Breaking Away (53 page)

Authors: Teresa Reasor

Tags: #Romance, #Military, #Novel

BOOK: Breaking Away

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Doc and Bowie waved over the fence. “Cars coming,” Doc yelled. They’d been standing outside the gate keeping watch. Everyone rose to their feet at once.

Sam’s heart rate skyrocketed and her stomach did a nervous flip as she waited for her first glimpse of Tim. Joy climbed from the pool and ran to her. But it was ‘Nita who grabbed a towel to dry her off.

The moment the gate opened into the side yard, she started to tremble. He was surrounded by his teammates as he passed through the opening. They took turns shaking his hand and pounding him on the back. Travis reached him and grabbed him in for a bear hug and said something that made him laugh.

Sam pushed forward, surrounded by the women. But it was Joy who squeezed through the group and disappeared. Her high-pitched voice carried above the lower timbre of the men’s. “Mr. Tim, Mr. Tim.” Sam slipped between Captain Jackson and Travis, finally reaching the inner circle just as Joy threw herself against Tim’s legs, attempting to hug him. He bent to lift her and hold her close despite her wet bathing suit.

“Mommy and me missed you a ho, ho bunch,” she complained, her small face scrunched up as though she might cry.

“I missed you, too, sweet tart.” He held her close. “A ho, ho bunch.” He kissed her cheek, her forehead.

Over Joy’s shoulder his blue eyes focused on Sam. “I want to say hi to your mom, okay?” He kissed Joy’s cheek one more time and handed her off to Travis.

Sam swallowed against the rush of tears clogging her throat. And stopped after taking a single step. Without his beard he looked younger, his jaw clean-cut and angular. Wearing a white Naval uniform with all his ribbons, bars, and medals, his SEAL trident prominent, he was a heart-stoppingly handsome sight.

“What is it?” he asked.

“I’ve never seen you in your uniform. I just wanted to check you out.”

He grinned, grasped her arm and tugged her close.

“You look really hot,” Sam said as her arms went around his neck.

The men close enough to hear chuckled.

Sam pressed herself as close as she could get and ignored the medals jabbing into her breast. Having his arms around her was everything she needed. And when he kissed her as though he’d never get enough, it was more. She understood what the other women had been talking about. She could do this. She had broken away from her past. He was her future.

“I love you,” he murmured. “We’ll need to talk later about us, about my career.”

She leaned back to look up at him and shook her head. “Whatever you need to do, Joy and I will be there for you. We love you, so much.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, searching her face.

She nodded. “There’s just one thing.” She traced a fingertip over his SEAL insignia.

“What is it?”

“Will you do a Chippendale’s thing for me later, when you take the uniform off?” she asked.

He ignored the roar of laughter from the crowd around them. A slow, cocky grin spread across his face “Yeah, I can do that.”

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