Chapter 29
Cole greeted Cookie and Fiona as they got out of their car. Hannah hung slightly back, and he wished he never mentioned Fiona’s reason for visiting.
“Hey, we’re glad you made it,” Cole said, shaking Cookie’s hand and hugging Fiona.
“It’s good to see you,” Cookie said as he smiled at the woman behind Cole. “You must be Hannah.”
Hannah approached, and Cole noticed her nervously shaking Cookie’s hand and then Fiona’s. He took her other hand and gave it a supportive squeeze.
Fiona smiled knowingly at Cookie.
“How do you like working here?” Cookie asked as they retrieved their bags.
“I’ve experienced a few harrowing moments,” he admitted. “Leo said to drop by the facility. I hoped we might use it as an excuse to give the women time to talk.”
“She seems wound tight,” Cookie said, glancing at the porch where the two women waited for them. Hannah appeared uneasy.
“She’s only recently started talking. I forgot to mention your size. She gets easily intimidated by large men.”
“No wonder she’s with you,” Cookie said, punching his arm.
“Jack ass,” Cole muttered as they carried everything toward the cabin.
“For dinner tonight, I made reservations at Ty’s. You’ll love the food and it’ll give you a chance to meet our teammate, Sparky, and her husband, who owns the place,” Cole informed them before turning toward Hannah. “I invited them.”
Hannah beamed with pleasure, catching his meaning. He asked them for her.
“May I get you something to drink?” she asked, petting Brody behind the ears.
“I’ll take a water,” Fiona said, smiling. “Cookie will take a beer if you have one. I’m afraid I’ve talked him senseless on the way here. I’m redoing our bedroom and we can’t decide between sandy beach or caramel topping. He doesn’t understand the difference.”
Cookie rolled his eyes. “It’s tan, Babe. Either one will work.”
“Did you bring the samples?” Hannah asked. “The lighting will change the colors. Do you want a softer glow or a brighter room?” she asked, going into the kitchen.
“I want a more relaxed appearance,” Fiona said, taking two beers for the guys and two waters for them.
“Ty has a lovely wine or a wide selection of beers at his restaurant. He makes some lovely mocktails if you don’t drink,” Hannah said as they joined the men.
“Oh, wine sounds delicious. After the flight and drive, I’m parched. I'll stick with water now and switch at dinner. How long have you lived here, Hannah? The cabin’s beautiful.”
“I…I…” Hannah struggled with her words.
“She’s my roommate and showed me around the hospital when I arrived,” Cole interrupted. “She’s a great helper with Brody and Nine.”
“Nine?” Fiona asked.
“She’s still a puppy and someone ran out of names, apparently,” Hannah said, defending her four-legged friend.
“I’m hoping Hannah will help me come up with a good name for her,” Cole said, putting his arm around her. “Leo asked me to bring Cookie by for a quick hello. Will you and Fiona be all right here until we return?”
“Sure,” Hannah agreed, knowing the rules of the facility, Fiona needed special permission.
The two men left and Hannah led Fiona to the back porch and turned on the fireplace.
“Oh, wow. This must be nice in the summer,” Fiona said, noticing the glass roof.
“It’s perfect now. The fireplace keeps it toasty and at night you can see the stars.”
“I’ll have to show Cookie. We’ll have to come up with a weird name to call the glass coating. Midnight black versus dark wilderness,” Fiona joked. “He’ll never let me redo another room again.”
The women chortled together.
“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable earlier. The cabin didn’t appear like something a man decorated. If Cookie got a choice, we’d have the biggest TV screen available and a comfortable couch,” Fiona explained.
“Cole admitted why he asked you to come. He didn’t get into detail about why he thinks we have something in common. I guess I’m a bit nervous about why he set it up,” she confessed while sitting in one of the patio chairs and playing with her water bottle.
Fiona smiled in understanding. “Let’s get it out of the way, shall we? I mean, really. Can they be any more obvious than leaving us behind right after we get introduced? Cole thought my story might help you.” Fiona sat beside her.
“Do you want to tell me?” she asked.
“It’s not my favorite topic, but if it’ll help you, then I’m more than happy to share it.
Cookie and I met when he found me in a warehouse in Mexico.
I went on vacation and got kidnapped. They drugged me.
Since Cookie found me during a mission I can’t discuss, I didn’t want to become a burden and slow him down.
By the time he discovered me, my body became addicted to the drugs and I went through withdrawal in the jungle. ”
“Oh, I can’t even imagine,” Hannah exclaimed.
“It gets even better,” Fiona said wryly. “In the midst of it, I got shot. When we met up with his team, they took us to a safe house. I suffered from delusions and tried to escape, thinking they were the bad guys.”
Hannah nodded, now knowing why Cole invited them.
“Cookie convinced me to move in with him. He made me feel safe from the moment I met him. I can’t explain it, but we immediately felt a connection,” Fiona continued.
“It didn’t get any easier when we returned home.
He introduced me to his teammates and their wives, who became my best friends.
We decided to go shopping, and a man triggered me inside the mall.
I freaked out. When the girls went to sleep, I fled, thinking the kidnappers found me.
Luckily, Cookie’s friend, Tex, located me and talked me through my delusion until Cookie returned home. ”
“How did you ever get over it?” she asked.
“Therapy, good friends, and love. They helped me when I struggled, and Cookie patiently listened when I needed to talk.”
“How did you know you didn’t like Cookie because he made you feel safe? I hope I’m not getting too personal,” she gushed.
“It’s a valid question.” Fiona paused. “In my experience, it takes a remarkable man to understand the nightmares, the PTSD, and the fear. We connected in the jungle, but his actions afterward reinforced my feelings for him. I know I can stand on my own two feet, but it feels good to know he always has my six. When he leaves on missions, the women and I get together to support each other. It takes time, Hannah. But you can have the life you dreamed of and possibly more. Give yourself grace while you heal and lean on him during the bad times. Tell him when you’re hurting or scared. ”
“But I can’t give Cole anything,” she murmured.
“Did he ask you for something? Because the good guys don’t expect anything,” Fiona advised.
Hannah shook her head. “No. He’s a good guy. I don’t remember everything that happened to me. How did you feel about things like…sex?”
Fiona rolled her eyes. “It seemed natural for Cookie and me. When you trust someone completely, it’ll happen.
You might experience a few bumps, but as long as you keep your communication open and honest, you’ll find the episodes happen less frequently and farther apart.
Continue with your therapy. Some days will be harder than others, but it helps. ”
“I’m glad Cole asked you to come. Thank you for sharing your story with me,” Hannah said, feeling relieved at Fiona’s answers to her questions.
Her concern about her feelings for Cole because he made her feel safe, disappeared.
He admitted to liking her, and they shared a few kisses.
Did she have a chance at happiness if she took Fiona’s advice?
“You’re welcome. If you ever need to talk, you can always contact me,” she offered. “I’m a good listener.”
Half an hour later, the men returned. Cole opened the porch door and searched for Hannah.
His gaze searched her face for any stress.
When she smiled at him, she saw his shoulders relax.
Standing, she approached him and kissed him gently on the lips.
“Thank you,” she murmured as he pulled her in for a hug.
“Ty called. They can’t make dinner tonight,” he told her. “She has a migraine.”
Cookie’s phone rang and he went into the living room to answer the call. A minute later, he beckoned for Fiona. “I’m sorry, they called me back to base. We’re spinning up at 0400.”
Cole helped them reload the car while Hannah made them a snack for the flight. They stood on the front porch and waved goodbye.
“It appears our weekend went up in smoke,” Cole said, disappointed.
“Don’t worry, Fiona talked to me,” she assured him. “It helped.”
“Yeah?” he asked, regarding her.
“Yes. She answered some questions for me. Since we have some time, you mentioned jogging on different trails. Can we take the dogs for a walk and check out the area?” Hannah asked. “I wanted to speak with Claire, but she’s not in today.”
“Yeah, she passed out at work and she announced she and Patch will be having a baby. I wish you’d seen his reaction. The man passed out,” he told her, laughing.
“You’re kidding,” she said, surprised.
“Nope. Then Gabby told Knight about her pregnancy. He weaved in place and I made him sit in the wheelchair. I don’t know their story, but he seemed insistent on treating her differently than last time.”
“They turned into two big teddy bears,” she grinned. “I’m happy for them.”
“Do you want children?” he asked. “I have a sister and a brother. My parents loved to pile us in the truck and go on adventures. We never knew until we got there. They’re some of my best memories.”
“I love kids. As an only child, I always wanted siblings,” she said, turning to enter the cabin. “Let me grab my shoes.”
Cole readied the dogs and waited for her on the front porch. When she arrived, he held out the leash for Nine. She scratched behind Brody’s ears and walked down the steps. He led them to the trail hidden by the trees.