Her Adoring SEAL (Midnight Delta Book 3) (12 page)

“Wild horses couldn’t drag me away.”

After he got her situated under the covers, he stretched out on top of the duvet and tucked her close to his side. 

“Thank you, Jack, I don’t think I could have gone back to sleep without you here with me.”

“Well that’s good news, because I couldn’t have rested tonight if you weren’t in my arms.”  She kissed the bottom of his chin, and was soon breathing deeply.

****

T
he next morning the Hidalgo family intended to get together one more time before the trial the following day, but Beth was still asleep at ten in the morning when Lydia called.

“She’s still asleep, yesterday was hard on her.  She needs to stay in and rest today.”

“Did she talk to you?” Lydia asked tentatively.

“Yes she did.  Thank you for telling her she needed to speak to me.”  Jack paused, it took him a moment to clear his throat and come up with the right words.  “I think it helped her.  God, I hope it did.”

“How...”  Lydia paused.  “How are you doing?  I mean how did you react?”

“How did I react?  I’m pissed as fuck!  Somebody is going to die.  But for her sake I didn’t show it.  All that’s important is she feel loved and safe, so I stayed calm.”

“Exactly right.  You’re doing it exactly right, Jack.”

“Stupid isn’t part of the recruiting criteria for SEALs, Lydia.  I thought you knew that by now.” 

She laughed.  “Just take care of my baby sister.  I’ll take care of my parents.  I’ll also make sure my papa still has at least some of his manly parts attached.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I just mean you shouldn’t think Beth or I are stupid either.  Goodbye.”

Jack grinned as he hung up the phone, and then he went to the living room window to see who was on duty.  He waved to Terry and Chris who had taken over for Lou and Mike.  After making another pot of coffee he checked on Beth.  Half the time during the night when she was so restless he’d thought it was because she was still dressed, but he didn’t want to wake her up so she could get into her sleep shirt.  She was still in her clothes from the day before with the covers bunched around her waist.  At least now she seemed to be really sleeping.  He went into the other room and closed the door behind him.

Grabbing his phone he called a familiar number.  “Hi Jack, how’s California?”

“It’s bad and it’s good, Mom.”  Jack’s voice broke.  He looked down the hall, and realized he couldn’t trust the door wouldn’t open.

“Are you all right?  Is Beth?”

“We’re fine now.  Hold on.”  He went to the laundry room and shut the door.  He rested his back against it before continuing to talk.  “I’m back.”

“Can you talk now?  Tell me.”  And he did.  It rushed out of him like a breaking wave.  Jack didn’t know everything he said, or what words he used.  Every time he stopped his Mom would gently prod him along.  He heard her tears, and realized his face was wet.

“She didn’t deserve this Mom.  I know this happens.  I know you suffered so much.  But she didn’t deserve this.”

“Nobody does.”

“What can I do to help her?”

“You listen to her, and you love her.  It’s the two things you’re already doing, son.”

“It doesn’t seem like enough.”

“It is.  Trust me, it is.  It also sounds like I might have a daughter-in-law soon.”

“Damn straight.”  Jack grinned, and then he heard a sound coming from the kitchen.

“I’ve got to go.”

“I love you.  You give my love to Beth.”

He hung up the phone.  He opened the door and found Beth opening the dishwasher.  “What do you need?”

“I’m getting a bowl for some cereal.”  She was freshly showered. 

“What kind?” he asked, opening the pantry door.  She didn’t answer him, and when he turned around she was blushing.

“Froot Loops it is.”  He laughed.  Grabbing the box from the pantry, he put it on the table and got the milk from the refrigerator.  He snagged a bowl and spoon for himself, and sat down at the table with her.

“When did you become a fan of Toucan Sam?” Jack asked, indicating the colorful bird on the outside of the box.

“Since forever.  And don’t try to take the prize from the cereal box, Preston, it’s all mine,” Beth said as she poured her milk into the cereal bowl.

“You think you can really take it from me?”

“I fight dirty.  Lydia never won the prize, and she was older.  The prize always goes to me.”  She smirked.  Beth took her first bite of cereal and a smile suffused her face.  “This is bliss.”  Jack ate a spoonful.  It wasn’t bliss, but seeing Beth act so carefree after all of the horror of yesterday was a gift from Heaven.

“Your family left to visit the beach.  They said they’d call you when they’re done.”

“Lydia didn’t tell Mama and Papa about Berto, did she?”  Beth’s spoon clattered into her bowl, spilling milk and cereal everywhere.

“Oh sweetheart, I can’t imagine she would tell anyone without your permission.”  He got up to get some paper towels.  Squatting beside her, he cleaned up the mess. 

“Are you sure?”  It was quite telling Beth didn’t want her parents to know about it.  They were the two people she should have relied on through the harrowing experience.

Jack threw the soiled paper in the trash, then came back and hugged Beth.  “I’m absolutely positive.  She would never betray your trust.”  She relaxed into his hold, her breath sighing against his neck.

“I really should be with them.  Papa testifies tomorrow.  This is the last day for us to spend as a family before his ordeal.”  Jack couldn’t give a shit less. 

“Sweetheart, Lydia has it covered.  Anyway, I have a surprise for you today.”

“Really?  What?”

“First you have to get all of your daily vitamins and nutrients from the mega dose of sugar known as Froot Loops and I’ll tell you.” He grinned, as he got her a new bowl and spoon.

He sat back across from her and dived in to the cereal with relish, matching her spoonful to spoonful.  Okay, he had to admit, he had Fruity Pebbles at his condo.  Who didn’t like morning crack sometimes?  As soon as her last bite was eaten she rested her spoon in the empty bowl, and looked at him expectantly.

“Tell me my surprise.”

“Better yet, I’ll show you.  Go and put on your oldest pair of jeans and I’ll give you one of my T-Shirts to wear.”

“So this is a fancy date,” she said as she rushed down the hall brimming with excitement.  He pulled a clean T-Shirt out of his duffle and knocked on her door.

“Come in.”  He hesitated.  Seeing her in any sort of undress was going to kill him.  She turned around, and he saw her in a tank top with hip hugger jeans.  Yep, death by Beth. 

“I brought the T-Shirt.”

“Tell me my surprise, and I’ll give you the plastic spoon I got out of the box of Froot Loops,” she coaxed.  Jack watched transfixed as she pulled on the T-Shirt.  Beth had a great body, and his body approved. 
Damn, keep it together Preston.

“If it was the blue spoon I would’ve have told you, but since you fished out the pink spoon you’ll just have to wait.  Let’s head to the car.”

Jack already called Mrs. Marsh, and by the time they got to the little co-op garden in San Diego, she was waiting for them.

“Jack!” she called out.  “I’m over here.” 

“What is this place?” Beth asked, as they walked down the paths towards the senior citizen.

“This is a shared garden.  For those of us who live in apartments and condos, and don’t have yards, we can garden and grow food in a collective piece of land.  I thought you might enjoy working in Mrs. Marsh’s garden with her.  You’ll love her.  She’s the one who keeps my plants alive whenever I’m overseas.”

“Jack, who is this beautiful girl you’ve brought today?  Is she your girlfriend?”

“Yes she is.  I done good, didn’t I Mrs. M?”

“Well if she can use gardening tools, then I’ll approve.  I’m Sarah Marsh, what’s your name?”

“I’m Beth.”  Jack knew it was easier at this point for her to stick with a first name than try to remember the new last name she’d been given.

“Well Beth, do you know the difference between weeds, and actual cabbage, carrots, and beans?”

“I do.”

“Excellent!  I have an extra set of knee pads and gloves.  Let’s get you started.”  After Mrs. Marsh got Beth situated she turned to Jack.

“You know what you need to do.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” He grinned.  He went to the parking lot and helped all the different people—mostly strangers—unload their cars, and bring their supplies into the fenced in garden.  Mrs. Marsh told him early on when he’d come to work in her garden that first he had to put his back to work helping all the tired old people.  She’d winked when she’d said it.  But when he saw all the loads people carried, he definitely saw her point.

By the time he got back to work Mrs. Marsh’s row of tomatoes, he saw they were fast friends and Beth was back to her old self.  He’d hit a home run.

One of the other women from the co-op came over to Beth and started speaking in Spanish.  Soon they were involved in an intense conversation about different types of peppers for cooking.

“Even though you haven’t asked, yes, all of your plants are doing fine.  Now tell me about Beth, she’s lovely.”

“She is isn’t she?”

“Inside and out.  I’d always hoped you were smart enough to look for substance as well as flash.  I see you were.”  He looked at Mrs. Marsh and smiled. 

“We’re going to have to be going soon.  I needed to give her some time to wind down.  I appreciate you meeting us out here.”

“It wasn’t a problem at all.”  The older woman smiled.  Beth came over.

“I think it’s about time I got you some lunch.  We can go by my place and get cleaned up first.  Mrs. Marsh, would you like to come with us?”

“I have a date, honey.  You two run along.  Beth, thanks for all of your help.  Jack, thanks for only pulling up two of my tomato plants this time.” 

“Hey wait a minute.”

“I’m teasing, I’m teasing.”  Beth and Mrs. Marsh exchanged a significant glance and Jack sighed.  He’d really tried, but he probably pulled up two of her tomato plants.

****

J
ack amazed her.  He seemed to always find the right things for her to do.  But wasn’t it getting old?  Everything being about her?  They got back to Santa Monica at four o’clock.  She’d gotten a call from her sister letting her know they were all going to have dinner near the water, and what time to join them. 

“Lydia, I think I’m going to bow out tonight.”  There was a long pause on the phone.  Beth could practically hear her sister’s mental gears turning.

“You want some time alone with Jack.  I get it.”

“I’ll call you tomorrow.  You three have fun.”

“Call me if you need anything.  I do mean
anything
.”

“I won’t.  I’m covered.”  Beth hung up the phone.

Jack closed the blinds after watching the trade-off of shifts between Mike, Lou, Chris, and Terry. 

“We’re not going out with Lydia and your folks?”

“Nope, we’re going to do what you want to do tonight.  Watch sports, a movie, go to a bar.  Something you would do if I wasn’t around.”  He looked at her like she’d grown a second head.

“Going out with you and your family sounded nice.”

“I’m sick of everything revolving around me.  You haven’t done one thing that’s made you happy since we’ve met.  It’s been all about Beth Hidalgo and her needs.”

“Uhhhm.  Where is this coming from?”

“Even today, you took me to the garden so I could relax after yesterday.  Once again putting me first.  Well now we put you first.”  He stalked across the room, and suddenly she had a big blonde man towering over her.

“Are you out of your mind?  Where is this coming from?”

“It’s true.  Everything is about me.  I want something to be about you.”

“Think this through.  The reason I knew to take you to the co-op garden is because I go there sometimes with Mrs. Marsh.  When we were on the ranch, I took you horseback riding because I like to ride horses.  We sat around and read books because that’s something I like to do.”  He looked totally frustrated.

“But still, since knowing me, you’ve been glued to my hip.  You haven’t had any alone time.  You haven’t had a chance to go out with any of your friends.”

“My friends are my team mates.  Most of them have been either on maneuvers or deployed.  When all of this is over with, yes, I want you to meet them.  I want you to spend time getting to know them.  They are a great bunch of guys.  What about you?  Your life’s been on hold.”

She looked at him with dawning comprehension.  Her life had been on hold for seven years.  Ever since the moment in the file room her life had been on hold.  Before then she’d wanted so much more.  It wasn’t just that she wanted to be a wife and mother.  She wanted to work with children too.  Really work with them on a professional level. 

Beth thought about what she left behind in Mexico and it really wasn’t all that much.  Except for her time volunteering at the school she was damn near a shut-in.  All of her drive and ambition had stopped in one dusty room in fifteen horrifying minutes. 

“I used to want to be a teacher.”

“I wondered why you hadn’t pursued college like Lydia.”

“I think I’ve been in stasis.”

“That makes total sense.”

“It’s stupid,” she said bitterly.  All those wasted years.

“What are you thinking?”

“I’m disgusted with myself.  I look at all Lydia has accomplished, and it seems all I’ve done is cooked and cleaned.”

“The way Lydia tells it, you’ve made a hell of a difference to those children in the community center.”  That brought her up short.

“Jack, it’s the other way around.  They saved me.  Those kids are so special, and so loving.  I don’t think I could have kept it together if it weren’t for them.”  He folded her in his arms, and she breathed him in.  His cheek lightly rested on the top of her head.

“When it’s done right, it’s what happens in a relationship.  You end up saving one another.”  She stood for long moments, her arms wrapped around the warm, gentle giant. 

“I still want us to do a Jack thing.  Movie?  Sports?  Football—your American kind?”