Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
“I still can’t believe you’re married, man,” Safe said with a shake of his head.
The SEAL team was sitting in a small conference room waiting for their commander to join them to discuss their next mission.
“Right? I mean, we haven’t even met this chick,” Flash complained.
“So? You aren’t married to her,” MacGyver told his friend.
“I know, but we want to make sure she’s good for you.”
MacGyver snorted. “Good for me? She’s way out of my league. If anything, I’m not good enough for her .”
“Now that’s bullshit if I’ve ever heard it,” Kevlar said. “You’re the best of this bunch, MacGyver.”
“Hey! I resent that,” Smiley bitched.
Everyone laughed.
“But since you’re all so concerned, I’m bringing her and the kids to Wolf’s house this weekend.”
“Awesome!”
“Sweet!”
“About damn time!”
Everyone seemed excited that they were finally going to get to meet the mysterious woman he’d married.
“How are Artem, Borysko, and Yana doing?” Preacher asked. He’d been with MacGyver when they’d met the children in the Ukraine. He’d seen firsthand their horrible circumstances, and was the only one of the team who’d had any inkling of MacGyver’s plan to marry Addison to help gain custody of the kids. Of course, he was as surprised as everyone else that it happened so quickly after they’d gotten home from that mission.
“They’re good,” MacGyver said. “I spoke with Artem and Borysko’s teacher the other day, and she said she’s never seen kids learn so quickly. And their math skills are way above normal for kids their age.”
“That’s great. So they’ll take after their dad,” Blink said. “Since you’re a genius when it comes to engineering stuff.”
“I don’t know about that. But I’m relieved. I was afraid they’d been so traumatized by what happened to their parents, their village, all of it, they wouldn’t be able to settle in,” MacGyver said.
“Their sessions with the psychologist are going all right?” Safe asked.
“Yeah. I don’t know all the details, but the woman says that mentally and emotionally, they’re healing well.”
“And Yana?” Blink asked.
“She’s adorable,” MacGyver told them. “This morning, she was totally decked out in her Elsa gear.”
“You’re spoiling her,” Kevlar warned.
“Yup,” MacGyver said, with no hesitation and a huge smile on his face. “I sure am.”
“They’re lucky,” Smiley said.
“No. I’m the lucky one. I never really thought much about being a father. It wasn’t anything I particularly aspired to be. But now? I can’t imagine my life without them,” he said.
“I can’t wait,” Preacher said. “I know Maggie isn’t that far along, but I’m more than ready for that baby to get here.”
“It has a bit longer to marinate,” Flash reminded him.
“I know. And that sucks.”
Everyone laughed again.
“Any plans for you guys to have kids?” Flash asked Kevlar, Safe, and Blink.
“We want at least three,” Blink said. “With hopefully one set of twins, since they run in my family.”
“We also want them, but Wren and I are enjoying our time together for the moment,” Safe said.
“Famous last words,” Smiley said with a chuckle. “You say that, and then—BAM. Preggo.”
Everyone talked over each other, agreeing.
“Kevlar? What about you and Remi?” Flash asked.
“Yeah. We want at least one. Maybe more. We might adopt, like you, MacGyver. Maybe take in a foster. A kid who needs someone to love him or her.”
“With all the time you spend volunteering with the Girl Scouts, I can see you with several little girls,” Safe told him.
Kevlar smiled. “Yeah.”
“Right, so everyone wants kids except me,” Smiley said. “They’re smelly, loud, and take up way too much time.”
“You might change your mind when you meet someone,” Kevlar said. “I didn’t think much about kids until after Remi and I got together.”
“I don’t think so. I mean, I like other people’s kids, but I don’t really want any of my own.”
“What if you find a woman who wants, like, ten kids?” Flash joked.
“I’d like to think that when I do find someone who can put up with my grumpy ass, that we’ll be on the same page about something so important. If we aren’t, I’m not sure I’d fall in love with her in the first place.”
“I don’t think it works like that,” Kevlar said seriously.
Smiley simply shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t think it’s going to be an issue anyway. I have a feeling I’m going to be the single one of our bunch. I’ll be the annoying uncle who takes all your kids and teaches them bad words, how to do doughnuts in a parking lot, how to sneak out of their houses, and how to shotgun a beer.”
“That’s it, you are officially not allowed anywhere near Artem or Borysko. Or my daughters, for that matter,” MacGyver said.
“Daughters,” Flash said with a shake of his head. “It’s so hard to wrap my head around any of us having children. And an almost-teenager? It’s mind-blowing.”
Everyone nodded.
“How’s Ellory doing? She’s got that bowel thing, right?” Safe asked.
“Crohn’s disease, yeah. And she’s okay. Today wasn’t a good day. She puts on a brave face, but I can always tell when she’s hurting. It sucks, because there’s nothing any of us can do to make it better.”
“But now that she can get consistent healthcare, that’ll help, won’t it?” Kevlar asked. “I mean, that’s why Addison married you, isn’t it?”
For some reason, his friend’s words hit MacGyver wrong. “Well, she wouldn’t have married me if she didn’t like me a little …at least, I’d like to think that.”
“Of course she wouldn’t,” Preacher agreed immediately. “Look, I’m not an expert on women, not even close. But it wasn’t as if marriage was her last resort. You told me that you offered to help pay for Ellory’s treatments even if she didn’t marry you.”
That was true. After MacGyver had asked Addison to marry him, he’d promised that even if she said no, he’d still help with Ellory’s medical care. He’d met the girl several times and genuinely liked her. He couldn’t stand the thought of her not being able to get the help she needed because Addison couldn’t afford it. Yes, he needed help with the kids, but he never would’ve pressured Addison to do anything she didn’t want to do.
“We’re hoping the doctors at the base hospital will be able to regulate her meds so she doesn’t have so many ups and downs. Her doctor has scheduled an upper GI series to see if he can spot anything new on the scans,” MacGyver told his friends.
“Ugh. That’s where she has to drink that nasty stuff that’ll make her insides light up when she goes through the machine, right?” Smiley asked.
MacGyver couldn’t help but laugh a little at that. Before meeting Ellory and reading up on Crohn’s, he probably would’ve described the procedure the same way. “Yeah. She drinks a mixture with barium in it, and it’ll make her GI tract light up in the x-rays.”
“And that’ll help figure out what’s wrong?” Kevlar asked.
“Well, the doctors pretty much know what’s wrong, but it’ll pinpoint where the inflammation is and maybe how to help relieve the pressure.”
“Sounds like you have a plan. And the other kids are doing good. How are you doing?” Kevlar asked.
Glancing at his friend, MacGyver frowned. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve had a lot thrown at you in a very short period of time. Three traumatized kids—one of which is still recovering from being shot—an almost-teenage stepdaughter, a new wife, a full house…it’s a lot . How are you dealing with it all?”
MacGyver took a moment to really think about his friend’s question. To his surprise, he realized that while he felt as if he was busy every moment of the day now, and he didn’t have any of the free time he used to have to tinker with his electronics and junk at home, he wasn’t unhappy about any of it. “I’m good,” he said with a small shrug.
“Really?” Safe asked.
“Really,” he confirmed. “I work hard all day, then go home and Yana runs toward me yelling my name, as if it’s been years since she’s seen me instead of hours. Artem and Borysko talk over each other in their eagerness to tell me about their day, what new words they learned. The house smells like food that Addison’s been cooking for dinner, and the baked goods she makes for us are the icing on the cake, literally. And when I can make Ellory smile through her pain, my day is pretty much made. I go to bed every night exhausted but…fulfilled. Which is an amazing feeling.”
“Damn, I think I’m jealous,” Flash mumbled.
“Happy for you,” Kevlar said.
“Thanks.”
“Can’t wait to meet Addison,” Preacher said. “Is she ready for the girls?”
MacGyver snorted. “Is anyone ever ready for the girls?”
“They aren’t that bad,” Kevlar protested, defending his wife and the others.
MacGyver simply raised a brow at his friend.
“Okay, they can be a lot, but it’s just because they’re so eager to make friends. To make others in our circle feel welcome.”
“I warned Addy that I was going to give you guys her number to pass on. We’ll see tonight how she feels about the unofficial-official SEAL welcome to the team,” MacGyver said.
“It’ll be fine,” Safe said confidently.
“Maggie already told me that she’ll be so happy to have someone to talk to about her pregnancy, you know, since Addison’s had a baby of her own. She’s super nervous and she’s still only in her first trimester,” Preacher said.
“I’m sure Addy will be happy to talk to her about her experiences,” MacGyver reassured his friend.
The door opened and their commander strode into the room, a stack of papers in his hand and a small frown on his face. He looked serious. It was obviously time to get to work.
MacGyver usually had no problem switching gears in his head from his new family to work. But today, no matter how hard he tried to focus completely on the mission they’d likely be leaving for in a few weeks, Addison wasn’t far from his mind. He wondered what she was doing, if the girls had texted her yet, how the cake decorating was going, if she’d heard from Ellory. It was a buzz in the back of his mind. Not fully distracting him from the work at hand, but sort of like being under a thick, fuzzy blanket on a cold winter’s day in front of a fire. Comforting. Soothing. Heart-warming.
He had no clue a family could be such a grounding force. And Addison was the person holding them all together. Of that he had no doubt. Yes, the kids enjoyed being around him and loved when he arrived home each evening. But Addy was the one who kept them on track. Feeding them, waking them up and getting them ready for bed…the glue that held them all together.
And MacGyver had no clue how to let her know that he wanted more than a marriage of convenience. The last thing he wanted was to mess up what they had. If he moved too fast, he could scare her. Or make her back out of their agreement. He needed to go slow.
He’d let down his guard this morning and hadn’t been able to stop himself from kissing her—four freaking times. It was less than he wanted and more than he should’ve done. But he consoled himself with the reminder that she hadn’t pushed him away. Hadn’t asked him not to take such liberties. Granted, the first kiss, she’d been asleep. Then he’d caught her by surprise the next two times. But that last one, when his lips had touched hers…It had taken all his control not to grab her around the waist, pull her against his body, and kiss her like he’d dreamed of doing. Long, hard, and deep.
His commander cleared his throat loudly, and when MacGyver looked at him, he realized he’d spaced out there for a moment. He nodded at his superior officer and pushed his carnal thoughts about his wife to the back of his mind. Okay, maybe she was fully distracting him. He needed to concentrate. And he couldn’t do that if he was thinking about how good Addy would feel against him, under him.
Jesus. There he went again. He was like a teenage fucking kid again. Unable to think about anything but sex. When and if the time was right, he’d let Addy know how he felt about her. How he really felt about her.
It was difficult not to simply say “yes” when Ellory had asked if he loved her mom. Maybe someday he’d be able to say the words to Addy’s face. To let the world know exactly how he felt about his wife. That he hadn’t married her simply to make it easier to adopt Artem, Borysko, and Yana. But for now, he’d bide his time.
First, they needed to get through the party at Wolf’s house, then Ellory’s medical procedure, then their first deployment together, meeting his parents and siblings, and whatever else might arise. If all that went okay, he’d slowly begin letting Addy know that he wanted a real marriage. That he wanted to hold her against him all night, instead of simply sleeping beside her. That she meant more to him than a means to an end.
No mission had ever been more important than winning Addy. Than making her his wife in all the ways that mattered.
* * *
Addison wiped her brow with the sleeve of her shirt and smiled at the cake she’d just finished decorating. Two down and one to go. Baking the cake was the easy part; making sure it looked perfect and was just what the client wanted was the more difficult job. The most rewarding part was the gasp of delight that her customers let out when they first saw their cakes. It made all the hard work worth it. And when they shared pictures of their cakes on social media? That was validation of the blood, sweat, and tears she put into making each one perfect. It also didn’t hurt that she usually got a few inquiries from each post from potential new clients.
And Ricky’s kitchen made her job so much easier. She’d made do with her kitchen in the apartment she’d shared with Ellory. But Ricky’s kitchen was a baker’s dream come true. She had double the counter space, so she could spread out and do more than one thing at a time. There was room for a blast chiller, which was vital to help cool cakes fast, so she could get them decorated in half the time it had taken her in the past. The first cake was already in its box on the counter, waiting for pickup, and the second would join it shortly.
Addison felt happier than normal today. Maybe it was the orgasm she’d started the day with, maybe it was the kisses she’d gotten from her husband, or the way her daughter had leaned over the backseat before she’d gotten out of the car at school to say she was glad her mom had married Ricky.
Or maybe it was the way her phone kept vibrating on the counter next to the cake she’d just finished decorating.
As Ricky had warned, the “girls” had texted her as soon as they’d gotten her number. She’d been added to a group text with them all, and the amount of exclamation points that had been used so far was amusing. Everyone seemed genuinely happy that she was joining them that weekend.
Each woman had introduced herself and shared a little about what they did for a living. Addison had reciprocated, warning them that she wouldn’t be able to text a lot as she had three cakes to bake today. No one seemed offended, and to prove it, the texts continued throughout the day. When the girls took breaks from their own work, they would check in with everyone else. Say hi. Ask what everyone was planning on bringing to the potluck that weekend.
Remi took the time to give Addison an abbreviated history of Wolf and Caroline. Who they were and how the SEALs knew them.
Addison felt included and welcomed. She couldn’t remember a time when a group of women had been so friendly.
She’d almost always been the odd one out. In both elementary and high school, she got picked on a lot because of her height and hair. Seventh grade was when the worst of the bullying had started for Addison, the so-called popular clique taking great delight in tormenting and making fun of her. It had been hell, and she’d felt like an outsider from that moment on. Which was why she was so worried about Ellory, with her daughter going through the same thing.
But Remi, Josie, Wren, and Maggie made all those old feelings disappear in one afternoon. With their constant texting, joking, and easy banter, Addison felt as if she was already best friends with the women. Of course, she could be disappointed when she met them in person this weekend, but she hoped not.
A couple of hours later, just as she was finishing her last cake, her phone rang. It was Ellory. Wiping her hands on a nearby towel, Addison quickly answered.
“Hey, El.”
“Mom? Can you come get me?”
“Of course. Are you all right?” Addison didn’t hesitate to pull off her apron and head around the counter toward her purse. Ellory wasn’t the kind of kid to lie about whether she was sick or not. She actually loved school. Loved learning. So if she asked to come home, something was wrong.
“I just don’t feel good.”
Her daughter didn’t sound like herself. There was more going on…and Addison’s belly clenched with concern. “I’m on my way.”
“Thanks. Bye.”
Addison stared at her cell for a beat before putting it into her pocket. Ellory was curt on the phone. She never hung up like that. Her worry ramped up even more. The only other time she’d heard her daughter act like this was right before she’d ended up in the hospital for a week. The pain had been so bad, she hadn’t been able to stand or walk, and the doctors had ended up giving her some hard-core pain pills as they did test after test to try to figure out what was wrong. That was when she’d first gotten the Crohn’s disease diagnosis.
She prayed Ellory was all right. That she wouldn’t need to go back into the hospital. She drove way too fast on her way to the school and parked haphazardly before hurrying into the building. Ellory was waiting in the nurse’s office, and after Addison signed her out, she followed her mom silently to the car.
“Talk to me, El,” Addison said in a low voice.
“I’m okay. I just want to lie down,” Ellory replied.
Addison frowned. It wasn’t like her not to talk about her pain. From the first time she’d been diagnosed, they’d talked about everything and anything. Even the embarrassing stuff. The bloody diarrhea, the black stools, the cramping, the gas, the constipation—all of it. So for her to not want to talk about what was really bothering her now was…concerning.
As soon as Ellory sat inside the car and put on her seat belt, she bent forward, holding onto her stomach as she did.
For the millionth time, Addison wished she could take the pain away from her daughter.
“Mom?” Ellory asked. She hadn’t sat up, was still hunched over with her arms wrapped around her stomach.
“Yeah, sweetie?”
“Why are people so mean?”
Addison’s stomach dropped and she pressed her lips together. She, more than most people, knew how horrible that felt. How it made her dread going to school every day. How she’d gone out of her way to avoid certain hallways and kids. She absolutely hated that Ellory was now going through the same thing.
“I don’t know, honey. Because they feel inferior in some way, so they have to take out their feelings on others? Because no one ever taught them common human decency? Because they’re simply rotten people? I don’t know that there’s a good answer to that.” Her response felt inadequate, but she wasn’t sure what else to say. She had no answers for her daughter. None that would make her feel better, at least.
Ellory didn’t respond, and Addison didn’t push. She wanted to go back to the school and find the girls who were harassing Ellory and shake them. But confronting them would make Ellory’s situation worse. She knew that firsthand. Her own mother had talked to the principal, and he’d contacted the parents of the girls making fun of her. Which had only made the girls double down on their harassment…they were just more careful not to do or say anything where adults might witness it.
Her daughter sniffed, and the small sound shattered Addison’s heart. “What do you need from me?” she asked quietly.
“Nothing.”
The one word broke Addison’s heart even more. She’d started asking her daughter that question when she first got sick. When she felt helpless to know what to do, she’d ask that question, and Ellory would tell her what she needed. A backrub, lying with her in bed until she fell asleep, reading a book to her, a favorite stuffed animal…Now, none of those things would help.
“Okay, honey. If you think of anything, let me know.”
“I will.”
The rest of the ride home was done in silence, and when they arrived, Ellory shuffled into the house and went straight to her room.
Addison put her purse down on the counter and stared at the cake she still needed to box up. It was one of her best creations. The fiftieth wedding anniversary cake was three tiers with a cascade of fondant flowers winding down the side from top to bottom. The flowers had taken hours to make the day before—and a full twenty-four hours to dry—and Addison had been so proud of how they’d turned out.
But as she stared at the cake now, the accomplishment felt hollow in the face of something far more important, and her vision blurred with tears.
There was nothing she could do for Ellory. Not with her health, not with the bullies at school. She felt as if she was failing as a parent, and she had no idea what to do.
Her phone vibrated against her hip and with a sigh, she pulled it out of her pocket. Seeing it was Ricky on the other end, she answered. “Hey.”
“What’s wrong?”
Addison was surprised by the concern she heard in his voice…and that with only one word, he’d picked up on her distress. “Nothing.”
“Don’t do that. Talk to me, Addy.”
She sighed. “I just got back from picking Ellory up from school.”
“Shit. She had a flare-up?”
“Yeah, I think so, but it was more than that. She didn’t tell me what happened, but those girls who’ve been picking on her were obviously at it again.”
“I’ll talk to her when I get home.”
Addison bit her lip. She didn’t know how to say what she wanted to say without hurting his feelings.
“What? Spit it out, Addison.”
How could this man read her so well after such a short period of time? And when they weren’t even in the same room? She had no idea, but she didn’t hate it. “It’s just that…she’s about at that age where she doesn’t want to talk about anything . We have a very close relationship, and she doesn’t want to talk to me about it, even though I went through the same thing with bullies. I just don’t want you to feel bad if she won’t talk to you.”
“I fully admit I have no experience with teenagers. Or almost-teenagers. But maybe talking to an outsider will help her open up.”
“Maybe,” Addison said skeptically.
“I’m not going to say or do anything to make the situation worse,” Ricky told her.
“I didn’t think you would,” Addison told him, honestly shocked he’d even think that. “She respects you. Loves having you around. You’ve given her something I couldn’t give her in a million years.”
“What’s that?”
“A positive male role model. I know you aren’t her dad, and you probably haven’t realized it since you didn’t know her very well before, but she’s opened up a lot since we’ve moved in. She talks more. Smiles more. If you’d be willing to talk to her, I’d be grateful.”
“Of course I will,” Ricky said without hesitation. “Ellory is a beautiful person. But more than that, she’s tough as nails…just like her mother. She’ll get through this. Promise. Did you get your cakes finished?”
The change of subject was abrupt, but Addison was glad. His words hit her hard. She’d always thought her daughter was strong, but hearing her feelings validated by Ricky felt really good. “Yeah. I just have to box up the last one and get it ready for pickup.”
“How did it turn out?”
“Good.”
Ricky chuckled. “Which means it fucking rocks. Sorry…freaking rocks. Take a pic and text it to me? I want to brag about my wife’s decorating skills.”
“Whatever,” Addison told him, secretly thrilled. “How’s work been?”
“It’s work. I’ve had two meetings, and now I’m headed out to give a pep talk to the wannabe SEALs who are about to start Hell Week, then it’s on to another meeting.”
“So you’re going to scare the hell out of them by sharing all the worst things you’ve had to do on missions?” Addison joked.
Ricky chuckled. “Pretty much. Don’t want anyone thinking this SEAL thing is a walk in the park. You need me to pick up anything on my way home this afternoon?”
“No. I think I’m good.”
“All right. If you think of anything you need, just shoot me a text.”
“Okay.”
“Addy?”
“Yeah?”
“You’re an amazing mom. Ellory idolizes you. And Artem, Borysko, and Yana aren’t far behind, and they’ve only known you for a short time. You’re doing a great job with all of them. I’m in awe of you.”
Addison’s eyes teared up again. There were so many times she felt as if she was failing. Trying to earn enough money for Ellory’s medical bills, figuring out what she could eat that wouldn’t irritate her condition, and now with the three little ones, trying to interpret their needs, which were so different from her daughter’s because of their experiences. It was a lot. And hearing Ricky say he thought she was doing a good job meant the world to her. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Don’t forget to send me a picture of that amazing cake. I can’t wait to see it. I’ll see you in a couple hours. If you need me, yell.”
“Okay.”
“Bye, Addy.”
“Bye.”
When she hung up, Addison felt better. Nothing had been resolved. Her daughter was still hurting, physically and mentally, she still had to get this cake boxed up so the man who ordered it for his parents could pick it up and transport it safely…and she still needed to make dinner, pick up the kids from school, and return the texts she was still getting from the other women in Ricky’s circle. But amazingly, the responsibilities didn’t sit so heavily on her shoulders anymore.