Chapter 13
SEATON
Daryl put his hand on the back of the chair and tugged it out far enough that he could sit in it. She felt her heart pound in her chest and wondered if she might lose whatever food she had in her stomach.
“I need a drink.”
The words that came out of her mouth turned everyone’s head toward her.
Daryl smiled then, shocking her even more. “Good idea, honey. Go get me a beer.”
A beer?
Daryl looked at the SWAT officer. “What about you, man?”
When Duval didn’t immediately reply, Daryl slapped his free hand on the top of the table. “Get the man a fucking beer!”
Seaton lurched toward the counter. They did sell alcohol in the diner, but it wasn’t something many people ordered. Most preferred pop, sweet tea, or shakes.
She reached behind the counter and slid open the top of the cooler. She knew that Daryl liked Budweiser. Coors, if Bud wasn’t available.
She took out two bottles of Budweiser, hoping that Duval wouldn’t care.
The less she said was for the better.
She popped the tops off on the metal opener screwed to the wall and moved to table.
Duval was sitting across from Daryl and smiling at her as if this was a common occurrence for him.
She set one bottle in front of Duval and then reached out to set the other in front of Daryl. Before she could pull her hand back, Daryl grabbed her wrist.
Seaton held her breath for a moment until he spoke.
“Get us some fucking utensils! Do you even know how to do this job?”
She nearly stumbled back when he let go of her arm as quickly as he grabbed it.
That’s when she saw Yun head for the kitchen.
“Hey! Old man!”
Yun stopped just shy of the doorway.
“Yeah, you!”
Yun turned around, his face a mask of calm. “Yes, sir?”
Daryl smiled at him. “Don’t do anything stupid back there.” He waved his gun in Seaton’s direction and she held her breath. “She gets the first bullet.” Then he waved it toward the kitchen. “You get the next one.”
Seaton saw Duval shifting on his chair and she knew he was about to do something. Turning on her heel, she reached for the silverware caddy on the counter.
Earlier she’d intended to start setting empty tables when she had a moment, but new customers had caught and held her attention.
Now, instead of picking out just a handful of cutlery for the table, she picked up the whole caddy of silverware and headed for the table.
Seaton saw Duval roll his shoulders.
A simple gesture that people did to stretch or release some tension, but there was a difference in the way Duval did it.
She’d never be able to explain it in words, but she knew that it wasn’t an unconscious gesture, but a conscious one.
And as he leaned forward, putting his one forearm on the table, she saw her chance to help.
The whole caddy fell from her shaking fingers and hit the hard laminated floor with a crash that made her jump.
Before she could pull herself together, a loud crack filled the air and then a second one.
Seaton looked toward the table and saw Daryl lift his gun, swinging his arm in her direction.
She saw a flash before she heard a noise.
A moment later she hit the floor.
CADDO
He swore he was already moving before he heard the gunshots in the diner.
There were police between himself and the door, but he passed a few of them, and he’d likely shoved one away in his rush to get inside.
No one tried to stop him as he rushed through the door and passed by Duval to drop down beside Seaton and Yun.
The older man was sprawled nearly on top of Seaton and Sam helped him sit up before reaching for Seaton.
Yun groaned a little. “Check Seaton.”
Sam nodded. He didn’t need anyone to tell him that, but he appreciated Yun’s thought. He could tell by her expression that she was stunned.
Likely in shock.
Still, he moved his hands over her face, the back of her head, her shoulders and arms.
By the time he tugged at her clothes to make sure she hadn’t taken a bullet, Seaton was coming around.
The first thing she said was, “Yun!”
She turned her head and Sam steadied her.
“Are you okay?”
The diner’s owner smiled at her. “Just fine. I’ve had worse scrapes in the kitchen.”
She nodded but Sam wasn’t sure she actually heard the words.
She lifted her hands and grasped his arms. “Duval?”
Sam helped her to stand up and turned to look at the SWAT officer who’d disarmed the man who was sprawled over the tabletop. “I’m good,” he assured her. “I’m just fine.”
She shook her head as if she was trying to clear it.
“What happened?”
“Thanks for dropping all that shit on the ground. The rest was simple. I’m like Han fucking Solo.” Duval gave her a self-assured grin. “I shot first.”
Sam looked at Yun, who was up on his feet and grinning from ear to ear. “If someone comes looking for Seaton. I’m going to take her out back and talk.”
Yun nodded, gesturing toward the open door of the kitchen. “Go out here. There’s a half-wall out there for some privacy.”
Sam thanked him and he walked Seaton outside.
He had something to say to her, but before he could start to talk, she beat him to the punch.
A sucker punch.
“I can’t see you anymore, Sam.”
SEATON
"I... I couldn't bear it if Yun or Duval got hurt because of me!" She tried to push Sam away. "I don't want anyone to suffer because of me, Sam! Please! Just... just walk away."
She turned her head because she didn't want to see his face.
She didn't want to see him harden against her.
And if he was hurt, she really couldn't bear it.
It would kill her heart and soul to know that she was responsible for that, but it was the only way to make sure that Sam was out of the way when danger came after her again.
"Seaton?"
She tried to pull out of his grasp, but he was holding on too tight.
"Seaton, stop! Look at me."
She squeezed her eyes tight and felt her body sway, almost dizzy.
Then she gasped as his arms wrapped around her like bands of steel.
"I'm not going to let you walk away just because you think I could get hurt."
She tried to block his voice out of her ears, but it was impossible.
Even if she could lift her hands up and cover her ears, his voice, the voice that she loved more than anyone else, would find a way into her ears.
Why did this have to hurt so much?
"Sam, please. This... I'm not worth it."
His arms froze around her and for a moment she thought she'd finally convinced him to let her go.
His embrace was suddenly gone, and she felt her heart break into a thousand pieces.
She wanted to pull away from him, but then his hands were on her.
His palms against her cheeks.
"I'm not going to let you walk away thinking that you're not worth it, Seaton."
She kept her eyes closed, unwilling to open them and risk that she'd give in.
"Please, I just want you to look at me so you can see me." It sounded like his heart might be breaking like her own. "So you can see that I'm telling you the truth."
That was the problem, wasn't it?
She didn't want to see his face because she knew his heart.
She could see the truth in his eyes, and she just didn't want to.
It would only hurt more to walk away.
"Seaton, please."
She steeled herself and opened her eyes.
She told herself it was the only way to make it a clean break.
But when she saw the pain in his eyes, she realized she'd made a mistake.
She loved him too much not to be affected.
"Seaton, I'm a first responder. I put my life on the line every day.
I do it because it's a calling. I love it, but make no mistake, while I would do it for anyone in danger, it would be different with you because I love you.
If it wasn't my job, I would put myself between you and danger in a heartbeat. I love you, Seaton. Do you hear me?"
She nodded, slowly, laboriously.
CADDO
He knew she was admitting it grudgingly.
She didn't want to admit that she understood.
She might have suffered with her mother and her ex, but she was bound and determined not to put that suffering on others.
If it wasn't in the form of her pushing him away, he'd appreciate it more.
But her heart was the wall between them.
"I love you, Sea."
She shuddered and he worried that she might break down into tears. He didn't want to hurt her like this. He never wanted to hurt her.
"I need you to know that I'm all in with you, Seaton." He placed a gentle kiss on her lips and stepped back. "I'm always going to be beside you. That's not something that will change."
She shook her head and he felt his stomach twist inside of him.
"I..." She cleared her throat, but her voice continued to shake, "I'd rather give you up than see you hurt because of me."
"Sea," he leaned in and placed a kiss on her forehead before leaning back so he could see her whole face, "if you gave me up, that would break me beyond repair.
I could handle it if you tell me that you don't love me.
If you didn't love me, I could handle that.
I just want you to be happy. But if you push me away because you love me?
That just proves why we shouldn't give up on this. On us..."
He saw her face, her beautiful face, and he could only hope he understood the emotion he saw in her eyes.
"I want..." she pressed her lips into a thin line. "I want this," she swallowed. "I want to be with you, Sam. Because... because I love you. I-"
He didn't let her say another word. He was so afraid that she'd change her mind.
So he kissed her until Hayden came around the corner to find them, but he didn't let Seaton go until the next morning when they woke up wrapped around each other in bed.
Ready to face the challenges of the day... together.