CONNOR (SEAL Team Seven) Book 1 (7 page)

I got caught up in
measurements and fittings as the morning progressed. The first floor of the
structure was almost complete we had six more floors to go. Pretty soon we were
going to have to hire more hands because the work was pouring in but we needed
to find the best. We’d already discussed it, with the recession in full swing
there were plenty of people looking for work but we had to take our time and
sift through until we found the perfect fit. We’d all decided our first choice
were vets we knew better than most how much they needed it. But that’s another
story for another time.

“Who’s making the lunch
run?” Shit time had flown, I’d been so caught up in my head I hadn’t realized
it was that time already. Just a few more hours and she’ll be back in my arms.
Geez Malone when did you become a bitch? I shook my head at my inner musings
I’ve been doing that a lot lately, talking to myself.

“I think it’s lover boy’s turn.” I threw a piece
of wood at Tyler, which he ducked.

“Fine
I’ll go what do you animals want?” I pulled off my work gloves and took a swig
from my water bottle.

“Turkey
club for me extra mayo.”

“Yes Logan we know you have the same damn thing
everyday.”

I took their orders and
headed off to the center of town where the only decent restaurant was located.
I called in the order on the way so it would be ready for pickup when I got
there. This way I could just park out front and run in; a quick in and out.

I walked right up to the
counter where the middle-aged waitress Anita was getting my stuff together and
got an idea. Pulling my phone I called her.

“Hey
sweetie did you have lunch?”

“Not
yet I’m swamped, I think maybe I’ll grab something a little later.”

“How
do I get to you?”

“Just ask at the front desk.”

She sounded excited
which made me feel like I’d made the right call. I ordered her the salad she
asked for and added a sandwich. I don’t think salad was a substantial enough
meal for lunch. I exchanged small talk with Anita while I waited for them to
fill the new order before heading out.

At the front desk they were expecting me and I
headed up to her office. She was all smiles when she saw me and got up from her
desk to greet me.

“Hi.”

“Hi.” I couldn’t help kissing her so I did just
that. I pulled her in close and kissed her, her taste going straight to my
dick.

“Well now Danielle I sure hope that’s your
Connor.”

She pulled away red in the face. “Momma shh.”

There was an older woman
maybe in her forties standing in the doorway smiling at us. She was tiny like
her daughter but that’s where the similarities ended. Where my
Dani
was dark she was light. I guess she must look like her
dad, which would make him one beautiful man.

“I can see the questions Mr. Connor. She takes
after her great
great
grandmother on her father’s
side she got none of me or her daddy.”

“Momma
this is Connor, Connor this is my mom Catherine.”

“Pleased to meet you ma’am.”

“The pleasure’s all mine
son now my girl has been buzzing all day about a wedding. I know you’re just
here to bring her lunch but maybe one evening soon you two can come up to the
house and we can go over some things. Her daddy might need some working on.
He’s very fond of his little girl he isn’t going to take too kindly to her
living in sin, so I’m thinking we’d better get this wedding business squared away
right quick.”

“Yes ma’am how about Friday night? We already
have plans for this evening.”

“That’ll be just fine gives me time to soften
him up a bit, Jeremiah’s bark is worse than his bite not to worry.” She patted
my shoulder before leaving us again.

 
“So I
guess I’ll see you later, you need to pick up anything for tonight?”

“Yes
I do so maybe I can leave a little earlier. It’s no problem for me to get a
ride to the store and back to your place except…”

“Except
what?” I pushed the hair back from her face as she bit her lip looking
embarrassed again.

“I
don’t have a key.”

“Shit
how could I be so stupid?” I took my house key off the chain and passed it off
to her with some cash.

“I’ll
see you around five then I guess, you call me if you need anything.”

“I
will thanks honey.”

Damn. I stole one more kiss before leaving her.

“What took you so long bro?”

“Shut
up Ty, come and get it boys.” I passed out their food and ignored the looks.

“You
went to see her didn’t you?”

“Not
that it’s any of your business Zak but yes, I took my girl some lunch. Anything
else you nosy asses want to know?”

“Yes
does she have a sister, any friends?”

“No
find your own woman brother; I met the mother, we’re having dinner with her
folks Friday night.”

“How
was the mother?” That was Logan for you get right to the heart of the matter.

“She was actually pretty cool, nothing at all
like I expected.” I gave Logan a pointed look, which he ignored.

They went about their
lunch asking me a million and one questions like they’d never had a woman
before. Granted she was the first of the sisters, we all knew that whatever
women we brought into our midst had to fit in. And since she’d won them over
this morning and was cooking for them tonight she was already off to a good
start. They seemed almost as excited as I was to have her with us. Poor thing I
hope she could keep up with this bunch.

That evening when I got
to the house the smells hit me at the door. She was in the kitchen wearing soft
worn jeans and a t-shirt. This time she had diamond studs in her ears and her
hair was up in a sexy ponytail high on her head. She looked like a high school
cheerleader. All soft and pink and fresh like she’d just left the shower. I
walked over and wrapped her in my arms from behind, dirty work clothes and all.

“Hey you.”

That smile she turned up to me always hits me in
the heart. I wonder how long it’ll take me to get used to the idea of her, of
us. It still seems so unreal, like I’m going to wake up any moment to find it
was all just a dream.

“I love you Danielle
Susannah.” There I’d said it first and nothing blew the fuck up. Somehow saying
it first felt different to just saying I love you too. That’s probably why my
gut felt like it was tied in knots bigger than my fist. I never thought I’d be
saying that shit to anyone. But I’m a man who believes in facing shit head on.
I’m in love with her all the way, totally and completely gone.

“I love you more.” She nibbled on my lip as she
turned in my arms.

“I
doubt it but it’s good you think so. I’m gonna go clean up and come help you, I
expect those animals will be here soon.”

“That’s
no problem I’ve got it under control. I got some beer and stuff for you guys, I
wasn’t sure what you liked so I got a mix.”

“Damn are you sure you’re real? What are you
making anyway?”

“Chicken fried chicken with peppered gravy,
skillet cornbread, fried okra and baked macaroni.”

“Geez
baby that shit sounds like a lot of work. You sure you don’t need me to do
anything?”

“
Nope I’ve got it all taken care of I like doing this stuff don’t worry. You go
get yourself together and come keep me company.”

“You’re
the best.” I stole one more kiss before heading upstairs for my shower.

The guys were showing up
when I came back downstairs. Ty of course was one of the first. I could sense
the melancholy in him. He was probably thinking about his own Georgia peach.
The little filly has been giving him the eye since we got here but like me he
was playing it safe. Feeling the way I feel today I have no idea why I fought
it so hard. Hopefully he wouldn’t wait too long to come to his senses. I didn’t
even try to bring that shit up though because he’ll just shoot me down. My
brothers are very good at sticking their noses in but when it comes to getting
them to take their own advice it’s like pulling teeth.

Pretty soon the kitchen
was full of people as us guys stood around with beers in hand shooting the
breeze. The atmosphere was light, the air sweet with her scent and the food she
was making. She’d set the dining room table with these fancy dishes that I
guess she brought over with her.

“You didn’t need to break out the good china for
this bunch babe, they would’ve been fine with paper plates.”

“They’re
our first guests Connor be civil.” She bumped me out of the way with her hip.

“He’s
two minutes out the cave little sister don’t pay him no mind.” Cord grinned at
the left hook I halfheartedly threw his way.

We headed out back while
she finished doing her thing. The talk had turned to the trouble that was
brewing in the town and since she wasn’t going to be touched by that shit ever
we headed out of hearing distance. That’s sort of an unspoken rule among the
men. Our women, no matter who they maybe are to be sheltered from the fuckery
of the world
.
It’s a bit archaic but who gives a fuck?
It’s who we are and any woman we ended up with will have to understand.
Danielle with her soft sweet as pie ass did not need to be dealing with drug
trafficking and criminal bullshit. As my woman her biggest worry in life from
now on should be what the fuck to wear, that’s it and I don’t give a fuck who
agrees.

They still hadn’t been
able to find anything that would help us get to the bottom of what was going
on. There was evidence of activity down on the pier but the few nights the guys
had staked out the place without me they hadn’t found anything suspicious.

“So what’s our next move?”

“Fuck if I know but we have to do something soon
before those old guys decide to take things into their own hands, that won’t be
good.” Logan swigged his beer as the rest of us sat around my back patio
overlooking the pool. It gave me ideas about late night skinny-dipping with my
girl. I’ll have to gag her though if we were going to be doing anything more
than swimming because she can get loud when shit gets hot. And Danielle naked
in a pool beneath the stars, shit will definitely get hot fast.

I tuned back into the conversation when my body
started responding to the shit in my head.

“Well we definitely know something’s going on
there but what? Is it drugs, human trafficking, what? There isn’t anyone here
that sends up a red flag and we’ve looked into the towns around us. There’s
some potential there but nothing we can pin down. I say we set up some sort of
surveillance out there and see what we get.”

“I like that idea Ty, I
don’t want anything fucking up our little paradise here.” Devon was the
youngest by a year. Of all of us he must’ve had the best childhood until he was
fourteen and his parents got killed in a car crash. Then shit went to hell fast
when he ended up with a drunken uncle who liked talking with his fists. He was
the only who had grown up with a family and if not stellar surroundings at
least they were better than the rest of us had. I thought for sure he would be
the first to settle down because it’s all he’s ever wanted. To get out and find
a nice woman and set up shop in a nice place, a place like this.

“Maybe we should’ve called the cops let them
handle it, we’re civilians now remember?”

“We’ll
never be just civilians Cord and besides we don’t have anything to take to the
cops except rumors that we ourselves have yet to substantiate. No I think Ty
has the right idea, we just have to find the best way to do that shit. I hear your
woman coming bro.” Logan turned to the door just as she appeared. Ears like a
fucking hawk.

“Food’s ready boys.”

There was a stampede
into the house where she had a spread set out family style in the never before
used dining room. I think we all stood around for a good minute after she was
seated, just taking it in before grabbing our own seats. She’d gone out of her
way to make it nice. The table was set and there were flower petals of all
things strewn across the top of it. She’d even put little tea candles in glass
jars with marbles or some shit in the bottoms in the middle of it. I felt like
a proud husband every time my brothers complimented her on her efforts.

“Man Danielle, are you hung up on this guy?
Because I’m just as good looking as he is.”

“Shut
up Ty, hands off my girl.”

“Can’t
blame a guy for trying.”

“Thanks
for the compliment Ty that’s very sweet.”

“So
what’s for dessert?”

“You’re
a pig bro.”

“What?
I know this nice southern girl wouldn’t serve us dinner without dessert.”

“And
you will be right, I made a nice pecan pie, we’ll have it with some vanilla
bean ice cream.”

“Sweet.”

“You
guys have KP.” I warned the greedy fucks as they cleaned their plates.

“For
a meal like this I’ll even mop the floor.” Devon was forking food into his
mouth like it was his last meal.