SEAL Of My Heart (22 page)

“I’ll bet. Some friend. Stabbing her in the back.”

“What do you care? She dumped him for you. I’d say you’re playing the same game, Tyler. I like that you move so fast—”

“Don’t touch me.” He backed up. The longer they talked, the angrier he got. And she loved it.

“What’s the matter, Tyler? Did I upset your little world? Your little honey bucket? Like I said, I know you.”

“Sheila, I’d like to make one thing perfectly clear.” He’d lowered his voice, leaned in her direction in a conspiratorial fashion. She was eager to listen, and stepped compliantly toward him. He could tell she wanted to appear docile, but it wasn’t part of her makeup. And her cold, rough spots could never be hidden.

After a long pause, while her chest leaned dangerously close to him, with her not used to rejection, primed and ready to ignite, he whispered, “I don’t fuck my lady’s friends. And I was never attracted to you.”

She reared back like she was going to slap him, but there was no denying he’d delivered the first blow and there wasn’t anything she could do to improve her situation. She turned one hundred degrees of hatred on him with those eyes of hers, enough to make the hairs on the back of his arms stiffen.

But he also saw she got the message. Tyler wasn’t here to play nice. He was here to protect the woman he loved—with extreme force if necessary.

He just hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

‡

M
r. Heller was
uncomfortable about something.

“Kate, I’ve been looking over some expenses, and we’re trying to be careful right now. Have lots of expenditures coming up with the crush and all. Always takes a while before the sales start trickling in. Your pre-release sales have helped us a lot.”

“Thank you, Mr. Heller. My pleasure.”

“So I’ve noticed some things, invoices here I don’t understand.” He showed her a series of printing invoices, catering bills and entertainment receipts.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t recognize them,” she said. She was surprised they had been presented to her. “You thought I authorized them?”

“Perhaps I got it wrong. I’ll check with Randy then. Not to worry.” He added after a pause. “We want to be a little frugal. Cash is a bit tight right now, and we have to make it stretch.”

“I understand completely, sir. No problem here. I completely agree. And I’ll step up my calling on Monday morning.”

“Excellent.”

Both Tyler and Sheila were gone. She found Tyler sitting in her car in the parking lot. He rolled down the window as she approached.

“There you are.”

“Sorry, needed some air.”

“That hard?”

“No, not hard at all. Just get a really bad vibe from Sheila. How well do you know her, babe?”

Kate shrugged. “I’d always thought of her as my friend. But a couple of days ago I just felt…well, don’t get me wrong on this, Tyler. I’m not jealous, but I got the feeling she liked Randy. Was a little too familiar with Randy.”

“She’s no good, Kate. She’s bad news.”

“You sound like you know her.” Kate bore into him, and she could see it was making him squirm.

“I’ve seen the type before. A real schemer. I’d watch my back around her. She’s not who you think she is. Trust me on this. I know the type.”

“Tyler, what did she say to you?”

“Nothing. Kate, it’s nothing. I just don’t trust her.”

“She must have said something.”

“No, babe. Don’t go there. I just don’t like her, and I trust her even less.” His smile melted her and was a welcome distraction. “Just watch your back. I’m probably overly sensitive to it…now.”

She blushed. She liked that he was overly protective of her. She couldn’t wait until she could get close and naked with him again.

A limo pulled up and people began pouring out.

“I have to go,” she said quickly. “See you at five?”

“Earlier, if you can,” he said.

‡

T
he idyllic green
vineyard vistas and quaint shops didn’t feel as welcoming as before. The mood of the area had shifted in Tyler’s mind, especially since he’d seen Sheila, and he had to get away from her. There was something dark and brooding, something unhealthy collecting around the winery, and it made him uneasy to think Kate was working there.

Kate phoned him after barely an hour.

“Just had to hear your voice. I know I won’t be able to do this for very much longer. Thought I would indulge my fantasies,” Kate said.

He was happy to hear from her.

“God, I wish I could have stayed here longer, helped you through whatever’s gonna fall out. Sorry, babe. You forgive me?”

“Of course I forgive you. Nothing to forgive.” He pulled over to speak to her, letting slow tourist traffic pass him by. The sky was a robin’s-egg blue, and the green and yellow rows of grapes had not formed fruit large enough to see. A lone airplane flew overhead. Everything seemed so beautiful and normal.

But the hairs on the back of his neck and on his forearms stood on end. He couldn’t shake the feeling something was very wrong and about to get worse.

“Wish we had more time. I’d help you look for another job. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful you’ll be busy and getting a steady paycheck. But there’s something about that place I just don’t like.”

“I feel it too. You’re sort of my bellwether, Tyler. Before I met you, I didn’t get that vibe at all. But now, I agree, something is wrong. I’m not sure I want to know any more than that.”

“Some things, baby, are best not to know.” He wondered if Sheila would make good on her threat. “Can you quit and go work for someone else?”

“I could try, but you want me going out interviewing other places when we have so little time together?”

“You’re right, baby. Maybe while I’m gone you’d have the time to look into it, although I don’t like the idea of you going around by yourself granting interviews.”

“Tyler, I’m twenty-eight years old. I’ve been on my own for more than five years now. Even my parents don’t worry about me that much.”

“Well, maybe they should.”

Tyler showered after
his long run, then dressed and drove to the square to find an espresso coffee shop where he could check emails and perhaps write Kate another letter.

He mulled over his conversation with Sheila. He’d seen his share of snakes and couldn’t believe he’d fallen for her come-on that night in San Diego. People like that were pure poison, all soft and compliant and friendly in the beginning, but inside they were seething with plans, working their evil ways to achieve their own selfish ends.

They were just like the leaders who pretended to be friends of the American soldiers, but who would betray the same soldier for a plate of meat that might feed his family for a week. It wasn’t the selling information he objected to. Every civilization in history had done that from time to time, according to what he’d studied. It was the faking of friendship which he found so distasteful.

He placed a call to Kyle, half hoping he didn’t get hold of him. His LPO was babysitting Brandon and wasn’t in a talkative mood, which was fine with Tyler.

“You guys getting square, or should I say horizontal?” Kyle asked.

“Yes, I’m getting my regular vitamins, Mom. Stuff’s working too, because I’ve nearly had to change pants sizes.”

The chuckle at the other end was music to his ears. It took a lot to get Kyle to laugh out loud these days. Tyler knew it was because of the upcoming deployment. They were always mentally challenging, but this one was going to be tough and everyone knew it.

“I remember those days,” Kyle finally replied.

“You’re not foolin’ me, old married man with one in the oven.”

“Yeah. Sure would be nice if it was quick.”

“Intense and quick, that’s what I’ll pray for then,” Tyler said.

“Then we’d have to start calling you Armani,” Kyle was referring to their Puerto Rican SEAL, Armando Guzman, who had fallen for and married an undercover cop. He was the fancy dresser in the group, except that now he was doing everything he could to get Gina, his wife, knocked up before they left and had been given the advice to screw often and fast to get the job done.

It wasn’t working.

“I’d walk a bit in his pants any day—oh, Kyle, dammit, I didn’t mean what that sounded—”

“Shut the fuck up. Now you owe him one. He gets to kiss your lady. Kate is it?”

“He does not fuckin’ get to kiss my lady. He can kiss my ass. Don’t care who he is.”

“
Brandon! Watch your language.”
Kyle said in muffled tones to his toddler son. “Sorry, Ty. Brandon just let fly another f-bomb.”

“Sounds like time to look for another preschool?”

“Nah, we’re good. Jasmine and Jones’s sisters work together at a really great one that has a lot of froglets. They’re used to it. Not that I’m sayin’ it’s right.”

“I’m glad. How’s Nick doing? Was thinking of stopping by to say hi.”

“He’s already here. Came yesterday. You guys must have passed each other in the airport.”

“So he’s staying with.”

“We’re right as rain. Providing you can walk tomorrow, and you
are
coming back tomorrow, of course?”

“Fuckin’ A.”

“No tears now, sweetheart.”

“No tears. Gonna hurt, but not nearly as much as if I hadn’t been able to come up here. Thanks, man, for that.”

“I thought that would be the case. So for the good of the Team I let you go. But don’t spread it around.”

“Roger that. I’ll tell everyone I volunteered for a month of babysitting Brandon to get to come.”

“Nah, no one’d believe that. But assuming you get your butt down here, we got everyone. Even some new guys who just graduated, lucky stiffs.”

“I like T.J. and Frankie. Ollie too, I guess. Just don’t know him yet.”

“Those two were inseparable until Frankie got engaged.”

“Good for him.”

Tyler could feel the nervousness percolating between them. They’d come to that part in the conversation where they’d said everything they had to say. Kyle had checked up on him, and he’d passed or there would be more personal questions coming his way, bam-bam-bam like enemy fire.

“Well, I gotta go. Think I’ll go let Brandon tie me up again.”

“That’s a plan, then. You can let Christy untie you. Naked. Bring her Fifty Shades of Red Hot SEAL.”

“Now you’re talking about one of your sister’s books. All the girls at Christy’s office are going to be sorely disappointed to find out you’re taken. They’ve been passing those books around like crazy.”

“Bet my sister loves it. Haven’t seen her this time to say good-bye. I better go give her a call.”

“Yup. You get yourself back here with enough sleep under your belt. Sure as hell you won’t be sleeping much on the bird over.”

“None of us do.”

“That’s a fact. Okay, gotta go, Tyler.”

“Wait one sec, Kyle. How’s Timmons?”

Kyle swore into the phone. Tyler heard Kyle address his young son.
“That’s right, daddy said a bad word. Bad daddy.”
He cleared his throat and then whispered. “Finally got rid of the battle-axe. I think he’s filing papers Monday to commemorate our deployment. Moved in with his daughter temporarily, but he’s in love, Tyler. You saw it in his face.”

“That I did, sir. So that statue is in good hands.”

“Like a fuckin’ shrine. She polishes that thing off nice and pretty every time he comes in there. He’s dying to have those hands work on him. I think it’s been years. He’s like a teenager. Dottie’s gonna clean him out and he fuckin’ doesn’t care. He’s the happiest I’ve ever seen him.”

“That’s a nice story.”

“Could wind up in one of one of Linda’s books.”

“Stranger things have happened. Now I’m keeping my mouth shut.”

“We all are. Okay, you go have some single fun and then tomorrow you get your head wrapped around this confrontation with Dr. Death. Need you whole, sane, and well-polished.”

“Will do, Kyle. Planning on doing a lot of the last part tonight on into the morning.”

“Well, try to get a couple of hours of rest too. Signing off.”

Kyle hung up. Tyler watched a family with a toddler walking across the square. If he were lucky that would be his fate someday. And if he wasn’t? Well, then some other SEAL would step in and make sure Kate was taken care of. Sure as hell he wasn’t quitting. He didn’t think she would either.