Epilogue 2
Epilogue 2
Captain Mitchell Greyson rolled through the sleepy streets of Eden’s Ridge, Tennessee, eyes scanning, assessing, searching as he followed the directions of his GPS. Logic dictated he find his lodging first, make his way to The Misfit Inn. But something else had driven him to wait, to head to the bakery for the first part of this mission. Perhaps it was foolish to think about this as an op, but after more than thirty years in the Navy, he couldn’t just switch that mindset off. He was here to check on one of the men who’d been under his command. If that wasn’t his entire purpose for making this trip, well, he wasn’t quite ready to face the rest of it yet.
Bad Boy Bakers was set atop a little hill, nestled in a copse of trees that trailed on up the mountain. He pulled into the partly full gravel parking lot in front of the building, taking in how the dark green siding and tin roof made it look as if it had been here for years. A hand-painted sign hung on the front showed a military-style insignia, with a whisk and a rolling pin crossed like swords on a shield. It suited a business that had been built by a trio of former military men, though he wondered if the Navy SEAL he’d come to see was satisfied with this life.
God, he hoped so, since he’d been directly responsible for seeing the man had landed in that experimental therapy program after a mission gone awry had ended his SEAL career.
Mitchell slid out of the Jeep and strode inside. Business looked good, with more than half the tables filled and a line three-deep at the counter. He used the wait as an opportunity to watch the men behind the counter. Neither of them was the man he’d come to see, but he could tell they were military from the way they moved and how their gazes continued to scan the room in automatic assessment.
Sharp blue eyes met his. “Welcome to Bad Boy Bakers. What can I get you?”
Mitchell studied the contents in the case, his mouth already salivating from the assortment of delicious smells wafting out of the kitchen. “What do you recommend?”
“Today we’ve got fresh cinnamon rolls, pain au chocolat, bagels—whole wheat and everything—pear muffins, and cheddar and chive scones. And, of course, we’ve got an array of breads if that’s your fancy.” The guy waved a hand at the baskets of bread lining the shelves behind him.
After the long drive, Mitchell thought he could eat one of everything. But he put a pin in that. “Actually, I’m looking for someone. Is Jonah Ferguson here?”
The kitchen door swung open, and the man himself came through, wiping his hands on a towel. “Hey, are we nearly out of something up here? Because I’ve got some—” His eyes landed on Mitchell, and he dropped the towel, snapping to immediate attention and lifting his hand in a salute. “Sir.”
You can take the SEAL out of the Navy… His lips twitched. “At ease, Sailor.”
Jonah came out from behind the counter, leading with a hand to shake. Mitchell took it, pulling him in for a back-slapping hug.
Jonah rocked back on his heels, a look of surprise on his face. “Not that it isn’t good to see you, Captain. But what are you doing here?”
“Well, you’re not the only one who retired. I heard what you’d been up to and wanted to come check on you.” It was the truth, if not the total truth.
A flicker of bafflement crossed Jonah’s face before he managed to hide it. That was entirely fair. The man had no idea he’d been playing guardian angel all these years. Mitchell had been compelled to for reasons he hadn’t felt at liberty to explain. Reasons he hadn’t been able to face. Until now.
Realizing the silence had stretched into awkward territory, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. “How are you doing?”
Jonah’s smile spread wide. “I’m great. I’m getting married.”
“That’s wonderful.” And it was. Jonah was young enough to build a full and rich life with a wife. He more than deserved that.
“Actually, where are you staying?”
“At The Misfit Inn. Although I haven’t checked in just yet.” Maybe a part of him had been braced to leave in case a retreat became necessary.
“My fiancée, Rachel, is the in-house baker there. You’ll be enjoying her breakfast.”
Seeing Jonah’s pride and pleasure in her, some of the worry Mitchell had harbored for him since the injury that ended his career in the Navy was assuaged. He was moving on with his life, clearly doing well for himself.
Mitchell smiled, and the expression felt rusty. “I’ll look forward to it.”
“How long are you staying?”
“Well, that’s a little up in the air. I have some personal business to attend to while I’m here.”
The bell over the door jangled, and a woman’s voice rang out. “Hey, Baby. Do you have my order ready?”
That voice took him back more than thirty years, to a whole other lifetime.
Jonah lifted his chin in acknowledgement. “Sure, Mom. It’s in the back. I’ll get it in just a minute.”
Bracing himself, Mitchell turned. And there she was. Rebecca Ferguson. The woman who’d haunted his dreams. The years had been kind to her, even if some of life had not. Her thick dark hair hung just past her shoulders, with only a hint of the waves he knew would go wild in the summer humidity. She was every bit as beautiful as the last time he’d seen her all those years ago.
At the sight of him, she froze, her jaw going slack, those gorgeous green eyes going wide, proving she knew exactly who he was. And though they’d parted on harsh words, he couldn’t stop the grin or the hint of East Tennessee that crept into his voice as he took a step toward her. “Hey, Rebel. It’s good to see you.”
He’d imagined this moment countless times over the decades, wondering what she’d say and do if they saw each other again. There’d been silence. Slaps. More of the angry words that had followed him out of town when he’d been just eighteen. With years and distance and longing, those had morphed to indifference or strained politeness. But in the moment, the bloom of her actual smile—the one that had taken her all the way to Miss Tennessee—lit him up like a sunrise.
She broke her paralysis, closing the distance to wrap him in one of the hugs that had once been second nature. “Oh, my God. What are you doing here?”
It took every ounce of his control not to twine around her and bury his face in her hair. He’d never expected to feel this easy affection again. Never thought to have her in his arms after how they’d parted. And surely, if she was this easy with him, he was wrong about his suspicions?
Returning her hug as the friend he’d once been, he kicked his brain into gear. “I came to check on your boy, to see how he’s doing now that he’s retired.”
She pulled back, blinking in surprise. “You know my son?”
Mitchell pressed his lips together. So she didn’t know.
“I was his commanding officer for a number of years.”
Some of the color left her cheeks at that. “How did you know he was mine?”
He couldn’t stop the laugh. “It was impossible not to. You stamped yourself all over his face. And, of course, he’s a Ferguson.” He’d wondered about that. About why Jonah hadn’t carried Lonnie’s last name.
A throat cleared behind them.
Mitchell turned and nearly laughed again at the look on Jonah’s face. He was so clearly torn between his conditioned respect for a commanding officer and a desire to protect his mother.
“I’m sorry. What the hell is happening here? You two know each other?”
Rebecca laid a hand on Mitchell’s shoulder. “This is Grey.”
Grey. The name he’d gone by all those years before he joined the Navy. The man he wondered if he could become again.
Apparently, it meant something to Jonah. His brows drew together in disbelief, his eyes—exactly like his mother’s—skimming him from head to toe. “You? You used to be skinny as a rail and have a ponytail? ”
“He saw some of the pictures of us from back in high school recently,” Rebecca explained.
“I did have a life before the Navy.”
Beside him, she stiffened, and her hand fell away.
Shit.
Reminding her of the thing that had split them up in the first place was hardly his best move. But none of this was going how he’d expected. Nothing with her ever had.
“Baby, if you can get my order. I really need to get going. I’m gonna be late.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Jonah jerked a nod and disappeared into the back.
This time, the smile she turned on him didn’t reach her eyes. “Well, it’s been great to see you, Grey. I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”
He could easily read the subtext. And now get the hell out of town and don’t let the door hit you on your way out.
“I’m retired, actually.”
“Oh?” There was so much to that single syllable he couldn’t decipher.
“Yeah.”
Something flickered in her eyes at that. But it had been too many years, and he couldn’t read her anymore.
Jonah came back out, handing his mother a box. “Here you go.”
She bussed his cheek. “Thanks, sweetie.” With one last glance at Mitchell, she lifted the box, as if it were a toast and headed for the door. “I’ve gotta go. You take care.”
“Will do. And I’ll be seeing you around, Rebel.”
Her step hitched.
“I figure it’s high time I looked at moving home.”
Choose Your Next Romance
Thank you for reading Stirred Up By a SEAL! I hope you enjoyed the conclusion of the primary trilogy about the bakers we’ve all grown to know and love. As you can see, there’s MORE STORY AFOOT with bonus novellas featuring both Cash and Hadley ( Hung Up on the Hacker ) and Grey and Rebecca ( Caught Up with the Captain ) .
If you’re in the mood for more small town military romance, you can hop on over to check out the Rescue My Heart series, which kicks off with Someone Like You , a grumpy soft for sunshine, forced proximity, opposites attract, snowed in together romance, also set in Eden’s Ridge. Keep turning the pages for a sneak peek.