Authors: Layne Macadam
“After you,” he said, allowing Liz and Roberts to precede him.
*
“Are you sick Kat?” Ice asked, looking at Kathy to clarify as the door closed. She blew her nose and brushed at the fresh tears that pooled in her eyes. “Give it to me straight,” he said, fearing the worst.
Kathy took a long breath then released it on a soft whoosh. “I’m pregnant,” she announced.
Relief had him sagging where he stood. He’d been expecting something bad, like she’d contracted some deadly virus, or had cancer like her mom, but instead her news had made this one of the happiest days of his life. He was going to be a dad. “Ah babe, is that all? You’ll have to marry me now.” He smiled, lowering himself to the mattress and reaching for her hand.
“No, I can’t marry you,” she cried, snatching her hand to her breast before he could catch it.
His stomach lurched. His Adam’s apple lifted and fell as he swallowed his trepidation. How would he handle the news he knew was coming? That she’d slept with Roberts.
“It’s Roberts, isn’t it?” He stated dropping his chin, his voice not much more than a whisper.
“No Shane, it’s us, nothing’s changed. I can’t do casual, and you don’t do long term.”
“Everything’s changed. I love you Kat, you’re having my baby.”
*
Three little words that she’d ached to hear. Eyes swimming, lips trembling, and heart breaking—if only they’d been said before she’d told him her news. It was because of the baby and his own upbringing. He’d never allow a child of his to be raised without both parents together. She wasn’t up for the ensuing argument. “Go now Shane, please, we’ll discuss it later.”
“The hell I will. You can’t drop a bombshell like that and expect me to just walk away … or weren’t you going to tell me?”
“Of course I was going to tell you, you’re the father after all.”
She scooted out the far side of the bed, determined to put an end to any further discussions. Ice lunged for her with all the finesse of an old man. Kathy left him draped across the mattress as she padded into the other room.
Ian, tense and brooding, was seated on the couch against the far wall. Wolf, dark and menacing was in the recliner diagonally opposite. Like two prize fighters in a ring, ready to spar, waiting for the bell. Liz paced between the pair keeping them in check.
“What are you doing out of bed?” Liz demanded as Kathy entered the room.
Kathy ignored her and marched over to Wolf. “Do us all a favor and take him home,” she pleaded.
*
Wolf studied Kathy and the definite rounded belly she was sporting. He put two and two together. Ice was going to be a daddy. No wonder she’d been so distraught that day on the beach, she’d been about to tell him something then had a change of heart. It all made sense now.
“Sorry Kathy, no can do.” These two belonged together, and he wasn’t above playing cupid and giving them a nudge in the right direction.
Ice shuffled into the room and stood beside her. Wolf studied his friends. Ice’s strength was waning and he was unsteady on his feet. She was fragile, delicate. What a pair.
Ice turned Kathy to face him and declared, “I love you babe, love you so much it hurts.”
“They’re my words.”
“They come straight from my heart.”
“If you love me so much, why have you left it till now to show up?” Kathy challenged.
“He only got out of hospital today, he was shot in Cambodia saving Frosty’s ass.” Wolf stepped in feet first on his friend’s behalf. Ice wasn’t getting through to her, and someone had to make her see sense, so it may as well be him. Kathy loved Ice, and he loved her. It should be game, set, and match, but these two couldn’t get their act together at the same time. If it wasn’t one of them being stubborn, then it was the other one.
“Thanks Wolf, but I think I can take it from here.”
“How? When? Are you all right?” Kathy clutched her throat.
“It was a couple of weeks ago. I’m fine now, just about back to my old self. We were deployed the day after you walked out. I went to your apartment, but you weren’t there. I didn’t want to leave without making it right, but it was out of my hands.”
*
Ice pulled a black velvet box from his pocket where it had been burning a hole all day. He’d collected it earlier at his apartment on the way to the airport. He didn’t care that he had an audience as he opened the lid and passed it to Kathy, just plunged into the deep end and prayed she’d rescue him.
“This was Ruby’s. She gave it to me before she died and said she hoped I’d find someone who would make me as happy as Harry had made her, but it doesn’t have to be this one. If you want a new one, I’ll understand, just as long as you’re wearing my ring. I love you Kat and I love our baby. I want you in my life for the rest of my life, I want to marry you and grow old with you, babe.”
Everyone in the room heard the raw emotion in his voice, saw the love reflected in his eyes, and held their breath along with him while they waited for Kathy to answer.
*
The fact that he’d brought a ring before he’d learned about the pregnancy tipped the balance in his favor. Kathy closed the gap between them and stepped into his open arms.
“I love you Shane.”
“I love you too. I have from the very first, only I was too stupid to realize it.” With a tear glistening in his eye, Ice kissed her and rubbed his big hand over her swelling belly.
Everyone sighed and offered their congratulations. Even Ian Roberts shook his hand.
“So Ice, what do you want a boy or a girl?” Wolf grinned.
“Doesn’t matter, as long as mother and baby are doing well.”
“How about one of each?” Kathy asked.
“Say what?”
“We’re having twins.”
“Instant family. Kat, you’ve made my life complete. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined being this happy.”
Epilogue
Ice and Kathy were married on the base two weeks later in front of all their friends. Liz’s family and even Ian Roberts came to witness the event. Ice was resplendent in full dress uniform and wearing a smile from ear to ear. Kathy was radiant in a simple white gown, a crown of fresh white flowers adorned her head, and she carried a bouquet of orchids.
Frosty was best man and, like Ice, wore full dress uniform. Liz’s bridesmaid’s dress was a deep shade of rose. Meredith and Mandy completed the wedding party and looked angelic wearing pale pink dresses and halos of pink roses and baby’s breath in their hair. Everyone declared the ceremony was beautiful, even Liz, for all her hard-nosed ways, shed a tear.
Afterward, they all went back to Sarah and Frosty’s for the reception. Everyone was delighted for the happy couple. Most never thought to see the day when the Iceman would walk down the aisle, it was certainly cause for celebration.
The guys were enjoying a beer in the sunshine. Wolf nonchalantly rested his hip against the playhouse and Havoc was beside him, his familiar Akubra pulled low over his brow. Cindy sat at his feet, matching pink bows on her ears. It was only right that she be included, after all, it was the dog that had brought the happy couple together.
“I wonder which one of us will be next,” Hawk said tongue in cheek.
“Not me kid, there are way too many ladies out there who’d be mighty disappointed if I took myself off the market.” Wolf laughed.
“Don’t look at me Hawk, you’re the one with the girlfriend,” drawled Havoc.
Sarah walked by at that precise moment and catching the tail end of the conversation chimed in. “Well boys, let me tell you, marriage is a great institution and love will happen when you least expect it and when it does there won’t be a darn thing you can do about it.”
None of them dared contradict her.
* * * *
A couple of months later Frosty resigned. Ice was offered a desk job but declined it, and the two men set up the security business Frosty had talked about. Wolf shocked them all by announcing his resignation. It came straight from left field. His career had been ready to take off, but he turned down a promotion, choosing to throw in his lot with the other two. Hawk and Havoc, not wanting to break up the team, resigned and joined the firm as well. The boys were a team after all.
Five months after the wedding, the twins arrived, early but strong and healthy. Ice walked around with a permanent grin. Two months after that the babies were christened. Sarah, Frosty, Liz, and Wolf were godparents.
After the ceremony, it was back to Frosty’s for a barbeque. Wolf was driving everyone nuts with his happy snaps. Kathy joked he had more photos of the twins than Shane and her. The doting parents excused themselves, saying it was time to put the boys down for a nap.
The others were in the garden shooting the breeze. Hawk was quizzing Liz for free legal advice when Wolf’s phone started playing “Bohemian Rhapsody”.
Plucking the cell from his pocket, he checked the caller ID. His face puzzled, unable to recognized the number. “Zach Buchanan,” he curtly announced.
“Who? Slow down Babycakes, I can’t understand you.” Wolf’s smile turned into a scowl. His face leached of color, he tunneled his fingers through his hair and barked, “You must be fucking joking … okay, okay … just stay put and don’t do anything rash, I’ll be on a plane tonight.”
Lines of worry furrowed his brow as he shoved the phone back in his pocket. All eyes were glued on him, no one had moved or spoken, all seemingly oblivious to the fact that eavesdropping on someone’s private conversation was rude.
“Who was that?” Hawk asked as crass as ever.
For once, Sarah didn’t admonish him. “Is everything all right … can we help?”
Wolf stared at them his face unreadable; a vein pulsed at his temple. “It’s my kid sister Loretta, she’s being held for ransom in Columbia.”
“Oh my God.” Sarah gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.
“That was her friend. I told Loretta that girl would get her into some serious shit one day, but would she listen? Not on your bloody life. She’s too stubborn for her own good.”
Frosty, slipping back into SEAL mode looked to the other two who nodded in agreement to his unspoken question. They’d been a team far too long to let one of their own take off on a search and rescue as important as this one alone.
Frosty checked his watch doing a mental calculation of the time necessary to prepare for the mission. “Ice can hold down the fort. I’ll meet you three on the tarmac fueled and ready to go in three hours.”
“Okay, let’s make a move, daylight’s wasting, and we’ve got a plane to catch.”
The End
Publisher’s Note
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About Layne Macadam
Layne Macadam lives on the east coast of Australia. An avid reader of all genres, she particularly likes a happily ever after ending so is constantly on the lookout for a good romance story. One day just for fun, she decided to put pen to paper with the intention of writing a short story, but the words kept on flowing. By the time she was finished, her first book
Desire Unleashed
was born. Now she’s hooked and spends all her free time creating new characters and stories.
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