SEAL's Embrace - Makenna Jameison Page 0,29

wait to hear your voice, sweetheart. I’ll call at 8:00 your time.

Smiling, she replied before calling her parents:

I can’t wait.

Her phone buzzed once more:

Me either.

Smiling to herself, she dialed her mom’s cell number, ready to have her parents come pick her up. The past week had been a whirlwind of activity, but hearing from Grayson warmed her from head to toe.

“I’m all done!” Hailey said happily as her mom answered the phone. “My appointment went well, and I just got a new cell phone.”

“Well, you certainly sound like you’re feeling better,” her mom said with a laugh. “What on Earth did the doctor do?”

“Nothing. After I got my phone connected, I saw that the guy I told you about had texted me.”

“The one who saved you? I need to meet this young man.”

Hailey shook her head, smiling. “He doesn’t live here, Mom.”

“I know, I know. So are you ready for us to come get you?”

“I am. I’m outside the cell phone store, just down the block from where you dropped me earlier. Can you meet me here?”

“Sure thing, honey. I wish you would’ve let us come with you.”

“Mom, I’m twenty-eight years old,” Hailey said, exasperated. “That would look kind of silly to have you with me at the doctor’s office.”

“Not if you needed help,” she insisted. “But no matter. We’re on our way. We’ll pick up some lunch on the way home so you can rest this afternoon.”

“That sounds perfect. See you soon!”

Hours later, she was lying on her childhood bed in her old room waiting for Grayson to call. She’d had lunch with her parents earlier and just finished dinner. Her mom had made her favorite homemade spaghetti, but Hailey hadn’t minded being taken care of. It had been a long time since she’d been home, and she’d be on her own again out in California before she knew it.

She’d texted a few of her friends to let them know she was back in town, but at the moment, she didn’t feel up for much of anything aside from just recovering at her parents’ house.

She took a couple more Tylenol and leaned back in her bed again, relaxing. She’d told her parents she needed to rest, and the truth was, she did. She was exhausted after her day, and it felt good to stretch out and just do nothing for the evening. Her body was still sore, but she was excited to talk to Grayson.

She hoped whenever she saw him, she wouldn’t have a nasty scar on her forehead, but that would probably take much longer than she wanted to fully heal. He certainly hadn’t seemed to mind how she looked in Germany.

She anxiously looked at her phone for the millionth time, wondering why the minutes were ticking by so slowly. She felt like she was back in high school or something, waiting for the boy she liked to call. At 8:00 on the dot, her phone buzzed, and she smiled as Grayson’s name flashed on the screen. She’d keyed in his contact info earlier, and it made her heart flutter to see his name there on her phone.

She knew he was just checking on her, and that the sparks between them when they’d met could’ve been from the adrenaline coursing through them and the emotionally-charged situation. Sure, she’d noticed when he’d shown up in her office that afternoon, but everything afterward had been a whirlwind.

Still, she hoped they did eventually have their date when she moved out to California. She liked him—and even if nothing ever came from it other than a single dinner out, she wanted to see him again. Her body responded instantly whenever he was near, and she felt safe with him. Comfortable. She was attracted to him, yes, but it felt like something deeper was there. They’d shared a connection, and she’d be crazy to ignore it when he clearly had felt something, too.

“Hello?” she said as she picked up her phone, immediately feeling silly. Of course she knew it was him.

“Hi, sweetheart,” Grayson said, his low, husky voice making her stomach do flips. “It’s so good to hear your voice again. How are you feeling? You’re back at home?”

“Yeah, I’m at my parents’ house in Virginia. And honestly? Sore. I had a doctor appointment today and got my new phone. My ribs are healing though, so it’ll just take some time. I might’ve overdone it.”

“I’m sorry you’re still in pain, but you can’t know how relieved I am to hear that you’re home