Fallen SEAL Legacy (13 page)

“Didn’t seem to have any trouble with your timing in the shed.” She was starting to boil inside. He was going to leave. She should let him leave, but she was pissed she’d given him so much and now was getting nothing from him in return.

“Don’t do this, Libby.” Then he adjusted his tone, “Some other time, but not now.” He leaned forward and gave her a peck on her cheek. He drew her to him and whispered, “Libby, I...”

Libby pulled away. “That all you’re going to say, after what we’ve done?”

“Libby quiet. I don’t want to discuss it. Please.”

She couldn’t help but watch his mouth as he spoke, remembering the electric tingle those lips made as he’d kissed her body. It was so unfair. She wanted to be angry but just couldn’t do it.

“When are you coming back, then?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Love ‘em and leave ‘em, that the way of it, sailor?”

“Libby, Don’t do this. It isn’t right that I’m here. I should have thought about it before.” She could see he was preoccupied as he heard the door to the kitchen swing open. “Gotta go.”

The shock of what he’d just said began to make her knees turn to rubber. He embraced her again, kissed the top of her head, and then he was gone.

Libby pressed her forehead against the doorframe and felt like she’d been stabbed right through the heart. What if he never came back?

Of course he’ll be back.

She stopped being brave and let the tears fall. Now her whole world was scrambled without a lifeline in sight.

Chapter 11

Libby’s heart felt like lead as she heard the sputter of Cooper’s scooter fade down the tree-lined street.  Her soul was bleeding from the inside out. She wondered if she would ever see the SEAL again.

And then the horrible thought hit her. Was this just an elaborate way to get into her pants? Could this man be trusted?

She thought about how quickly he’d had his way with her. This had never happened before. Here she was, having sex with a virtual stranger. For all she knew, he wasn’t a SEAL at all, but a wannabe. She’d heard they were out there. But then she wondered how he would know about her uncle Will.

Was she substituting the loss of her mentor’s care for something else? Reminding herself that she was the world’s worst when it came to reading people correctly, she decided to err on the side of caution. After all, she’d decided to study psychology partly to learn about her own hangups. It was easier studying others than studying herself. Her father told her a lot of psychiatrists went into the field for the very same reasons.

Perhaps it’s a good thing if he never comes back.

But, damn, the sex with Cooper had been scorching hot and filled a need she had never known existed.

Some things that are good for you are also bad for you.

Was Cooper one of those things? Was she being wise? Did she really want to know?

Her father appeared in the doorway. His eyes fell. His expression was grim and without a trace of warmth. Wrinkles on his upper lip puckered as he thought hesitated to speak. She hadn’t noticed those little lines before. He sighed. “Brownie, we’ve got to talk. The three of us,” he said.

“I agree,” she repied, but what she really wanted was to run upstairs and fall into bed for a good cry.

Her dad put his arm around her shoulder. It felt odd, more like he was propping himself up against her than the other way around. They retreated into the kitchen.

Her mother dished up leftover lasagna and green salad as Dr. Brownlee sat in the breakfast nook, nodded at her mom’s happy chatter and allowed the two women to wait on him. He sat with his right hand gripping the fork and his left clutching the knife, waiting for them to stop their fussing. He looked like he expected her mother to tie a napkin around his neck, as if he was a child of four.

“You need anything else?” Her mom was asking him about needing a drink. Libby saw that yes, he did want one, but he shook his head,
no
, instead.

“We need to talk. Sit down, you two.” He pointed to two vacant dinette chairs with his fork. It seemed to take all the effort he had to get the two women to the table so he could eat.

Libby had gotten a soda from the refrigerator and joined her parents at the table.

“Now, about today and this sailor—“ Dr. Brownlee began.

“That subject is off limits, Dad,” Libby interrupted.

“Would you just
listen
to me at least?” Her dad set down his fork and sighed.

Her mother’s worried gaze didn’t ease Libby’s fears. It was going to come off too harsh, so Libby adjusted the volume on her voice, and respectfully answered, “I’m listening, but I’m not a child.” She was worried it sounded petulant.

“Libby, honey,” her mother started, “No one is doubting your judgment.”

“Exactly.” Dr. Brownlee said. “With all this—this mess about the cat—well, Clark thinks we should consider some options. Most likely you’ll be safe at school, but—”

“I’m not going back to Santa Clara,” Libby interrupted.

“Excuse me?” her mother’s forehead was creased and the little lines around her eyes sprang to life with her squint. “And what the hell options are you talking about, Austen?”

Dr. Brownlee looked back down at his dinner, scowling, but said nothing.

Libby continued, “I’m taking a semester off, maybe a whole year off. I’m not registered.” She’d wanted to give them a more thorough explanation, but she was finding the right words difficult to come by.

Her father planted his forehead into his palm, with his elbow on the table. “Why for God’s sake now, Libby?”

“You think I could have known about all this—” Libby waved her arm in the direction of the backyard and the turquoise pool where Noodles had been found.

“Of course not, honey,” her mother softened. “It’s just that the timing is—well, it couldn’t be worse. And no, how could you have known?”

“I don’t want to go into it,” Libby continued. “You don’t need to hear the sordid details with everything else that’s going on around here. Let’s just say I needed a break. It’s a story for another time, perhaps.” Libby could see it was still difficult for her mother to grasp.

“This have to do with the young SEAL?” she asked timidly, with a forced smile.

“No. I made this decision before I came home. Before I met him.”

Dr. Brownlee’s sour expression was difficult for Libby to stomach. He glanced up at his wife and then stared down at the rest of his dinner, pondering the pile of cheese and red tomato sauce like it was something from a horror film. Finally he pushed aside the plate.

Libby continued, softly at first to ease them into the idea. “I withdrew from the University a week ago,” she confessed.

“I need a drink.” Her dad got up and poured himself a tumbler and stared out the kitchen window at something. Libby could see and hear the sprinklers going off in the distance.

“Damn it all,” he whispered as he adjusted his hips to lean against the countertop, swirling the ice cubes in the stubby crystal glass.

“You either get someone else to fix it or stop complaining,” her mother answered. “Austin, can we just stay on point here? To hell with the landscaping.”

That brought a smile to Dr. Brownlee’s lips. He raised his glass to her. “That’s my girl. Telling it like it is.” He looked at Libby. “Your mother is so wicked lovely when she’s focused. She could have commanded a battleship.”

Her mom sat with her arms crossed, staring at her lap, shaking her head. Immune to his considerable charm.

He finished his drink in one long gulp, put the glass in the sink, and rinsed it off. Leaning against the counter, he spoke again. “Clark thinks we should move out of the house for a while. He isn’t sure it’s safe here.”

Libby’s mom bristled, her eyes widened in horror as she stood up. “What? I’m not moving out of this house! What do you mean by ‘safe,’ Austin? Why wouldn’t it be safe?” Her hands were on her hips.

Dr. Brownlee peered across the kitchen island at her mother and displayed that affectionate smile that usually melted any female standing nearby. But it didn’t work today, Libby could see. He motioned for Carla to sit back down, which she did in a huff.

Dr. Brownlee rolled his neck and then looked at Libby. “Maybe someone is targeting me. Could be after me for something. I’m thinking it’s a whacko upset about the Clinic at Lavender House. Someone’s got hold of the donor list—something like that. Anyhow, I think Clark agrees.”

“But it was
my
cat,” Libby interjected. Carla put her head in her hands, elbows leaning on the table.

The restraint in her father’s voice sounded like a kettledrum. “How would anyone know that? Not like someone else lives here with us. You’re—well you
were
away at college,” he said. “The cat lives here.”

Libby stared at her soda. She was definitely not away at college. She was here. Right here. As a matter of fact, she was at the beach, in the water, wrapped in the arms of…

“Good lord, Austin,” her mother began, bringing Libby back. “So Clark thinks this is more serious. Something more than just the cat?” She hardened her gaze, glaring up at her husband like she was going to spring on him. “What are you not telling us?”

“Look, I think Clark is just trying to make sure we are paying attention.”

“Attention?” Both Libby and her mother responded.

Brownlee hesitated, looking at the corners of the kitchen ceiling as though searching for a Heavenly ally. “He has to say that. He has to consider the worst-case scenario. Just wants us to be careful, be prepared.”

Libby could see her mom wasn’t buying the sell job her father was trying to promote. Carla crossed her arms, and tried again, “I still get the feeling you’re hiding something from me, Austin.” Libby heard the waver of her mother’s voice, like a hand was placed around her throat.

She was right, of course. Something was seriously wrong. Her father’s attempts to make light of it only intensified the eerie feeling in the room. There must have been something he wasn’t telling her and her mother. He was obviously worried—distracted, really—beyond what he was saying. Something wasn’t adding up. She looked between her parents for answers and found none.

“Nothing,” Dr. Brownlee said with finality, “He’s just being careful.”

“But, where would we go?” her mother asked. Her voice had a brittle tinge to it.

“We have lots of choices. We could stay with Neil and Marsha,” her father said.

“I’m not going to ask my son to put us up when they’re expecting again and they’ve already got two other little ones under foot. That’s not fair to them. Besides, Libby can’t stay there too—“

“I’ll be fine. I’ll find another place,” Libby chimed in.

“I say we all stick together,” her father said. “If we can’t stay at Neil’s, we can rent a place, find a vacation rental.”

Some vacation that’ll be. Take a vacation when we’re all scared to death?

“I’m going to have a security specialist come over tomorrow. Friend of Clark’s. In the meantime, we start using the alarm system every time we leave the house. Maybe we can borrow Neil’s dog for a few days.”

Libby knew something was seriously out of whack. No one in their family liked Neil’s Pit Bull, who had a fondness for bare ankles and wasn’t entirely housebroken.

“Austin, why all this… this precaution?” Libby’s mom asked again, ignoring the dog comment.

Libby knew her mother’s radar was functioning just fine. She had come to the same conclusion as Libby.

But her dad begged off an explanation. “Listen, Carla. Better to be safe than sorry. They’ve got investigations to do. They can’t just drop everything and work on this cat incident.” He looked over at Libby who shrugged back at him. She had cried herself dry. “Sorry, Libby, but they have rapes and murders to deal with. I think this is someone who wants to be cruel, just scare me for some reason. I know I’m the target.”

Libby knew her parents would be up until all hours of the night discussing their plans.

And she needed Cooper now more than ever. In her own house, under the protection of her mother and father, who had always made her feel safe, she was suddenly afraid. Something dark was looming on the horizon.

After she went to bed, she thought she heard the mailbox open around midnight. When she went to her bedroom window, she saw red taillights winking between the dark trees and shrubs of the street, disappearing around the turn.

There wasn’t any sign of anyone lingering around. Moonlight made the cool metal glow with an eerie blue-grey hue
.

The flag was down.

She checked the flashing red alarm light in the hallway anyway before turning into bed. She felt a chill wash over her body, and wished she could talk to Cooper. He would have something reassuring to say about all of this.

She needed him for more than the hot sex she didn’t get enough of this afternoon.  She needed his experience rooting out bad guys under pressure. Home no longer was the safe haven she’d been running to.

Chapter 12

Part of him wanted to spend the night with Libby again. He couldn’t get their lovemaking out of his mind. How her body responded to his, how he felt like part of his hard shell was cracking, softening to her touch. And he was filled with the growing need to protect her, like she belonged to him already.

But that was a stupid thought for a guy in his position. He couldn’t offer any chance of a long-term relationship. All he could do was become a wedge between a father and his daughter. And for what?

He knew relationships were detrimental to his occupation. He needed his focus. The Navy was his life now, even more so since the loss of his family. He suddenly wanted to go back to work in the worst way. He didn’t need to be reminded of what he no longer had.

But he knew Timmons wouldn’t allow it.

How would he spend the next few days without her? Even surfing, lying around on the beach, or working out at Gunny’s, weren’t appealing. Everything had shifted.