Page 42 of Luck Be Mine (The Defenders #3)

“Sure. We can do this all at your pace. But I’m not going to disappear in a puff of smoke or come to you later and tell you we can’t do it – unless the x-rays and MRI don’t get us there. It’ll be a medical decision, not a personal one.”

“So when and where?”

“Tomorrow. Can you meet us here? We’ll get the images taken. Surgeries take planning.”

“Yeah, I can be here.”

She stifled the need to do a dance in the parking lot. “Mac! The man needs a burner phone,” she yelled.

“You think I have one in my pocket?” His exasperated question made her grin.

“I know you do.” Cait winked at Delaney. “If you don’t, frogman does. His pockets are legendary.”

Both men pulled phones from their pockets.

Delaney’s face flashed with humor. “Competitive much?”

“You have no idea.” Cait watched their tussle for whose phone would win. Her husband’s laugh sent shivers down her spine.

The two men walked back to them.

Cait admired their confident strides. “We’re meeting tomorrow, Mac. I’m not working, so whenever it’s convenient for you.” She could come down here alone, but that was a fight she didn’t even want to have.

Mac stopped at her side and handed Delaney a burner phone. Hunt stayed behind her. Protective to the end.

“Hey, First Sergeant?” Mac had a serious face, but his eyes were filled with amusement.

“Yeah?” Delaney finished his coffee.

“You want a job?”

The man choked.

Cait grinned. Quaid was going to love this one.

Hunt slid his hand into hers. She squeezed his fingers, glad her husband was once again at her back. “Tomorrow, Delaney.”

“I’ll be here, Doc.”

§§§§§§§§§§

? Heart Beside Heart ?

Hunt weaved through San Diego traffic like the skilled pro he was and drove past the turn for their favorite ice cream shop.

She pointed the direction of the shop. “Hey, I have a chocolate chip cookie dough craving.”

“We’re going to do something else first.”

“What?”

“You’ll see.”

Cait stayed quiet and watched the scenery and cars. Excited and gratified by Delaney’s answer, she mapped out in her head what would be next. Lost in thought, she tensed when Hunt pulled in at their beach. “The sun is setting. There’s no time to walk to the shore.”

“We aren’t going far. Just a few turns around the path to watch the sunset.”

A part of her wouldn’t feel good about this beach ever again, but she didn’t want to tell him. They didn’t talk on the path, but Hunt stopped by the large rock where she usually settled with her drawing pad. There was no way he could know that. She didn’t remember ever telling him.

His hands spanned her waist, and he lifted her to the rock which left her at his eye level. She made a half turn to enjoy the sunset and leaned against him. The golds and oranges were spectacular, the reflection blending with the waves in a flash of brilliant color.

“Ivers asked me to describe you today.”

“What did you say?”

“Driven, funny, smart, dependable, committed, strong. You’re my rock.”

“Is that how you see me?”

“Yes. I wanted to add beautiful and sexy, but Ivers doesn’t need that info.”

“Why?”

“It’s part of us. Private. He asked me what you think of me.”

“Yeah? What did you say?”

“I didn’t have an answer. I have never asked you.”

Cait mused for a moment, trying to form the ideas into a list covering it all.

“You have integrity. You’re honorable, smart, dependable, and a Math Geek – I needed you in medical school. You are there for me, even when you aren’t here. You plan so far ahead, and your skills…”

He interrupted. “What about them? That’s my job.”

“I’m proud of the work you do. You are loyal and honest and put every bit of yourself into your team. I respect the dedication.”

She touched his face, surprised by his bewildered expression. “I get who you are. You don’t have to hide from me.”

He shifted a bit of her hair off her cheek. “Oh, Cait.” He quit speaking, emotion sitting between them.

They were missing the sunset, but she couldn’t look away from his eyes. “Mine, Hunt. You are mine and always will be.”

“I have scars, Cait, and I’m not talking about the ones you can see. Some are deep. Ivers made me recognize a few things.”

“List them. Put it on the table, and let’s talk about it.”

“I went to therapy because I want back on ops and because I hurt you. I needed help figuring out how I screwed things up so badly.”

“I’m still here.”

“Thank God. I wanted to protect you the easy way, but never go deep enough to expose myself. Ivers made me face that I wasn’t protecting you, I was protecting me. Somebody in my past convinced me I wasn’t worth caring about.”

“You are worth it. To me.” She would always push back on his parents’ falsehoods. “I keep going back to the year I spent without you. I will never do that again. It hurt too much.

“Yes, it did. We’re supposed to be here. Together. I’m meant to be alive, right now. It wasn’t my time.”

She touched his face, nodding at the truth.

“Ivers told me I needed the sessions for me. He’s right. You don’t need to bear the load of our emotional life. I can’t change the SEAL part. I won’t. I’m not ready yet.”

“I’m not asking you to change anything. You gave me the right to make those career choices. I’m giving you the same.”

He raised her hand to his lips. His warm breath caressed her skin, and she cupped his face, wanting his kiss more than anything.

“Will you marry me again? Fresh start. New wedding. Reception with all our friends. Honeymoon. Let me be beside you?”

Tears filled her eyes. “Yes.”

Hunt squeezed her hand. “That’s it? Yes?”

“Absolutely, yes.” She took a breath. “Why not?”

Hunt’s face was a mix of confusion and relief. “You’re angry with me.”

She gently kissed him. “One doesn’t have anything to do with the other.

I love you. I want our life together. I want you to feel secure with me, able to say and do what you need to.

When you turned away, I felt you didn’t need the safety or love I could give you.

I will protect you, no matter what. Safe harbor isn’t only a house. ”

“At the time, I couldn’t put what I was feeling into words. Protecting myself seems to interfere with my ability to share, to trust. I can’t say it won’t happen again, but I’ll figure this out, I promise.

“I believe you. But are you sure you want the full wedding? We already did that once.”

“A wedding you only remember half of, my beautiful wife. Let’s make a memory we’ll have on our fiftieth. It’ll be a great day to begin again – on our fifth.”

Cait slapped a hand on his chest and gasped. “Hunt! That’s in three weeks! You want me to pull off a wedding in three weeks?”

He smiled. “We have friends.” He leaned in and kissed her.