Read A SEAL at Heart for Free Online Page A

little Laurie laugh.” Jimmy poked his friend in the ribs.
    “A cow and a goat walk into a bar…” started Bruiser. His breath was laced with the smell of rum and his beer sloshed over the rim of his cup as he spoke. Within the hour, his daughter would be swinging by to pick up the lot of them and drive them home. They had two hours of socializing time, which was their SOP.
    “Thanks, guys, but I’m really tired. Do you mind if I call it a night?” Drawing in a deep breath, she let it out slowly. She wasn’t in the mood for being “cheered up,” and the only lure right now was the silence of her bedroom.
    “Sure, good night, Laurie,” said Jimmy. “Drive safely.”
    Each of them hugged her, patting her back gently. Somehow the sympathetic twist was the hardest part to take. As she walked away from them, she was glad there were people in her life who cared, but somehow her dad’s neglect had really damaged her. It made her more cynical about life, the male sex, and the military in particular. Hard to escape what you’re born into as well as shake events and impressions that had imprinted on the psyche.
    As the crowd thinned, a few insular clumps waited for the raffle to conclude. After that, they would most likely scatter like church mice, all except for those diehards who couldn’t pass up a one-dollar cup of beer. Those folks were definitely going to be praying to Ugh, the porcelain god, later tonight.
    A hand caught her arm as she neared the door and wrangled her into an embrace.
    “Hi, sweetie. How’s the lovely and successful Laurie Smith tonight?” It was Gich. The man in question had actually showed up at the NSW fund-raiser. Hell must be freezing over!
    “Hi, Papa Gich.” Laurie hugged him close. The smell of beer and cigars wafted off of him with an undertone of musk that was all Gich. She could close her eyes and find him in a crowd. There had been so many times he tucked her into bed, held her while she shivered with a fever, or wiped her tears. Tonight, she was definitely grateful to be in his arms. Her arms squeezed tight.
    “Hey, are you okay, little one?” His voice held concern. He always said he hated to see her cry. When she was a child, she’d scored a lot of candy with a sudden outbreak of tears. Though he was no one’s fool and could always tell the real deal from the faked.
    Bowing her head, she murmured, “Yes.” But she didn’t mean it. Suddenly the urge to bawl was so intense, she bit the inside of her lip to squelch it. A single tear slid down her cheek. The solitary cry for help was wiped away by the tip of his thick index finger.
    She waved her hand, and said, “I’m okay, Papa Gich. I’m just tired.”
    He didn’t seem to buy the excuse, but Gich was a “weigh the battles” guy, and he’d only confront her if it was absolutely necessary.
    Gently, he touched her cheek. “I’m here.”
    She nodded, but didn’t say anything. She didn’t trust her voice yet. This man with his X-ray vision into her emotions was tough to be upset in front of. Trying her best to calm her chaotic feelings, she focused on happy thoughts.
    SEALs had an uncanny ability to see the hidden. Gich frowned at her. “Should I be kicking someone’s ass?” A bit of anger was at the end of that question.
    Shit! Does he know? Can he tell I just fooled around?
    “Not yet,” she said as calmly, coolly, and collectedly as she could muster. “But I might take a rain check on it.”
    “Uh-huh,” he said, scanning his eyes protectively over her one last time before he allowed his gaze to roam the room. He seemed to be looking for somebody, but he never said whom, and she didn’t want to ask. They took a turn around the inside of the establishment. When he seemed satisfied, the Commander walked her to her Dodge Charger and kissed her on the cheek.
    “Good night, Laurie. Call me when you get home.” He nodded at her. “Buckle up.”
    “You’re such a mother hen, Gich,” she replied with a