Page 46 of Until Presley

Walking through the doors of the restaurant, I stop at the hostess booth and hold Presley’s hand. When I give her the name, she directs us to a private room. People mingle around, and I notice a petite, dark-haired woman standing beside a tall, bald guy. He’s hovering over her, and as soon as she sees us walk in, she is making her way toward us.

“Presley?” the woman says in a Southern accent. The man is behind her with his hand against her back, similar to how I am with my girl. The woman is a couple of inches taller than Presley.

“Hello, Lydia.” Presley smiles, and then she’s pulled away from me and engulfed in a hug.

“I’m so glad you made it.”

“Maverick,” the man says and extends his hand.

“Ham.” We shake hands as the girls pull away and start talking.

“I heard about your week at the aquarium. You need to come to the zoo and talk about our rays. Or just come for a visit,” Lydia tells Presley.

“I’d love to, but I’m still working on my doctoral studies. They want me to do education right now on my primary focus, sharks.”

“If we had the room, I’d consider adding sharks, but currently we are working on other exhibits. If you ever think about going zoo, talk to me first, you hear me?”

“I do.”

We move across the room, and we are introduced to more people. Sydney works at the zoo with Lydia, and my girl starts bombarding her with questions about her prior research exhibitions in Zimbabwe. As she questions Sydney, I notice her husband, Tucker, move up behind her and start rubbing her back.

“Sorry, I don’t really talk about my exhibition in Zimbabwe very much.” Sydney apologizes. “But I’ll tell you that Botswana and Zimbabwe normally are amazing trips.”

“I don’t need details. I’m so sorry. I’ve read the story. I was just wondering what it’s like working with such large animals.” Presley reaches out and touches Sydney’s hand.

“Come on, let’s get some drinks and let these guys visit.” She takes Presley’s hand, but before they walk off, Presley looks at me, and I nod. I love that she makes sure I’m okay before she leaves me. I watch them walk off, talking away about each of their trips and travels.

“I don’t know the story of your wife,” I tell her husband. Tucker is a bit taller than me, but we are both bulky. Just his stance and the way he looks around the room projects his military background.

“Sydney witnessed a slaughter of not just a rhino but of several of her associates. She was left for dead. It’s a miracle she and our daughter survived. She had no identification and had to get across the borders to where her mother was in South Africa.”

“Dang.” I look at her then back to him. “She’s tough.”

“She’s one of the strongest women I know. That and her love for our child was what made me fall for her. You served in the Navy?” Tucker asks me, and I turn to look at him.

“Yeah, I did,” I say hesitantly and raise my eyebrow.

“Cobi was telling us.” He nods behind me.

I turn as Hanna’s brother walks over to us with his wife alongside him.

“Cobi, when you coming down to the Keys again?” I reach out, we smack hands, and pull each other in for a half hug, giving a friendly thump on the back. I haven’t seen them since Thanksgiving. I turn back to Tucker. “Yeah, I was with the Mobile Diving Salvage Unit. You?”

“Seal team, Camp Coronado,” he says, and we start talking about common ships we were on.

“I think you were on our ship at one point.”

“Yeah, we were doing some maneuvers. I remember seeing you guys. Cobi says you work with Walker?”

“Yeah, we own the dive school together along with Otto.”

“That sounds cool. We should make a trip down and check it out. Just with two little ones under three, we get so busy.” Tucker chuckles. I’d heard him say his wife was pregnant when she was attacked.

“You have kids?” Presley smiles at him when she walks back over, handing me a beer. I want to lift her over my shoulder and take her out of here so I can give her a baby too.

“We have a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter and a three-month-old son,” Sydney says. “You’ll see them tomorrow, along with Lydia’s kids. We got babysitters for this evening. My mom loves her grandbabies. Do you have kids?” She points at us. “You’d make beautiful babies, I bet.”

“No, we’re waiting until after Presley finishes her doctorate.” I squeeze my girl into my side, and she looks up at me. I see the love she feels looking back at me, but I also see something else. I’m going to have to question her when we get back to the hotel. I don’t know what’s on her mind, but if she’s having doubts, I need to nip it in the bud.

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