SEAL's Baby (Navy SEAL Secret Baby Romance) (4 page)

“Books that map out the
geography and history of certain places,” he answered. “They’re not really the
kind of books that make best seller lists.”

“But you enjoy it?”

“I get to travel,” he
said. “Half the time I’m broke after one of my trips, but seeing the world is
worth it.”

  
He spoke with conviction, with the certainty of knowing that
despite everything, he would never regret this part of his life.

“It must be,” I said
mostly to myself.

“I’m Josh, by the way,”
he said extending his hand to me.

“I’m Elizabeth,” I said,
shaking his hand.

“You worked here long
Elizabeth?”

“About a year,” I replied.
“I’m a teacher by day though. Well, not really; I’m a school librarian.”

Josh smiled. “That must
be interesting.”

  
“It’s not,” I said. “I thought it would be when I first got the
job, but it didn’t work out that way. To be honest, I took the job only because
I was hoping it would one day lead to a teaching position.”

“Is that what you want to
do with the rest of your life?” Josh asked. “Teach?”

I considered that for a
moment. “You know what? I said. “I really don’t know.”

“Hey, bar keep!” a loud
voice hollered from the other end of the bar. “I need a refill.”

“I’m sorry,” I said to
Josh. “I’ve been neglecting my other customers.”

  
I was about to leave when he leaned in and touched my arm. “Maybe
after your shift we could … talk a little more?”

  
I was taken back and flattered, but I could feel myself closing up
again, receding into my bubble of safety where nothing could touch me. “I don’t
know,” I said uncertainty. “My shift ends at twelve.”

“I can wait,” he said
readily.

“I wouldn’t,” I said
automatically. “I’m exhausted at the end of the night.”

“How about I hang around
here, and at the end of the night we’ll see how you’re feeling?”

“I … well … I guess I
can’t stop you,” I said before moving down the bar to where Bob sat.

“Found a new friend, did
you?” he asked pointedly.

“Shut up,” I shot back at
him as I refilled his glass.

  
I made sure I stayed on the opposite side of the bar for the
remainder of my shift, keeping a fair distance between Josh and myself. I
wasn’t sure why I was so reluctant to go out with the guy after my shift. It
would give me some distraction, plus I would be following Zach’s advice to get
out there. I was saved from my internal debate when Heather showed up.

“Elizabeth, do you mind
if I work the bar?” she asked. “I want to practice mixing drinks.”

“Sure,” I replied as I
got out a fresh apron and fastened it around my waist.

  
I moved into the hub of the bar and started cleaning down the
empty tables and clearing away empty plates and beer bottles. I found it easier
to keep my mind off things when there was work to be done. I had just taken an
order and was moving towards the kitchen when I noticed the door to the bar
open. I glanced behind and realized that it was Paul.

“Shit,” I said to myself
as I moved behind the bar and passed the order to the kitchen.

“What’s wrong honey? Joni
asked as she brought a new order in.

“Paul’s here again,” I
sighed.

“I wonder if he comes
here for the steak or for you?” she asked curiously.

“He comes here for his
own amusement,” I replied. “He likes to get under my skin.”

“Just ignore him, hon,”
Joni said before she grabbed a few fresh beer bottles and headed off to a table
in the corner.

“Easier said than done,”
I whispered to myself.

  
I collected my order and moved back into the bar’s hub. On my way
to the table, I realized that Josh had moved from the bar and he was now
sitting at one of the high tables alone with a mug of beer in hand. He smiled
at me as I passed and instinctively I glanced at Paul. His eyes were fixed on
me and I realized he was trying to get my attention. I ignored him and
pretended to be busy wiping down an empty table.

“Hey, Elizabeth,” Joni
said from behind me.

I turned. “What’s up?”

“Paul wants you.”

I narrowed my eyes at him
and turned back to Joni. “Can’t you wait on him?”

“I can,” she replied.
“And I tried, but he wants you.”

“What an asshole.”

“Sorry, hon,” Joni said
sympathetically. “But he’s known for causing scenes and I’d rather avoid one.”

“I know,” I sighed. “It’s
fine, Joni. I’ll deal with it.”

“Thanks, doll,” she said
as she turned and walked away.

  
Sighing, I walked straight for Paul’s table. His pale-blue eyes
were fixed on me as I approached. I noticed that his blond hair was receding
slightly at the top and I felt a surge of malicious pleasure at the sight. I
recalled a time when he had been passably good looking, back when he played
football and he thought he was going to be someone.

“What do you want?” I
asked hotly.

“Aw come on, Ellie,” he
said. “Why do you have to be that way?”

  
“My name is Elizabeth,” I said firmly. “And I’m ‘that way’ because
you’re a pain in my ass. Seriously, the whole point of getting divorced is that
you don’t see each other after the fact.”

“Can’t we be one of those
friendly divorced couples?” he asked seriously. “You know: the kind that get
along?”

I raised my eyebrows with
incredulity. “Are you serious?”

“What–?”

I slammed my hands on his
table and leaned in. “Do you recall how you treated me when we were married?”

He smiled as though I was
making a joke. “Come on, Elizabeth; you know I didn’t mean those things.”

“Then why did you say
them?” I demanded.

“You know me: when I get
angry, I just—”

“Go fucking insane?” I suggested.

“I get carried away.”

“That’s a neat and tidy
way of putting it,” I said. “After everything you put me through, the least you
can do now is to leave me alone now.”

“You know I still care
about you,” Paul said as he tried to reach for my hand.

I shook him off and
stared down at him. “I wish the feeling were mutual.”

  
Paul sat back as his smile grew wider. “Have you noticed that
there’s still all this sexual tension between us?”

I shook my head at him in
disgust. “You just come in here to piss me off, don’t you?”

“I come in here for
beer,” he said.

“Great,” I said. “I’ll go
and get you one now.”

I turned on my heels before he could stop me and
walked over to the bar. Heather came forward. “Everything all right?” she
asked.

“Same old bullshit,” I
said in frustration.

“He’s not drunk is he?”

“Not yet,” I replied
darkly.

  
I got the beer and went back to his table. He was looking at me
with that smug smile still playing on his face and I couldn’t help but wonder
what had induced me to marry him in the first place. Scared of answering my own
internal question, I refocused my thoughts and slammed the beer down onto the
table so that a little sloshed out onto the table.

“There,” I said. “Now
drink and leave.”

  
Before he could say another word, I veered off in the opposite
direction and tried to distract myself with work. I had to remind myself not to
glance back at Paul. He might misconstrue the dark looks I wanted to send in
his direction.

“Are you all right?”

  
I turned, realizing that Josh was still hanging around and he had
probably noticed my less than warm exchange with Paul. “Oh … yeah, of course,”
I replied. “It’s just, you know, difficult customers.”

“I can imagine,” he said
sympathetically.

“Listen, Josh,” I said.
“I really don’t think tonight is a good time.”

“I think it’s the perfect
time,” he said persistently. “You look like you need some good conversation and
a few laughs.”

“Do I?” I asked shaking
my head at him. “What about me gave you that expression?”

“You just seem really …
tense,” he said and then he looked a little embarrassed. “But still really
hot.”

  
I couldn't help but laugh. There was something charming about him,
and after the train wreck that was Paul it was easy to laugh it up with someone
completely different. “I bet you say that to all the girls,” I said, enjoying
the flirting far more than I had expected to.

  
“Well, this is the first time I ever truly meant it,” Josh said.
As he spoke, he reached out with his right hand and pushed the lock of hair
that had fallen onto my face. I tensed from the unfamiliar contact but I didn’t
move away. It might actually be nice to spend some time with a stranger and
forget for a moment everything that made my life depressing.

“Hey, buddy,” a hostile
voice said from behind me. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

  
I turned around in alarm to find Paul staring daggers at Josh. I
looked at him with incredulity. “Paul, are you kidding me? Go back to your
booth.”

He didn’t even
acknowledge me. “That’s my wife you’re touching asshole.”

  
My eyes went wide with horror as embarrassment flooded through me.
It was just like Paul to screw everything up just when I was beginning to feel
normal again. Josh looked back and forth between Paul and me with confusion.
“Excuse me?” he asked. Then he looked at me, “You’re married?”

“Divorced,” I said with
finality. “For over a year now.” I turned to Paul. “You need to leave, right
now.”

“I’m not going anywhere
until this dick gets the hell away from you.”

“Are you for real, man?”
Josh asked as anger began to color his tone. “I think it’s pretty clear that
she wants nothing to do with you.”

  
Then without any warning, Paul launched himself at Josh, pushing
me out of the way in the process. I knocked into one of the tables and almost
tripped over my own legs but I managed to steady myself in time. When I looked
up again, Paul had Josh’s head fastened beneath his elbow as he tried to punch
him in the gut.

“Paul!” I screamed. “Stop
this now!”

  
A few of the guys at the bar came forward and pulled the two
furious men apart. Paul was struggling against their hold but Josh calmed down
almost immediately. I could see that Paul had hit him the face; his left cheek
had already started to bruise.

“Oh God,” I said coming
forward. “Josh … I’m so sorry—”

“To hell with this,” Josh
said with unexpected venom. “I don’t need this high school drama.”

  
He wrenched himself free of the two men who were holding him back
and straightened out his shirt. He gave me a parting glance and then he walked
out of the bar without a second look. Furiously, I turned towards Paul, who was
panting heavily.

  
“Are you out of your mind?” I screamed. “Going around bars and
picking fights with random strangers? What are you, fifteen-years-old?” I
ripped the apron from around my waist and threw it at his face. “Stay away from
me! Just stay the hell away from me.”

  
With that, I turned and walked out of the bar, wondering if I was
just another twenty-eight-year-old woman whose life had peaked in high school
and then gotten lost in the rough and tumble of life.
 

Chapter Five

Dylan

  
I woke up to laughter and conversation. My head was aching from
the previous night and I could smell the girl’s perfume on me. I had already
forgotten her name. I rose from my bunker and prepared for my morning run.

  
I’d gotten into the habit early on during my training. I loved the
beach in the mornings, the water wafted onto the shore in calming bursts of
blue and the sand had that welcoming heat that gave you the momentum to keep moving.
It was practically empty that morning when I started my jog, and by the time I
had finished, a few people had started filtering in.