SEALed at Midnight (13 page)

If he was lying, she wanted the satisfaction of calling bullshit. If he wasn’t—she couldn’t risk losing this man if he really was, as crazy as it seemed, some sort of super soldier who’d been off saving the world from terrorists.

“Thank you, Ginny.”

As she moved toward the hallway leading to her bedroom, she shot over her shoulder, “Don’t thank me yet.”

CHAPTER 12

Thom opened the passenger door and waited for Ginny to climb inside. She looked adorable all dressed up to meet his parents in her furry boots and big sweater.

That she’d agreed to come with him at all had to be a good sign.

He moved around the vehicle and got behind the wheel, glancing at her while turning the key in the ignition. “Ready to go?”

The sideways look she sent him was ripe with skepticism. “Yup.”

Sometimes he hated the career he’d chosen. This—when he couldn’t be completely honest with the woman he was interested in—was one of those times.

The unsuccessful mission in Syria he’d just returned from was another reason to be disgruntled with his job.

While his unit had been in place and awaiting the order to move in, badly timed airstrikes aimed at their target by overzealous supporters of Brashar had sent Jihadi John into hiding. Now they had no idea where he was.

Thom couldn’t tell Ginny all that, but he’d be damned if he let her go on thinking he was lying about what he did and who he was.

He should be insulted she thought he was lying, though he couldn’t really blame her after the way he’d disappeared.

It was no wonder his marriage had imploded. Relationships were hard enough. The kind of life he lived made them nearly impossible.

Was he crazy for even thinking he could make a relationship work? And with a woman who lived thousands of miles away?

Was it worth even trying?

He glanced at her before pulling onto the main road. He saw the cute pout of her lips as she held firm to her doubt. He remembered the feel of those lips beneath his.
 

Yeah, it was worth it.

After all he’d been through in the divorce, he was nothing if not a realist. He knew it might not work, but he was sure gonna try. He was too stubborn not to.

His parents lived barely ten minutes away. That was a good thing since the ride over was silent. Ginny didn’t make conversation, so neither did he.

He only hoped his parents’ natural warmth would melt the icy barricade Ginny had erected.

Thom turned into the driveway and parked. “Here we are.”

She assessed the house before turning to him. “What are your parents going to think of you showing up with me?”

“I’m sure they’ll be surprised, especially since they’re not even expecting me.”

He reached for the door handle when her hand on his forearm stopped him. “You came to see me before your parents?
And
you didn’t tell them you were coming?”

“That’s right.” He nodded and opened his door.

After what had happened last time, and with Jihadi John still at large, Thom hadn’t wanted to get his parents’ hopes up, just in case he got called in again before he made it to their house.

He walked around and opened Ginny’s door. “One more thing. I didn’t tell them about my car accident. I didn’t want them to worry. So if you could avoid that topic, I’d appreciate it.”

“But wait, then how did we meet? What do I tell them?”

“We met the last time I was here to visit.”
 

She frowned. “I don’t want to lie.”

“It’s not a lie, is it?” He waited for her protest. None came, but he realized how bad it sounded.

Normal people didn’t understand the half-truths he was forced to tell on a daily basis.

“Look, Ginny, if you really want me to tell them that I drove nine hours in a snowstorm just to see them, totaled my car and hit my head so hard I had memory loss, before turning around and going back to base without even a whiff of the meal my mother had spent a week preparing for me, I will.”

She drew in a breath that lifted her breasts high and had him wrestling his mind off naughty thoughts. “Okay. Fine.”

“Thank you. Now, come on. They’re probably dying of curiosity.” He offered her his hand.

She hesitated. “This still feels weird.”

“Too bad. It’s necessary. I don’t want you to think I’m a liar.” When she made a face at his statement, he added, “I meant lying to you about my career. Lying to my parents is me being a good son. You’ve never lied to your parents?”

That question seemed to take the wind out of her sails. “Okay, fine. Let’s go inside before I lose my nerve.”

He grinned. Her walls were melting. He could feel it.

His mother had the door open before they’d reached the house. “Thom, you should have called. I would have made something special for dinner.”

“See,” Ginny hissed. “I told you that you should have called.”

He shushed Ginny before taking the two steps that would bring him to the door and hugging his mother. “Everything you cook is special. Mom, I want you to meet a friend of mine. This is Ginny. Ginny, this is my mom, Mary Grande.”

He realized he didn’t even know Ginny’s last name, but the way his mother looked, so happy just because he’d brought a girl home with him, he doubted she’d noticed.

“Nice to meet you, Ginny. Come in. It’s cold outside.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Grande. I’m so sorry to drop in unannounced like this.”

“Don’t be silly. I’m thrilled he brought a friend home with him. We see Thom so seldom any visit is like a celebration. The more the merrier.”

His father came into the room and the introductions began all over again.

It wasn’t lost on Thom that the last girl he’d brought home to meet his parents had been his ex. Back then she’d been his pregnant girlfriend and soon to be wife.

In hindsight, springing Ginny on his parents might have been a bit premature, but it was too late to second-guess his decision now.

After pulling Ginny into a hug that had her looking surprised, Thom’s father came to him. “Son. I’m glad you’re home.”

“Thanks, Dad. Me too.”

“However I do wish I’d seen some good news on the television, if you know what I mean.” His father’s hints about Thom’s last mission were about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the head.

“Yeah, I know. Me too.”

“You’ll get him next time.”

“I hope somebody does.” Thom couldn’t help but smile at his father’s enthusiasm.

Even if Thom hadn’t been in Iraq planning a mission to Syria a week ago, his father still would have thought he had been. Just like his father was still convinced he’d been part of the Bin Laden raid, which he hadn’t.

Sometimes it was just easier to agree with the man than fight it.

A whistling from the kitchen interrupted the conversation.

“I have the kettle on the stove. Would anyone like some hot tea?” Thom’s mother asked.

Ginny glanced his direction before saying, “Actually, I’d love some, if it’s no trouble.”

His mother waved away Ginny’s concern. “No trouble at all.”
 

Ginny took a step forward. “Let me help—”

“Nope. You stay here. Sit. Get comfortable. I’ve got it. Thom? Tea? Or hot cocoa like you loved as a kid?”

He laughed. “Sure. Hot cocoa sounds good.”

By the time he’d finished talking to his mother, he noticed his father had pulled Ginny over to the wall of photos.

He’d always hated that wall. It felt too much like a shrine.

Today, he was grateful for every one of the pictures his mother had insisted on framing and hanging in the living room for all to see. They spanned from when he’d been eighteen in boot camp, right up to his most current official photo in full dress uniform.

His father pointed to one picture and moved to the side so Ginny could see. “This is my favorite. Thom was in BUD/S in Coronado. We were allowed to see him for the first time at the end of Hell Week. Look at him. He was exhausted and hurt and skinny, but I’ve never seen him happier because he knew the worst was over and he’d become what he’d always wanted to be—a SEAL.”

Ginny glanced at Thom before turning back to his father. “It’s a wonderful picture.”

His father nodded. “Little did we know he’d go even further. I mean, SEAL Team Six. They write books about those guys and now Thom is one of them.”

“Dad.” Thom tried to curtail his father’s gushing.

“Stop being modest. It’s true. I know, I know. You don’t call yourselves that.” His father turned to Ginny. “In the teams they call it DEVGRU but the media still says SEAL Team Six so that’s good enough for me.”

She smiled. “I agree. If you see it in the media, then it must be true.”

“Exactly.” The older man nodded.

His mother returned and carried a tray laden with four mugs to the coffee table. She turned to his father. “Honey, should you put another log on the fire?”

Thom took that opportunity to move closer to Ginny. “Sorry about the photo tour of my life.”

“Don’t be. He’s proud of you, as well he should be.”

He raised a brow. “So does that mean you believe me?”

“Well, either it’s true or you’ve gone to a lot of trouble lying to your parents all these years. I’m not sure even you could pull that off.”

“Thanks, I think.” He laid his arm around her shoulders. “Come sit by the fire and drink your tea. My mother looks like she’s about to explode because I’m not sharing you with them.”

Ginny didn’t move toward the sofa. Instead she looked up at him. “It doesn’t feel fair to them. It’s obvious they think we’re dating.”

“Well, our dating is okay with me, if it’s okay with you.” Her eyes widened and he knew this was a conversation for later, in private. “Come on. I promise I’ll get us out of here right after tea. Then I’ll take you home and we can talk. Okay?”

“Okay.” She nodded, but he could see he’d definitely given her something to think about.

Exactly as he’d hoped.

CHAPTER 13

Ginny opened the front door of the house and flipped on the light inside. Thom hovered behind her on the porch.

“You can come in.”

He followed her inside and glanced toward the pile of wood next to the fireplace at the other end of the room. “Want me to make a fire?”

The image of that night flashed through her head. She should say no. If there was a fire, she’d be tempted. Make that more tempted than she already was.

“Okay. Thanks.” She knew he had to get back to his parents’ house soon, so maybe she’d be safe from temptation.

Then again, maybe she didn’t want to be safe. She watched him kneel on the hearth. Saw his dark head bent as he balled newspapers. Couldn’t help but notice the incredible view as he leaned low to blow on the flame.

Damn
.

When the flame finally took hold, he stood and looked a little lost. She moved to the sofa and sat, patting the cushion. He came over and sat next to her.

“Did you mean what you said? About us dating?” she asked.

He nodded. “Yup.”

“How would that work with you in Virginia?”