Hot SEAL, Confirmed Bachelor- Cynthia D'Alba Page 0,43

Robert said, draping his arm over Ben’s broad shoulders.

“And you’re happy because…?”

Before her dad could answer, the four kids came running from the back to investigate all the noise.

“Dad!” Hillary said. “You’re wearing a beauty pageant ribbon.”

Patrick looked down like he was surprised and then grinned. “Nope, honey. This is a second-place sash. I almost won the crown.” He went to snap his fingers and nothing happened.

“Yay, Dad,” Hank said, and ran over to Patrick, who swung him into the air and then into his arms.

“Why don’t you kids go finish your dinner while the adults eat,” her mother said, shaking her head.

“Aww. We always miss all the fun,” Hillary said and kicked the carpet.

“Back,” Holly said sternly and pointed.

The four children left, but not happily.

Patricia gave the three other women a pointed look. “Ladies, do you want to give me a hand, and we’ll get the food on the table? I think the guys need something more in their bellies than beer.”

Holly followed her mother into the kitchen, but behind her, the guys were telling and retelling each other about the shooting match as though they hadn’t been there.

“Think they’ll remember this in the morning?” Bethany asked as she loaded hot rolls into a basket.

“I know Robert will be a bear in the morning,” Patricia said.

“So will Patrick,” Diana said.

“Well, don’t look at me,” Holly said. “I have no idea what Ben is like in the morning,” she lied.

“Good girl,” her mother said and patted her head. “Your lying is getting better.”

The guys were seated at the table, their conversation loud and often punctuated with laughter and a dig here or there. Ben was right there in the middle of everything, tossing out insults with the brothers as though they’d been friends forever.

“Think one of you can tell a coherent story of what happened?” Diana asked.

“Our boy can shoot the lights out,” Lawrence said.

Holly frowned. “I got that, but why are you so happy that he outshot you? I’d think you’d be looking for a rematch.”

“Well, probably,” Danny said, “if a bunch of the San Diego guys hadn’t shown up to shoot and Ben beat them, too.”

“The best was that Mark Mason. You remember him, don’t you, hon?” Robert said to his wife.

“Mason?” Her mother’s eyes rolled up as she searched her brain. “Young guy? Dark hair? Huge ego?”

“That’s him. He won the San Diego PD range competition this past spring.”

“And he thought his shit didn’t stink,” Patrick said.

“Patrick,” his wife said. “Language.”

“You know what I mean.”

“I’m sure we all know what you mean,” Patricia said to her oldest son.

“Well, he came swaggering into Blind Harry’s and decided to take on our Ben,” Robert said. “Ben, bless his heart, threw a couple of matches, and Mark got way too confident. Next thing I know, money is changing hands and bets are being made.”

“You hustled the guy?” Holly asked Ben.

Ben looked sheepish and shrugged. “It was Patrick’s idea.”

“Patrick!” Diana said.

“What? I had to win my money back, right?”

Holly looked at her mother who was biting her lip to keep from laughing.

“Well, if you five aren’t the best role models for our kids,” Diana said.

“You’ll change your tune when you find out what we won.” Patrick gave his wife a smug look.

“You won something?” Bethany said to Lawrence. “What?”

“Thanks a lot, Patrick,” Lawrence grumbled. “I was saving that money for my rainy-day fund.”

Bethany snorted.

Diana held out her hand to Patrick.

Patricia arched at brow at Robert.

“Well, fess up,” Holly said. “How much did you take the poor guy for?”

“Not the poor guy,” Robert said. “Almost every cop there.” He pulled a wad of twenties from his front pocket. “I made four-hundred.”

“Five for me,” Patrick said, pulling a bundle of cash from his pocket.

“Four for me,” Lawrence said. “It’s going toward our honeymoon,” he told Bethany.

“Good decision,” she replied and kissed him.

“Six for me,” Danny said. “I’m no fool.”

Holly looked at Ben.

He burst out laughing. “Twelve hundred.”

“Ben,” Holly exclaimed. “You’ll never be able to drive the streets of San Diego again without being stopped.”

“Wait,” her mom said. “How did half of the department end up down there?”

“Not just SDPD, but some of Coronado’s finest, too,” Robert said.

“I might have mentioned it at work,” Danny confessed.

“Yeah, me too,” Lawrence said.

“And, me,” Patrick said. “Look, the three of us got to talking after dinner last Sunday and realized that Squid Boy might outshoot us.”

“And,” Lawrence said, picking up the story. “Our bets were on record—thanks very much, mom—so we figured we shouldn’t be the only