Falling For Her Navy Seal…Again
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Falling for Her Navy SEAL Again
Copyright © 2014 by Clarissa Yip
ISBN: 978-1-61333-742-4
Cover art by Mina Carter
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC
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The Calendar Men Stories
Outback Dirty
February Lover
Seducing Helena
Frontier Inferno
Shockwave
The Other Brother
The Letter
Burning Love
A Model Hero
Falling for Her Navy SEAL…Again
Thankful for You
Snow Angels
Also by Clarissa Yip
Love by Auction
One Chance
Silent Night’s Seduction
Snowy Encounters
Tempting a Cowboy
Tempting a Prince
Unforeseen Reunion
Falling for Her Navy SEAL…Again
The Calendar Men Series
By
Clarissa Yip
~Dedication~
To my friend Judy who has always asked me to put Momo in a story.
There you have it!
Mr. October stared back at her, and she couldn’t control the pleasure strumming down her spine at the sight, even though she’d like nothing more than to hang up the calendar and then throw a dart at her brother’s best friend.
Bronzed skin, bright blue eyes, chocolate-brown hair, six-pack abs, one mean-looking Maltese in the crook of his arm, and white pants that left nothing to the imagination. With one leg bent, and his foot resting on top of a pumpkin, one would think Matthew Hunt was perfect, but….
Jenesi Coleman threw it on top of a stack of hair magazines. “Where did you get this?”
Her friend Liz grinned as she sectioned Jenesi’s hair and snipped the ends. “I have my ways. It isn’t supposed to be out until December, but I had my friend in New York send it to me as a gift since she worked on the set of the shoot. Matt is definitely looking good. Who would have thought saving the mayor’s wife’s dog would get him on a national calendar?”
Jenesi smirked. She recalled her brother making fun of Matthew for flying down to New York City to pose for the charity calendar that benefited the Hero Family Fund. The charity gave scholarships and assisted families left behind after the Afghan War. Once, she would have applauded Matthew for doing a good deed, but then the man didn’t deserve to be recognized as a hero…especially not after the way they’d parted the last time.
She cleared her throat. “He didn’t want to do this, anyway.”
“Girl, he’s a SEAL. Besides, his family basically owns our town. Whether or not he saved Wendy’s dog, he would have been perfect for the calendar. He’s hot. He’s in the military. And he’s a hero. But I do wonder what’s going to happen now that he’s home again.”
Jenesi scoffed. How did her friend know the damn jerk had returned when she’d heard nothing? “He’s not home.”
Liz’s eyebrow rose. “Look at the number of women here today. The appointment book is filled. If you weren’t my best friend, I probably wouldn’t have fit you into my schedule. It only gets busy like this whenever he’s back from an assignment and comes to visit his dad.” She looked around at the other salon chairs filled with customers and chuckled. “He brings me business. I’m not complaining.” She picked up the calendar and slid it into a drawer. “Better not let them see this.”
“That doesn’t mean anything. You own a spa. Just because it’s busy doesn’t mean he’s come home.”
“He’s home. I’m sure. I did the mayor’s wife hair earlier this morning, and you know I only cut your hair and Wendy’s. She couldn’t stop telling me how she couldn’t wait for Momo to see his savior.”
“Momo? Her dog?” Jenesi frowned. She couldn’t understand why all women were attracted to Matthew, even though she’d been victim to the same disease. But no more. Matthew Hunt had lost his chance. The man could go to hell, for all she cared.
“Yes, her dog. It cracks me up every time I see the mayor carrying that Maltese around because his wife demands it. Good for the image, I guess.” Liz spun her chair around and picked up stands of hair from both sides of Jenesi’s face to measure length. “Maybe a little shorter. Your hair grows too fast. And I think I’ll add in a few more layers. It’ll give you body.” Liz spun her around again. “You’re still mad at him, aren’t you?”
Jenesi swallowed hard. “No. He’s my brother’s best friend. What’s there to be mad about?”
Liz waited until she lifted her head then met her gaze. “Don’t lie, Jen. We’ve known each other since grade school. I don’t think you told me everything that happened between you two, but I know you’ve always been in love with him.”
What difference did it make? She’d loved and been burned. Why couldn’t Liz see she’d moved on? Or had she? “Nothing happened. I made a move, but Matthew wanted to be friends. Besides, it’s for the better. Could you imagine what Jared would have done if he’d found out?”
Liz laughed. “Yeah, I can see Jared battling it out with Matt, but then they’d let it all blow over, do a bro hug, and get a beer together. Good thing Jared won’t be home from Hawaii until the holidays.”
“Why would my brother want to come home? He’s having fun flying fighter jets over the Pacific. My parents probably wouldn’t have known what to do with him if he hadn’t gone into the military.” Matthew and Jared had joined the Navy at the same time, but their career paths had taken them in different directions. Her brother had gotten accepted into OCS and made it through to Pensacola, and Matthew moved on as a Navy SEAL. After Matthew graduated from BUD/S, he’d come back a changed man—harder, mature, and serious. But then he’d been a somber and pensive child, ever since his mother had walked out on him and his dad. Jenesi sighed. “You’re probably right. My brother and Matthew could never be mad at each other for anything. It boggles my mind when they are together. They’re like little boys. Well, my brother is, at least.”
“Hey, we’re like kids, too, when we hang out. I’m not going to own up to turning thirty soon.”
“I have my students to make me feel young.”
“Yeah, I don’t know how you do it, managing twenty-five little terrors for six hours a day. I’d go crazy.”
Jenesi’s heart warmed. She loved her kindergarten class. As a teacher, she’d dreamed of having her own children one day, but without a proper husband candidate, the fantasy withered further and further away. Each man she’d dated since her little episode with Matthew, she hadn’t been able to dredge up the interest to go out with more than a few times. It was hopeless. “I love my little terrors. Wouldn’t trade them for anything. And the best thing is that I get to return them to their parents every afternoon.”
Liz laughed. “You say that now, but I’m sure it’ll be different when you have your own.”
“Probably not happening. I’d have to get married first, remember?”
“Are you ready to meet with Principal Bartholomew tonight?”
She shrugged. “Bart is just taking me out to dinner. No biggie.”
“You know, this is the second date. Usually you tap out after three. You can’t keep comparing these men to Matt.”
Jenesi jerked in her seat. She noticed a few of the women throwing her glances, no doubt listening in on their conversation. Salons were the best place to gossip. “I don’t do that,” she whispered.
“Don’t lie. You dated Herb from the florist and stopped seeing him because he had garlic breath.” Liz continued to clip away at her hair without stopping as she spoke. “Frank from the pharmacy was dull, Carlton from the car dealer had too fake of a smile, Reggie the vet talked to you like a child, Sam the
rich
doctor was too rich—you’re just too hard to please.” She spun the chair around and measured length again. “So what is wrong with Bartholomew?”
Irritation rose. As much as she loved her best friend, Liz saw too much at times. “His name is
Bart
. And there is nothing wrong with him. We’re just going on our second date. I’m trying to take things slow since he is my
boss
.”
Liz tapped her chin with one finger. “I can already see why you’re going to stop seeing this one.”
“Oh yeah, and what’s that?”
“His toupee is the wrong color.”
A snort ripped past her lips. She covered her mouth before she glowered at her friend. “He does not have a toupee. He’s balding a little, but then there’s nothing wrong with that. Some guys…just…don’t have a full head of hair.”
Like Matthew
. She inwardly groaned. Did she really compare each guy she dated to him?
“If that’s what you think. You can be as delusional as much as you want. You know the only guy for you is Matt.”
Once she would have agreed wholeheartedly, but what was the point? He didn’t want her. “Liz, you drive me nuts.”
Her friend laughed as she picked up the hair dryer. “I’m only telling the truth.”
“Excuse me.” The blonde woman two chairs over waved a hand at them. “Are you talking about Matt Hunt?”
“No!” Liz and Jenesi said at once. The woman made a face and returned to reading her magazine.
They looked at each other and broke into fit of giggles. Liz picked up a round brush as she sobered. “Let’s finish your hair and get your fingernails and toes done next. If we have time, maybe we’ll go upstairs to my apartment and raid my closet to see if we can find you a dress to wear tonight.”
“I have a dress.”
“Yes, probably something that covers you from head to toe. We don’t live in the Stone Age. You seriously need to start dressing better. How else are you going to get anyone’s attention? What’s the point of my doing your hair and nails when you wear such boring stuff?”
Jenesi’s gaze trailed over Liz’s white capri pants and off-the-shoulder floral top. Her short blonde hair made her seem like a pixie. She appeared feminine and dainty. While the other girls in the shop wore black smocks, Liz believed in looking her best no matter where she was. Jenesi, on the other hand, believed in being comfortable at all times. She had no qualms chasing her students on the playground or working in her mother’s garden with her bare hands or playing a game of softball with the community league. Was that why Matthew didn’t think of her as anything but his best friend’s sister? “Maybe. We’ll see how much time we have, after we’re done.”
Liz paused, as if contemplating something. “Don’t say I don’t love you.” She reached into the drawer and pulled out the dreaded calendar. “You keep this.” She tugged up the smock covering Jenesi’s legs and placed it in her lap. “Maybe it’ll help you see the light of day.”
“Liz, I don’t need this.”
“Oh, I think you do. Maybe once you forgive him for hurting you, you’ll actually realize how much better you can do.” She turned on the dryer and started blowing out Jenesi’s hair.
The weight of the calendar rested on her thighs. Jenesi placed a hand on it and felt the smooth cover. Matthew was home, but for how long? How would he take to seeing her again? Did he expect her to act like nothing had happened between them? Could she pretend indifference?
Probably not
. No way she’d let him see how much he’d hurt her.
Matthew Hunt could eat his heart out.
His fingertips trailed over the photos on the mantel. Each frame carried images of him and his dad, going back to when he was eight. No pictures of his mother.
“Here, Son.”
Matthew Hunt spun around and smiled at his dad, who held out a beer toward him. He slipped his fingers around the cold can and sipped. “Thanks.”