Page 113 of Inevitable
If I could end up with a woman like Emma, it could happen for any of the other guys.
Emma pulled back a little and smiled at me. “I always could,” she told me. “I’m not sure why most people can’t see through that big, bad, SEAL commander crap. You have an amazing heart underneath that façade.”
“I’d prefer that everyone else still sees me as a rational leader,” I told her.
Wyatt was the only one who had ever really seen me lose my shit, and I wanted to keep it that way.
“I’ll never tell,” she teased. “The people who know you the best already know the truth. You’re a good man, Colin Marshall. The people who follow your orders at Last Hope without question already know that. It’s a volunteer organization. If they didn’t believe in you, they wouldn’t be there.”
“You don’t exactly follow my orders without question,” I grumbled.
“You don’t need another faithful follower,” she joked. “You need a woman who loves you and isn’t afraid to question you when necessary.”
She was probably right.
I needed someone to call me out occasionally because very few people did.
Her occasional stubbornness made me crazy at times, but it was also one of the many reasons I loved her.
Loving my wife so damn much was a vulnerability for me, and that was something I’d avoided all of my life.
It had taken me a while to realize that sometimes having a few vulnerabilities was worth the risk.
I was willing to do anything to make sure that Emma and Wren stayed safe and happy, and I didn’t give a shit anymore if everyone knew it.
“Are you sure you’re not disappointed that we aren’t having a long, romantic honeymoon?” I questioned.
We were taking a few days to go to Catalina Island, but that wasn’t a real honeymoon in my mind.
“No,” she said softly. “It’s almost Christmas. Every day that we’re together feels like a honeymoon to me, Colin. It will be our first holiday season together. I just want to be with my family.”
“We’re going on a real honeymoon after the holidays,” I grumbled.
“We’ll see,” she said noncommittally.
Weweregoing.
We’d had a small, intimate wedding. Emma deserved a nice honeymoon. She didn’t know it yet, but that was going to be a Christmas gift from me.
Emma had always wanted a Caribbean vacation, and she was getting one after the craziness of the holidays were over.
Yes, we had a daughter to raise, and we were a family. But I always wanted Emma to know that she was a huge priority in my life.
My work and Last Hope were still important to me, but it wasn’t my whole life anymore.
“We have a few days to ourselves,” she said as she tightened her arms around my neck. “I’ve never been to Catalina Island. I know it won’t be beach weather, but I’m still excited to see it with you.”
I’d never been there, either, even though I’d lived close to the tourist destination for years.
“It won’t be as crowded as it is during beach weather,” I pointed out.
“I’m good with that,” she said in a seductive voice. “I can think of other things I’d rather do than go to the beach with you.”
I looked down at her, and our gazes locked.
Her gorgeous blue eyes were full of mischief, love, and adoration.
Christ!I had no idea what I’d done in my life to deserve this woman, but I’d spend the rest of my life being grateful for her and the love I thought would never happen for me.
