Chapter 25
Willa had no idea there were this many SEALs in the Navy.
And from what Thario said shortly after they arrived, it wasn’t even a tenth of the guys in the program.
They came in all sizes, but all of them were fit.
Cy was tall, but there were a few guys who were almost a foot shorter than he was.
One guy looked small, like skinny as a rail, but from what she’d seen when he climbed up a tree like it was walking up a gentle slope, he was all muscle.
“It’s impressive, isn’t it?” Calla asked.
“Amazing. I never even thought about the military, and certainly not guys in a group like this.”
Calla pointed to the parking lot. “Looks like more have arrived.”
She glanced over and swore she recognized one of the women. “Is that Bree?”
Calla turned to glance over. “Yeah, that’s Bree. She’s with Smiley.”
“She came to the police station with me. I had no idea.”
“Go say hello.”
She gave Calla a quick hug before heading over to say hello to Bree. A sense of awkwardness filled her as she approached Bree. She hoped the woman didn’t think she was stalking her.
“Bree,” Willa called out when she was about ten feet away.
Bree turned, and shock played out on her face. Before Bree could say hello, Cy was there, his hand on her back.
“Smiley, Kevlar, it’s good to see you.”
“Hey, Cy,” one of the guys pulled Cy into a hug.
“Willa, I didn’t know you were with Cy.” Bree pulled her close, giving her a tight hug.
“He was at the bar when Robert came in. He stopped Robert from assaulting me that night.”
Bree held her at arm's length, her smile wide. “Of course he did. He’s a good one. I’m glad you’re here. I was going to call you on Monday and check in.”
“Thank you. I’m good for now. Robert was in jail for a while, then got out, but he should be back behind bars soon.”
“Good. And I’m glad you’re with Cy. He’ll keep you safe. Come on, I want you to meet a few friends.”
Cy squeezed her shoulder. “I’ll be here talking to these guys. Go with Bree, she’s safe.”
She nodded. “Sure, and thank you.”
Cy winked and then gave her a hug before Bree pulled her away.
The number of people Bree knew was impressive.
She met a bunch of women. There was no way she would remember all of their names.
There was Kelli, Addison, Josie, and Remi who she’d already met, then there was Caroline, Piper, and Avery.
Keeping up with all the people seemed impossible.
“Don’t worry about names. They know there are a lot of people to remember.”
Willa nodded and was about to say something when Bree squealed and waved at someone.
“You have to meet Melody. Come.”
Bree pulled her along behind her. She passed by Cy, who smiled and waved as they went. Loads of people said hello to Bree as they passed. It was impressive and intimidating.
“Bree, it’s good to see you.”
“Hello, Melody. I wanted Willa to meet you.”
Melody turned to her, her smile wide as she stuck out her hand for a shake. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Thank you. It’s good to meet you.”
“She’s new to the group.”
Melody glanced over their shoulder. “I’m guessing she’s with Cy based on how he’s making a beeline over here.”
Willa glanced over her shoulder, a thrill shooting through her when Cy met her gaze. He put his hand on her back before shaking Melody’s hand.
“Melody, I didn’t know you and Tex were going to be here.”
“Hey, Cy, it’s good to see you,” a man said as he stepped over and pulled Cy into a hug.
“Tex, good to see you.”
“Thanks, buddy. This is Willa.”
“Nice to meet you, Willa. I’m Tex.”
“Tex and Melody. Sorry, I’m trying to learn everyone’s name. There are a lot of people here.”
Melody threw back her head, laughter spilling out. “It takes a while. But don’t worry, no one will be offended if you have to ask their names about fifty times.”
“I hope they understand. There are so many names to remember.”
“And this isn’t even the bulk of them,” Tex said.
She shook her head, shock filling her. “I’m surprised.”
More guys came over to talk to Tex, and Bree said she needed to check in with Smiley. Cy led her over to another group of guys. She caught some of their names. Ellis was with Trip, and Zip was with Talia.
After two hours, she was still dealing with a swirl of names for people who seemed to be the nicest group she’d ever met. They included her in conversations, and a few of them recognized her from Aces.
She was surprised by how easily all these people accepted her. There was hope that some of these women would end up being friends. She would love to have friends again.
After Robert, and losing everyone to his jealousy, she’d lost hope of having people who were close. These men seemed to like that their wives and girlfriends had other people around them, and interests outside of themselves.
Another difference was that all the guys seemed to be helping with food and kids.
They fed children, changed diapers, played with kids, and took care of stuff.
There were a few pregnant women in the group, and they were told to sit and relax.
If they got up, their men helped them or rubbed their backs.
It really was an amazing group of people.
Maybe some of the nicest she’d ever met.
“You good?” Cy asked after coming back from talking to a group of guys.
“Yeah. I’m just shocked.”
His eyebrows shot up high. “Shocked by what?”
“Everyone is nice. The men are actually helping the women. Like, do you know how weird that is?”
He looked around and shook his head. “They’re just being themselves.”
“Maybe you’re used to this, but I’ve never seen guys actually treating their women like this.”
He draped his arm over her shoulder and leaned in. “This is the bare minimum. If you get with someone, this is what you’re supposed to act like. I’m not saying they don’t have arguments, because I’ve seen these women stand up for themselves and tell their guys no.”
“And they don’t get slapped?”
“No. If one of these guys hit his woman, you’d better believe he would get ten times worse if not more.”
“I’m shocked. I’ve just never experienced anything like this.”
“Well, get used to it.“
She turned to him, studying him to see if he was speaking the truth. It seemed like he was. “You’re not—“ Willa glanced around, making sure no one was standing too close.
“Not what?”
“Well, not blowing smoke up my ass to get me to sleep with you? This is really who you are.”
He nodded. “This is who I am. If I wanted to have sex and not a relationship, I could go to a bar and get laid. I’m not a saint, and I’ve done that sort of thing, but I’m older, and I’ve seen how good these guys have it. I’d like to have someone special in my life.”
She narrowed her gaze, studying him. “So you’re not just pulling my leg or trying to manipulate me when you say you want a relationship.”
He shook his head. “I want something more than just one-night stands. And I understand why you’re suspicious.”
She drew in a slow breath. Could she be his more? Was she really ready to commit to someone so soon after leaving Robert?
This man was the best guy she’d ever met. Maybe the timing was right for a relationship. She just wasn’t sure he would want her after he realized she wasn’t good in bed.