Page 5 of SEAL Summer Escape

Brent had met Ella down in Florida.He’d come to her rescue when her sleazy boss at the cocktail lounge where she worked had pawned her off on some men he owed money to.Ella had ended up moving to Virginia Beach to finish college here.

Such was the life of a SEAL.They went where the U.S.Navy sent them—and their wives or girlfriends had to come along, for better or worse.

“Yep.I was looking forward to seeing more of her,” Brent said.“She was planning to get a job after graduating, but it looks like now she’ll be spending more of her nights studying and writing papers.She’s more serious about school than I ever was,” he added with a chuckle.

“Bri’s at home with the baby,” Matthew said.“I did daddy duty the other night while some of the women went out.Now it’s my turn to have a breather.Man, that little fella can scream.”

“Shit,” Hunter said as Emma stood and headed off to the ladies’ room.“You boys could open a goddamn daycare with all the kids you have.”

“Not me,” Brent said.“I don’t know a damn thing about babies.Nor do I want to.”

Hunter chuckled.“And what does Ella say about that?”he asked, crossing his arms as he leaned back in the chair, his mouth quirked up in a smile.

Brent shrugged.“She’s busy with school now—no time for a kid.”

“But grad school won’t last forever,” Mason needlessly pointed out.“Give it a few years, bro.”

“We’re meeting some of the other guys here,” Matthew drawled.

“Well hell, pull up a chair and join us,” Hunter said.“We’re celebrating our latest successful op.”

“Another time,” Matthew promised.He and Brent headed off to the bar area to wait for the rest of their team, and the blonde waitress sashayed back over, holding a heavy tray of drinks.

Mason’s gaze landed on her name tag.“Emily,” he said, watching as her eyes flicked over to him.“Have you seen Taylor around?”

“She called out again,” Emily said with a wry smile, handing out the bottles of beer to the guys.

“Called out as in she’s sick?”Mason asked, his eyes narrowing.

“I’m not sure,” Emily said.“She’s missed several of her shifts.She was sick a couple of weeks ago, but I’m not sure why she hasn’t been around lately.”

“Is she having car trouble again?”Mason asked.The last time the team had been in here, she’d told him how she’d paid $400 for a tow.Mason had wanted to wring the neck of the tow truck driver who’d taken advantage of a single woman.Hell, he’d have changed her damn tire himself.Now that he had her number, and vice versa, he’d hoped she’d be in contact with him more.After a string of flirty texts though, he’d disappeared with his team to Bogota a couple of weeks ago.

And he’d barely gotten a response back from her since.

Emma walked back over, her red hair swishing around her.“Camila just texted me—she and Colton are on their way.”

“About damn time,” Jacob said with a grin.“Why do you think they were running late?Maybe they needed some extra time between the sheets?”he asked, waggling his eyebrows.

“Hush,” Emma chided him.“She just moved here.Of course they’re going to be enjoying their time alone.”

“Poor old Colt is pussy-whipped,” Noah said, taking a swig of his beer.

Emma reached over and lightly smacked him on the arm as Hunter guffawed in amusement.

“He’s pretty damn happy,” Mason said, taking a pull of his beer.

“Says the guy who’s been hung up on a woman for months,” Noah said.

Mason shrugged.“She knows I’m interested in her.Hell, how many times have I asked her out now?It’s not exactly a state secret.First she said she didn’t date customers, then that she wanted to take it slow.She gave me her number though.”

“You should ring her up,” Emma said in her British accent.“You have her mobile—why keep texting when you could just ask her out on a proper date?”

“I have asked her out,” Mason said.“A couple of times.But you’re right.I’ll give her a call this weekend now that we’re back in town.If she’s not interested, I can take it,” he said with a shrug.“But then I’ll at least have an answer.”

“Bravo,” Emma said, as the men chuckled.

Mason scanned the restaurant out of habit, hoping Taylor would somehow appear out of thin air.The waitresses working tonight were busy, carrying full trays between tables.But as their own waitress had already said, Taylor wasn’t there.

---