Chapter 20

Jay couldn’t believe how good living with Nichole was. She wrote and did research while he was at the base, and then, in the evenings, they spent time making love, cooking, reading, and chatting. It was exactly what he’d wanted from a partner. Their relationship almost seemed too easy, like they’d been together for a long time. They hadn’t, and he didn’t want to forget that they had a lot of work to do to make a solid relationship.

When the first argument hit, he almost felt relief. They’d clashed over something small. She’d wanted the bathroom door closed while she showered, but he thought it made the room too moist. He’d said something snippy, and that had started the argument. The last thing he wanted to do was be intensive or dismissive, so he really listened as she explained how being held captive had affected her. He got it. She felt insecure having the bathroom door open if she was alone. They decided to buy a small dehumidifier for the bathroom.

He thought she was almost too forgiving, though. When he’d snapped at her about the wetness in the bathroom, he’d been being a jerk. One thing he wanted to make sure of was that she understood that she could say anything to him. Which meant he needed to work on his reactions.

In the time they’d been together, she’d woken up three times from nightmares. It had been worrisome to see her so frightened. Holding her as she calmed seemed to help, but he knew she needed to see a therapist and get help.

On the second Saturday she was in town, they headed to a park with his team to grill burgers and hotdogs. Since they all lived in smaller spaces, it was easier to get together at a local park than to try to have time together at one of their houses. The park gave them space to play frisbee or volleyball.

He hoped Nichole liked his friends. Not that it would be a make-or-break deal for their relationship, but her getting along with his buddies would make everything so much easier. He couldn’t imagine any of the guys having an issue with her. She was genuinely a good person and kind, too.

They pulled up at the park, and she hopped out, a smile on her face. One thing for sure, she wasn’t shy. Maybe that had a lot to do with her job. When she met the guys, she thanked each one of them, telling them she was thankful for what they did. Of course, the guys waved off her thanks, saying that their rescue of her was nothing, that it was part of their jobs.

For a bit, he worried that she wouldn’t get along with Danika, but it was like they’d been friends for years. In no time flat, they were laughing about something as they pulled out the plates and napkins.

Griz came over, his eyes staying on Nichole as he spoke. “Everything going okay with you two?”

Jay nodded. “Yeah. She’s special. I can’t describe how easy it is. It’s like we were made for each other.”

“That’s good. But you’re taking things slow.”

He snorted. “About as slow as Sharp and Danika took things.”

Sharp shot him a look. “Hey, we grew up going to the same school.”

Jay nodded. “Yeah, but you’re a different man than you were back then.”

Sharp lifted one shoulder and flashed a smile. “True. We’re both different but the same.”

The burgers were almost done, and they started grabbing plates. Nichole laughed at something Danika said. His heart nearly exploded with happiness. Seeing Nichole happy after everything she’d been through was the best.

“You have everything you need?” Nichole asked as she came over, a burger on her plate.

“Yes. Come sit.”

She settled next to him, taking in everything as they ate and joked about life and things they’d seen. When she was almost done with the burger, she turned to Sharp and raised her eyebrows. “Danika told me you two went to high school together.”

He nodded. “Yeah. We knew each other when we were kids.”

“How is that now?”

Danika burst out laughing. “It’s sweet. But I do remember when we were both little dorky kids.”

Sharp snorted. “We were never dorks. We were always cool.”

Danika rolled her eyes and patted Sharp on the knee. “I love you no matter how much of a dork you were in high school.”

“That’s convenient because I love you, too.”

Everyone chuckled as Sharp leaned close and brushed his lips over Danika’s. Jay glanced over at Nichole, who was laughing and smiling. He was glad he could give her some happiness.

Shine lifted his chin at Jay when he caught his eye. “Are you two going to be like that?”

Sharp cleared his throat, not giving Jay time to answer. “Just because you’re jealous that we have someone doesn’t mean you can pick on Jay and Nichole.”

Shine rolled his eyes and shook his head. “I don’t want anyone. I’m happy alone.”

Griz snorted. “Sure, Shine. I’m sure you are.”

“Don’t mind them,” Jay said to Nichole. “They gripe about each other all the time.”

Apple took a drink of his beer and then set it down. “So, Nichole, what are you going to do now?”

She put her burger back on her plate and met Apple’s gaze. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you’re here. That means you’re not writing, so what are you going to do?”

Jay swore Nichole’s face lost some of its color, and her lips thinned like she was working out what to say. Surely, Apple couldn’t be asking Nichole if she was going to quit writing. That was her job, and it made her happy.

“I’m still writing. I don’t have to be in any one city. In fact, I go all over the place, working wherever I am. I’ve got the base of my article written. I’m just waiting to hear back from my editor.”

Griz cleared his throat. “What’s it about?”

Jay could see the tension in Nichole’s shoulders, and he wished they hadn’t brought this up. He and Nichole had discussed her work and how her telling everything didn’t really match with him keeping everything secret. She’d promised not to dig for information from him, and he said he wouldn’t stop her from writing.

“The reason I was at that medical facility was to write an article about how dangerous it is for the medical personnel. I think my experience will make it relatable.”

The guys shifted like they didn’t like what she’d said. Apple leaned forward and met her gaze.

“How can you write about it? You’ll have to expose us.”

She shook her head. “Actually, not really.”

Apple’s lips thinned. “What do you mean, not really?”

Jay didn’t like how hot Apple was getting. “Dude, give it a rest.”

Apple’s gaze swung his way. “How can you say give it a rest? We don’t know what she’s writing.”

Jay sat forward. “Actually, I do. I’ve read the article, and she didn’t put one word in there about us being SEALs. She didn’t identify which country sent in their military to help.”

“I never include anything really personal in my articles. It may seem like I do, but I don’t want or need people tracking me down.”

Griz stood, and Jay worried that everything was about to get tense. But Griz looked relaxed instead of worked up. “Apple, back down. If she’s letting Jay read everything, then we know she’s not going to expose us.”

Apple’s cheeks flamed red, and it was obvious he didn’t like what Griz had said. Jay trusted Nichole. Sure, journalists could be assholes, but Nichole wasn’t going to betray them. After reading everything she’d written for the article, he knew she wasn’t going to reveal anything that could identify them. On missions, they were nameless, faceless cogs who could be substituted in with any other SEAL. It was for their protection. So, if they were out on the street in Europe or if they went on vacation with their family, they weren’t at risk. And Nichole honored that.

The atmosphere in the group had shifted. He glanced at Nichole and realized she looked uncomfortable. Agitation rose, but he pushed it down. The last thing he wanted was strife on his team, but Apple had come out of nowhere with the accusation. Later, Jay would discuss it with Apple, like when Nichole wasn’t with him. His buddies needed to know that he would never put them in danger.

Hell, he figured if anyone had a problem, it would be Sharp, not Apple. But what did he know? Maybe something else was going on with Apple.

“Hey, who wants to toss the frisbee?” Shine asked.

A couple of guys headed out to the open space in the park. Jay stood and held out his hand for Nichole. “Want to play?”

Nichole smiled, but her expression lacked sincerity. “You go ahead. I’m going to relax.”

He hated this tension. A part of him wanted to force Apple to apologize, but getting into a fight with Apple right now wouldn’t serve any of them. They needed to have a discussion, but not with Nichole here. She didn’t need to hear them hash things out. There would probably be harsh words said that would make Nichole feel uncomfortable.

When they left, he could tell that Apple’s words still affected Nichole. She shouldn’t have to worry about what Apple thought, but his team was important in his life, and Nichole would have to deal with running into Apple from time to time. He just hoped this died down and didn’t push Nichole away.