Page 147 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs

“No, I like it cold when I sleep. Gram used to say that the healthiest way to sleep was to be able to see your breath at night.”

“I’m surprised I can’t see my breath in here,” she said tartly.

He scooted over and patted the spot beside him. “Come here.”

Her heart pounded. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she squeaked.

“I assure you, I’ll be a perfect gentleman. I just don’t want you to freeze to death while we talk.”

“I could always plug in the heater.”

“Yeah, but it’ll take at least twenty minutes for the room to heat up.”

She spoke through chattering teeth. “I’ll be a popsicle by then.”

The last of her misgivings slipped away in the wake of his pleading expression. Being here with Corbin … this was right … something she didn’t need to be afraid of. The thoughts blew across her heart like a tender whisper, sending a blessed cushion of comfort around her.

Corbin motioned with his head to the spot beside him. That’s all the encouragement she needed. She hopped over and pulled the covers up over her. True to his word, he scooted to the other side, keeping a healthy distance between them.

She angled to face him. “Okay, tell me about the girl.”

The experience with the SEALs, Doug’s death, it wasn’t something Corbin liked to talk about. But for some reason, he felt like it would be okay to tell Delaney. Maybe it was the sympathetic look on her face, or the fact that she, too, had suffered pain and loss. Or maybe he simply needed to get the words out, unburden his soul. He cleared his throat attempting to gather his thoughts. “For you to understand, I’ll need to tell you from the beginning. When I first became a SEAL.”

The memories rushed out like water from a broken dam as Corbin told Delaney about BUD/S training. How it pushed himpast any point he ever thought he could go. How Doug had been there by his side, urging him to keep going. He chuckled, remembering. “Unlike me, Doug grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth. As Sutton Smith’s only son, the world was his oyster. He had every reason to be full of himself and yet he was the very opposite—the most down-to-earth guy I’ve ever met.”

Delaney sucked in a breath, looking puzzled. “So, your best friend was Sutton’s son?”

“Yeah. Doug’s the reason I became a SEAL. I would’ve tapped out early on if it hadn’t been for him.” He clenched his fist, bitterness coating his throat. “I should’ve been the one who died, not him.” How many times had he wished he could live that horrible night over again? Somehow taking Doug’s place. Doug had rushed forward to save everyone while he stayed back. How different things might’ve been had he gone with Doug to help?

He looked at Delaney, surprised to see tears glistening in her eyes. She scooted closer and touched his arm, sending electricity surging through him.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly. “What happened?”

While Corbin was trying to decide what to tell her and what to hold back, the whole thing gushed out. He told her about the rescue mission, how he’d gone nuts when Doug was killed, started shooting up the place like Rambo. And finally, how he’d been the cause of the girl losing her life. When the words ran dry, he sat there, a guilty man waiting for the jury’s verdict.

“You can’t keep blaming yourself. You didn’t shoot the girl.”

A hard laugh escaped his throat. “Can’t I? I disobeyed a direct order from my CO. He told me to stand down, that my actions were putting the team and the family at risk. And he was right.” The self-loathing rushed back with a vengeance. But it felt good to say the words out loud to another person.

“It was one moment in time. You lost your head … made a mistake. It could happen to anyone.”

He could hardly believe the words coming out of her mouth, thought maybe he’d imagined them because that’s what he wanted to hear. “No,” he finally said, “I was trained to do better. I should’ve kept my cool.”

“No amount of training could prepare you for losing your best friend. What happened afterwards?”

“The situation was investigated. The ballistics test came back unclear if Doug had been killed by enemy or friendly fire. The government slapped a lid on the incident to prevent a public outcry, and I was transferred to another team. I left the SEALs shortly thereafter.” Shame blistered over him, and he could hardly make himself look at Delaney. He forced the words from his dry throat, knowing he had to get them out while he could. “Now that you know what type of man’s protecting you, it might be a good idea to call Sutton and request a replacement. I wouldn’t blame you if you did.” He looked down at his hands, his gut sinking like a lead balloon. It was good that he was being honest with Delaney. Her life was on the line. She deserved to know what kind of man he really was.

“Look at me.”

The authority in her voice took him by surprise.

Reluctantly, his eyes met hers, and he was struck by the fierceness of her expression.

She cupped his face, the warmth of her skin flowing into his. “You’re a good man. I trust you to keep me safe. You did it once before in the car with Anton, and I know you’ll do it again.”

Her words burned into his chest, kindling an unexpected hope. “Really?” Tears brimmed in his eyes. He felt like such a fool for crying in front of her and yet the emotion was too much to contain.

“Absolutely.”

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