Hot SEALs: Protecting Julie (Kindle Worlds) (SEAL of Protection Book 0) by Susan Stoker Page A
Authors: Susan Stoker
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could get them out.
“Apology accepted,” Fiona said easily.
Julie’s eyes welled with tears and she bit her lip, trying to control herself. She felt Patrick’s hand on her back, caressing and reassuring her.
Fiona went on. “I didn’t expect to see you in your store. It was a shock and I didn’t know what to think or feel. I think I owe you an apology for the way my friends handled the situation.”
Julie began to interrupt her, but Fiona held up her hand. “Let me finish. In Caroline and Alabama’s defense, I’d had a flashback when I got home after Mexico, and I took off. I thought I was back there, and there were men chasing me. No one knew where I was and I totally freaked my friends out. I know they thought seeing you would bring on another flashback and they only wanted to make sure I was safe. It wasn’t really about you, Julie.”
Julie shook her head sadly. “But they know about me.”
Fiona nodded slowly. “Yeah. I told them some of what happened down there. It’s what friends do.”
It was Julie who nodded this time. “I know. I’ll apologize to them too. I’ll apologize to anyone you want me to, Fiona. I admire the hell out of you. You survived so much more than me. I wouldn’t have been able to do it.”
“Yes, you would. I was just like you, Julie. Exactly like you. At first I was ready and willing to do whatever they said so they’d stop hurting me and hopefully let me go. But slowly I realized they weren’t going to let me go, so I started fighting them. You would’ve gotten to that point too. I know it. Look at you now. You have a will of steel. You not only braved Hunter and the other guys, but me too.”
The two women smiled at each other. Julie knew they’d never be besties, but maybe, just maybe, they could be comfortable enough that seeing each other wouldn’t cause old wounds to open and fester.
“Would it be all right if I stopped by your store sometime soon? I never did get to see all the awesome things you’ve got there, and I heard all about how great it was from Caroline after she went the first time.”
“Of course. Anytime you want to come by, I’ll be there. Just let me know, even if it’s after hours.”
“And you really do donate clothes to women’s shelters and to teenagers who need a dress for a school dance and can’t afford it?” Fiona asked, sounding somewhat impressed.
Julie nodded. “Uh-huh. I love the looks on their faces when they come out of the dressing room wearing a Vera Wang or Gucci dress and it’s obvious they feel fabulous.”
“I’d say you’ve come a long way since that bitch in the jungle.”
Julie laughed, not offended in the least. “I hope so. I’m trying.”
“You’re succeeding.”
“Thanks for giving me the chance to apologize, Fiona. Seriously.”
“You’re welcome.”
“See you tomorrow, Hurt?” Cookie asked, shaking his Commander’s hand.
“O-five-hundred for PT,” Patrick confirmed.
Cookie nodded and he and Fiona left the room.
Julie felt herself being pulled back into Patrick’s arms. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and held her cradled against his chest. “You okay?”
“Yeah. That was…” Her voice trailed off, unsure of the word she was looking for.
“Cathartic?”
It was as good a word as any to try to explain how she was feeling. She nodded and nuzzled her cheek against Patrick’s shoulder. “Thank you for setting it up for me.”
“You’re welcome. It’s what Tex sent you to me to do, after all.”
Julie laughed. “Only a few months later than he expected it to happen though.”
“True. You ready to go?”
“Yeah, I have some stuff I need to do at the store. I’ve been neglecting it too long. The people that work with me are good, but they hate the sales stuff. Daddy hired them because they’re good at marketing and accounting. I need to set up a meeting with the director of a women’s clinic and see who has interviews coming up and what I can do to
“Apology accepted,” Fiona said easily.
Julie’s eyes welled with tears and she bit her lip, trying to control herself. She felt Patrick’s hand on her back, caressing and reassuring her.
Fiona went on. “I didn’t expect to see you in your store. It was a shock and I didn’t know what to think or feel. I think I owe you an apology for the way my friends handled the situation.”
Julie began to interrupt her, but Fiona held up her hand. “Let me finish. In Caroline and Alabama’s defense, I’d had a flashback when I got home after Mexico, and I took off. I thought I was back there, and there were men chasing me. No one knew where I was and I totally freaked my friends out. I know they thought seeing you would bring on another flashback and they only wanted to make sure I was safe. It wasn’t really about you, Julie.”
Julie shook her head sadly. “But they know about me.”
Fiona nodded slowly. “Yeah. I told them some of what happened down there. It’s what friends do.”
It was Julie who nodded this time. “I know. I’ll apologize to them too. I’ll apologize to anyone you want me to, Fiona. I admire the hell out of you. You survived so much more than me. I wouldn’t have been able to do it.”
“Yes, you would. I was just like you, Julie. Exactly like you. At first I was ready and willing to do whatever they said so they’d stop hurting me and hopefully let me go. But slowly I realized they weren’t going to let me go, so I started fighting them. You would’ve gotten to that point too. I know it. Look at you now. You have a will of steel. You not only braved Hunter and the other guys, but me too.”
The two women smiled at each other. Julie knew they’d never be besties, but maybe, just maybe, they could be comfortable enough that seeing each other wouldn’t cause old wounds to open and fester.
“Would it be all right if I stopped by your store sometime soon? I never did get to see all the awesome things you’ve got there, and I heard all about how great it was from Caroline after she went the first time.”
“Of course. Anytime you want to come by, I’ll be there. Just let me know, even if it’s after hours.”
“And you really do donate clothes to women’s shelters and to teenagers who need a dress for a school dance and can’t afford it?” Fiona asked, sounding somewhat impressed.
Julie nodded. “Uh-huh. I love the looks on their faces when they come out of the dressing room wearing a Vera Wang or Gucci dress and it’s obvious they feel fabulous.”
“I’d say you’ve come a long way since that bitch in the jungle.”
Julie laughed, not offended in the least. “I hope so. I’m trying.”
“You’re succeeding.”
“Thanks for giving me the chance to apologize, Fiona. Seriously.”
“You’re welcome.”
“See you tomorrow, Hurt?” Cookie asked, shaking his Commander’s hand.
“O-five-hundred for PT,” Patrick confirmed.
Cookie nodded and he and Fiona left the room.
Julie felt herself being pulled back into Patrick’s arms. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and held her cradled against his chest. “You okay?”
“Yeah. That was…” Her voice trailed off, unsure of the word she was looking for.
“Cathartic?”
It was as good a word as any to try to explain how she was feeling. She nodded and nuzzled her cheek against Patrick’s shoulder. “Thank you for setting it up for me.”
“You’re welcome. It’s what Tex sent you to me to do, after all.”
Julie laughed. “Only a few months later than he expected it to happen though.”
“True. You ready to go?”
“Yeah, I have some stuff I need to do at the store. I’ve been neglecting it too long. The people that work with me are good, but they hate the sales stuff. Daddy hired them because they’re good at marketing and accounting. I need to set up a meeting with the director of a women’s clinic and see who has interviews coming up and what I can do to
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