Page 41 of Married to a SEAL

Chapter 12

The doorbell rang a second time as they were finishing dinner, and Rebecca glanced at Abby and Logan as she crossed the kitchen toward the foyer.

“Maybe it’s Patrick!” Abby shouted, a huge smile on her face.

“No, sweetie, he’s in the hospital.”

“And he wouldn’t ring the doorbell,” Logan chimed in, taking another bite of his chicken nuggets. Abby’s food sat mostly untouched on her plate, and Rebecca sighed. Nothing like trying to explain to the kids that Patrick was injured while they were in the middle of eating. She’d tried to make it as casual and non-scary as possible when she told them he was in the hospital.

But now?

She wondered if she’d played it down a little too much.

Although she hadn’t wanted to frighten them, they also needed to understand he wouldn’t be back immediately. Or running around with them the second he got home.

When he finally made it home.

Nausea roiled through her, and she took a deep breath.

Between nerves with everything that had been happening and her morning sickness, she’d already lost a few pounds.

She hurried into the foyer, pulling open the front door, and did a double-take as she saw a couple of the men from Patrick’s SEAL team. Christopher was standing there in aviators and was holding a couple of bags of groceries, Mike had three huge “to-go” ice cream sundaes in a carry-out tray, and Brent had a football in one hand and his motorcycle helmet in the other.

Her gaze slid to the driveway, where Lexi waved from the passenger seat of Christopher’s pick-up truck, and she noticed Mike’s SUV and Brent’s motorcycle parked on the street in front of her house.

“What are you guys doing here?” Rebecca asked in surprise. “Didn’t you just get back?”

“I’m dropping off groceries,” Christopher said. “Lexi did some shopping for you, but we’ve got to get back to base. Computer emergency came up.”

“But we’re here for the evening,” Mike said, his normally teasing expression looking at her with concern. “Can I give these sundaes to the kids?”

“But what? How?” Rebecca asked in confusion as the three men crowded on her front porch.

Christopher ducked down, giving her a quick hug. “We just landed an hour ago. I’m sorry about Patrick,” he said in a low voice. “I wish Lexi and I could stay to help out, but she’s got some hacking issues to deal with. We’ll all be on base bright and early to debrief, so we thought we’d stop by now.”

“I’ve got sundaes for you and the kids and can fill you in somewhat more on the situation,” Mike said.

“I came by to toss a football around with Logan,” Brent said, his dark eyes meeting hers. “Since Patrick’s injured, I thought he might appreciate it.”

“All right,” Rebecca said, feeling somewhat dazed. “Wow. Come in, of course. I just wasn’t expecting anyone.”

Christopher moved by her with the groceries and was striding back across the foyer a second later. “I left the bags on the kitchen counter. Sorry I have to rush out.”

“Mommy! Can we have ice cream?” Abby shrieked from the kitchen.

“Yes, go ahead!” she called out.

Mike’s head popped out the kitchen door. “There’s one here for you, too.”

“Oh, you go ahead and have it,” she said.

He shrugged, his eyes twinkling. “Can’t say no to ice cream, right kids?”

Rebecca’s eyes met Brent’s as they stood in the foyer. “Wow. I can’t believe you guys are here. Where’s Ella?”

“Finishing up a paper. She’s taking two summer classes and has something due this week. She insisted I come by while she finishes up. I figure the kids will be in bed anyway by the time she’s done. Of course, if you need us to stick around longer, Mike and I are here as long as you need.”

Tears filled her eyes.

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