Way of the Warrior (Troubleshooters #17.5)(121)

A young woman in the back had stood up when Izzy said the word born, and she and what looked like two friends made their way toward him. “We’re on vacation,” she said. “We’ll give you our seats, but we’re traveling together, and there’re three of us.”

Izzy jumped down. “Thank you so much. Three seats would be incredible. Wait here, I’m gonna get my senior chief.” He dashed back to where the team was hunkered down.

The senior was shaking his head. “That was you being quiet?” he asked rhetorically as he went to handle the details with both the volunteers and the airline. Dan went with him, still holding Izzy’s phone, no doubt eager to start showing off pictures of his shiny new baby.

Izzy sat down next to Mark Jenkins. “Hey, I know you’re in a hurry to get home, too, but would you mind very much if I gave the third seat to Hobe?”

“HoboMofo?” Mark asked, as if there was more than one Hobe in the team.

“Yeah,” Izzy said. “We accidentally introduced Lopez to his daughter’s fifth-grade teacher. His daughter’s single fifth-grade teacher, that ’Fo was hoping to get to know a little better…?”

“Aw, shit!” Mark said. “Yeah, give him the seat, and tell him I’m sorry. Damn it.”

“Thanks, bro,” Izzy said, and went to gather up the ’Fo, who was happy to go home early.

And after they joined Dan at the gate, Izzy took his phone back and emailed his wife.

I love you, he wrote in response to her “Stealth Penis” email. I’ll see you soon. Keep those home fires burning.





CHAPTER 12


    Lopez


Jay was at the hospital when Dan, Izzy, and HoboMofo—the SEAL whose real name was Hugh Bickles—arrived.

They must’ve rented a car at LAX and driven directly here, after their fourteen-hour flight.

Dan came into Jenn’s hospital room like a man on fire, and Eden shooed Jay and Ben out into the hallway lobby area, so the two of them—three Gillmans, now—had privacy.

“We have a son,” Jay heard Jenn tell Dan. “Are you disappointed? I know you wanted a girl.”

“I only wanted a healthy baby,” Dan said. “And for you to be okay, too. God, Jenni, I love you so much—”

The door closed on them as Izzy, meanwhile, didn’t feel the need for any privacy to soul-kiss his wife. “You okay?” he asked Eden, his hands around her face, their foreheads together.

Eden’s eyes welled with tears—it was the first time Jay had seen her come anywhere close to crying. She’d been Jennilyn Gillman’s staunchest ally and greatest friend—holding her hand and breathing with her—essentially cheerleading the way throughout what had been an arduous and frightening delivery.

But even now, Eden nodded, yes. She was okay, and clearly very glad Izzy was safely home.

“Daddy!” Jay turned to see Brianna Bickles fling herself into Hobo’s—Hugh’s—giant arms. The big SEAL lifted up his daughter as if she weighed next to nothing, as he grinned his ass off with a smile that was a lot like his daughter’s. It transformed him from angry ogre to… Wow, kinda ruggedly handsome, enormously jacked guy.

Where had Brianna come from? Jay leaned forward in his chair to look down the hall, and sure enough the door opened and there she was.

Carol Redmond.

She’d come out to the hospital, apparently giving a ride to Hugh’s mom and Bree.

Jay waved to her, but she didn’t see him, her smile was aimed at…

Hobo…Mofo.

Really?

Really?

Now Hobe was smiling at Carol—and damned if that didn’t make him look freaking adorable.

What was it that Carol had told him in the car? That she had a kind of a major crush on a Navy SEAL chief…?

Hubert Bickles, a.k.a. HoboMofo, was a Navy SEAL chief.

Wow, that would’ve been really not okay—Jay’s hitting on a woman that one of his SEAL brothers liked, or, God, maybe even loved.

What was there not to love about Carol Redmond?

Jay felt a pang of regret—a brief little burst of sorrow for what was not-to-be. But it faded quickly as he watched Carol smile up at Hobe—Hugh—her pleasure at seeing him evident in her body language.

“I really wanted to come talk to the class,” Hugh was saying, as Brianna danced off to join her grandmother. “I’m sorry I had to send a substitute.”

“Oh, Chief Lopez was very good,” Carol told him earnestly. “The kids loved him, he was so sweet with Bree, and then he led me on quite the adventure.” She laughed. “It was…educational.”

As Jay watched, Hugh winced. “Well, great. That’s…great. He’s, um, here if you, you know, want to say hi.”

He pointed over at Jay.

“Oh, hi, Jay,” Carol said as she looked over at him with so much nothing in her eyes, that he almost laughed aloud. She returned her attention to Hubert, even as she moved toward Jay.

He didn’t know how she did it, but she managed, without taking Hugh’s hand, to pull him with her as she told Jay, “Congratulations. I assume you had something to do with Jenn’s and the baby’s good health.” He was about to stand, but she stopped him. “Oh, no, don’t get up.”