SEAL Brotherhood 06 - SEAL My Destiny (16 page)

“You guys meet in San Diego, then?” Mr. Christensen asked.

Julie said yes and Luke said no, remembering he’d admitted to meeting her for the first time at the rehearsal dinner.

“We knew of each other, and sort of met,” she gazed into his face, “through Colin and Stephanie.”

Her father nodded but her mother wasn’t buying any of it.

The rest of the morning was strange. Luke really wanted not to be there, even though he knew Julie’s parents had good intentions. He did not like the scrutiny. As if sensing it, Julie told them they had to go. She took Luke’s hand and led him up to the guest room, which used to be Julie’s bedroom.

It looked like Julie had never left. Old posters from her high school days still pinned to the bulletin boards. A poster-sized collage of her friends, some pictures going all the way back to grade school. Her smile was intoxicating as she watched him look around the room, learning about the life she’d lived and how she’d grown up. Unlike his own upbringing, Julie had spent nearly her whole life in one place, and one house. Luke knew more about moving than he ever wanted to. And he recalled how his mother had loved it even less.

Today he found himself missing her. She would have been happy for Stephanie. She’d be curious but happy for Luke, too, perhaps a little amused by how they’d gotten together. What would he have told her, anyhow? “Met a girl at the beach, and, well—” He stopped because he didn’t know what he’d say to her, or if she’d approve. His relationship with his father had never progressed into a loving one since he was gone for so much of Luke’s childhood on deployments. He’d made a promise to himself he wouldn’t put a child of his through then when it was his turn to settle down.

“You like my room?” She snuggled up and accepted his arms about her waist.

“I like, Julie, but I’d like it a lot better if we were naked somewhere so when I make you come it won’t disturb your parents.”

She grinned up at him. Yup, he thought. It was a pretty good line.

After collecting her
things from the cottage and securing the property, they visited Nick Dunn while Devon was at work. Luke was disappointed he wouldn’t be able to introduce the two women. Nick began to explain they had just optioned the former neighbor’s fifty acres of prime vineyard.

“Where’d you get hold of that kind of money, Nick?” Luke wanted to know. “Certainly not on a SEAL’s salary.”

“Amen to that, brother. Devon sold her condo and we used the proceeds to build the new house, and then used some of the money for the option. Got ourselves a little ‘LLC,’ so you’re welcome to pitch in if you want.”

“Afraid I can’t help you there, Nick. Shoot, I’ll bet Libby’s parents would love to invest here,” Luke said, referring to Calvin “Coop” Cooper’s wife’s family.

“Already in. And we caught a break with the relatives of the former owner, who is now serving a ten-year sentence for his involvement in my sister’s death. He needed money for legal fees, and his sons gave Devon the option without much of a fight. The woman is amazing.”

“Yes, she is,” Luke said as he lovingly glanced at Julie, who blushed.

Julie walked outside to view the gardens Nick and Devon had planted on the old nursery property, while Luke lingered in the doorway, watching her.

“She’s beautiful. A keeper, Luke. You okay?” asked Nick.

“Fuck, no. We just reconnected yesterday at the wedding. I’m taking it slow,” he lied.

“Sure you are, you horn dog. I can see how slow you’re going,” Nick said as he swiveled his hips in Luke’s direction. “When you get back, you keep up with the meetings, and make sure you ask for medication if you get strung out or get to feeling weird. Okay?”

“Yeah, I’m doing okay so far.”

“Don’t mess with it, Luke. Stay connected to the community.”

“Shut up, Nick. I got this part.” But Luke understood how fragile the thread was. He’d felt fuckin’ great the last twenty-four hours, but the shadows could descend on him again without warning. He told himself Julie was helping keep the demons at bay, and that being with her was the best thing he could do for his mental health.

Miss Fresh Face looked radiant while she made her way through the gardens to the two SEALs waiting at the back door. Dressed in jeans and a big shirt, she looked like she belonged in the middle of the waving flowerbeds and bright sunlight. He’d reveled in the beauty of her mom’s gardens and realized, sadly, she’d be disappointed to see his hole of an apartment, which didn’t have gardens, not even a balcony or ocean view. He wondered if she’d ever fit in with his lifestyle, since it would be very different from what she’d grown up with.

“This is a piece of Heaven,” she said to Nick.

“I’ve said the same thing myself. My sister was very happy here, until she got sick.”

Luke watched Julie frown and peer at her toes.

Nick brought them inside and poured fresh coffee. “I’m sorry Devon couldn’t be here. She works most Sundays, with open houses and such,” Nick began. “She’ll be sore she missed Luke,” he said as he wiggled his eyebrows. “If I didn’t know better…”

Luke felt himself blush. Devon had a way of being so direct it embarrassed him sometimes. Julie was just like her.

“You know anything about running a winery?” Luke asked.

“Learning. A lot of it you can hire out, but it still means I have to do lots of research so we don’t get ripped off,” Nick answered. He shifted on the bright patchworked fabric high-backed chair Luke remembered as one of Sophie’s favorites. “I hired a good vineyard manager, and, luckily for us, Mr. Rodriguez knew what he was doing when he planted and began maintenance. The newest part is now coming into its first good season.”

“Love how the sun plays on the vines. You have the same rock walls my parents have,” Julie offered.

“We got lots of rock here in Bennett Valley, that’s for sure. It was probably the most difficult part of getting it ready to plant. Did you know, there are ranchers all over this valley floor with old rock walls going back more than a hundred years?”

“What are you going to call your wine, Nick?”

“Sophie’s Dream Winery.”

“She would have loved that, Nick.” Luke knew Mark Beale, Nick’s best friend and BUD/S partner, had fallen hard for Nick’s sister during her final days. It was fitting for Sophie’s vision of the property to be realized, and enhanced a hundred percent, since it was now to be part of a Team project. She would have liked that too, he thought. Sophie had loved her SEAL brother and all his Teammates.

“You teach in San Diego, Luke says,” Nick said to Julie.

“Yes. I have the best job in the world. I mean, the kids are great, and they’re why I do it. I could do without some of the administrative hassles and the parents, though.”

“What grade?”

“Second. Love kids at that age. Still excited about being in school.”

Luke remembered how Camilla had loved her students, too. He felt the jolt of pain tug on him while Julie chattered on about her classroom. Something about it was too familiar. He decided to push it aside for now and just enjoy the time they had left together.

On their way
back to the Waterwheel, Luke offered to accompany Julie back by car to San Diego the next day.

“A road trip with you sounds like a fun idea,” she said with a coy smile. Her hair was flying in all directions, waving out the opened windows to the early summer day. “I do have to be at school on Tuesday for a teacher meeting, though, so we can’t dawdle, much as I’d love to.”

“Another time, then.”

“No. I think I’d like you to take me home. But we have to stop at a drugstore on the way.”

He searched his memory and then blushed, hanging his head. “Condoms.”

She nodded. There was something else clouding her enthusiasm.

“You okay about last night?” he asked.

“I’ve got some issues to work on when I get back. We have a parent situation I’ll have to deal with first thing.” He could tell her smile was forced. “Maybe my principal has made it go away, but it isn’t likely.”

“I’m sorry. Anything I can do?”

“Just love me, Luke. It’s all I need.”

He intended to. Fully.

‡

J
ulie woke up
with a slightly stiff neck. They were nearly halfway to San Diego County, and Luke had pulled over for gas and to grab them some lunch. She’d been more tired than she thought she’d be, but then they hadn’t gotten much sleep. In between their heavy lovemaking, the sound of the waterwheel outside their door had kept her awake until she found herself drifting off to sleep just as the sky turned pink with sunrise. Her rest hadn’t lasted long.

The popular restaurant’s parking lot was filled with motorhomes and long-haul trucks. She found herself getting tense as they got closer to home. The sparkle of the emotion-filled weekend began to fade, revealing some fears she was surprised to discover. Was this thing with Luke just a fantasy?

She could tell the bloom of their rekindled relationship had worn off for Luke as well. He looked tired, and they spoke little while they ordered. The footsie was gone. Knowing smiles were gone. They’d had plans to perhaps stay overnight somewhere and then get up early to get Julie back just in time for her meeting, but now Luke seemed hell-bent on driving straight through.

“I can spell you, if you like,” she suggested. They had nearly four hours to go.

“Not necessary,” he answered without looking at her. She could tell something was eating at him, and almost hoped it was his military past and not something she’d done. Then she chastised herself for such a ridiculous thought.

Maybe it was lack of sleep. She pushed the off button on her better judgment, something she would soon regret.

“So is there something I’ve done wrong, Luke?”

He gave her a confused look, knitting his eyebrows and squinting, especially on the side he favored, his right.

“Excuse me? Why would you think that?”

“Just you’ve been so quiet, and I thought—”

“Julie, I’ve been letting you sleep for Chrissake.”

“Well, yes.” She instantly regretted she’d said anything. Now she wanted to be compliant, and then realized it would just put him off even more. It would have been best to ignore the niggling question and just leave him alone. But of course she couldn’t. Maybe it was knowing they would go their separate ways when they reached San Diego, and nothing had been said about seeing each other after the trip.

“You’ve been awake, what? Twenty minutes while I gassed up the car?” The emphasis on
I gassed up the car
made it sound like it had been an imposition, not like a man who was devoted to the woman he loved. As if it was her fault.

Was it just her company? But that was nuts.

“I’m sorry, Luke. I should have insisted I drive part of the way. You’re tired. And you’re crabby.”

She could see his control waning. “You don’t know anything about how I feel, Julie. Don’t do that.”

“What? Just what am I doing, Luke?” She said it a little too loud and several of the customers turned to look. Luke didn’t flinch or seem to notice, but she knew he had.

“Quit prying.”

“We talked about this.”

“No
this
isn’t what we talked about, Julie.” He delivered it sharply, like a saber cutting through silk. He hissed the words, spinning out his enunciation with irritation oozing through every pore.

Was she ready for this? She told herself she was. She also told herself she shouldn’t back down, even if it risked a blowup. She had to show him she wasn’t afraid of what he had going on emotionally. But she was getting more uncomfortable by the moment. Something in the back of her brain was shouting, “No,” but she didn’t care. It was past time to fully engage.

“I don’t think it is anything we talked about, either, except I’ve said before that I didn’t want you to check out on me, and from what I can see, it’s exactly what you’ve done.”

Anger flared in his eyes, and he swiped his forearm across the table so his silverware hit the floor, attracting attention.

“Don’t start this, Luke,” she held firm.

He pointed at her face and then gratefully thought better of it. She drilled a look to him and again would not back down. The first word out of his mouth was going to be “You.” She could tell.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m just fuckin’ tired, and I’ve been trying to be careful to let you sleep. What, I have to entertain you 24/7 now? Not enough to let you get some rest while I’m sitting on my ass dodging motorhomes and stupid truck drivers?”

“You offered.”

“Well, that wasn’t such a good decision now, was it?”

She sat back and watched a brother and sister throw ice cubes at each other. Everything around her irritated her, too. She felt as tired as she knew he did. But the memory of their intense, nearly all-night, sexual encounter left her aching for more of that closeness…that soulful connection she might possibly have imagined after all…and missing him already.

Shaking her head, she decided to try reminding him how it had been between them last night. “Luke, have you forgotten why we didn’t get any sleep last night? Is sleep really the issue here?”