Page 48 of Savage SEAL's Virgin
Kissing her on top of the head, I said, “I know you will. I never doubted you for a second. This is going to be fine, Blyss. You’ll see.”
As I finished cleaning her up, I thought about how different my life was about to be. I had tons to plan. I wanted my daughter with me, not going back and forth between her grandparents and me. I had some figuring out to do, and I’d need Blyss to agree to one very important thing.
But would she do it?
“Troy, when are you going to let them come?” She took the cloth from me and held it over her swollen eyes.
“This weekend. I need to ask you to do one more thing for me, Blyss. It’s about your school.”
She pulled the cloth away. “You want me to take the online classes and you want us to stay here, don’t you?”
“Yes.” I ran my hands up and down her arms.
“For how long?” I could see she was reading me. She knew what I was going to say before it even came out of my mouth. My eyes told her what I wanted and she shook her head. “I can’t promise you forever, Troy. Not yet.”
“When?”
Her chest was heaving as she began to breathe harder. “I don’t know. I can’t answer that. You want me to make decisions I just can’t yet. And what about your Naval career?” She searched my eyes for the answer.
But I didn’t have one. “I don’t know about that. I don’t have to re-enlist. I can put that behind me. I do have a family to live for now. I never had anything before. I think knowing I’d leave behind people who love me and count on me would be a bad thing as far as missions go.”
She nodded. “If you went on a mission, I don’t know what I’d do. Freak out until you got back—that’s a given. But this is the government we’re talking about here. They don’t just let you out. Not right away.”
“I’ll have to give them the time I said I would. Another year. I could be sent on missions during that time. But I’d make sure to stay out of danger’s path. Knowing I’d have you and Tatum to come home to would make me stay as safe as I possibly could.”
“And after you get out, what would you do with yourself?” she asked as she eyed me. “Because I’m not about to give up my career. I’m not going to sit around this house like some old retired person. Staying here isn’t exactly a reality, Troy.”
“You can make a practice in Napa Valley.” I turned around to open the door, and she followed me out. “And I could work in the family business. I have a daughter to teach about it all now.”
“Yes, you do, don’t you?” She sighed. “You have lots to do with her.” She was starting to sound jealous and that was worrisome.
Would Blyss be jealous of my daughter? And how the hell would I fix it if she was?
Blyss
The day came when we were to meet Troy’s daughter face to face. I’d never seen the man so nervous. And I couldn’t recall a time I’d been that nervous either. I held his hand as we stood side by side, waiting outside the front door with his parents.
“I’m so excited!” his mother gushed. “It’s like Christmas when I was a kid. Only this time, it’s not some toy I’m getting. It’s a little granddaughter!” She clapped her hands and jumped up and down with excitement.
The car came into view and a lump lodged in my throat. It was time to see how I’d be able to handle everything. I’d battled myself over feeling worried, angry, and jealous over the kid. I reminded myself constantly that I never wanted anyone to experience not being wanted.Not ever!
I wasn’t about to treat some innocent child like I didn’t want her around, no matter what I had to do to make that happen. My guts were twisting and I took a deep breath to help ease that uncomfortable feeling.
The car stopped and Troy tugged me along with him to go meet them. “She’s probably going to be shy. That’s how I was when I met new people,” I told him. “Don’t let that get to you.”
“I won’t. Thanks for being here with me.” He kissed my cheek and gave my hand a squeeze. “I appreciate it more than you can understand.”
“I know you do. I’m glad I can do this for you.”
The passenger door opened and Mrs. Sandoval got out. Troy smiled at her. “Hello, you must be Mrs. Sandoval. I’m Troy.”
She looked at him with no emotion on her face. “I can see that. It’s nice to meet you. This must be your wife, Blyss.”
I extended my hand, and we shook them. Then she turned around to get the little girl out of the backseat as her husband came around to meet us. We exchanged hellos as my eyes stayed trained on the back door that Troy’s firstborn would soon get out of.
She was smaller than I thought she’d be. She was timid. I had a feeling she’d be that. I had a little gift for her and eased it behind my back to Troy. He took it and said, “Well, hello, Miss Tatum.” Holding out the little teddy bear with a pretty pink ribbon around one ear, he handed it to her. “This little fella wanted to hang out with you. Is that okay?”
She took the bear and cuddled it. “It’s cute. Thank you.” She looked down at the ground, then back up at Troy. “You got my eyes.”
