satisfied with a simple handshake and gave Brodie a hug, keeping his arm around Brodie’s neck as Kristen asked, “I wasn’t aware we sent officers to the Perisher Course, Captain?”
Gardener answered, pointing a finger in Brodie’s face, “You’re looking at him, Lassie. The one and only!”
Brodie was clearly enjoying seeing his friend again but shrugged off the attention. “Whatcha been up to these days?”
Kristen, recognizing the old friends probably wanted to catch up, extricated herself from the conversation. She joined her fellow officers, listening to their usual banter. But she couldn’t help overhearing the conversation between her captain, XO and their British friend.
“Still not married yet, Sean?” Alec asked.
“Nope,” came the curt reply from Brodie.
“I’d have thought by now you and that little Italian minx you were seeing last year would’ve settled down and started building that house,” Alec offered.
Kristen felt her face flush slightly as she tried to focus her attention on a story Terry was telling everyone.
“No such luck,” Brodie replied.
“Too bad,” Gardener replied. “That’s an awful pretty spot you picked out, Sean ol’ boy.” The Brit took a sip of his drink and then asked, “What’s the name of that damn mountain next to your property?” he asked innocently and then added, “You know, we went fishing up there last year.”
“Mount Olympus,” Brodie answered.
“You couldn’t have picked a nicer view, Sean,” Graves agreed. “The Pacific on one side and the mountains on the other…”
Kristen was no longer listening. In fact, she wasn’t certain she was capable of any conscious action at the moment. Images of the motorcycle ride with Brodie back in Bremerton came to mind, and the realization that he’d taken her to a spot he’d picked out for some future home was a startling revelation. He’d made no mention of owning land there with plans to ever build a home. He could have taken her anywhere, yet he’d taken her there…
As Terry continued his story and the others laughed, she stood in silence, trying to make sense of it all. There was nothing between them. There never would be, and to contemplate the reverse was illogical and foolish. Two things she’d never been.
“You okay, Kristen?” Terry asked, jolting her out of her deep thoughts.
She hadn’t realized it, but she’d been standing motionless for several minutes and the doors to the banquet hall had opened. She looked at Terry dumbly for a few seconds, and then nodded. “I’m fine,” she lied.
He didn’t believe her, but nodded his head anyway. “All right, well…” he began, watching her carefully. “We can go in now.”
Kristen walked in, still struggling with what she’d just learned and with thoughts and feelings she didn’t want to consider. Terry led her to a pair of tables reserved for the junior officers from the Seawolf, with Graves and Ski seated not far away at a table with mid-ranking officers.
Despite herself, Kristen found her eyes wandering over the massive crowd, searching for Brodie. She expected to see him with Gardener, but the British captain was nowhere in sight, and the rest of his officers were at a table next to her own. She finally spotted Brodie near the end of the long line of officers entering the hall flanked by two admirals. Gardener was still with him, and the four of them were conversing intently as they entered.
There weren’t many mere commanders who had admirals actively seeking them out, but Brodie and Gardener were clearly two of the few, and she watched from across the hall as they stopped inside the doorway and continued their conversation as the rest of the guests entered. Kristen assumed the admirals were questioning them about what had happened off the coast of North Korea. Rumors about the Seawolf’s actions had reached the shore-based sailors despite their mission’s top secret nature.
She’d just managed to regain
Gardener answered, pointing a finger in Brodie’s face, “You’re looking at him, Lassie. The one and only!”
Brodie was clearly enjoying seeing his friend again but shrugged off the attention. “Whatcha been up to these days?”
Kristen, recognizing the old friends probably wanted to catch up, extricated herself from the conversation. She joined her fellow officers, listening to their usual banter. But she couldn’t help overhearing the conversation between her captain, XO and their British friend.
“Still not married yet, Sean?” Alec asked.
“Nope,” came the curt reply from Brodie.
“I’d have thought by now you and that little Italian minx you were seeing last year would’ve settled down and started building that house,” Alec offered.
Kristen felt her face flush slightly as she tried to focus her attention on a story Terry was telling everyone.
“No such luck,” Brodie replied.
“Too bad,” Gardener replied. “That’s an awful pretty spot you picked out, Sean ol’ boy.” The Brit took a sip of his drink and then asked, “What’s the name of that damn mountain next to your property?” he asked innocently and then added, “You know, we went fishing up there last year.”
“Mount Olympus,” Brodie answered.
“You couldn’t have picked a nicer view, Sean,” Graves agreed. “The Pacific on one side and the mountains on the other…”
Kristen was no longer listening. In fact, she wasn’t certain she was capable of any conscious action at the moment. Images of the motorcycle ride with Brodie back in Bremerton came to mind, and the realization that he’d taken her to a spot he’d picked out for some future home was a startling revelation. He’d made no mention of owning land there with plans to ever build a home. He could have taken her anywhere, yet he’d taken her there…
As Terry continued his story and the others laughed, she stood in silence, trying to make sense of it all. There was nothing between them. There never would be, and to contemplate the reverse was illogical and foolish. Two things she’d never been.
“You okay, Kristen?” Terry asked, jolting her out of her deep thoughts.
She hadn’t realized it, but she’d been standing motionless for several minutes and the doors to the banquet hall had opened. She looked at Terry dumbly for a few seconds, and then nodded. “I’m fine,” she lied.
He didn’t believe her, but nodded his head anyway. “All right, well…” he began, watching her carefully. “We can go in now.”
Kristen walked in, still struggling with what she’d just learned and with thoughts and feelings she didn’t want to consider. Terry led her to a pair of tables reserved for the junior officers from the Seawolf, with Graves and Ski seated not far away at a table with mid-ranking officers.
Despite herself, Kristen found her eyes wandering over the massive crowd, searching for Brodie. She expected to see him with Gardener, but the British captain was nowhere in sight, and the rest of his officers were at a table next to her own. She finally spotted Brodie near the end of the long line of officers entering the hall flanked by two admirals. Gardener was still with him, and the four of them were conversing intently as they entered.
There weren’t many mere commanders who had admirals actively seeking them out, but Brodie and Gardener were clearly two of the few, and she watched from across the hall as they stopped inside the doorway and continued their conversation as the rest of the guests entered. Kristen assumed the admirals were questioning them about what had happened off the coast of North Korea. Rumors about the Seawolf’s actions had reached the shore-based sailors despite their mission’s top secret nature.
She’d just managed to regain
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