Hot SEALs: Reclaiming the SEAL (Kindle Worlds) (Lost and Found Series Book 11) by J.M. Madden
Authors: J.M. Madden
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everything went to hell.”
Gabe nodded, then packed up the shoebox. “I’ll take this. I don’t want Gwen to see it.”
Julie nodded in agreement, reaching out to squeeze his arm. He smiled for her. “I’m okay. Really. This actually makes me feel better about a few things.”
“Yeah. Me, too … in a strange way.”
Chapter Seven
THEY WERE STILL boxing up the apartment when two large pick-up trucks pulled up outside and men started tumbling out of them. Julie knew that this had to be some of the guys from Gabe and Butter’s platoons, totally confirmed when she looked at Gabe’s face. He wasn’t exactly grinning, but it was close. The grief that he’d worn on his face for the past couple days had lifted. “What are you guys doing here?”
“Helping Butter’s mama,” one light-skinned black man told him. “We figured we better come over because you probably weren’t doing shit.”
Gabe laughed then, taking the ribbing, and led them up the walk. “Gentlemen, and you others,” Gabe looked across the group of about ten men, stirring guffaws, “this is Gwen Tyler, Butter’s mom. And for those of you that don’t know her, this is Julie Ritter.”
There was a bit of a lull when Gabe said her name and she could feel the blush start as all ten hardened, dangerous, Navy SEALs turned to look at her at once. There was knowledge in their eyes but also, she thought, acceptance. A few of the men she’d met before, but several of them reached forward to shake her hand. One huge warrior even stepped out of the crowd to hug her, his blue eyes kind with understanding. Then he moved to Gwen, also giving her a hug.
Julie lost track of their names, but they sounded like superhero characters. Turbo and Blink, Ice Tea and Wash. At least that’s what she thought they were calling the blue-eyed warrior that had hugged them. Then there were names that had to be true names. Schlitz, White, Bartlett, Brand. There were a couple of others she never caught as they all trooped into the apartment and out, separating boxes for the moving van and those being donated.
The movers arrived with their van and within literally minutes, it was loaded with all of Butter’s possessions that were headed South with his mother. Each of the SEALs’ trucks had a row of boxes in the back that would be delivered to charities on their way home.
As he directed the troops, Gabe looked more relaxed than he’d been since the funeral. All of these men had been there, too and she could tell that they were dealing with their own grief as they helped out Gwen. There was a lot of crass ribbing going on, and a lot of stories being told about Butter. Gwen sat to the side and absorbed the goodwill all of these men felt for her son. Several times, Julie noticed tears tracking down her cheeks as the men took turns stopping to talk to her quietly.
Gabe paused beside her.
“When she looks back later, this will mean more to her than anything else these past few days,” Julie murmured.
Nodding, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, giving her a squeeze. “Me too,” he admitted, voice raspy. He pressed a kiss to her head and went back to work.
A tall, surprisingly lean man in a Grateful Dead t-shirt stopped in front of her. Julie had met him before at a bar or something when she’d gone out with Gabe and she thought his name was Bartlett. “Thank you for coming to help,” she told him.
He smiled a little and shrugged. “It was the least we could do. I just wanted to tell you that we hope you give Gabe another chance now that Butter’s gone.”
She frowned, wondering what he had told them, but the other man held up a hand. “He didn’t tell us anything specific, but we could kind of see the issue coming. Butter was a possessive bastard, pardon my French, and several of us were surprised that you were getting along so well with both of them.” He shrugged again, the bones of his shoulders lifting the t-shirt. “Anyway. That’s it. Just
Gabe nodded, then packed up the shoebox. “I’ll take this. I don’t want Gwen to see it.”
Julie nodded in agreement, reaching out to squeeze his arm. He smiled for her. “I’m okay. Really. This actually makes me feel better about a few things.”
“Yeah. Me, too … in a strange way.”
Chapter Seven
THEY WERE STILL boxing up the apartment when two large pick-up trucks pulled up outside and men started tumbling out of them. Julie knew that this had to be some of the guys from Gabe and Butter’s platoons, totally confirmed when she looked at Gabe’s face. He wasn’t exactly grinning, but it was close. The grief that he’d worn on his face for the past couple days had lifted. “What are you guys doing here?”
“Helping Butter’s mama,” one light-skinned black man told him. “We figured we better come over because you probably weren’t doing shit.”
Gabe laughed then, taking the ribbing, and led them up the walk. “Gentlemen, and you others,” Gabe looked across the group of about ten men, stirring guffaws, “this is Gwen Tyler, Butter’s mom. And for those of you that don’t know her, this is Julie Ritter.”
There was a bit of a lull when Gabe said her name and she could feel the blush start as all ten hardened, dangerous, Navy SEALs turned to look at her at once. There was knowledge in their eyes but also, she thought, acceptance. A few of the men she’d met before, but several of them reached forward to shake her hand. One huge warrior even stepped out of the crowd to hug her, his blue eyes kind with understanding. Then he moved to Gwen, also giving her a hug.
Julie lost track of their names, but they sounded like superhero characters. Turbo and Blink, Ice Tea and Wash. At least that’s what she thought they were calling the blue-eyed warrior that had hugged them. Then there were names that had to be true names. Schlitz, White, Bartlett, Brand. There were a couple of others she never caught as they all trooped into the apartment and out, separating boxes for the moving van and those being donated.
The movers arrived with their van and within literally minutes, it was loaded with all of Butter’s possessions that were headed South with his mother. Each of the SEALs’ trucks had a row of boxes in the back that would be delivered to charities on their way home.
As he directed the troops, Gabe looked more relaxed than he’d been since the funeral. All of these men had been there, too and she could tell that they were dealing with their own grief as they helped out Gwen. There was a lot of crass ribbing going on, and a lot of stories being told about Butter. Gwen sat to the side and absorbed the goodwill all of these men felt for her son. Several times, Julie noticed tears tracking down her cheeks as the men took turns stopping to talk to her quietly.
Gabe paused beside her.
“When she looks back later, this will mean more to her than anything else these past few days,” Julie murmured.
Nodding, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, giving her a squeeze. “Me too,” he admitted, voice raspy. He pressed a kiss to her head and went back to work.
A tall, surprisingly lean man in a Grateful Dead t-shirt stopped in front of her. Julie had met him before at a bar or something when she’d gone out with Gabe and she thought his name was Bartlett. “Thank you for coming to help,” she told him.
He smiled a little and shrugged. “It was the least we could do. I just wanted to tell you that we hope you give Gabe another chance now that Butter’s gone.”
She frowned, wondering what he had told them, but the other man held up a hand. “He didn’t tell us anything specific, but we could kind of see the issue coming. Butter was a possessive bastard, pardon my French, and several of us were surprised that you were getting along so well with both of them.” He shrugged again, the bones of his shoulders lifting the t-shirt. “Anyway. That’s it. Just
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