Wed to a SEAL (Hot SEALs) (Volume 8) (13 page)

“Shut up.” Rocky scowled at Thom and tried not to remember how he’d already thought the same thing himself.

CHAPTER 13

Waiting for the phone to power on after she plugged it in was about as nerve wracking as waiting for the pregnancy test to turn pink all those months ago.

It wasn’t lost on Isabel that both events that had caused her an agonizing amount of stress had everything to do with Tito—her biggest mistake. To date anyway.

She held her breath as the screen finally lit. The message took its time to load. By the time it did she was shaking as she hit to retrieve the voicemail.

Rocky was right next to her, concern on his face. His friends sat a bit farther away, across the room at the dining room table where Darci had set out leftovers from the day before. Their eyes were on her as she held the cell phone in her hand, rather than on the plates of food.

Isabel hit speakerphone so everyone would be able to hear. She didn’t have any secrets from these people at this point. They knew as much—or more about her than her few remaining friends and distant relatives.

Her neighbor’s voice came through the speaker.

“
Hey, Izzy. Call me when you get this? Thanks.
”

The lack of details did nothing to alleviate her worry. Rather it ramped it up another notch.

“Call her.” Rocky’s voice was low and steady, firm and intense but showing none of the strain she felt.

Apparently he was incredibly calm in stressful situations or he was a much better actor than she was.

She could barely breathe as she attempted to make the call, first hitting the wrong button and almost sending a text message rather than redialing to return the call.

Finally she managed to select the correct sequence of buttons to connect to her neighbor.

She listened to the ringing as the sound of blood pumping fast through her veins rushed loud through her ears.

“Hello?” Her neighbor’s voice came through the speaker of the cellphone, live this time.

“Hi, Dee. It’s Isabel.”

“Hi. Thanks for getting back to me.”

“Sorry I missed your call. I was working and then my cell was dead—” She was babbling again. She forced herself to take a breath and cut to the real question. “Is everything all right there at the apartment?”

“Yes . . . and no. It’s probably nothing but there was a man knocking on your door. Pretty enthusiastically. When you didn’t answer he came and knocked on my door.”

Isabel felt sick to her stomach. Tito had a temper and she’d personally seen him misdirect it at innocent people.

“Did you talk to him?” She feared the answer.

“No. I pretended I wasn’t home either, but I thought you should know.”

“Good. Don’t answer if he comes back.”

“Izzy, are you okay? Who is this man?”

Isabel glanced up at Rocky. He nodded in answer to her unspoken question.

“He’s Lola’s father. I left him and Miami when I found out I was pregnant with her. He doesn’t know.”

“And you don’t want him to know. I get it. Your secret’s safe with me.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s no problem. You think maybe he’ll give up and go away?”

“Hopefully.” Isabel said it but she sure didn’t believe it. Not even a little. It wasn’t in Tito’s nature to give up. “Thanks again for telling me. I’m, uh, staying with friends for a few days so I won’t be home, but I’ll keep in touch.”

“Please do. Hannah misses Lola.”

That statement twisted Isabel’s heart. Glassy eyed, she said, “Tell her Lola misses her too. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Isabel hit the button to disconnect the call. She raised her gaze to meet Rocky’s. “He’s not going to give up and go away.”

He dipped his head. “I know. I didn’t assume he would.”

“So what do we do?” she whispered, unable to draw enough breath to speak any louder.

Now that Lola was settled, fed and down for a nap, Isabel had let her guard down. The pressures settled in around her. She felt it like a physical weight, pressing on her chest, dragging her down toward the floor.

“First of all, you’re not going back to that apartment. As soon as you eat something—”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Eat anyway.” Rocky widened his eyes in warning and she realized she wasn’t going to get away with not eating. He continued, “As soon as I see you eat something, we’ll gather whatever you need for tonight and tomorrow and then check into the room on base.”

“Okay.” Hiding out on the base was a temporary solution but she’d take it for now.

“Come on. Sit down. We have things to talk about.”

She sat in the empty chair Rocky guided her to and immediately had a full plate of food in front of her—courtesy of Darci.

“I have an idea about how to maybe get him off your track, for a little bit anyway. If nothing else, it will at least keep him away from your neighbor and her daughter,” Jon said.

Isabel raised her gaze to Jon. “I’d like that.”

Hannah and Dee didn’t deserve trouble on her account.

“I’m going to stay at your apartment for a while.”

Across the table, Ali’s eyes popped wide at Jon’s offer. “You are?”

Apparently Jon’s announcement was as much as a surprise to his girlfriend Ali as it was to Isabel.

Jon dipped his head. “It won’t be long. Just for a few days. Only until Tito shows up and I can tell him Isabel moved out and I’m moving in.”

Rocky nodded. “It’s a good idea. That would throw him off the track. Maybe he’ll leave town thinking that Izzy moved on.”

“Izzy?” Isabel cocked a brow at Rocky’s use of the shortened version of her name.

He smiled. “That’s what your neighbor called you. I like it. Do you mind?”

“No.” In the midst of all the hell and upheaval, Rocky calling her Izzy was a small thing, yet it seemed oddly comforting.

“Good.” He reached out and laid his hand over hers. “There’s something else I think we should consider doing to keep you safe.”

Rocky glanced up at the people around the table.

With Chris still out on patrol, the group gathered silently around the table watching her conversation with Rocky consisted of Darci, Ali, Jon and Thom.

It was Thom who stood up. “I think maybe we should give them some privacy for a few minutes.”

Darci’s eyes flew wide. “Why? What do you know that I don’t?” She glanced to Ali and Jon. “Do you two know anything?”

Ali let out a snort. “I think it’s pretty obvious I’m the last to know quite a few things.”

Jon sighed at that verbal slam but didn’t respond.

“Thanks, Thom. I’d appreciate a few minutes alone with her.”

Isabel whipped her head around to stare at Rocky. “What’s going on?”

“I’m going to tell you.” Rocky smiled.

Darci let out a humph. “Just not us.”

“I don’t care if Thom fills you in on everything. I’d just like to not overwhelm Izzy anymore than necessary by making this a group discussion. Please?” Rocky appealed directly to Darci, probably since she looked the most unhappy about being asked to leave.

In her defense, this was her house. And Isabel and Lola were already an uninvited inconvenience that had displaced her from her bed last night, and her dining room now.

“Rocky, I don’t mind if they stay.” Isabel made an effort to appease her hostess.

Thom was already standing by the back door, poised to lead the way to the deck when Darci said, “No, it’s okay. We can give you two privacy.”

“Thank you.” Rocky nodded. As the three followed Thom out, Rocky turned to fully face Isabel.

“Rocky, you’re scaring me.”

He squeezed the hand he still held in his. “It’s nothing to be scared about.”

“Then tell me. Why did they have to leave? What do you have to say to me?”

He drew in a breath. His bracing to say whatever he had to made it harder for her to breathe. “A few things happened while you were at work.”

Her eyes widened.

“Nothing to really worry about.” He rushed to assure her. “Just some changes to the status quo.”

“Okay.” She was finding it hard to wait for him to get to the point.

“Tito showing up at your place again today shows we need to continue to protect you.”

“Yes.” Her heart was pounding as he reminded her of what she already knew.

“I don’t have confirmation yet, but there’s a chance I might be called away soon so I won’t be here to protect you. I’m worried you might not be able to stay on base while I’m gone.”

“You’ve already done enough. I’ll find someplace—”

“No. I’m not telling you I can’t help you anymore. I’m trying, badly, to explain that I think I found a better way.”

“How?”

He opened his mouth but hesitated. Blowing out a breath, he reached out with his other hand so he held both of hers in his. “Keep an open mind, but if I found a way for you to be able to stay on the base even if I’m gone and a way for you to not have to worry about your visa or being deported, would you consider it?”

“Yes. Oh my God, of course.” For the first time in days, he was giving her hope.

“Even if the way to do that was for us to get married?” He cringed.

“Married?” She widened her eyes. “You’d be willing to marry me just to protect me and Lola?”

“Yes.”

She didn’t know what to say. What to think. It was the kind of sacrifice that family and the closest of friends might do for someone, but he was neither.

“I’ll understand if you say no.” Rocky began to ease his hands away from hers.

She grabbed on to his and held tight. “I’m not saying no.”

He bobbed his head to one side. “You haven’t said yes either.”

With the shock of what he’d suggested, she was happy she was still able to form a sentence, never mind make a decision.

“Are you sure about this?” she asked.

“I wouldn’t have brought it up if I wasn’t.”

Her heart fluttered like butterfly wings against the confines of her ribcage. “So we’d get married and then what?”

“Then we’d have the breathing room to straighten everything out.”

“And you’re really okay with that?” she asked, still in shock.

“Yes.”

Isabel blew out a breath. “Then okay. Yes.”

He smiled. “Good. It’s settled then.”

“She said yes!” Darci’s exclamation was muted by the door until it slid open.

She’d obviously been watching through the glass, but now she burst through, Thom directly behind her.

Isabel noticed Jon and Ali stayed on the deck, deep in conversation once the door closed again. It was an interesting group. “I guess I get all of them as part of the deal.”

Rocky’s smile turned into a laugh. “Seems so. For better or worse.”

She couldn’t be upset about that. It had been too long since she’d felt like she belonged somewhere. Since she had a family.

“So when are you going to do it?” Thom asked.

“I don’t think we can get a license or a judge to marry us tonight. It’ll have to be tomorrow, I guess.” Rocky shrugged.

Thom lifted a brow. “It might have to be quick if it’s tomorrow.”
 

“Yeah. I know.” Rocky raised his gaze to hers. “I’ll explain more later, but sometimes we get shipped out pretty fast.”

Thom snorted. “That’s putting it mildly.”

Rocky drew in a big breath through his nose. “Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it.”

“And I’m here. And Ali.” Darci smiled at Isabel. “We’ll help you.”

“You’re all so nice. I don’t know how to thank you.” The tears that had been building up over the day spilled out.

As Darci grabbed the tissue box from the kitchen counter and handed it to Isabel, the front door swung open and Chris, in a sweat-stained T-shirt, stepped into the room.

He looked from Isabel to Darci and frowned. “What did I miss? Why is she crying?”

“We’re getting married.” Rocky answered for them both. While she wiped her eyes, Isabel was happy to let him.