First Class Hero (First Class Novels) (3 page)

“You found it,” she said, nervously.

“Yeah I did. Mariah knows this place well so she dropped me
off.”

“Mariah?”

“I am staying with her and Ed, her husband. He was my team
Commander a few years back in San Diego. They are like family. Well, they
are
family.”

“So you’re here seeing them?”

“I am.”

Nic’s question was answered but she was oddly disappointed
he wasn’t here solely for her. She grinned.

“What’s funny?” Paul asked.

“You didn’t come all the way here from New York to see me.”

Paul looked very uncomfortable. Nic laughed. “Let’s order
shall we?”

Paul nodded and they walked to the counter. Nic ordered a
large White Chocolate Mocha with non-fat milk and whipped cream. Paul ordered
black coffee and added a splash of cream.

“I have to work this evening,” Nic offered as an explanation
to the humungous drink in front of her. “It’s a long shift and it will help me
stay awake. I’m not a night person.”

Paul smiled. “Me either. I like to be up early.”

They sat back at the table and sipped their coffee.

“You know, I should apologize again,” Nic frowned.

“For what?” Paul looked confused.

“I wasn’t very nice to you when we met. In fact I was
probably pretty rude and I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize for anything. You were put in a
tough spot.”

“I was, wasn’t I?” Nic said. “I’m not sure I can forgive
April for that.”

Paul felt bad for her.

“So still working as a waitress then?” It was more of a
statement than a question.

Nic nodded. “I have applied for a few positions though so
hopefully something will come of one of them. But it does look like I’ll have
to move. I’ve never lived anywhere but here. It’ll be weird.”

“Change can be good,” Paul offered. “It can also be
not-so-good, but it
can
be a positive thing.”

“I hope so.”

“So, I was wondering if you could do me a favor.” 

Nic’s eyebrows raised and she slowly put her cup on the
table. She looked at Paul waiting for more.

“Ed is the Commanding Officer of Seal Team 6 and they are
having a barbecue tomorrow afternoon. I know its short notice and if you’ve
already made plans I totally understand, but it’s for families and it’s on the
beach and there’ll be food and volleyball and stuff and I thought maybe you’d
like to go with me.”

Paul looked at Nic, studying her for a clue to her thoughts.
She gave nothing away in her expression. Her eyelids lowered and she moved her
coffee cup around in circles on the table. To Paul, an eternity had passed
before she spoke, when in reality, it had been a mere second or two.

“My experience with men in the Navy has not been good. And I
really am not interested in dating any of them. But, I have no reason
yet
to assume you’re as big of an asshole as the other men I have met. I am
assuming you are asking me on a date?”

She was direct. He’d give her that.

Paul nodded. “Yes. I would consider it a date. I really
don’t want to show up alone and I would like to get to know you a little
better. It’s a win-win. Well for me anyway.” He would try being direct too. It
worked.

Nic studied him. If she was serious about keeping him at
arm’s length she shouldn’t have agreed to meet him for coffee.
Does that
mean I don’t want to keep him at arm’s length?
she wondered. Ordinarily, if
someone had gotten her number and called she just wouldn’t return the call. But
she called Paul back.
Does that mean something?

“Okay. I will go to the barbecue with you. But don’t think
I’m gonna be kissing everybody’s asses because you’re all big tough Navy
Seals.”

Paul chuckled. “I certainly wouldn’t expect you to.”

*****

Paul helped load everything they needed into the back of
Ed’s truck before heading out. There were coolers, chairs, tables, the
volleyball equipment, and a massive barbecue. Mariah would follow shortly in
the car with the kids.

They pulled up in front of a small house and Paul jumped out
and jogged to the door. As he lifted his hand to knock, the door opened and a
short blonde woman stood in shorts and a bikini top.

“Hi,” she said. “Come on in.”

Paul hesitated, not sure who she was.

“I’m Evelyn. Nic is almost ready.”

“Oh, hi.” Paul relaxed and stepped into the living room.

“So you know Nic from her cruise?”

“Yup,” he nodded.

Nic walked into the room and tripped on the edge of the rug
and hurtled towards the ground. In one swift motion, Paul moved through the air
and caught her inches from the wood floor.

“Dammit!” she muttered as Paul returned her to a standing
position. “Thank you,” she frowned.

“No problem,” he replied. “You okay?”

“Just mortified,” she tried not to smile.

Paul grinned. “You ready?”

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” grinned Evelyn. “Have
fun. I won’t wait up.”

Nic turned and glared at her roommate as they left the
house. She shut the door and Paul offered her the lead down the narrow path to
the curb. When they arrived at the truck, he opened the door and introduced her
to Ed. They exchanged pleasantries and Nic and Paul climbed into the backseat.

“So what? I’m the chauffeur?” laughed Ed as he pulled out
and drove to the beach.

It was a short drive and Ed backed the truck up as close to
the path as possible. It was about two o’clock and everyone would be arriving
within about thirty minutes. Ed and Paul got the barbecue and the bags of
charcoal out first and Ed began preparing the grill. He left Nic and Paul alone
as they carried coolers and chairs to the soft sand.

“How many people are coming?” Nic asked as they carried the
last cooler from the truck.

“There are twelve Seals on Ed’s team and their families. So,
a bunch,” he smiled.

Nic was second guessing her decision to come. She still
wasn’t sure why she had agreed. It went against every fiber of her being to
date a Navy man. She supposed she could suffer through one afternoon. And, she
figured if she wasn’t here with Paul she’d just be at home, doing absolutely
nothing.

Paul began opening bags of ice and dumping them in giant
metal buckets. Nic opened the cases of soda and water and beer and added them
to the ice buckets. The two of them set up chairs and the card tables and threw
blankets and beach towels in a pile. As they turned to grab the last of the stuff
from the truck, a car pulled up and within seconds two little girls were
running to Ed.

“Nic, this is Mariah, Ed’s wife. Mariah, this is Nic,” Paul
said.

“Hi Nic. It’s so nice to meet you.”

Nic smiled and shook Mariah’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet
you too.”

“What have you got in the car that needs to be hauled out?”
asked Paul.

“Everything in the back,” she said. “With the exception of
the stroller.”

Paul walked behind the car and started unloading.

“Can I help with something?” offered Nic.

“I just need to get the baby strapped on,” Mariah smiled as
she pulled the Moby wrap from her bag.

“What is that?” Nic asked.

Mariah laughed. “I can tell by your face you don’t have
children.”

Nic shook her head.

“This is the best invention, ever!” Mariah said and within
seconds she had it wrapped and twisted around her torso like a mummy. She
pulled her sleeping son from the car seat and maneuvered him into the folds and
layers of the brown fabric and eventually he was completely hidden; just a bump
showed.

“That’s amazing!” Nic whispered.

“Told ya!” Mariah grinned. “Best invention ever.”

The women joined Ed and Paul and waited for Ed’s team and
their families to arrive for an afternoon on the beach.

*****

A couple of hours later Nic had been introduced to all of Ed’s
team and their significant others. There were wives and girlfriends and a
couple of dates, just like herself, and a whole bunch of children. Everyone was
very friendly and she was actually enjoying herself. A very competitive game of
volleyball was in full swing with Paul on the team on the far side of the net.
Nic sat with Mariah and watched the athleticism of both teams. Ed was manning
the barbecue.

“It’s not a very friendly game, is it?” Nic asked Mariah.

She chuckled and shook her head. “I don’t know if you know
many Seals, but they don’t like to lose…at
anything
!”

The ball was being batted around and bodies were flying and
sand was being flung in all directions. Nic couldn’t help but look at the
torsos on display. They were some nice looking abs and biceps to watch. There
was also laughing on and off the court but this was serious stuff. The score
was twenty to nineteen.

“Match point,” yelled Phil, one of Paul’s good buddies from
when they were in San Diego together. “Defense men!”

The ball sailed over the net and there was a set and a spike
back over but a fist managed to get under the ball just inches from the sand
and up it flew into the air. Paul set it for Phil and over it went again, but
it was blocked at the net and the game was over. Paul patted Phil on the back
and the men eagerly rummaged the ice bucket to quench their thirst.

After grabbing a bottle of water, Paul fell on the sand at
Nic’s feet.

“We lost,” grinned Paul.

“So why are you happy?”

“It’s been a long time since I played. It was fun.”

Nic smiled and Ed yelled that the burgers were done. Bodies
moved quickly in the direction of the food. Mariah stood up and called her
daughters to come and eat. They were with the other children playing in the
sand.

Paul looked up at Nic and tilted his head. “Are you enjoying
yourself?” he asked. “Just a little bit maybe?”

“I really like Mariah,” she replied. “She was telling me
about when you were based out of San Diego.”

“What did she tell you?” Paul’s tone was serious.

“Just the barbecues and parties you guys had when you
weren’t deployed. There was one time you wore a tutu to the grocery store?”

Paul exhaled and smiled. “Ah…the infamous tutu. That was a
video scavenger hunt that Chris’s wife wanted us all to do and I ended up with
the short straw, literally. Not one of my better looks,” he chuckled.

Several people had returned from the food tables and so Paul
helped Nic up and they walked over to grab a plate and a burger. Ed dished up
big discs of beef with cheese melted and oozing all over. They looked
delicious.

“Two or three?” asked Ed as Paul handed him his plate.

“Eh, two to start.”

“How many are you gonna eat?” Nic was shocked.

“We’ll see,” grinned Paul.

The conversation was at a low hum as everyone feasted on
burgers and salad and fruit and potato chips. Nic watched as Seal after Seal
went back for seconds and thirds.

“You guys can pack it away,” she whispered. She had seen
these men without their shirts on – not an ounce of fat. “Where do you put it?”

Paul grinned. “We train really hard…
really
hard. We
eat well.”

They finished their meal in silence.

*****

After a game of football for the men, while the women helped
clean up and then play in the water with the children, family by family or
couple by couple, the gathering dispersed slowly. It was early evening and for
everyone but Paul, work came early the following morning. Paul and Ed loaded up
the barbecue and the mostly empty coolers and all the kids’ toys.

“You guys stay,” Ed said as he threw Paul the keys to his
truck. “We’ll see you at home.”

Nic said goodbye to Ava and Chloe.

“Thanks for helping us build a cool sandcastle,” Ava said
and gave Nic a hug.

“You’re welcome,” Nic replied and waved goodbye as Ed
corralled them towards the car.

Mariah gave Nic a hug too. “It was lovely to meet you.”

“You too,” smiled Nic. “Thanks so much for having me.”

Mariah walked over to the car and climbed in and Paul and
Nic waved as they pulled out of the parking lot.

“Do you wanna walk for a bit?” Paul asked.

“Sure.”

They wandered towards the harder wet sand and walked through
the water as the tide slowly started coming in.

“I hope it wasn’t
too
bad being around all us Navy
guys,” Paul said, a slight teasing in his voice.

Nic grinned. “I suffered through it like a champ.”

“Yes you did,” Paul laughed. “Thanks for coming with me.”

“Thanks for asking me.”

They walked a little more and Paul wandered a little further
into the water.

“It’s so warm and inviting,” he grinned. “Too bad I didn’t
bring a change of clothes.” He walked a little deeper, midway up his thigh. “If
you have your suit we could swim.” Paul turned to Nic and she stopped to look
at him. She did have her swimming suit on, but she wasn’t a fan of the unwanted
sand getting into body crevices. She shook her head.

“Oh well, maybe another time,” Paul shrugged. At that moment
a large wave came in right behind him and pushed him forward. As the sand gave
way under his feet, he fell forward and was almost completely under the water.
He struggled to stay on his feet and Nic burst out laughing.

“Don’t have your sea legs with you today?” she teased.

“I was distracted,” he laughed as he made his way towards
her dripping wet.

“Guess you could go swimming now,” Nic laughed.

“Ha ha,” he replied, as he pushed as much water as he could
from his shorts. He pulled his t-shirt over his head and rung it out several
times and then threw it over his shoulder. As he looked back at Nic he saw the
expression of distress on her face.

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” he offered.

Nic’s hand moved to her open mouth as she saw the scars
covering his body.