Hard Landing (40 page)

Glancing up at the horizon, she gasped with delight. "Look," she cried, pointing at the panorama that had come suddenly into view. "The ocean looks so much bigger here! It takes up the entire horizon! And it's so much bluer than the Atlantic."

"Looks a little like Puerto Rico," he agreed. He walked faster, pulling her along with him as they hastened toward the picture-perfect vista of palm trees and turquoise water, and the siren sound of waves rolling onto the sand. The public beach was only a short stroll from where her mother and stepfather lived.

"You know, NCIS could have sent us to Idaho instead of Honolulu," Rebecca reflected as they started down a flight of wooden stairs. "We should buy Maya Schultz a gift as a token of our appreciation."

"I was thinking the same thing. Maybe something she and her son would both enjoy."

Sand crunched beneath their sandals as they neared the last step. "Will a month be long enough, do you think?" she asked.

He drew to a stop at her uncertain tone. "Hey." Catching her against him, he raised his hands to cup her face. "This is all just a precaution," he reminded her. "Tony Scarpa was killed by the FBI SWAT team. I killed his cousin," he admitted without a trace of remorse. "Doug Castle says Scarpa senior is old and suffering from Alzheimer's. Even though the FBI proved that Max killed two former mobsters on behalf of the Scarpas, there's no one left in the Scarpa family for the FBI to prosecute, so you're not a threat to them. No one's coming after you."

"I guess not," she agreed. But it was hard to believe that the terror was all behind them.

"Do you honestly think some distant cousin of Tony's is going to go to the trouble of hunting you down? Trust me, once they find out that you've married another Navy SEAL, they'll keep their distance."

Gazing into his frank blue eyes, she felt the last claw of fear loosen its grip on her heart. "Even if someone tried, you would protect me," she pointed out.

"Damn right, I would," he assured her. "I'll protect you and I will never, ever leave you."

Fortunately, he didn't seem to get tired of telling her that, and she never got tired of hearing it. "Wait, did you just propose to me?" Though he'd often sworn that he would be with her forever, this was the first time he'd brought up the actual m-word. She raised her eyebrows at him and waited.

He sent her a slow grin. "I think we should wait six months before I officially propose—don't want to shock your friends and family."

Half-disappointed, half-relieved, she bit her lower lip and nodded her agreement.

"But while we're on the subject, what do you think of a Hawaiian wedding?" He turned and gestured at the beach. "We could get married right here."

"Here?" Following his gaze, she imagined herself in a simple white dress, barefoot, standing next to him with all of his SEAL team buddies in attendance. Recalling their mixed hurt and euphoria when they'd found out that he wasn't dead, she didn't find it hard to believe that they'd fly all the way to Hawaii to attend Bronco's wedding.

"That does sound amazing," she allowed, "but that's asking a bit much of your friends, isn't it? Hawaii is a long way from Virginia."

His forehead creased as he considered her reservations. "True. And some of them haven't forgiven me for keeping them in the dark."

"They understand though," she insisted. Another possible setting came to mind. "What about Montana? Your family is already there, and a flight to the Midwest has got to be cheaper than airfare to Hawaii."

His face lit up with a new idea. "Oh, I know where we're getting married."

She could tell by the exultant look in his eyes that he'd thought of the perfect place.

"Tweedy Mountain," he elaborated.

She nodded. "The place where they were going to spread your ashes—only they weren't yours."

"Trust me, John Doe likes it there," he assured her. "This place is perfect! The first time I climbed to the top, I was nine. I thought I'd climbed all the way to heaven. It was that stunning—paradise on top of the world. Picture a meadow full of wildflowers and snow-capped peaks in every direction."

Imagining it in her mind's eye, she found herself smiling. "I can't wait to see it."

He blinked and looked back down at her. "Wait! We're in freaking Honolulu," he recalled. "What are we doing dreaming of Montana?"

Shucking off his sandals, he issued a whoop of joy and lifted her off her feet. Locking her hips against his shoulder in a fireman's hold, he ignored her shriek of surprise and ran for the surf at full speed.

Dangling upside down, Rebecca clung to him for dear life. "Wait, we're going in now? I still have my clothes on! What about my sandals?"

"Kick them off," he advised.

"What about sharks?" she shrieked, as she shook off her sandals.

"Sharks are afraid of SEALs," he boasted, without any sign of slowing down. Holding her aloft, he charged straight into the crashing waves.

She screamed with laughter which ended on a gasp as he tipped her thigh-deep into the warm, churning water.

His grin was a picture of devilish delight. "Don't worry," he assured her, swinging her around so that the swells rushing toward them broke against his back instead of over her head. She already knew what his next words would be before he said them.

"I'll protect you," he promised, pulling her deeper and deeper into the ocean. "We're going under on the next one. Get ready," he said, and she peered with trepidation over his shoulder at the next massive swell rolling toward them.

Pinching her nose and catching her breath, Rebecca reflected that as long as she was by his side, she would be ready for anything.

The End

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followed by an excerpt from

FRIENDLY FIRE

The Echo Platoon Series

Book Three

Acknowledgements

Most people have heard the famous African saying that it takes a village to raise a child. I have the same opinion about the process of book writing. It takes a group effort to create a story that lives up to its fullest potential. I am so fortunate to have collected a special group of friends and devoted readers who make up my village. My assistant, Wendie Grogan, has seen this story from its infant stages through completion, offering feedback that has shaped its evolution. My editor and best friend Sydney Jane Baily, an author in her own right, also contributed to its maturation. Then there was my cadre of amazing Beta readers—Teresa Jensen, Suzanne Gochenouer, Susan Whitney, Susan Mitchell, Penny Doyle, Pam Orndorff, Kelli Jo Calvert, Kathy Kemp, Joyce McCoig, Graziella Burnie, Jacqueline Jacobs, Susan Fowler, Carey Sullivan, Donna Zenter, and Don Klein, who all contributed in making this story as clean and consistent as possible. My final proofreader Stephanie Pope put the icing on the cake.

I'd be remiss not to thank my area experts—Rachel Fontana who helped me with craft; my son Conrad and sister Loren for contributing to the plot; Carmen who assisted with legal aspects; my father who advised me on military law; and my surgeon, Dr. Harry Kraus (also an author!), for his input on medical treatment and procedure.

Even with this long list of names, I am sure I have overlooked someone else who influenced the growth of this story. To them and to all the members of my village, please accept my sincerest gratitude for your help in raising "my child."

Page forward for an excerpt from

FRIENDLY FIRE

The Echo Platoon Series

Book Three