“Wock!” Alice said.
“It’s a nice rock. What are you going to do with it?”
Alice didn’t say anything as she took the rock out of Bliss’s open palm. She went over and put it in a pile with some others she’d found. Bliss shrugged as she caught Jenna’s eye. “Kids don’t like me all that much.”
Jenna smiled. “She likes you fine. She brought you the rock, right?”
“That’s true, I guess. I think I was just convenient.”
Haylee curved her hand over her small bump. “I don’t have a clue what I’m doing, but Wolf and I will figure it out together. Our kid will either be well-adjusted or a hot mess. I’m not sure which yet.”
Brooke laughed. “Seriously, with you and Wolf as parents, I think your kid will be just fine. You’re both smart and beautiful, plus he’s athletic, so there you go.”
“Hey, I’m athletic too. Just not right now.”
Bliss arched a brow. “Really? I’ve never seen you break into a jog, much less any other feats of athleticism.”
Haylee stuck out her tongue. “I trekked across the jungle the night I met Wolf. We also swam a piranha-infested river.”
“Were there really piranhas?” Brooke asked, wide-eyed.
Haylee laughed. “I don’t know, but it sounds good. We were in South America, after all.”
Jenna wanted to know more, but Scarlett let out a low whistle. “Oh my, speaking of athletic.” Scarlett’s gaze had moved to where the men congregated.
“Whoa,” Bliss said, turning her head. “I never tire of that.”
“No red-blooded heterosexual woman does,” Haylee laughed.
Jenna was inclined to agree. The men had taken off their shirts as they played a rousing game, slapping the ball, spiking it, calling insults to each other. Noah, aka Easy, played with Gem, Muffin, and Zany. They were playing against Saint, Wolf, Mal, and Hacker.
Tattoos rippled across lean muscle. Abs were tight enough to bounce a quarter off. Shoulders and biceps screamed, I can carry you across a battlefield and not break a sweat, darlin’.
“Where are Jake and Eva?” Bliss asked Scarlett.
“They went up to Jake’s cabin in Virginia for the weekend. I think there might be a proposal or something.”
“Ooooooh,” the women said in unison.
Haylee leaned over. “Jake is the only Strike Team 2 member not here. Eva is his girlfriend. She’s an absolutely amazing tattoo artist, if you’re looking. She’s done some of the ink for the guys.”
“Oh, wow. Thanks.” Jenna smiled, though her brain had latched on to the Strike Team 2 designation. What did that mean? “You know, I’ve never really considered a tattoo. Too scared of needles.”
Haylee laughed. “You and me both, girlfriend. Wolf has a few, as you can see. And don’t get me wrong, they are gorgeous and I love exploring them. But it’s not my thang.”
“Food’s almost ready,” Scarlett said, checking the grill again.
Jenna saw hamburgers on one side and chicken on the other when Scarlett lifted the lid. It smelled heavenly. It also made her think of her parents. Her dad had loved to grill, and her mom would fix all the sides—with Jenna’s help—before they converged on the patio to eat. Didn’t matter if it was Germany or Italy or Hawaii or the desert, they spent time outside with a fresh breeze and a full belly.
A wave of homesickness rolled over her, but for what? For a memory. A dream. Something that was gone and would never happen again.
“Maybe we should tell them to wind it down,” Bliss said.
Brooke was busy staring at Saint. “Don’t you dare.”
Haylee laughed. “You’re horny, aren’t you?”
Brooke giggled. “Always when I’ve got Cade to go home to. Plus I think I’m ovulating, which shouldn’t matter a damned bit except for you, Haylee. Making a woman think about kids with your cute little baby bump.”
“Puh-lease, girlfriend. Your bestie has a baby, and that’s what’s got you thinking. Not me.”
“Maybe so,” Brooke admitted. “I also babysat Alice before Jenna was here, so it’s no wonder I’m thinking of little girls with pigtails.”
Scarlett closed the lid with a snap. “Ladies, I don’t care how hot you are for your men, I will not burn the food. I’ve been entrusted with the sacred grill, as Mal calls it, and I will not fail my quest. Get your minds back on task and off your men’s hot bodies. Only consider babies when sober and unaffected by the most amazing male torsos known to humankind.”
Brooke laughed again. “Right, right, right. Must focus.”
Jenna loved how easy these women were with each other. “Sorry, Brooke,” she said. “I didn’t know Noah had a babysitter when I took the job.”
Brooke reached out and grasped her hand. “Oh, honey, no. Alice needed a nanny, and you’re perfect. She’s clearly attached to you.”
Jenna felt a little spear of guilt. “She needed a constant in her life, poor thing. But I’m not her mother, nor do I pretend to be.”
“Of course not,” Brooke said. “Still, she needed stability, as you say. Hopefully Easy will get married someday and she’ll have a mommy.”
Jenna didn’t say a word about Noah’s plan—former plan?—to adopt Alice out. She just nodded, murmuring, “Yes. That would be so nice.”
She could feel the women’s speculative gazes on her, but she pretended not to notice them. If they only knew he’d asked her to marry him last night, they’d probably lose their minds. Of course it wasn’t for love or anything, which made it a lot less romantic, but still. He’d asked, and that would be enough to give them plenty to discuss.
“Easy said your parents were military,” Brooke said, smiling. Digging, more like. But she was so sweet and disarming that Jenna wasn’t bothered.
“They were in the Air Force. Dad was a Senior Master Sergeant and Mom was a Lieutenant Colonel. They’re gone now. Plane crash.”
Brooke squeezed her hand. She was an effusive woman, but Jenna didn’t mind. “I’m so sorry.”
Jenna’s cheeks ached from smiling as if it didn’t still steal just a bit of her soul when she talked about her parents being gone. “Thank you. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring the mood down. I just always feel like I need to explain.”
“No explanations necessary,” Scarlett said. “My parents are gone too. I think I understand just a little how you feel.”
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Jenna replied automatically.
“Thank you. I didn’t mean to shift the conversation to me—I just wanted you to know that I understand.” She came over and gave Jenna a quick hug. “You’re with friends here. You’ll be in Alice and Easy’s lives for a while and we want you to know you can count on us, especially when the team is gone.”
“Does it happen often?” Jenna asked, feeling brave enough to voice that much.
Bliss’s expression was solemn. “It depends. More often than you probably expect, but not so often you forget what he looks like. It’s lonely, I won’t lie—but what am I saying?” She waved a hand as if waving away a fly, and Jenna knew it was also to wave away tears. “You aren’t a couple. It won’t be the same.”