Page 2 of SEAL's Harmony
“Whiskey, stay. Be good.” Ry leaned down to ruffle the dog behind his ears. Then he made his way across the room to grab another beer from the open bar. Beer in hand, he stood at the edge of the dance floor and stifled a yawn.
“Not getting enough sleep?” Tony Knox, the commander of the Black Eagles and Red Falcons, asked before taking a drink from his glass.
“Sir,” Ry responded, and stood at attention. Since he was in his dress whites, it seemed appropriate.
“At ease, Ry, it’s a wedding.” Tony slapped him on the back.
“Some habits are hard to break.” But apparently not being aware of his surroundings at all times, since Tony had snuck up on him.
“It turned out great, didn’t it? I’m glad we got Rafe back in time.”
“Yeah, me too. Wait, what?” Ry’s team returned yesterday from the mission they took to keep the Black Eagles home for the wedding. “They went on a mission?”
Tony took a sip of his drink before answering. “Something came up that had to be handled.”
“That sucks, but I’m glad he made it back. Meghan was probably a wreck.” Ry looked over to the head table, where Quinn and the newlyweds were laughing. He liked Meghan, and he’d never seen Rafe happier.
“Yes, but they know the deal, and so do their women.” Tony tipped his chin toward the girlfriends of the Black Eagles where they were talking to the DJ. “Some of them werethemission. I’m sure seeing their men in action gave them a different perspective.”
“That’s for damn sure. But not all women experience what we do. Thank God for that. What kind of world would that be?” Ry hoped he’d settle down someday, but he also knew that being in special ops took a toll on a relationship. When he committed to a woman, she’d be his everything. Same as it was with his parents.
“Everything okay?” Tony asked.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?” It was an odd question coming from his CO, especially since he had debriefed them yesterday.
“You look like you’d rather be anywhere than here.”
“Wouldn’t you? No offense to Rafe and Meghan. But I’d much rather be relaxing than all dressed up and bored out of my mind.”
“You could ask the blonde to dance who’s been checking you out for the last five minutes.” Tony tilted his head to the right.
Tony wasn’t wrong. Ry looked in the direction he indicated and sure enough, two women were watching them. When they caught his eye, they giggled. “I don’t remember seeing them before. I’d remember them if they’d been to any of the team BBQs. Do they look familiar to you?”
“No, but I don’t hang out with you guys. It is a wedding though, they’re probably friends of Meghan’s from Atlanta.”
It looked like they were trying to get up the nerve to come over. If there was ever a time when he wanted to be invisible, this was it. Ry would take armed tangos any day of the week over women who chased men in uniforms.
“If they head this way, I’m going to disappear. Just warning you,” Ry said.
Tony smirked. “What? A frogman afraid of a couple of mermaids?”
“You got that right. They aren’t mermaids, they’re sirens in disguise, ready to suck the life out of you first chance they get.”
“Whoa. Who pissed in your beer? When did you become such a cynic?”
“I’m not, just a realist. I’ve been around my share of women who are only interested in the uniform and the paycheck.” Ry sighed. “Okay, maybe I am a bit cynical.”
He just wanted to find someone who didn’t look at him like he was a choice piece of meat or wanted bragging rights for fucking a SEAL. But the longer he looked, the less likely it became.
“There is someone for everyone. Jake even found someone perfect for him. If Dawn hadn’t come along, I’m not sure he’d have gotten out of the hospital alive,” Tony said, his gaze on the couple as they danced with her children.
“That’s true.”
Tony chuckled. “Looks like the blondes finally worked up the courage to come talk to you.”
“Maybe they want to talk to you?”
“Highly doubtful. I’m ancient, look at all my gray hair. Trust me. They don’t want any of this.” Tony gestured down his body.
