SEAL Forever (4 page)

The kids' program was her favorite, and Tats was a regular. She watched him write down his accomplishment and then decorate the achievement with stickers.

“Maura?” A woman tapped her on the shoulder. Mrs. Bolijier, Tats's mom, asked, “Can I talk to you a minute in private?”

“Sure.” She patted Tats on the back. “Good job, buddy. Take your time with the spiffy decorations. I'm going to the office to chat with your mom.”

“Okay!” The happiness radiated from the kid as if he'd just won the Olympics. Who knows, maybe someday he would.

They walked the few steps to the glass-enclosed office. The desk was mostly clean, but as everyone tended to use the space, it could get cluttered.

“What can I do for you?” Maura gestured to a chair and they both sat down.

“I can't afford to pay for Tats to come here anymore.” The woman wouldn't look her in the eye, and her hands were shaking.

Maura touched her fingers to the woman's hand. “What's going on?”

A tear-filled gaze held Maura's. “I cut everywhere I could. Beni left, and with Tats and Simi to care for and no job, I cannot hold it together.”

“Do you have a place to stay?” Maura didn't dare move. She didn't want to break the connection, but maybe, just maybe, she could help.

“Yes, we own our apartment. You know it is only two blocks away. It was my mother's.” Her bottom lip shook. “But I can't get work.”

Maura wracked her brain. “What do you do again?”

“I do bookkeeping and accounting, and…”

“Accounting! Really?” Maura tapped a finger on the desk, did some mental math, and came to a conclusion. She could still keep herself solvent and hire Mrs. Bolijier. It meant a pay cut for her, but for now it would work. “I could pay you for accounting on a temporary basis, or we could barter your accounting services for membership.”

Mrs. Bolijier was out of her chair and hugging Maura. “Thank you. I had no idea you would say this. I will work hard. This will get us back on our feet. I will take the first option with a hope of moving to the second by the end of the year.”

Maura hugged her back. “No worries, and promise you'll keep looking for work. If something better paying comes along, take it, and no hard feelings.”

“Oh, this is so much better. Thank you!” Mrs. Bolijier clapped her hands. “My Tats loves it here, and Simi has just started classes. I will make it work, and yes, I promise to keep looking in a little while. For now, I celebrate.”

Maura still wasn't sure it was going to be enough money for three people to eat and pay bills with, but she was thrilled that she could help in some small way. The economy was a tough place right now; even the military was taking cuts. What would it mean for the future of their country?

Closing her eyes, she breathed in the aroma of the gym. She'd come to love the smell of running shoes and sweat. This was the scent that made her want to be a better athlete, to run and sprint faster and push herself beyond her comfort zone.

Maybe that was what the gym would do for her, push her to get past all of her limitations and to go beyond what she imagined for herself. Having Mrs. B. here would make her stick to that promise. She wanted everyone who came here to be part of a gym family and to be striving to become the best version of himself or herself.

* * *

At home in her apartment…so much for an enlightened attitude of going with the flow. Now she was being paranoid. Maura checked the blue polka-dot backpack picnic basket for the third time. She took everything out and then repacked it again to reassure herself that she had included everything important. Yes to the corkscrew, California Chablis, and wineglasses, along with plates, napkins, silverware, and the giant containers of food. She didn't know why she was so panicked.

She toyed with a plastic vase, putting it in, taking it out, and then putting it back in the basket. Would it be romantic to include a flower, or was that dorky? She picked up the single yellow rose she'd bought on her way home from work and breathed in its sweet essence. Mmmm. It smelled so good.

Was she overthinking this dinner? Was that her problem? She'd been known to do that. Of course, it had been nearly five years since she'd been with someone. That was enough time to throw a few doubts into a first date.

“Chill, Maura.”

What would she do if Declan didn't like her choices? Did he eat meat? Who was she kidding? He was a SEAL. He probably ate…like a cow every day of his life! Was a whole rotisserie chicken going to be enough? She tapped her foot nervously.

She seriously needed to get herself together. She purposefully sat down, closed her eyes, and performed a relaxation exercise. It helped her feel centered. Her dear friend, Shannon, had taught her that trick in high school. Who would have thought she'd still be doing it today?

A sharp knock at the door made her jump.

Laughing at herself, she smoothed down her hair and walked calmly to the front door. Well, her heart was racing like a car in the Grand Prix, but Declan didn't need to know that.

She threw open the locks and turned the knob. And there was Declan, holding a bouquet of daisies and yellow roses. She couldn't stop herself from blurting out, “How did you know?”

He smiled, a slow seductive movement of lips that drew her attention to that sumptuous mouth of his. “I saw the pictures on the bookcase. Most of them have you with medals or trophies, holding bouquets of one or the other. I took a logical leap and put them together.”

Maura took the flowers from him, walked to the kitchen, and heard him close the door. She hoped tilting her head down would keep him from noticing the hot flush on her cheeks.

Giving herself a little breathing room, she searched through several cabinets before she chose a vase to hold the lovely flowers. Then she unwrapped the bouquet, snipped the ends, and placed them one by one into the vase.

When she finally looked up at him, he was right there. He reached for her, tilting her chin up toward him, and he lowered his lips onto hers.

It was a gentle brush of lips. Such a soul-searing caress! It made her cheeks hot again.

His grin widened. “I did that on purpose. You shouldn't try to hide a response from me. I like seeing how”—he kissed her again—“I make you react.”

She gave herself over to the kisses and the sensations as his arms wrapped around her tightly. Her height made it easier for her to reach him. On tiptoes, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him in the perfect position for her response, a truly mind-blowing kiss.

His hands molded their bodies to each other. The fit was extraordinary. Where he was hard, she was soft, and where there was need, there was a definite want. Hearing him moan made her smile. She could stand here all night.

An alarm sounded on her phone. She pulled back and looked at him. “That's my phone. We have to go.”

He looked taken aback. His eyebrows lifted. “Are you sure?”

Nodding her head, she calmly turned away from him and picked up the phone, her purse, and the picnic basket. “Absolutely! It took me ages to get this appointment. It's a surprise. C'mon, let's go.”

He pursed his lips. “Just…uh…give me a minute.” He leaned against the counter, obviously unhappy about her choice. Taking a few deep breaths, his eyes bored into her head as she walked around and headed for the front door.

She laughed softly to herself. Now, that
was
cool. It was Declan's turn…to take a little time…to meditate.

Standing on the sheer cliffs at the Torrey Pines Gliderport in La Jolla was humbling. This place made her feel like a tiny pebble among giant boulders, and she had to shake off the queasy sensation in her stomach when she looked down. Maura knew she wasn't a woman who gave in to the fear of heights, but this was seriously high. It wasn't a backflip off a balance beam with foot-and-a-half pads to land on.

Below her, she could see people playing volleyball, like ants in the dirt. Their small dot-like representation was probably better suited to her sensibility, as that was a nudist beach. So if she plunged to her death while paragliding, she guessed the view would probably be good, or at least amusing.

She pulled on the sleeves of her long-sleeve shirt. It wasn't that she was hiding her scars. She'd long ago made peace with that. Rather, she was preparing for the temperature to drop as the sun set.

“Maura, are we paragliding?” Declan walked over to where she stood and slung an arm around her shoulder. “Why did you choose this activity?”

“It's on my bucket list. And since yesterday's experience, I thought I should stop dithering and start working on it.” A nervous feeling surged through her, and she wondered if she should rethink this evening's entertainment. When she made this appointment, she'd been being brave; something about being in danger had spurred her to be more adventurous. Now, actually faced with the task, her stomach roiled. Maybe she should leave it on the list and they should go do something else. “But only if you want to…”

“Sure.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Let's go glide before we eat. No fun blowing chunks at altitude.”

“What an image…” She rolled her eyes.

Declan took her hand and led her up the hill. “It's not that bad. Paragliding has its moments.”

“That's all you're going to say? How about giving this experience a little more enthusiasm?” Maura said flatly. She'd put a lot of work into this date.

“Hooyah!” he said with a half smile and a wink.

Maura sighed and shook her head. Was it good or bad that this man could be just as annoying at times as her brothers were? She trusted her family; they had never led her astray. And upon reflection, she realized she trusted Declan too.

He gave her hand a little squeeze, and she relaxed. Her gut agreed that Declan was a good guy.

Of course, there was still the paragliding to get through. Should she admit to him now or later that she was just the slightest bit afraid that the flimsy contraption would smack into the cliff wall and plunge them to their deaths? Later was probably better.

A squat man with broad shoulders and a ready grin stood in front of the sign-in counter. “Hey, good to see you, Master Chief.”

Declan shook hands and grinned back. “Hi, Chad. How's it hanging?”

“Flying high, as usual.”

Maura watched the exchange with shock. “You know him?” She had argued for ages with this manager about getting an appointment tonight.

Chad looked at her. “Are you with the Master Chief?”

“No,” she said. “He's with me.”

“Well, I can't give you carte blanche, but the Master Chief is a certified instructor. He can take you out if he likes. No charge.”

Maura couldn't believe her ears. If Declan only knew how much trouble the man had given her.

“Just give me ten minutes. I have to take care of one thing first.” Chad patted Declan on the arm before disappearing into his office.

Declan leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Don't get angry. That's how Chad is with most people. He's different when you're a friend.”

“So, he's a friend.”

“Yeah. For the most part. His son is going through BUD/S right now, and he's pretty stressed about it. I think it's harder on parents than the kids—the waiting part, at least. And the training, well, that's all up to the trainee. A tadpole has to be determined to become a frog, or in this case, a frogman/SEAL. Now let's go suit up.”

* * *

Declan looked at Maura as they stood before the paraglider. “You look awfully cute in that outfit.”

She had a steel grip on his arm. Half excited and half sick, she wanted to get this event over with. All of her brave resolutions had flown away already, and if she was going to die, she wanted it to be swift.

He put his hands over hers. Gently, he released her fingers and showed her where to hold on. “Now,” he said, “I want you to take three deep breaths, and then we're going over the side of the cliff. The minute you see we're in the air, take in a slow, long breath. You'll feel better. Okay?”

She nodded, not trusting herself not to either cry or squeal like a three-year-old.

“One, two, three.”

Declan pushed them off, and the paraglider lifted into the air.

Maura felt as though she were riding on a kite as they were lifted high over the cliff. Her eyes drank in the beauty of the water, the luxurious estates below, and the breathtaking view.

“Breathe,” Declan told her.

She gulped in air. She'd forgotten and was holding her breath.

“Are you okay?”

“It's amazing,” she said. She knew he could hear the wonder in her voice. “How did you discover this?”

His smile warmed her, as if he were heating her insides. “I never liked heights as a kid. So, after boot camp, I had a few weeks before I had to go to BUD/S—there was no pre-BUD/S training when I went through—so I came here and learned. Between paragliding, parachuting, and taking glider lessons, I got comfortable in the air, and it put me ahead of the learning curve when it came time for training.”

“That's very insightful of you.”

“Well, most SEALs are self-starters; we're pretty reliant on ourselves for anything we want or need to do.” Declan pointed toward the ocean. “Do you see the pod?”

Maura craned her neck. “Are those dolphins?”

“Yeah, about eight of them. Looks like they're surfing.”

The ocean sparkled with light as if someone had thrown a handful of diamonds onto the water.

Maura pointed farther out. “What's that?”

Declan turned the paraglider. “Looks like a gray whale. Yeah, I heard something about a few grays coming through this area.”

“No way!” She was delighted. She'd always wanted to see one in person. Now here she was, with a bird's-eye view. “Can we go out any farther out or even lower?”

“No. We need enough lift to get back to the gliderport. So we'll just hover for a bit. Out there, the wind currents can get dicey.”

“You sound like a man that's landed in the drink before.”

“I've done quite a few things that might shock you.”

“I'll bet!” Maura replied. Had she known paragliding was this much fun, she never would have had a case of nerves earlier. Talking with Declan was so easy too. Maybe her nerves were gone for good now.

“Ready for some tricks?” Declan waggled his eyebrows.

Maura was game, and used
his
word just so he would know. “Sure.”

The paraglider did a loop. Then another. With two more in succession, she squealed with delight. “Do it again!” And he did.

* * *

Dinner was going to be anticlimactic after that incredible paraglider ride. As lights popped on below and the air horn sounded, Declan brought the paraglider back into the port. The landing was smooth, and Declan and Chad talked for about a half hour while they packed the glider and gear. She was glad they had time to “shoot the shit,” as Declan would say it. That gave her time to set up the picnic dinner.

Getting the basket from her car, she laid out the blanket and all of the accoutrements. She was so hungry after that enormous adrenaline rush that she couldn't help sneaking bites here and there. When Declan finally arrived, she'd already popped the cork on the wine and was almost done with her first glass.

He sat down and handed her a bottle of water. “You might want to drink some H
2
O before you down any more wine. You don't realize how much hydration you use up in the air.”

She looked at him sideways. “I have California white. I think I'll be fine.”

“And you'll have a California headache if you don't drink some water.” Declan stared at her for a moment, then opened his own bottle and downed it in several gulps.

She shrugged.
Why not?

As she put the bottle to her lips, she took a small swallow and then, realizing how great it tasted, drank three-quarters of it before pausing to breathe. Looking over the top of the bottle, she could see him smiling at her.

“Thanks for believing me.”

She finished the bottle and put it down next to his. “It's not that I didn't believe you, I just never thought of it before. I guess being in the air is like any other activity. It uses up energy.”

“Yep.”

“Why don't you dive in?” she invited.

He opened the container of chicken and plowed through it like a linebacker at a football game. It didn't even look like he was stopping for air.

“Hungry?” she asked.

He picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth before depositing it back on his lap. “Always.” After topping off her glass of wine, he filled his own. He raised the glass to her and then tasted it. “Nice.”

“Yeah. It's a bottle from a tour.”

He looked at the label. “Ramona. Interesting.”

“I like visiting vineyards and collecting their best bottles of wine. It's fun.”

“I'll keep that in mind.” He lifted the half-empty container of chicken. “Would you like one, or is that container for you and this one for me?”

She picked at her drumstick. “I think they're both for you. I'll only eat a piece or two.”

He stopped eating. “You're not one of those ladies who only eats two bites and wastes her meal, are you?”

She laughed. “Oh, no! I'm definitely an eater.” She lifted her drumstick and took a giant, dramatic bite.

His laughter tickled her, and she laughed more.

“Good,” he said. “Because I have a long list of restaurants that I'd love to share with you.”

She reached for her wineglass, took a sip, and smiled. Another date. Multiple dates, even. She knew she shouldn't be so excited, but she was. Spending time with Declan was refreshing, enlightening, and flat-out exciting. She couldn't remember a time she'd enjoyed herself so much. She just hoped that it would continue, because she knew she was already falling for him.