Hot SEAL, Confirmed Bachelor- Cynthia D'Alba Page 0,29
and he didn’t expect to find that again outside of the Navy.
“Over here, C-Note,” Cowboy yelled. “Saving you a seat. You know, the seat where the tab lands.”
The guys laughed and Benjamin shook his head as he wound through the tables to the corner.
Jacob Fowler, Bravo Two and one of Benjamin’s best friends frowned at him. “You’re empty-handed, boss. Bar out of beer?”
“Ray said he needs to check some ID’s. He’s not sure you guys are old enough to drink.”
That brough another round of laughter.
“Hell, we’re all old enough,” Viking protested. Eric was twenty-six and the youngest of the team. With his blond hair and babyface, he could pass for twenty.
“Don’t you worry none,” Nolan Bell assured him. “I’m sure Ray’s got some white milk back there for you.”
Eric slugged Nolan which made the rest of the guys laughed.
“Here we go, boys,” a sweet, female voice said.
“None too soon,” Benjamin said. “The kids were getting punchy.”
Two shots and a beer mug were placed in front of each man. The waitress set two icy-cold pitchers of golden brew on the table.
“Salute, gentlemen,” she said and walked away.
Benjamin picked up one shot glass of whiskey and held it high. The men did the same.
“The first shot is always for the ones who went before us, died for us, and brought us to where we are today. Salute.”
The men tapped the eight shot glasses on the table. Then they downed their shots and slammed the empty glasses back on the table upside down. No one said anything as their custom required no talking until completed.
Benjamin held up the second full shot glass. “And this round is for Bravo Team. The baddest, meanest, sons of bitches around.”
As the men tapped the full shoot glasses on the table before drinking, they all yelled, “Bravo Team. The baddest, meanest, sons of bitches around,” and then drank their shots.
As soon as the empty shot glasses hit the table, the pitchers of beer were grabbed and glasses filled. Benjamin leaned back in his chair and watched his team. The jabs. The kidding comments. The rolled eyes. The laughter.
Even as he took in the scene around him, his father’s voice echoed in his head.
You’re no good. Ain’t nobody ever gonna love you, boy, ’cause you just ain’t loveable. You killed your own mother. Your fault she’s dead. Should’ve never had you. Worst thing I ever did. Your momma was worth a thousand times what you are. Worthless. Trash. A nobody that’ll go nowhere. I wish you’d died at birth. Then I’d still have your momma with me. Hell, taking care of you killed not only your momma but my sister, too. Everybody around you will die. You’re like the walking death master killing anyone who’s stupid enough to love you.
“Hey, man.” A pair of fingers snapped in Benjamin’s face. “Where’d you go?”
Benjamin looked at his friend, Jacob and forced a smile. “Just thinking.”
“Thinking about how great we are, right?”
Benjamin snorted. “Naw. I was wondering if you remembered to brush your teeth.”
Jacob laughed. “You’re just jealous because I got a lady to go home to.”
A vision of Holly flashed in Benjamin’s mind and he smiled. “Listen up, guys. Before you all start heading out, remember we have the Memorial Day picnic at the CO’s house. You will all be there. You will behave. Children are welcome, so Viking, you can bring one of your usual barely legal dates.”
Viking pointed at Benjamin and laughed.
Over the next thirty minutes, the men drifted away one-by-one until only he and Viking were left.
“A couple of hot chicks at your eight,” Viking said. “One of them is giving me all the signals. Her friend is kind of hot, too.”
Benjamin glanced toward the two women Eric had indicated and turned back. The ladies were certainly over twenty-one, but just barely. In the past he might’ve been interested in seeing what needs the ladies had that he could meet. Hell, there was a time when he would have taken them both home with him. Funny, he didn’t feel the need to prove what he could do.
Stranger still, he wasn’t attracted to their youthfulness as he’d once been.
“Frog hogs,” he said.
“So?”
Benjamin smiled. “Look, kid. The ladies love SEALs. You’ll just be a mark on the bedpost.”
Eric tossed back the rest of his beer. “I’ll be sure to offer my knife to the lucky lady to make her notch.”
Benjamin finished his beer and watch Eric approach the ladies.
“You guys finished with this table?” the waitress asked. She gestured toward