Save Me (35 page)

It’s been six months since they moved in, leaving the day after Claire’s school let out for the summer. Nate and Cara went and helped them move. I wanted to as well, but we thought it would be best that I didn’t. Penny wanted to make sure Ray’s reputation stayed intact. I acted like I understood, but really I didn’t. Maybe she was afraid that I would kiss her in front of her friends or something. Knowing me, I probably would’ve slipped and done so and that wouldn’t have been good.

My house … our house finally feels like a home. Pictures of Claire from her years in school decorate the hallway. We don’t have many pictures of her when she was a baby with those being left in the house and who knows where they are now, but I have the one I kept in my wallet all these years and that sits on our mantle. I often find Claire staring at it when she thinks no one is watching.

I’ve also learned how to use a bow and arrow thanks to my well-educated daughter. That is one thing that I have to give Ray credit for, he raised her well and taught her everything he knew about the outdoors, leaving me enough room to teach her what I know. Right now, Claire can tie fifty different rope knots and is learning how to scale a wall. These days when I ask her if she wants to go to the park, she suggests the SEAL beach so she can play on the apparatuses. She’s a girl after my own heart and has told me that she’s going to be the first female SEAL. I wished her luck after she witnessed a group of BUD/s sleeping with their feet in the air.

Most importantly, Claire loves it here. She loves the weather, the ocean, and is excited to start at her new school. Having her and Penny home, with me, makes me feel complete and it makes me feel like I can conquer anything, like my new job as a SEAL instructor.

Penny and I discussed retirement and both agreed I wasn’t ready, but I’m also not ready to go back to combat or deploy on secret missions. When I was offered the job as an instructor, I jumped at the opportunity. I can still train, with the fun stuff, all while kicking snot-nosed punks in the ass. It’s the best of both worlds.

Lawson is currently serving twenty consecutive life sentences and Ingram goes on trial in the fall. We’re hoping he pleads out, but have a feeling he won’t. He’s too proud of a man to do so and we’ll be required to testify. It’ll be worth it this time.

The team is together except Ryley and Evan are still living up north. They come down often, but refuse to move. I know once Carole retires, we’ll never see them again. I’m secretly hoping that Jensen refuses to sell his lake house, giving us a place to still hang out.

River is around, every now and again. Sometimes we don’t see him for a month, and other times he’s at everything we do. I know he’s lost and I’ve tried to reach out to him, but his walls are up. It’s a hard thing, as a SEAL, to get over letting your team down and it doesn’t matter how many times we tell him he’s forgiven, he still distances himself from us.

“You home?” The sound of Evan’s voice echoes down my hall. I come out of my bedroom to find him dressed in a cream-colored linen suit.

“Hi, and what are you doing here?”

He hands me the black bag he’s holding nods toward my bedroom. “Go put this on, we gotta go.”

“Where?”

He looks down at this suit and back at me, with a shit-eating grin on his face. I understand it now; he’s getting married today. I quickly look at the fridge, wondering if I forgot, but I don’t see an invite.

I change quickly, racking my brain about the date. I must’ve been so caught up with Penny that I forgot and that’s not like me. When I come out, I notice that we’re dressed similarly except my tie is blue, while he’s not wearing one.

“Where’s your tie?”

“In the car, let’s go.”

“Is Penny with Ryley?”

“Yep,” he says, rushing to his car. I get in and he pulls away before the door is even shut.

“Are we late?”

“Nah, just eager that’s all.”

That I can understand. His wedding to Ryley has been a long time coming. He should’ve married her a long time ago, but then we died and plans got off track for about six years. Now that we’ve been back, they’ve been waiting for Carole to say she can walk on the sand. She must be ready.

We pull into the beach and I immediately see white chairs and lots of white lacy crap flying in the breeze. River and Rask are already there, dressed similarly. We trudge through the sand, shaking hands with the guys when we reach them.

“You stand here,” Evan says, putting me in place. I look at him questioningly because I assumed Nate would be his best man, but he shakes his head and stands to my left.

“Wait—”

“Watch,” he says as he points down the sandy aisle. Music starts and Cara walks down first followed by Ryley. My mouth is open and catching sand from the wind, but I’m in too much shock to close it.

EJ appears next, dressed just like us, except he’s wearing a tie and Evan still isn’t.

“Hi, Uncle Tucker.”

“Hey, buddy. Do you know what’s going on?”

He shakes his head and starts laughing.

I glance back at Evan who has a smug look on his face. “This should be you and Ryley,” I say, nodding toward the white chairs with a few of our family and friends.

“Nah, Ryley wants this for you guys. It’s important to her. Besides, Carole isn’t quite ready yet, but don’t worry, McCoy, I will be marrying my girl on this beach very soon.”

“I look forward to it.”

Evan taps me on shoulder and points toward the aisle where my daughter appears in the same lavender dress as Cara and Ryley and I can’t help the tears that are falling.

When the music changes, the few guests who are here stand, and my wife appears with Nate on her arm. Her dress flows in the wind as she lets Nate guide her down the makeshift aisle.

He hands her to me, patting me on the back.

“What’s all this?”

“It’s our anniversary,” she says, stunning me into silence. “I want this life with you and I know you want it, too. I love you, Tucker, and I think it’s time we renew our vows in front of our friends and family.”

Hearing her say that she loves me makes me feel like I’m ten feet tall. I lean to the side slightly, to see Claire, who is beaming at me. I think she wants this, too. But I have to know for sure.

“Are you okay with this, Claire?”

“Yeah, Dad, I am.”

Forget ten feet, I’m now twenty feet tall because not only does my wife love me, but my daughter just called me dad.

Nate, who has stepped around me, is now front and center with his hands clasped in front of him. He leans into me and whispers loudly, “I got ordained this morning so don’t worry, this is legit.”

I can’t help but laugh at this situation and shrug. “Let’s do this.”

“I can’t believe we’re having a reception at Magoos.” It makes sense that we’d come here—it’s our home away from home. The party is loud behind us with Evan signing karaoke and Ryley feeding into his ego. I’m sitting at the bar, entertaining myself by watching Penelope dance with Cara.

“There are worse places,” Slick Rick says from behind me. He’s also dressed in a matching suit even though he couldn’t make the ceremony.

“Did you know about this?” I ask as I turn around and face him.

“I know everything that goes on with my guys,” he says as he hands me another beer. The bar is closed tonight for this private party and I hate to think about him losing business because of us. There are a lot more people at the bar than at the wedding and I’m fine with that. It could’ve just been Penny and me and I would’ve been happy.

“Is this seat taken?”

I give Penny a sideways glance and remember the first time we met. A fucking dare from her friends sent her over to me.

“I don’t know, I guess that depends on what you’re looking for.”

“Well, I’m looking for a strong man who has tattoos and a motorcycle. Do you know anyone like that?”

I shake my head. “Sorry, you’re out of luck.”

Penny slaps me on the shoulder and sits down, nestling into my neck. The moment I feel her lips I freeze. Aside from kissing, we haven’t done anything and the only time I’ve been intimate is in the shower with my hand.

“Not to be forward or anything, but does this mean I’m getting lucky tonight?”

“I’m pretty much a sure thing,” she replies, batting her eyelashes.

“You know the only action I’ve seen in seven years is my hand. The second I have you naked, I’m going to come all over you and I won’t be able to stop it. I’ll be your worst middle school memory.”

Penny breaks out into fits of laughter, causing my ego to deflate quickly. “How many of those have you had?” She points to my beer.

“This is my second.”

“Do you want to get out of here? We have the night to ourselves.”

She doesn’t have to ask me twice. I put my beer down and holler to the guys that we’re leaving. The amount of catcalls we get in return is enough to make me blush. I all but drag Penny outside, only to realize that I don’t have a car. I stop short of the door, prepared to ask Slick Rick to call us a cab, but she pushes me out and into the parking lot where my motorcycle is decorated with toilet paper and cans hanging off the back.

“Well isn’t this cute.”

Before I know what’s happening, birdseed is being tossed at us and we quickly scramble to get on the bike. I push the start button and she roars to life, and feel of Penny’s arms wrap around my waist.

Pulling out of the parking lot, I head toward our house, taking the scenic route. A few planes are coming in, but we don’t stay to watch. There will be other days for that. Tonight is about us being husband and wife.

Once the bike is parked, I help her off and make sure she’s steady before she dismounts. Scooping her up in my arms, I carry her to the door; she unlocks it, taking the keys out of my jacket pocket. When we’re over the threshold, I set her down, but only long enough to lock the front door.

This time when I pick her back up I do it so her legs are straddling me and I walk us down the hall. Her lips are greedy as she kisses me, while her fingers nimbly work the buttons of my shirt. As soon as her cool hands touch my burning skin, I hiss. I set her gently on the bed and step away from her.

She watches me undress before she starts taking off her dress. She slips it over her head, showing me her barely-there panties and her perky braless tits.

“Fuck, Penny, this is going to be so damn fast.” I stoke my rigid cock along my palm and feel the pre-come already seeping out. Even he knows he’s about to get lucky.

Penny leans back, pulls her thong off, and tosses it on the pile of clothes that have accumulated on our floor. Scooting to the edge of the bed, she beckons me with her finger.

“What?”

“Let me taste you,” she mewls, looking at me with lustful eyes.

I shake my head slowly, matching the stroke my hand is making along my dick. “The minute your lips touch me, I’m done for. I want to be inside of you when I come.”

Penny understands what I need and scoots back on the bed. I crawl toward her, placing my knees between hers.

“Shit, I forgot the foreplay.”

She reaches for me, aligning us together. “I’m ready,” she says as she lifts her hips.

The contact is almost too much to bear and takes me back to high school when I got laid for the first time. I close my eyes and push in, grunting as I do. The warmth that surrounds me gives me pause. A year ago I didn’t think I’d ever feel this way again, but I prevailed and never gave up.

Penny flexes, reminding me that I need to move.

“I just needed a moment,” I tell her as I pull out slowly, leaving just my tip in to tease her. I move slowly into her, watching my dick disappear inch by inch. When I’m fully sheathed I lean down and kiss her, letting our tongues battle for dominance while I slowly move in and out of her. Her nails pinch into my backside, encouraging me to give her all that I have.

With every moan and slap of the skin, I’m reminded of how amazing our days were together. Making love to her was always the highlight of my day, it was never a chore or something I felt I had to do. It was something I needed that only she could give me. Sitting back on my knees, I let my hands grip her hips. I guide her with each thrust as my cock disappears into her glorious pussy.