The SEAL's Best Man (Special Ops: Homefront Book 2) (16 page)

“I can do it. Think about it. We had 22
people over last Thanksgiving and I didn’t even break a sweat. Most of the
stuff I can make ahead of time. I could make my cream of crab you guys like so
much for the soup. Maybe a Maryland style for a second option. We could have a
few carving stations for meat. A couple hams and roast beefs. Then we do a
mashed potato bar.”

“Like the one we saw on that wedding show
we watched yesterday?” Maeve interrupted.

“Exactly. People love them. And I’d make
that asparagus and wild rice dish you like, Lacey. Green beans in garlic sauce.
Or maybe a couple Hawaiian dishes to sort of pull in your honeymoon destination
into the menu.” Bess could feel a warmth cast over her skin. It was almost
weird how excited she got over cooking. “I wouldn’t even have to do the
appetizers. We can order some of those mini-crab cakes from Jesse’s Fish House,
and maybe a giant kettle of crab dip and bread. It’s very Annapolis, don’t you
think? All I’d have to do is heat them up. Then we’d have cocktail shrimp and
plenty of it. Cheese and fruit plate. There’s nothing to that. You just serve
it.”

“Yeah, but
who
? Who serves it? We
were counting on the caterer for that.”

“I already checked with the same place
who we hired to bartend. They can do it. They’ll set up, serve, and even clean
up.”

Maeve raised her eyebrows at Lacey.

Lacey shook her head. “Bess, it’s so
sweet to offer this. But I’m not letting you cook at my wedding. You’re my bridesmaid.
Not my cook.”

“I’d love it. Cooking is what makes me
happy. You know that. If I could pull this off…” Her voice trailed a moment,
lost in a dream.

“That’s a lot of food to prepare.”

Bess leaned forward, moving in for the
kill. “We’ve got five ovens among us. Yours, Mick’s, Jack’s, and I already
talked to Edith about using her double oven. She even told me she has an extra
refrigerator in her basement. And the company we’re renting chairs from also
rents restaurant equipment, like serving platters and huge chafing dishes.”

“You’ve done your homework. When did you
get this news?” Jack asked.

“Yesterday. But I didn’t want to tell you
till I had a plan. Figured one more day wouldn’t make a difference.”

“And you’re sure you want to take this
on?”

“More than anything. I need this. God, I
need to know I can successfully do something other than change a diaper or
clean a toilet.”

Jack exchanged a look with Mick. “We
could do it on the cheap if Mick and I bought the groceries at the commissary.”

Maeve interjected. “Yeah, the one perk to
the military. Sure, they shoot at your husband, but you get cheap groceries out
of the deal.”

Bess scooted her chair closer to Lacey’s,
seeing a new angle to sell this to her. Lacey was notoriously practical when it
came to money. “They’re right. Even with the rental equipment and staff, we’d
come in way under budget. Much less than that stupid caterer and it would be
twice as good, if I do say so myself.” She grinned slyly. “You’d have a lot
more money for your down payment. Or maybe extra cash to furnish your house. Imagine
all you could buy at Pottery Barn.”

Lacey bit her lip, and Bess could swear
she saw visions of new loveseats, coffee tables, and headboards dancing in her
friend’s eyes.

“You’re sure?” Lacey asked in a tentative
voice. “I mean, Bess, you’ve got so much going on right now with school ending.
And you’ve got a baby, for God’s sake.”

“Maeve and I volunteer to babysit while
she’s cooking,” Jack offered, clasping Maeve’s hand and raising it with his
own.

Bess touched Lacey’s arm hesitantly,
feeling almost desperate for her to say yes. Playing caterer for the day
sounded more fun to her than she’d had in her lifetime. “I really want this. I
want to do something for you for a change. All of you are always doing things
for me. Finally I feel like I have something to offer.”

“Yeah, Bess, you only cook a gourmet meal
for us twice a week. Come on,” Mick responded.

She glanced his way briefly. “Sure, with
food that you guys buy for me, and in a kitchen that’s not my own. So what?”

“For a guy who eats cold Chinese take-out
on nights I’m not here, it seems like plenty,” Jack said.

Bess folded her arms. “Well, Chinese
take-out is the next alternative for the wedding if you don’t let me do this.”

Lacey glanced at Mick and he gave her a
small nod in return. “If you’re sure. Then yes, and thank you, Bess.”

Her eyes still shut, Maeve savored the
feel of Jack’s arms around her and the cozy feeling of being nestled into his
hard body.

It felt so right.
Too
right. And
utterly addictive.

The day had been a blur of
activity—rushing to the store to get groceries, packing up a picnic lunch
with the epicurean guidance of Bess, and stuck in a logjam of traffic on her
way to Jack’s house. Annapolis was packed with Navy families and tourists who
had come to watch the spectacle of the Blue Angels fighter pilots flying over
Annapolis to honor the Academy graduates.

One of Jack’s Academy friends who had
left the Navy for civilian life had invited them onto his family’s boat to see
the air show, and with cars moving at a snail’s pace downtown, she and Jack had
arrived at their dock only minutes before they were due to set sail.

Jack had been right. She couldn’t imagine
a better way to witness the jaw-dropping show. The jets cut low through the
sky, seeming only a few feet above their sailboat’s mast from its anchorage in
the harbor. The sheer power of the jets made the water itself vibrate
underneath them. It was dizzying and humbling at the same time.

Her eyes opened slowly to the sight of a
red maple tree casting a late day shadow on them both as they snuggled in
Jack’s hammock. A brisk breeze sent ripples along the Severn River just a few
feet away, a beacon to some Annapolitans to catch a late-day sail. But for
Maeve, she was content on land for the rest of the evening, with Jack’s warmth
protecting her from the cool breeze.

“Did you have fun today?” he murmured,
seeming only seconds away from blissful sleep.

“Mmhmm.”

“Pretty incredible, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. I can’t believe they can fly so
close together without crashing. My heart was in my throat half the time.”

“No. I meant Todd’s boat. Incredible. 62-footer.
Two forward cabins. All the systems you’d ever want. A beauty like that you
could take out on blue water without worrying. She’s a beauty.” He nestled his
face closer to hers, stealing a warm kiss. “The show was pretty good too,
though.”

“Blue water?”

“The ocean. Not the bay.”

She rested her head on his chest. “I
never knew you were so into boats.”

Jack’s laugh felt like a low rumble
against her cheek. “Maeve, I’m a Sailor.”

“Yeah, I know. But you never talk about
sailing.”

“Who has time now? When I retire from the
Navy, I’m going to buy one just like her.”

“Oh, is that the big thing you’re saving
for? You had mentioned something about that before.”

“Did I? Yeah. That’s what I want. I
always wanted to take some kids from the inner city out on a sailboat. Teach
them how to control the power of the wind. There’s nothing better. My dad used
to take me out when I was a teen. We didn’t own one, but our family would rent
one on base whenever we came down to Annapolis. I was hooked.”

Maeve couldn’t have been more surprised.
“You mean, like start a nonprofit or something?”

“Yeah.”

“You never told me any of this before.”

He shrugged. “It’s such a long time from
now. Just a dream.”

“It’s a beautiful dream.”

“I just keep thinking that if a kid can
just feel how amazing it is to sail, it might give them some direction, some
hope. And it really helps develop skills like teamwork. I think the only reason
I’m so close to my sisters is because we learned how to work together as a crew
anytime we were on vacation.”

Maeve moved on top of him, encasing his
face in her hands. “Jack, you are an amazing man.” She kissed him, her tongue
touching his, tasting the Sam Adams that now lay empty beneath the hammock. Her
lips opened more, tracing her tongue along his teeth, and then playfully
nipping his bottom lip. She could feel his body react beneath her.

“Wow, if I knew you’d react this way, I would
have told you two years ago,” he said as she rested her face back down on his
chest.

The blue canvas encased them like a warm
cocoon, making it difficult to move. Not that she’d want to.

This was the way to spend an evening and
she was determined to enjoy every minute of it. Determined to block from her
mind the fact that Jack would be leaving soon, only weeks after they had
finally reignited the passion that was between them so long ago.

What a painful waste of time.

His breathing slowed, and she watched his
eyes flutter, in a dream. His lashes were long and thick. It was a sin that
such eyelashes were wasted on a man. When his eyes were open, she never noticed
them. They were merely the frames for his hypnotically green eyes.

The blessed shade of the trees made the
waterfront so lovely, even in the sun. Her own backyard was lacking trees. Her
grandmother had been an avid vegetable gardener and loved plenty of direct sun.

Barely lifting her head, Maeve glanced up
at the oak and the maple that their hammock swung from. They were probably
fifty or a hundred years old. Maybe more—Maeve never did have much
knowledge about trees. She wondered who had planted them and whether they had
any idea their trees would still be standing long after they themselves had
passed from this earth.

Trees were lasting. Like love, she
couldn’t resist thinking. The love her grandparents had for each other. The
love Lacey had for Mick. The love she had for Jack that would somehow give her
the strength to let him go.

Wait a minute.

“Jack,” she whispered.

“Mmmm?” his eyes were still shut and his
arm squeezed her tighter.

“Jack.”

“What?” his voice murmured.

“I’ve got an idea.”

“Yeah?”

“Tell me if this sounds corny. But I was
just thinking about trees.”

“Okay. Trees…” He yawned. “Good thing to
think about. Now sleep. Or you can start kissing me again. Yeah, that would be
nice, too.”

Maeve struggled to prop herself up on his
chest. “Trees are such nice symbols, you know?”

“Guess so.”

“Do you think it would be nice to have
Lacey and Mick plant a tree in my backyard as part of the ceremony? Something
that will symbolize how their love will grow and last through the years?”

Jack finally opened his eyes. “Lacey would
probably love that. Especially since they’ll be moving so much. If she planted
it in San Diego, chances are, she’d be leaving it behind in a couple years.”

“But I’ll never sell Gram’s house. Well, so
long as the clients keep coming, I won’t have to, anyway.”

“You won’t have to.” He squeezed her
tight, reassuring her. “Mick will say it’s sentimental bullshit, you know.”

“You think?”

“He’s a guy. He’s required to say that.
Truth is, he’ll probably love it. And if it makes Lacey happy, it makes Mick
happy. Pretty simple equation.” He pulled her face closer and gave her a soft kiss.
“So what makes you happy, Maeve?”

“You.” She didn’t miss a beat answering,
and it couldn’t have been more truthful. These weeks with him had been the
happiest she had ever known.

“You’ve got me.”

For now.
“Do you really have to go?” The words
escaped her lips before she could stop them. From the look in his eyes, she
immediately knew the answer.

“To Little Creek, you mean?”

“Mmhm.”

“I got orders. It’s a done deal.”

“So you can’t—like—ask to
keep your job here.”

“It doesn’t work like that in the military,”
Jack answered, and added, “unfortunately.”

“Or maybe ask for a little more time
here. Maybe ask for some leave time in between jobs.”

“No. I already got my report date. The
movers will be coming right after the wedding.”

That made her bolt upright. “You haven’t
even started packing.”

“The movers do that for you. They do
everything. Wrap everything, pack it in their boxes, load it on a truck. I just
sit there and sign the paperwork at the end. I’ll keep some stuff with me so
I’ll have it when I arrive. A couple uniforms. Shave kit. My kayak so I can hit
the water when I get down there. The truck usually shows up a lot later than I
do because they put a few other moves on the same truck.”

Maeve rested her head back on his chest. She
didn’t want him to see the tears welling up in her eyes. But when a tear fell
onto his shirt, he must have noticed.

“Maeve, just because I’m going doesn’t
mean this has to end, you know.”

She swallowed. “Of course. I know.” But
she didn’t. She knew that his departure from Annapolis would be the beginning
of the end. With all the miles between them, he’d go on with his life, meet
someone new. Someone more appropriate for his future.

And so would she. Eventually.

“I’m only a few hours’ drive away. It
will be hard to get up here at times because I’ll be on twenty-four alert. But when
I have a weekend off, I’ll be here. If I’m invited, that is.”

She forced a smile. “You’re always
invited. You know that.”

“And I’ll have plenty of room for you to
stay with me so you can come visit.”

“Sure. Sure I will.” She tried to sound
sincere. She loved the idea of visiting him. But would that just prolong the
inevitable?

“I’ll be at sea a lot. But—” He
shifted fully toward her, his eyes meeting hers. “—I’d love to know you
would be there waiting when I got back.”

She stared, lost in his eyes, and
drowning in his words. How could she answer that? The truth was, she’d always
be there, waiting for him. Even when someone else replaced her and he settled
with the family he always dreamed about… she’d still be waiting for him,
waiting to hear that he was all right, safe, happy.

Her love wouldn’t end. The realization
shouldn’t have come as a surprise. She had grown so used to his laugh, his
company out on her back porch, the way he could make her smile even when things
seemed at their worst. She loved the comfort of knowing he was there, as though
somehow his very presence made her stronger.

She had known all along she loved him.
But she hadn’t realized till now that the love she had for him was the same
kind her grandparents had had for each other. The same kind her parents had. The
kind that lasts.

How would she go on after she let him go?
And if she loved him, she had to. She had seen what it was like with Bess—that
moment of Abigail’s birth. That moment when suddenly the earth shifted and all
that was important was the life of this precious child.

Even being Bess’s friend and Abigail’s
godmother, Maeve had felt it. She couldn’t imagine how much stronger the
feeling could be if the child had been her own.

She wanted that for Jack.

“Will you?” His words snapped her back,
and she stared into his questioning eyes.

“I’ll always be there for you, Jack. Nothing
will ever change that.”

“Good.” He rested his head back down onto
the stiff canvas pillow, a contented grin on his face. A laugh escaped him.

“What’s so funny?”

“I’m suddenly picturing Lacey trying to
plant a tree in a big white dress.”

Maeve sighed, feeling grateful to be
distracted from her own thoughts. “Hadn’t thought of that. Maybe it’s not such
a good idea.”

“Let’s Google it and see what other
people have done. I can’t imagine you’re the first to come up with the idea of
a tree planting ceremony.”

“Are you saying I can’t come up with an
original idea?”

“Maeve, in the age of the internet, no
idea is original.”

She laughed, noticing how once again, he had
made her smile at a time she thought things were hopeless.