Chapter 2
Griz groaned as he stood. The workouts were getting harder.
The last deployment had been almost too much.
It had taken him weeks to recover when he came home.
Going full on for months and months had worn out his battery, and he was glad they had three weeks off.
They were spending eleven days at the cabin, which would give him time to sleep.
They were planning on hunting and fishing, but also, they were buying enough food they wouldn’t have to rely on their skills to feed them.
The door opened, and an ensign stepped in. “Petty Officer Williamson.”
He turned to face her. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Commander Davison is ready to see you.”
“Thank you.”
This meeting was one he didn’t relish. He had to make the decision to stay or go.
He needed to move out of being a SEAL. He could teach, or he could move into an analysis role.
He had enough experience to go into almost any job.
He just hated the idea of leaving the SEAL team. He’d grown used to having them close.
He stepped into the conference room and saluted the commander. The man smiled and returned the salute.
“Come in, Williamson, or should I call you Griz?”
“Thank you, sir. Griz is what I’m used to.”
“So, it’s time for this talk. You’ve been a SEAL for a long time.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Are you thinking of retiring? You know, we need good men in positions of leadership. There is a place for you still in the Navy.” Davidson lifted his chin. “The beard and hair would have to go, but there is a place for you.”
Griz chuckled and ran his hand over his beard, knowing he should have trimmed everything up before coming in. “Thank you. I’m not sure if I want to retire or not. I plan on thinking about it during leave.”
Davidson stood, grunting as he shook his head. “My body feels old and tired. I can’t imagine how you feel.”
Griz smiled. “Like I’m not twenty anymore.”
“Well, thank God for that. I was an idiot at twenty.”
Griz couldn’t stop the laughter. He nodded. “I was probably a bigger idiot than you.”
“I don’t know. You were in the Navy, already working. I was still in college, doing stupid shit. Don’t tell the admiral.”
“No, sir. I wouldn’t dream of it.”
“It was good talking to you, Griz. I’m always proud of what you men accomplish. I’ll see you in a few weeks.”
He left the meeting and headed back to his team.
They had to finish two more days of work, then they would be free to head to the cabin.
He was thankful Amelia had agreed to pay the larger portion of the rental fee for the cabin.
They were all paying, but she picked up the extra which allowed them to rent the cabin.
“Hey, Griz, so what did you decide?” Sharp asked.
“Nothing yet.”
Apple chuckled. “You aren’t going to retire. You’re going to go down in history as the oldest SEAL.”
“Shut up, Apple. I’m not that old.”
“From my angle, you are very old.”
“Jesus. And I put up with this crap from you all. I should leave.”
Apple threw his arm over Griz’s shoulder. “You love me.”
Griz rolled his eyes. “Let’s get back to work.”
“Sure, Grandpa,” Apple said.
The other guys laughed, but they grabbed their gear they needed to clean.
Being a SEAL was about being prepared, and having dirty gear meant the mission would be dirty.
He’d spent days, weeks, maybe months over the years cleaning, and every cleaning session had been worth it.
He’d saved himself much pain by keeping his gear clean.
He’d been through so much in his years in the Navy. His life was good, and he was happy for the most part. There were times he wished he’d found someone to spend his life with, but he’d been all in as a SEAL and didn’t have time to make a relationship. It wouldn’t have been fair.
Sure, Sharp had been great for Danika, and Jay and Nichole had a great relationship.
Shine and Rowan had made it work. Asher and Squat were perfect together and had worked out well.
Apple and Amelia had been together for the shortest amount of time, but they were doing well together, even with the added stress of a kid.
He wasn’t sure he would ever find someone, though. A memory of a girl he’d known surfaced. She was the one person he thought he would have had forever with. It hadn’t worked out for them.
If he’d stayed, if his father hadn’t beaten him, if he hadn’t been tossed out, he would have stayed in town.
He probably would have worked at the air conditioning factory and eventually asked Elowen to marry him.
She would have been the one thing worth staying for.
But he’d taken a different route, and this was his life now.