“No. Sir,” he added quickly.
Hunter sometimes forgot to treat Andy like his CO. But ol’ Barnes liked hearing it, and this was one situation in which following protocol might help.
A gate agent in a nearby lounge made an announcement over the loudspeaker, and Andy pounced. “You’re in the airport. Pretty sure of that leave, huh? Where you headed?”
“Lafayette, my wife’s hometown. I need to meet her parents.” Discern the problem with her stepfather so he could figure out exactly what not to do if he wanted to keep Kata and earn her trust.
“I’ll see what I can do about your leave. But, to be honest, things aren’t good here. Word is that Víctor Sotillo’s former troops are rallying around his brother, Adan.”
Hunter frowned. “The salsa dancer? That brother? He’s all about parties and finding his next lover, by all accounts. Not the kind of guy to take over a bloodthirsty cartel.”
“It’s still a family business. Always has been. So after Víctor’s death, Adan stepped in. Intel is that they’re regrouping and planning.”
Fuck. Even if Adan was ineffectual, this development didn’t bode well for an extended leave. The situation would need monitoring . . . but he must cement things with Kata, too.
Hunter sighed. “Even a few extra days here would really help me. Then I’ll be ready to roll.”
“I’ll be in touch.”
Without another word, the line went dead. Hunter pressed the end button and shook his head. Well, that had been a clusterfuck. And the conversation with his father would, no doubt, be worse, though he’d bring Kata with him to see the Colonel.
As soon as he found her.
Originally, he’d planned to stay in Dallas with his brother, Logan. Now, he was focused on Kata, and the three-hour layover was chafing. He paced, picked at some lunch—and tried to call his bride a dozen times.
Finally, as he was boarding his flight, his phone rang. Kata’s name and number appeared on his screen. Bingo! A bit of the tension in his gut eased . . . then ramped up again. What would she say about last night?
“Good afternoon, honey.”
“Honey?” she screeched. “What the hell did you do last night, besides put your number in my phone?”
He froze. “It’s what we did. You don’t remember?”
“Not much.”
Surprise and disappointment stabbed him. That changed a lot of things. Yes, she’d been drunk, but not incoherent. He’d assumed ... Fuck. He’d assumed wrong and now had to deal.
“But I think it’s coming back to me.” Her voice shook. “Tell me I’m wrong. This is crazy. Impossible. We couldn’t possibly have . . .”
“Gotten married? The keepsake certificate is in your purse. The officiant said we can write away to the county clerk’s office for the real thing in a few weeks.”
Kata gasped, choked in panic. “You sound pretty damn calm. Why aren’t you freaked?”
Because he had no reason to be. If he showed the slightest bit of uncertainty, she would only panic more. Best for all concerned if he remained firmly in control.
“Listen, we’re going to be fine. Our sudden marriage is unconventional, but—”
“Crazy!” Kata drew in a horrified gasp. “You sound . . . happy about this.”
“Very. I want you, Kata, and my gut tells me we’re right for each other. Give yourself some time to get used to the idea—”
“That my family is going to kill me? That I just did the most irresponsible thing of my life? Or that you went way beyond taking advantage of a drunk woman?”
Yeah, she’d see it like that—and maybe she was right. All he knew is that, unless Andy came through, he’d be going back on active duty too soon to resolve this. His time to make Kata fall in love with him was ticking away. It might be six months or more before his feet touched U.S. soil again. Last night, he’d known that if he didn’t find some way to tie her to him quickly, she’d be gone. The decision had been simple strategy, like securing the bunker. Or in this case, marrying the woman.
If there’d been another way, Hunter would have chosen it, but time and her fears weren’t on his side. Last night, he’d never expected to meet someone he connected with on every level, then marry her almost immediately, but things happened; he dealt. That was the nature of his job.
This wasn’t his most noble moment, but if being a SEAL had taught him anything, it was that sometimes you had to fight dirty to complete the mission. And if his father had taught him anything, it was that a man must be ready to do whatever necessary to hold on to his woman or lose her forever. Unlike the Colonel, Hunter wasn’t a quitter.