fact that the she was in a room with all kinds of new noises and strange people. Her body was covered in dark hair, even her chest and legs, just like her father. She was cleaned, weighed, and wrapped tightly in a blanket, and given back to her mother.

  Earlier, when Tucker had been given the scissors to tie the cord, he just stood there, having to be prodded at first. But as Kimberly was brought back to Brandy’s side, he shook off the shock of what had just happened, and Brandy saw tears well up and then spill over his cheeks, dripping onto his light blue hospital gown.

  The baby looked up at Brandy, blinking, trying to focus as she cooed and whispered back to her. “We’re so happy you’re here. What a beautiful baby you are, Kimberly. Look, this is daddy,” she said as she angled the baby to face Tucker.

  “See that big guy? He’s not really as scary as he looks. He’s your father, and he loves you.”

  She heard Tucker mumble, “I do. Er—he does!”

  He lowered his face to give the baby a kiss on her forehead, and Brandy touched his cheek. “We did good, Tucker.”

  “It’s a miracle, Brandy. I love her so much already. Thank you, sweetheart.” He kissed her while she continued to stroke his cheek.

  The baby took her first feeding ravenously.

  “You little vampire,” Tucker whispered to her.

  “Shush. That’s not nice. She’s worked hard, and now she needs some sustenance.”

  When the baby fell asleep, she handed her to Tucker who sat in the corner of the dimly lit room while Brandy dozed off.

  At last, they were a family.

  The beginning of our dynasty.

  Chapter 5

  Of course, the mandatory pre-deployment Team meeting was called for the day Tucker brought Brandy and Kimberly home from the hospital. He’d spent the night before with them, resting off and on
in the large armed chair in the corner of her hospital room. He held Kimberly to give Brandy frequent breaks so she could rest. Several times, the nurses tried to take the baby away when he’d fallen asleep, yet he refused to relinquish his prize. It was what the two of them had discussed prior to her admission. They both wanted as much time holding their daughter as they could.

  Only once, he begrudgingly let the nurse take Kimberly away for an early morning clean up and vitals check. Brandy’s doctor, who sported some serious tats on his muscled forearms, cleared them for the return home that morning. Tucker pegged him as a former Team Guy.

  Just after the doctor left, Tucker broke the news to his wife.

  “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. The worst timing.” Tucker knew she understood, but still felt horrible about it. “It shouldn’t be a long meeting, couple of hours at most.”

  The hospital refused to delay their departure, so he planned on taking her home and then heading back to base for the meeting.

  “I’m good. If I need anything, I’ll text you. Maybe you could call Dad before we go? They haven’t seen the baby. Might be a nice time for them to come over.”

  “Good idea. I should have thought of that.” He smacked his forehead with his palm.

  Brandy giggled. “I think you’re a little sleep deprived. You be careful on the road today, Tucker.”

  He returned a smirk. “There you go, still worrying about me. You’re the one who needs tending to. I’m fine. Losing sleep is second nature, part of our training.”

  “Liar.”

  “Okay, I give up. You want them to bring anything, honey?”

  “I’m good. How about something for you for dinner. That might be nice.”

  “Nah, I can stop on the way home. But if you think of anything, you let me know, sweetheart.”

  While the hospital staff gathered all of the baby’s things, Tucker called Steven Cook, who was delighted they were invited to the house.