SEAL Brotherhood Lucas Page 7

  “So much for easing into things to find out what’s going on, Lucas.”

  “You and me? I told you it wasn’t smart.”

  “You did. And I didn’t listen. I’ve been a bad girl.” Her eyes sparkled as she dipped her chin in an obvious flirtation.

  Oh, that was such a dangerous thing to do to him. If she only knew.

  “I haven’t even gotten started, Marcy, with all the things I want to do with you.”

  She blushed and looked down at her lap. “Are we going to think about all this before we spend another few hours getting lost in each other’s arms?”

  “That’s exactly what we’re doing right now, honey.”

  She watched their entwined fingers, his thumb caressing the back of her hand. “No, you were starting to warn me about something,” she said.

  He adjusted his hips, rolled his shoulders and tried to get comfortable. “We’re deploying in a few months, but in the meantime, we’re doing some training out of state.”

  “What kind of training?”

  “See, that’s the problem—I can’t tell you.”

  “Are there girls there?”

  “Honey, there are girls everywhere. Anywhere there are SEALs, there are girls. But if you don’t stop letting those nasty thoughts run naked around that cute little pink brain of yours, I’m gonna spank your sweet ass until it’s welted and red.”

  Her eyes widened. “Another thing I haven’t tried before.”

  It was no use. Only thing left to do was work up a good appetite for that nice steak barbeque he’d planned. The big difference was that this time, he was going to do it all naked.

  Chapter 12

  ‡

  MARCY CALLED DEVON and Nick and told them she was going to stay in Cloverdale and wasn’t coming home until tomorrow.

  The following day, she and Lucas shopped for provisions in town, and then about noon, went to Nick and Devon’s home, where Lucas seemed impressed with the small winery.

  Devon was giving them scrutiny after Marcy introduced Lucas to both of them. Marcy could tell she’d figured out who Lucas was, and what they’d been doing.

  “I’d heard about this place from some of the old guys,” Lucas said. Nick’s head jerked up.

  “Old?”

  “Well, the guys who have been in longer than ten years. You got out at ten, right? About the time I joined Team 3.”

  “That’s right.”

  “You okay with leaving the teams, Nick? I mean, did it give you trouble?”

  “You heard I got injured? It was an easy choice after that. And Devon does really well. I think it would be harder if we lived down in San Diego, seeing all the guys every day. Here, we just blend in, man. It’s a good life.”

  Lucas’ phone chirped. “Hallo,” he said as he watched Devon and Marcy whispering in the kitchen. He recognized the number as Kyle’s.

  “We’ve stepped up the training, Lucas. I gotta ask you to come back.”

  “When?”

  “Yesterday.” Kyle’s tone told him not to argue. It was a command.

  “What’s up?” This wasn’t anything good. Something big had happened.

  “Not over the phone.”

  “Okay, well, I’ll get going tonight. Be home in about twelve hours.”

  “No can do. Bought you a ticket; it’s waiting for you at Sonoma County Airport.”

  “Today, as in this afternoon?”

  “Yessir. That direct flight leaves at three. You better be on it.”

  “I got my truck, Kyle.”

  “So get someone else to drive it home, Lucas. This is something we can’t wait about.”

  It wasn’t optimum, but Marcy agreed to drive Lucas’ truck back to San Diego. “You can stay a couple of days up here with Nick and Devon, if you want. Makes no difference to me when I get the truck back. I won’t be anywhere I’ll need it.”

  He knew Marcy wanted to ask him where he was going. He liked that she didn’t even try. He worked to calm his breathing. He didn’t want her to get as nervous as he was. “I can’t even go back up to Cloverdale to clear out the place, and there’s one thing I don’t like leaving there.”

  “No worries, Lucas. I can bring your things back.”

  “Cabin’s pretty out in the middle of nowhere, Marcy. I don’t want you going up without someone to help.” Nick was watching nearby.

  “Promise.”

  “You unplug the refrigerator and take home all the food. Make sure the water’s shut off. I got a couple of things in the closet, in particular, a heavy black zipper bag full of crap. Don’t forget that one, Marcy.” Lucas saw the black bag registered with Nick, who added his nod.

  “We’ll go up there tomorrow. Soonest I can do it.”

  “Thanks, Nick.”

  “So, other than making sure everything is locked up tight, nothing else needs to be done.” He handed her the truck keys and watched her frown with downcast eyes. “Marcy, honey, no worries. You guys get up to Cloverdale tomorrow. You show them the way, okay?”

  Marcy agreed.

  “Some of that stuff’s heavy. Especially that bag.” He glanced over at Nick, and they shared a look. “You don’t know the area and there’s some crazy shit going on.”

  Nick gave him another brief nod.

  Marcy reached for his arm. “I’ll be fine, Lucas. You just come home safe,” she whispered.

  He put his arms around her and felt her shaking as he held her close. “I will, baby. You just keep the truck until I get back into town.” He paused. “And I can’t tell you when, either, but I’ll call when I can.”

  Marcy took him to the airport in Lucas’ truck so she could practice working the stick shift. He showed her all the little gadgets, like the keyless entry and the locked storage compartment she was never to open, which sat underneath the front seat. “You put the heavy black bag here in the back seat and you cover it up with the blanket there. Don’t forget it, promise?”

  “What’s—?”

  “Don’t ask, Marcy. Just have Nick help you with it.”

  When they arrived at Schulz International, Sonoma County’s only airport, Lucas checked his duty bag separately, having the talk with the security agent. He had to take some of his things with him, since he really didn’t want to leave all of his firearms back with Marcy for the road trip home.

  As they waited for his plane to San Diego, she brought it up first. “I’m going to have to tell Connie, Lucas. I just wanted you to know.”

  “Your funeral.” The line was getting shorter, and then he was at the x-ray machine. “Tell her we don’t get along.”

  “And what if she sees me driving your truck when I return it. What’s she going to say then?”

  “The likelihood of that is nil, Marcy. You know that. I doubt she’d ever come over to the place. She never has. You want to avoid Connie at all costs.”

  “I have to cancel the listing, Lucas, have to give her a reason.”

  “Don’t mess with her, Marcy. If she does find out, don’t be surprised if she doesn’t try to go after your license or something like that.”

  “Just such a risk. I’ll park the truck at your place, maybe get someone to help me with your stuff. And mysteriously slip away. Geez, Lucas I’m so nervous about all of this. I hate all this sneaking around.”

  “You go by Gunny’s Gym and ask for Sinouk, the owner’s son. He can help you with the stuff.” Lucas saw she’d been pouting. “Hey, not to worry.” He elicited a smile from her as he coaxed another kiss from her lips. God, he hated to leave her now.

  “Sir, I’m afraid visiting hours are over,” the guard barked. “You’re gonna miss your plane.”

  He gripped the back of Marcy’s hair. “We’ll talk, Marcy. Not to worry. We’ll figure something out.”

  “But I’m going to give up the listing anyway, Lucas. I just can’t in good conscience—”

  “Sir!”

  “Just one fuckin’ minute, okay?” Lucas shouted over the small crowd. A mother shu
shed him and covered her daughter’s ears. “She’s gonna have a pretty hard time getting my signature now, Marcy.” He was rewarded with a smile, and a kiss.

  His parting thought as he turned and headed for the plane: I like the way you do business, Marcy Gelland! He hoped he had one more time to say goodbye before they deployed in earnest. Finally, he tore himself away and tried to focus on the mission at hand.

  SHE WATCHED HIM walk out onto the windy tarmac, following a trail of travelers, including one older man in a wheelchair. He quickly turned around and ran past the security guard, who chased him back inside the terminal.

  On the other side of the glass security doors, he pounded with his fists and shouted, “Marry me, Marcy Gelland!”

  “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you, Lucas Shipley,” she shouted back, her heart bursting, crazy, totally crazy for the guy and completely not caring about any of the reality of what she’d just plunged herself into. One thimbleful of rational thought made its way out at last.

  “But first, you gotta get divorced.”

  Chapter 13

  ‡

  MARCY DECIDED TO go straight up to the house in Cloverdale after dropping Lucas off at the airport. She didn’t want to bother Devon and Nick, who would be waiting for her to stay over tonight. Driving all the way back down to Santa Rosa, picking them up, and then going north to the cabin and then back home was just too many trips on the 101 Freeway, and inconsiderate of her friend’s time. And she wanted to do the lockup in the daylight hours.

  She’d promised Lucas she wouldn’t go up there alone, and now she was going to violate that promise. Always easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. It had served her well for most of her life. Now was certainly no exception.

  Traffic was coming the opposite direction as she headed north. When she pulled into the little town of Cloverdale, she stopped at a coffee shop and picked up a cappuccino and a sandwich, then took the winding road off into the woods north of town.

  She took one wrong turn, then doubled back and found the correct trail to the cabin. Using the large brass key, she let herself in. As she stood, feeling the warmth and the wash of memories of what they’d been doing for the past twenty-four hours there, she blushed. It was so peaceful and quiet. On the front stoop all she could hear were the sounds of the tall trees rustling in the wind and an occasional bird. Somewhere off in the blue, cloudless sky a small plane sputtered on its way. A faint smell of campfire and woods was soothing to her nerves. It made her sleepy being so peacefully alone.

  Back inside, she washed the dishes and put them away, unplugged the refrigerator and shut off the water main to the house. She made the bed, folded and straightened the towels in the bath, put Lucas’ clothes in another nylon shoulder bag she found in the closet, and added her own clothes. She picked up the heavy black bag Lucas had mentioned and gingerly carried it to the truck, depositing it on the rear floor like she had been instructed, covering it with the old blanket. Returning to the house, she took one more look around, loaded the other bags up, and then went back, pulling out all the supplies from the refrigerator and put them in brown paper bags, and locked the door behind her.

  Before taking off, she walked around the outside of the cabin to make sure all the windows were secured.

  The roadway going out looked different than she’d remembered and again, she took a wrong turn. The drive ended in another cabin nearby, with several metal outbuildings and a stable behind it. A slim man in jeans and a light blue shirt was working with a hoe in the front yard where he was growing a small vegetable garden. A battered red pickup truck and a rusted white passenger van were parked at the side of the structure. The man looked up. He wore wire-rimmed glasses and sported a full beard.

  Marcy knew there were communes and pot growers out in the woods between here and Mendocino County. The young man looked like he could have been a settler from a Jewish kibbutz with his full beard and well-tanned skin. He leaned on his hoe and squinted in the late afternoon light at her, frowning, his wire-rimmed glasses glinting in the sunlight.

  She rolled down her window, leaning out. “Sorry. I’m a bit lost. Looking for the way out to the highway.”

  She noticed the front door of the cabin opened and she could see a face, perhaps two in the crack created. The man looked up to the door and shouted something and the door immediately shut.

  He walked toward her, pointed with a thin finger, and in accent he said, “Left. Then right. All the way right.”

  “Okay, so I go out this driveway, turn left, and then take the first right?”

  “First right, all the way right,” he repeated in his thick accent. “Freeway.” He nodded.

  “Thank you very much.”

  The man bowed slightly, smiling as if blushing, averting his eyes down and away from her. Marcy put the truck in reverse, grinding the gears, which had the stranger abruptly raise his head in alarm. She hit the gas and too quickly let out the clutch and the truck stalled. She put the truck in neutral, restarted it, and took off down the road in a cloud of dust. In the rearview mirror she saw two other young men leave the front door, both standing side by side, intent on watching her truck barrel along the dusty drive. Just before she turned left, she noticed a small wooden sign she’d missed on the way in. It was the sign of the cross, with sunlight grooved in and painted in faded yellow. Underneath the insignia were the words, “Sonshine Haven.”

  Marcy made a mental note to ask Lucas and perhaps Nick and Devon about this obviously Christian camp so close to Lucas’ cabin. In a way, it was reassuring to have a neighbor so close nearby, in case anything were to happen with the cabin.

  By the time she hit Highway 101, the sun had fallen low. She got a text message that Lucas had arrived safely in San Diego and would call when he could, later tonight or tomorrow morning. She texted back hearts and kisses to him, which he returned.

  Next, Marcy telephoned Devon, gave her the news and told her she was on her way back to their house.

  Nick was particularly quiet over dinner, causing Devon to ask him what was wrong.

  The handsome green-eyed former SEAL gave Marcy a serious look, cocking his head to the side. “Marcy, I don’t know you very well but I’m bothered about one thing. And you’re gonna have to forgive me on this. I’m a very careful man.”

  “Okay, shoot,” Marcy said.

  “Nick?” Devon slipped her arm under Nick’s and squeezed herself next to him. “What’s up?”

  Nick smiled at his wife, but it quickly evaporated.

  “Lucas told you not to go up there alone, and the very first thing you did when he was on that plane was go right up there.”

  Marcy felt her cheeks flush. Nick’s direct approach to her disobedience made her feel ashamed, naked in front of them. It was time to beg for forgiveness.

  “I didn’t want to bother you guys—”

  “But Lucas asked you not to do that. He made quite a point about it, and probably had good reason for that, Marcy. It has to do with your safety.”

  “Nick, come on,” Devon pestered him.

  Nick stiffened, removed Devon’s arms from his, separating himself from her, and sat up straight. “It’s not funny, you two. If Lucas mentioned it, then it was important. You have to trust him when he tells you things like that, Marcy. You don’t know what’s at stake.”

  “I know, but nothing happened. I just got all the things out, did what he asked, and I buttoned up the house so you guys don’t have to be bothered with it.”

  “Except he’s going to want me to go up there and make sure it’s okay. So you didn’t save me a trip after all.”

  “Nick? What the heck is going on?” Devon asked. Her frown cut deep into the bridge of her nose.

  “These are strange times. Lucas even said it. I’ve been told about all sorts of stuff you guys don’t want to know about. It’s for your protection you not know. But you have to follow directions. Nothing optional about it.”

  Marcy knew he was right, but she didn’
t care for Nick’s method of delivery. She felt prickly. Devon had obviously picked it up.

  “Nick, get over it, will you? No harm no foul. That’s one of your favorite expressions. So just chill. The main thing is that she got it done. Lucas’ stuff is safely back down here.”

  “Not the point, Devon.”

  “I’m done with this, Nick. You need to go to bed. Now.” Devon was getting angry. “Marcy and I will clean up here.”

  Devon pointed to the stairs.

  Nick gave her a hug and quick kiss. Then he addressed Marcy. “Sorry, kid. I’m going to be a stickler about this. Tomorrow we go back up there and double check everything, not that you didn’t do everything correctly, but he wanted me to go so I could confirm that it was all done. We’re like that. Thorough. Checking, double-checking. Sometimes our life depends on it. No reflection on you.”

  “I understand.” Marcy thought she did a pretty good job of hiding her hurt feelings.

  Nick turned and ran upstairs. Marcy followed Devon to the kitchen, and then remembered the food she’d left in the truck. “Holy crap. I’ve probably got a back seat full of sour milk and melted cheese.”

  “I’ll help you.”

  The two of them carried the two boxes inside the kitchen. Marcy was going to get the other bags later. They stowed the perishables, cleaned up the dinner and placed dishes in the dishwasher, turning it on. Devon made a couple of glasses of ice water and handed one to Marcy. “Come on, let’s sit in the living room for a bit.”

  “I’m for that,” said Marcy settling into the comfortable couch.

  “Let’s catch up on some juicy gossip,” Devon started. “I want to know all about Lucas’ wife, or soon-to-be ex-wife. What’s she like?”

  “She’s a piece of work, Dev. Gorgeous, but a basket case. She’s bitter, and I don’t think he did anything to deserve that. She’s jealous of his connection with the Brotherhood.”