Holden (HC Heroes #10)

Chapter One

I f the twilight zone existed, then Holden Jones just stumbled upon its lat and long —latitude and longitude—in the backyard of the Harland County sheriff.

A Labor Day barbeque was in full swing, with all five of his former D-Force brothers in attendance as well as four of their former SEAL buddies, the sheriff being one of them.

During a swift glance around the yard, he noted nearly a dozen women, two of whom were pregnant, several children, an older man, a three-legged cat, a pit bull, a mastiff, and a small terrier mix with one eye.

Shock ricocheted through Holden with enough force to make him blink. Holy shit.

His buddies were compromised.

A plate with a piece of cake was shoved into his hands, and he absently echoed congratulations to whoever it was who’d just received a nursing license.

Uncaring that he was eating dessert before a meal, his focus remained on the vast changes in his buddies. It was only natural for some of them to soften after leaving a regimented lifestyle behind. He understood that. He got it. Several years of exposure to civilian life no doubt sanded away a few hardened edges. It made sense.

But his buddies weren’t just compromised, they were fully integrated.

Domesticated.

Holden swallowed a snicker with the last of his cake.

A bunch of tamed operators was not at all what he’d expected to find when he followed Mac, his former D-Force leader and new boss, through the gate.

With the celebration finished, the attention turned to his arrival. Shock continued to ripple through Holden as he received a shoulder-knocking handshake from each of his buddies before they introduced their women and families.

It was a little surreal but overall, he decided the domestication of his friends was a good thing. A great thing, given the grins, laughter, and relaxed postures of all the guys who’d once accompanied him through hell and back. These men deserved every bit of the happiness they oozed.

Holden attributed his initial shock to the unexpectedness of it all, and none was more unexpected than the transformation in Sinjin. Of all his buddies, Sinjin was the last person he’d expected to fall victim to the bite of the love bug obviously running rampant through Harland County.

The stoic, lethal assassin he’d contacted to help his sister when she’d attracted the attention of a terrorist in Mexico two months ago was not the same man currently under Holden’s scrutiny.

Adoration softened the former D-Force/dark ops soldier’s features while he gazed at the pretty brunette in his arms, the recipient of the celebration cake. This change was huge, but even though the fact Sinjin had a girlfriend was a bit mind-boggling, it wasn’t the most shocking event of the day. No, that would be when the guy had introduced the older man at the party as his father.

Truthfully, Holden hadn’t needed the introduction. The resemblance was uncanny, but nevertheless, it remained shocking. The last Holden knew, his buddy hadn’t talked to his father since leaving for the military more than a decade ago. And he certainly hadn’t been in contact with his dad or Isla when Holden had video chatted with him in Mexico. No, the transformation in Sinjin had taken place since Mexico, during the past sixty days.

Damn.

That love bug had one hell of a potent bite.

“Thanks again for…Mexico,” he said, keeping it vague in case Isla wasn’t aware of his friend’s occupation.

Sinjin shook his head. “Not necessary. I was happy to help. I know you were spitting nails at not being able to take care of it yourself.”

He huffed out a breath. “Understatement of the year. It’s why I’m here now, working for Mac. No way will I ever be forced to sit on the sidelines if my family or friends are ever in danger again.”

“Roger that.” His buddy nodded.

“You can always rely on my son,” Mr. Acothley said, patting Sinjin’s back before he walked away.

A smile tugged at his friend’s lips and his chest puffed out.

His own chest warmed a bit. “It’s great to see you two are mending fences.”

Sinjin nodded again.

“That’s not the only change.” Isla smiled, sliding her arm around his friend’s waist before setting her head on his shoulder. “Sinjin is going to work full-time for Mac now too.”

Holden’s dissipating shock resurfaced to lift his brows. “You are?”

How the hell had his buddy managed to walk away from black ops? That wasn’t an easy feat.

Sinjin set a hand to his woman’s hip and hauled her closer. “Affirmative,” he told Holden while gazing into Isla’s upturned face. “I’m never leaving.”

Since the couple appeared to be lost in their own little universe, he left them to toss his empty plate in the trash and joined the rest of his Delta buddies, who beckoned him over to where they sat watching the SEALs and several women playing volleyball.

“Told you Sinjin was smitten like a kitten.” Carter grinned, holding out his hand. “Pay up.”

The joker wasn’t just the tech genius of the old unit, he also supplied the laughs. No matter how great or horrible their day, Carter had always said or done something to lighten the mood.

“Gladly.” Holden dug a twenty from his pocket and slapped it into his friend’s palm.

He should’ve known better than to make the bet with the guy when they’d met up last month, but it was a bet he was happy to lose.

“I’m a little surprised to hear Sinjin is working full-time at ESI, though,” he said, dropping into a vacant lounge chair.

Carter’s head jerked back, and Dex raised a brow, but Mac and Hunter appeared unphased.

“I think you need more sustenance than chocolate cake to fire up the synapses in your brain, buddy.” Carter snorted. “Sinjin has been working for Mac for several months now.”

He flicked his gaze back to Mac, then Hunter, and read the truth behind their blank expressions. They were the only ones who had known…and apparently Isla, that their buddy had originally been in Texas temporarily.

Happy to keep it that way, he glanced back at Carter and nodded. “You’re right. Think I’d better go remedy that.”

Smiling, he rose to his feet and made his way to the grill where Gabe stood cooking something that smelled amazing while a gorgeous gray pit bull lounged at his feet.

Sadness tightened Holden’s chest and evaporated his smile. The devotion in the Pit’s eyes as it stared up at Gabe reminded Holden of the dog he’d had to leave behind.

Braddock.

The best of the best of Delta.

Holden was the five-year-old Belgian Malinois’ handler. They’d gone through training together as well as several layers of hell. The dog had been at Holden’s side when they ate, slept, fought, and bled together. Braddock had saved his and his unit’s asses countless times and leaving active duty without him had ripped out part of Holden’s soul.

Braddock still had duties to perform.

That didn’t stop Holden from missing the dog every damn day or worrying that Braddock wouldn’t bond with his new handler.

But he trusted in the dog’s good sense, impeccable instincts, as well as his training, to see him through to the end of his service.

Before leaving Delta, Holden had procured a promise from his commander that he be notified when Braddock was cleared to retire. No matter how long it took or how much red tape he had to weed through, he’d do whatever was needed to bring his dog home.

“I’m sure Braddock will be okay,” Gabe said, as if reading his mind.

Holden nodded, and working to ease the tightness from his chest, he grabbed a plate and bun from a nearby table. “Smells as amazing as ever,” he said. “I see you haven’t lost your touch, Master Chief.”

The pit bull’s attention immediately zeroed in on him.

Gabe chuckled. “His name is Chief, and no, I didn’t name him.”

“Sounds like it was meant to be then,” he said, reaching down to pet the dog that had walked over to rub against his leg.

“Looks like you haven’t lost your touch either.” The guy chuckled.

He shrugged. Dogs were easy to read and understand, unlike humans.

“I hear you’ve seen Griff,” Gabe said, changing the subject as he slapped a burger onto the plate Holden held out. “How is he? Ain’t right what the Navy did to him.”

Griff was a former SEAL who had also helped Holden’s sister in Mexico. The guy had operated under Gabe a few years ago, so Holden wasn’t surprised by the sheriff’s concern. Although he wasn’t sure of all the facts behind Griff’s dishonorable discharge, he was certain the mess had a distinct scapegoat odor to it.

“He’s doing well,” Holden replied. “Should arrive in the Yucatan with Hope later this week. She’s heading a new expedition.”

“Ah, it’s like that, is it?” Gabe grinned.

Holden smiled. “Yep. It’s like that.”

His sister could’ve done much worse. He liked Griff and was glad Hope had the strong, unflappable man at her side. Besides, from what he’d seen over the two weeks he’d spent with his family in Virginia before coming here, the guy was in love with his sister. He’d die before letting anything happen to Hope.

Holden couldn’t ask for anything better in her suiter.

“Good for him,” Gabe said. “But no offense to your sister, I was hoping he would’ve taken Mac up on his offer to work for ESI.”

“None taken,” he said. “And Griff did tell me that he might revisit the offer in the future.”

It would be nice if the couple settled down here too. Having blood family nearby, along with his military brothers, would be great.

Gabe nodded. “That’s good. I’m glad none of you believed that bullshit about him.”

“No. We know him. We’ve bled with him,” Holden said. “And I also know this burger isn’t going to be enough, so how about one of those steaks, too.”

“Roger that.” Gabe chuckled, slapping a ribeye next to the burger on his plate.

With a quick nod and one more pet to Chief’s head, he left the grill master and pit bull to rejoin his buddies, grabbing a knife and fork before sitting down. While he devoured his food, the guys took turns filling him in on how they’d met their significant others by ribbing one another about their journeys.

By the time he cleared his plate, his sides were sore from laughing.

“Man, I wish I could’ve been here to see you get that tattoo, Carter,” he told the guy who had always turned white and shook during the many inoculations administered during their Delta years. “You must really love Mel.”

Carter nodded and tapped his chest. “I do. That’s why I let her ink this tattoo…and marry me.”

Holden laughed along with the others. “Oh, you let her?”

Carter flicked his gaze to the pretty redheaded sprite who was currently playing volleyball. Mel was kicking some SEAL ass along with Gabe’s wife, one of the bakers, and an attractive woman with a mixture of brown and blonde curls who had one hell of a great ass.

“Absolutely,” Carter said, regaining Holden’s attention. “But don’t tell her I said that.”

Dex snorted. “Yeah, or next time it will be your head Mel spikes over the net.”

Another round of laughter rippled through them.

“Man, I missed you jerks,” he said, still grinning as he got up to throw out his trash in the nearby garbage can before retaking his seat. “Even though you’re all domesticated now.”

“Domesticated, huh?” Dex snickered, tossing them each a can of beer he’d procured from the cooler next to his chair. “Be careful, Holden. You’re next.”

Holden snorted. “Like hell. I’ll be sticking to canned drinks and bottled water. I’m not taking a chance that the local stuff is tainted.”

His decision to leave active duty and work with his buddies had everything to do with finding his civilian legs, and to ground himself. He sure as shit hadn’t come there looking for a woman.

“Good luck.” Hunter lifted his beer in a makeshift toast, and the others followed suit.

“To the end of Holden’s bachelor days,” Carter said before all the men put the beer to their mouths and drank.

All but Holden. He wasn’t laughing. Well, he was, but it was at them, not with them. “You guys are delusional. But it’s not your fault. Your women have you whipped.”

“Yeah, and it’s great.” Carter grinned.

Mac smirked. “You’ll see.”

He shook his head. “No thanks. Not looking for a relationship.”

“That’s exactly when it happens,” Hunter informed.

Dex nodded. “It blindsides you.”

“Well, not me,” he declared with certainty. His priority was to adjust to his new life. “Besides, you act as if women find me irresistible. That’s Sinjin, remember? Not me.”

“What about Tara?” Carter grinned.

“Tara?” He frowned. “Tara who?”

Dex snorted. “The waitress from the bar near the base. You know, the one with the bad eyesight. She chose you to flirt with, for over two years.”

“Yeah! Her!” Carter slapped his knee.

Amusement lit Mac’s gaze as he lifted a shoulder. “They’re right. She never seemed to realize there were other guys with you.”

“ Oh, Holden, how are you today ?” Carter said in an over-exaggerated, raised, feminine tone. “ What would you like today, Holden? I’d be happy to get you anything you want .”

He snorted and elbowed the idiot. “She wasn’t that bad.”

“Yes. Yes, she was,” Carter insisted.

“Ease up, man,” Dex said. “Holden can’t help it if he appeals to jailbait.”

He shook his head. “Again, I think you have me mixed up with Sinjin. I seem to recall women falling all over themselves to get to him.”

“They did,” Mac agreed. “But if he wasn’t around, you were always the one who caught someone’s attention.”

Carter snapped his fingers. “Like the chick in Houston last month.”

The guys had just finished a job in the city, and thanks to a canceled flight on his way to Virginia from Phoenix, where he’d been visiting Dante—another D-Force buddy—Holden’s two-hour layover had turned into eight. The men took advantage of the situation and rendezvoused at a honky tonk near the airport.

“Yeah, what was her name?” Dex asked, brow furrowed.

“Colby,” Carter replied. “Like the cheese.”

Holden rolled his eyes as he swallowed a mouthful of beer. He wasn’t interested in either. “She was just being polite,” he felt obliged to say.

The pretty blonde hadn’t tripped over her feet to serve him, nor had she referred to him by name despite the fact his idiot friend had supplied it, even going so far as to tell the woman Holden was moving to Harland County.

Although Colby hadn’t been overly attentive, she had smiled at him several times across the bar. A few too many to be friendly, but he wasn’t about to admit that to his buddies.

“Trust me, Holden,” Dex said. “That woman was being more than polite.”

He shrugged. “I wasn’t interested.”

His tastes never favored women who pursued him. He preferred a challenge, or someone not looking for a relationship.

Both were kind of hard to find.

Not that he was looking. Hell, no.

“That’ll change with the right woman,” Mac said.

“And when you least expect it,” Hunter repeated his earlier words.

Holden huffed out a breath. “Not to me.”

An instant later, several people hollered “look out” just before the volleyball smacked the side of his head, sending a wave of beer out of his can and onto his shirt.

Son-of-a…

He recovered the ball with his left hand and set what was left of his beer on the ground. “Which one of you idiots has the bad aim?” he asked, more than ready to rib one of the SEALs as he rose to his feet.

But it wasn’t one of the guys who rushed over to collect the ball. No. It was the woman with the brown and blonde curls and gorgeous…eyes.

They were big and brown, the color of melted chocolate, and so mesmerizing, Holden forgot how to breathe.

“That would be me,” she said, a hint of sarcasm evident in her tone, while color flushed her cheeks. “Sorry about that.”

“No worries,” he said, shaking her outstretched hand. “I’m Holden.”

Her eyes widened a fraction before she tugged free. “Uh, yeah. I know. You’re holding the ball. Can I have it?”

He blinked. “Oh…sure. Here.”

Ignoring the snickers behind him, he handed over the ball and watched her walk away, the sweet sway of her hips holding his attention. She had great form. Exhaling, he shook his head, hoping both actions would dislodge the proverbial foot from his mouth. Damn. It felt like he’d just been steamrolled by a tank.

“Smooth, Holden.” Carter chuckled. “Real smooth.”

“Ignore him,” Dex said.

“Yeah.” Mac nodded. “That was Emily, by the way. Best friends with Gabe’s wife, Lyndsey. In case you wanted to know.”

He didn’t and told them as much as he retook his seat. The guys all laughed with a look of disbelief in their eyes. Holden didn’t blame them. He wasn’t sure he meant it either.

“Like I told you,” Hunter said next to him. “It happens when you least expect it.”

That may be, but it didn’t mean he’d act on this unforeseen attraction to the woman. He had a new job with new rules that no doubt differed widely from the military. His focus needed to be on work and not on the beauty with brown and blonde curls.

Holden spent the better part of a half hour trying to get his body to fall in line with his mind, but his gaze kept straying to Emily. It wasn’t until she disappeared into the outbuilding with Lyndsey that his pulse returned to normal. Damn thing had adopted an irregular beat ever since he’d stopped that stupid ball with his head.

“Hey, baby. Good game,” Carter said, jumping to his feet as his wife neared.

Mel smiled. “Thanks.” She kissed the guy then turned to Holden. “Can you come with me for a bit?”

“Me?” He glanced from Carter’s frowning face to the redhead. “Uh, why?”

“I hear you’re good with dogs,” she said. “Lyndsey has a new foster that’s extremely frightened, and we were hoping maybe you could offer some suggestions on how to help.”

He relaxed. This was about a dog. “Sure. I’d be glad to.”

“Great.” She released her husband and grabbed Holden’s arm. “Come on, then. She’s in the building back here.”

In the building?

Damn.

The woman led him to the structure Emily had entered a few minutes ago. He straightened his shoulders. A dog in peril always trumped women in his eyes, and this would be no different.

He hoped.