Chapter 2
Two
Seven weeks later…
“Shit, man. You’re not looking too good.” Hawk blew across the top of his coffee cup in the small kitchen at Montgomery Defense. Gunner was three shades whiter than normal, a thin sheen of sweat covering his forehead.
“Sage woke us up at three, screaming about her tummy. Threw up all over her bed and it took us a few hours to get her settled and back to sleep. I never knew a two-year-old could make such a mess.”
Hawk chuckled. “Yeah. I can only imagine. You could have stayed home today, you know?”
“I’m going to do a half day. She’s got a low grade fever too, so Lil wants to take her in to see Jake this afternoon if it doesn’t clear up.
That nasty flu seems to be all over Silver Springs.
I wouldn’t be surprised if she picked it up from that dance class we took her to last week.
I’m just glad Nash is out of the office still with Lacy and the baby. ”
Shit. Yeah. Nash and Lacy had their daughter, Camilla, just two weeks after Gunner and Lily’s vow renewal.
She was the cutest little thing, but they’d been extra careful about taking this time to just be a little family of four.
And Hawk didn’t blame them, as much as he would have loved to get some more cuddles in.
The flu around a newborn would be terrible.
“He’s still got a few more weeks of paternity leave. You know Cap will make sure he takes them all. And that should keep him out of the office and away from what feels like a rapidly growing germ pool.”
Gunner nodded.
“Speaking of Cap,” Hawk continued, “have you seen him around here today? We’re supposed to have a meeting in fifteen minutes and I haven’t heard from him yet.”
“That Cap, walking into the building right now?”
Hawk turned, sighing as he nodded. “Great timing on my part. Yeah, that Sebastian. Hope you and Sage feel better, Reap.”
“Thanks, man. See you around.”
Hawk made his way from the kitchen to the reception area, where Sebastian was busy chatting with Hawk’s sister.
“Mae, leave the man alone. He’s here to see me,” Hawk joked.
“I’ll have you know, Seb was asking me a question.”
“A very important one… about the next girls’ night.”
“Don’t even joke about that,” Hawk groaned.
Everyone in the group was well aware of how awful things went any time the women planned a night out on the town together.
Someone was bound to end up with a head wound, or separated from the group, or uncontrollably crying.
“No more girls’ nights. Only family nights. Mae will host… right sis?”
“That’s actually what I was just telling him.” Her head tipped towards Seb. “I’d love to have everyone out to the house. Stone just finished the fire pit, and I know it’s still cold, but wouldn’t the kids all love to do a campfire and roast marshmallows?”
“I think it’s a great idea,” Sebastian said. “And, I love marshmallows too.”
“Good thing you’re going to marry a baker,” Hawk laughed.
“And it’s a good thing I own a gym to burn off all the sweets she feeds me.” That got a laugh out of everyone. “Alright, Phoenix, shall we talk in your office?”
“Yeah, of course.”
Cap rapped his knuckles against Mae’s desk. “Thanks for everything, Mae.”
“Any time,” she smiled, shooing the guys away with a flick of her wrist.
“Your email was kind of cryptic. Am I fired?” Hawk joked, knowing there was no way in hell Seb was there to fire him.
But there was also no real upward movement either at Montgomery Defense.
Hawk, Stone, Gunner, Gage, and Nash were all equal partners under their former SEAL team leader, Sebastian Montgomery.
“Actually, I need your help.”
Hawk sat back in his chair, unable to hide his grin as he cracked his knuckles. “You know I love hearing that.”
Sebastian laughed, unbuttoning his jacket as he sat across from Hawk. “Yeah, I knew you would.”
“So, spill Cap. What do you need?”
“As you’re aware, the business is doing a great job coming back from everything that happened last year.”
Hawk nodded, knowing exactly what Sebastian was talking about. The lies that had led to the integrity of the team and the businesses they run being challenged. Loss of clientele. Loss of revenue. Loss of expansion opportunities.
“Yeah, I’m well aware of how we’ve clawed our way out of that fucking mess.”
“There are new doors opening. And I know from day one, you’ve been one of the biggest champions for The Trident. Working your ass off to get that simulator up and running, putting in extra hours to perfect all the scenarios. I’m proud of you, Phoenix. I’m proud of the work you’ve done.”
His chest tightened. “I fucking love that facility, Cap. I love training there. I love running simulations. It’s an honor to get to do what I do every day.”
Sebastian nodded. “That’s why I know you are the guy I need on this new project.”
Hawk threaded his fingers together and sat forward. “New project. I like the sound of that.”
“Mm. The alphabet agencies want our direct input on a new facility, in a new town, and I want you to head up the project. It means a lot of work upfront, I’m not going to lie.
And in a few months, it will mean traveling back to D.C.
to schmooze and… fuck, I hate saying it.
We’ll need to lobby. But you’d be first in line to run the new place.
With my full stamp of approval. And I’ve already confirmed it with the people who reached out to me. ”
“I don’t know what to say, Cap. I… I haven’t really ever thought about leaving here. Leaving the team.”
“It doesn’t have to be a permanent thing. You could always help get The Trident II off the ground and we can transfer it over to someone else. But I really feel like you’re the guy to see this project through.”
Hawk stood, holding his hand out to Sebastian. “I am. I won’t let you down.”
“Glad to hear it. It might take me a while, but I’ll send all the preliminary paperwork your way in the next few days.
Lots of anticipated revenue and cost projections.
You’ll need to be looped in with the architectural firm I have working on design.
I might have gotten ahead of myself and already sent your details along to the lead designer.
Whatever issues we have at The Trident now, I want them fixed for the new facility. ”
Yeah, this was just the sort of opportunity he needed. No more moping around Silver Springs. He was ready to focus on the next phase of his career. “Got it, Cap. I’ll be ready whenever that information hits my inbox.”
“Oh crap. You look as bad as I feel.”
Jessie groaned as she lifted her head off the desk inside the office at her mom’s diner. Dolly’s was a staple in Silver Springs, and Jess loved being able to work there. But she’d give anything right about then for a day off. No. Not a day. A week. What a dream that would be.
Her eyes focused on the figure in front of her. Dawn, one of the waitresses on staff, stood in the doorway, white as a ghost and shivering.
“Dolly’s sending me home. I’m so sorry, Jess. Do you want me to try and find someone to cover? She mentioned you could stay and take over, but I hate doing that to you.”
“It’s fine.” It was anything but fine actually, but what else could Jessie do?
The flu was taking out staff left and right.
It had been years since they had to shut down the diner for a day, but now it was looking more and more like a possibility.
“My mom is right. I can take the rest of your shift. Go home and rest. Don’t think about coming back until you feel better. ”
“Thanks, girl. I owe you one.”
“Yeah you do,” Jess smiled as she waved away the mom of two. Hopefully Dawn wouldn’t spread it to her kids. That would be rough. Then again, maybe she’d gotten it from them.
“Jess, can you grab the orders for table twelve?” her mom, Dolly, hollered as she came out of the diner’s office.
She’d had to lay down for the last twenty minutes to try and stop the dizziness that was absolutely kicking her ass.
Knowing that she was going to have to go home to help with ranch business after working a full day at the diner instead of curling up in her bed with a hot water bottle for her belly and an ice pack for her head had tears burning at the back of her eyes.
“Yeah, Ma. No problem,” she answered as she tied the strings of her apron behind her back and around front again, creating a cute little bow that accentuated her curves.
Table twelve usually meant some of the team from Montgomery Defense decided to stop in for a bite.
She forced herself not to look up from the pad of paper in her hand.
If Hawk was there, she’d just keep things cool, like she had since their disastrous night together.
Aside from assuring him she’d not had any issues with her IUD and they were covered when his condom broke, they’d been dancing around each other awkwardly.
To be fair… she was all awkwardness. He was still his normal, charming self.
“Hey, guys. What can I get you?” Her stomach clenched when she looked up at the table of mostly unfamiliar faces.
“Hey, Blue Jay.”
“Dakota.” Her brother Lachlan’s best friend sat in the booth, smiling back at her. “I don’t think I know your friends.”
“Wouldn’t suppose you would, sweetheart. We’re down on a little trip from Oklahoma. Just come down to see our buddy Dak about some custom parts for our bikes.”
“Are you doing that with Lach?” Jessie tipped her head in confusion.
Jessie helped out at her brother’s garage several times a week, and he hadn’t mentioned branching out beyond the regular stuff he did as Silver Springs’ only mechanic.
Of course, she wouldn’t be surprised if he did decide to expand his offerings.
Business had been slow for him recently.
“It’s something we’re exploring. Jess, do you think we could have ‘the works’? Trying to show my friends here that Silver Springs is all about good hospitality.”