Chapter 24
“Excuse me?”Naomi asked in outrage, and turned to glare at Tessa when she burst out laughing.
“I know it’s not a laughing matter, but the way you asked it was like you were asking me permission to have sex with her.”
“I am.”
“Why?” Naomi asked in shocked outrage. “You could have asked me.”
“I wanted to know if there was anything medically that would prevent you from having sex.”
“No,” Tessa said firmly. She could see Clark’s question had upset Namoi. “No, nothing medically would prevent Naomi from having sex. It’s a natural thing, even if she was completely paralyzed. I didn’t see anything in her films that would prevent it.”
“Thank you,” Clark said to Tessa, then turned to grin at Naomi. Tessa quickly stood and backed away from the table. “I’ll leave the two of you alone. Go over the file, call the people, do background checks, whatever you need to do. On the inside of the file are mine and Dr. Rob’s personal cell phone numbers if you have any questions.”
“Okay,” Clark said, and turned to look at her. “Can you have Dr. Rob put in an order for that table? If it’s custom made, then I can probably have someplace for it to go by the time it gets here.”
“I will, and maybe Dr. Rob can even come out and retrain the person you hire.”
“That sounds good.” Clark rose and went to the door with her, and after she left, he drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly before he turned to face Naomi.
“I know you’re probably pissed at me for asking Tessa that question, but I wanted to know. I know you know your own body, but I wanted to get a professional medical opinion.”
“I understand, but yeah, I’m still pissed you asked.” Naomi picked up the empty cups, put them on her lap, then wheeled them to the sink.
Clark sighed heavily again, before he asked quietly, “Do you want me to leave?”
“Not because of that question, but if you want to leave to go over to talk to Erin about a building or an addition to one of the cabins, that wouldn’t be bad.” She didn’t look at him when she told him that, and when she finally did turn to look at him, she sighed heavily at his expression and stance. He stood against the door with his feet crossed at the ankles, and his arms crossed over his chest. “What?” she asked defensively.
“I’m not leaving until you tell me you’re not mad at me, and prove it.”
Naomi continued to stare at him and finally sighed heavily before she turned her chair to look at him. “Okay, fine. I’m not mad at you, but I am embarrassed.”
“Why? I’m sorry if my asking a doctor if you can have sex embarrasses you.”
“It’s not that.” She wouldn’t look at him when she rubbed her forehead, but she felt his eyes boring into her. “Fine, I’m embarrassed because I’ve never had sex before. So, you asking if I could have it brought an image to mind that you didn’t want me because I’m a virgin.”
Clark felt his jaw hit the floor at her confession. Instead of bellowing his question, he slowly approached, then got on his knees beside her so he was level with her. “I’m not mad, but, how the hell can someone as beautiful as you be a virgin?”
Naomi sighed heavily, and shook her head. It was several minutes before she answered him. “Growing up, Grandpa was always around. Not that that isn’t a good thing, it was. But he made sure that when we were at any rodeo events I was protected. After he died, Clem took that job very seriously. Yes, I was surrounded by cowboys all the time. Yes, they were interested in me. But I wasn’t interested enough in them to do anything about it. Remember, I was young when I started on the rodeo circuit. Eight-years-old.” She finally looked at him and saw understanding on his face and breathed easier. “Most of the cowboys I hung around started out the same as me. There was a group of about twelve of us that moved up through the ranks together.” At his quirked brow, she smiled. “By ranks I mean we aged out of one classification, and basically started all over in that same class, but we were older.”
“I understand. That still doesn’t answer my question as to why someone as beautiful as you are still a virgin.”
“Thank you for calling me beautiful, but I’m still a virgin because I didn’t want to be classified as a Buckle Bunny.”
“Is that like a Frog Hog?”
“Probably. Denver told me about the women who only wanted a one and done with SEALs.”
“Yeah. That happens. So, these guys you grew up with, they went for the Buckle Bunnies?”
“Yes, and I refused to be used by the male version of a Buckle Bunny. I made a vow to my grandmother after I matured that I would be choosey in who I went to bed with. I wanted it all. I wanted someone who supported me in what I did, and if they weren’t in the rodeo, I didn’t want anyone that would tell me to quit. If they were in the rodeo, I didn’t want anyone who put his career over mine. I also didn’t want anyone to think their career was better than mine, and if I was better, I didn’t want them to be mean or abusive because they couldn’t handle me betting better.”
“You wanted someone equal.”
“Exactly. I didn’t then, and I still don’t today think that a man’s career is more important than a woman’s, in any field, be it the rodeo, ranching, or the business world. I also don’t believe that a loving couple should have different duties, especially if it comes to child care, it should be equal. In my heart and mind, if a relationship is going to work, then both parties have to compromise fifty-fifty. There is give and take, but like I just said, fifty-fifty.”
“I agree, but can you give me an example?”
“Yes, say we got together on a more permanent level. I’m not pushing for anything, but let’s say we’re married. If and when you get your half of your inheritance, I don’t expect you to Lord it over me that you’re my boss, and what you say goes. I expect you to stay the same as you are now, and respect me for what I do, and what I’ve done for Erin in helping her establish Broken. If, down the road, we have kids, then I expect us to parent them equally. If I have someplace to go, then you’ll keep them, you won’t be babysitting, because you’re their father. You will be parenting.”
Clark grinned as he reached toward her and wrapped his arms around her. He held her for several minutes before he backed off enough to look up at her. “Thank you, I feel the same way. There’s another reason why I asked what I did.”
“Oh?”
“I like you, Naomi, a lot. You asked me to hold you while you fell asleep almost a week ago. I readily agreed and haven’t left here since. Why? Because like I just said, I like you a lot. I want to see what we can have together, but we haven’t known each other long enough to start having sex. Call me old-fashioned, but I believe that you really need to know a person for more than a couple of weeks before going to bed with them.”
“Don’t you mean have sex with them?” She snickered. “We’ve been sleeping together for the last six nights.”
“You’re right.” He chuckled as he rose to his feet. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, what are your plans for the day?”
“Since it’s almost Christmas, I was going to start on my holiday baking.” She grinned as she turned back toward the kitchen area. “Don’t worry, there will be plenty for you. I’ll just store them in the freezer until it’s time. I don’t always get time to bake.” She looked back at him with a small smile. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to go talk with Erin about what we discussed earlier, then fax that list of names for therapists over to Jake, to have him do a background check on them. I know we should get someone in here soon, but I want to be thorough. I believe it will pay off in the long run if we get all our ducks in a row and do it correctly from the beginning.”
“I totally agree with that. I’ve waited this long, a few more days won’t hurt. I know the Hillards are leaving today, and once they’re gone, whoever we decide to hire will have their choice between eight bedrooms.”
“Yes. When I’m done at the main house, depending on what Erin agrees to, I’ll be in our office over at the barn.” He walked over and kissed her on the lips, then dressed his feet. He grabbed his jacket, swung it on, then headed outside. Naomi smiled, did a happy dance in her chair, and wheeled herself over to where she kept her cookbooks. This was the first time since leaving Wyoming that she felt good enough about herself to bake. She shook her head and chuckled. Technically it was the second time, because she’d made her grandmother’s favorite dessert for Thanksgiving to share with her new friends and family.
On Christmas morning,Clark sat in the living room of his childhood home, and looked around at his new friends, and former teammates. He couldn’t have been happier with the way their lives had turned out. He looked around and smiled as they opened gifts from Erin. Each couple had done their own private Christmas in their own cabin, and now they were at the main house to celebrate as one big family.
With a smile on his face, and happiness in his heart, he watched as Reid got down on one knee and held out a ring box to Erin. He couldn’t be happier for his best friend. When Erin saw it, she didn’t wait for Reid to say anything before she was screaming yes at the top of her lungs, and lunged for Reid. They ended up on the floor amongst all the wrappings, embraced in a kiss.
Clark rose, and went over to look down on them, he couldn’t seem to wipe the wide grin off his face. “Save something for the honeymoon,” he joked, and jumped back when Erin tried to thumb his toes with her stump. He’d been hit several times with it over the past few weeks, and it hurt like hell.
Laughing, he stared across the room toward the kitchen to get a garbage bag when his phone rang. He saw the face of the person calling and answered it quickly and merrily.
“Merry Christmas!” he sang into his phone, and paused as the person on the other end of the phone started talking. He felt the blood drain from his face, and his knees hit the floor. He didn’t remember hanging up the phone, but he was suddenly surrounded by everyone there.
“What’s wrong?” Naomi asked as she wheeled over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
Clark looked at her, and she sucked in her breath at the tears in his eyes. With a hand on his thigh, he looked at everyone once, then made direct eye contact with his former teammates. “That was Commander Peters.”
“What happened?” all four men demanded at once.
“From your reaction, it wasn’t to wish a former military man Merry Christmas,” Reid said from his own position on the floor, with his arm wrapped around Erin. He had talked with gritted teeth.
“As I said, that was Commander Peters. He called to inform me that ten days ago Delta team was ambushed while on a mission. They received a ransom call yesterday. The guy that took over from me was killed in the firefight. The survivors, that Peters knows of, the ones being held for ransom are Gould, Sanchez, Hissop, and Carter.”
“Our Carter?” Denver asked in shock. He turned to look at Opal. “Ryan Carter was with our team since we were all assigned to Delta.”
“Will they pay the ransom?” Naomi asked.
“No,” all the men said as one. Clark turned to looked at Naomi. “The United States does not deal with terrorists. No matter if one or several military personnel are taken hostage. It’s just not done.”
“How will they get rescued?”
This time, Pru was the one to speak. “If this Commander Peters knows his shit, then he’ll get all the Intel he can and send in other teams of SEALs to rescue them. Or mercenaries, or whatever branch of the military that has teams of kick-ass men that aren’t afraid of little gray areas when it comes to rescuing one of our own.”
She shrugged when the men looked at her in shock, then Clark looked at Naomi. “What Pru said. Commander Peters did say that he’s working on getting them rescued. “No one said anything for some time, they went about celebrating the holiday, but a sadness had come over the group. As they got the meal ready and on the table, every single man there regaled the others with stories of something Ryan and the others had done either while on a mission, or just hanging out at home. It was like if they kept them alive in their memories, and could share them with the others, then wherever they were, they would be alive in real life. Later that night, after Clark and Naomi got ready for bed, she turned to him and laid a hand on his chest.
“You know, if you want to go back to California, I won’t stop you.”
“As much as I appreciate you saying that, there’s nothing I can do. Technically, Commander Peters wasn’t even supposed to tell me that Ryan had been taken. He told me out of respect, and that I had been Ryan’s direct commanding officer for over ten years. I trust Commander Peters to do what he has to in order to bring Ryan and the others home safely.” He turned to look at her with a determined look.
“What?”
“I’m going to make sure that one of the cabins is equipped with everything someone would need. I know in my heart that Ryan Carter is alive somewhere. When he’s found, and brought home, I’m going to let him know that he has a place here.” He turned to look at her intently. “Rest assured, Ryan Carter will be coming home to us. He may be damaged, or challenged as Erin likes to say, but he will be coming home to us.”
“What about his family?”
“He has one sister, her husband, and their son. But his sister is a first-class royal fucking cunt bitch that hates the very air Ryan breathes. I’m not sure about his brother-in-law or nephew, but Ryan will get no help or sympathy from his sister. No, the men and I are his family. I will do everything in my power to get him here to Broken and help him heal.”
Clark rolled over and gathered her in his arms. After a long time, he kissed the side of her neck and whispered against her skin. “Thank you for being you. Thank you for allowing me to vent. Thank you for being here for me. I love you, Naomi Alcott.”
“I love you too, Clark Riceman,” she whispered against his neck, and they fell asleep wrapped in each other’s arms.