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“Mom, donotcall anyone, especially Aunt Theresa.”
Not really his aunt by blood, his mother’s best friend worked for the DIA, the military version of the CIA.
“Okay, but I’ll meet her soon enough.”
With that ominous comment, she told him she had to go and hung up. He clicked off his phone and laid back on his bed. There was a good chance she was calling his Aunt Theresa right now and asking her to look into Autumn Bradford. He scrubbed his hand over his face. Maybe he should have worried about a former Pentagon official of a mother, who had nothing to do now but butt into his life. His parents had always been hands-off once their kids had hit adulthood. This would be a new experience.
His phone buzzed with a message.
Rami:Going for a run in Waikiki. Wanna come?
They were the two SEALs in the group and had that connection. They were never on the same team, and he was a few years ahead of Rami in SEAL training.
Seth:Sure. Where do you want to meet up?
Seth lived in Salt Lake, near Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. The small rental came fully furnished. He’d been stationed on Oahu but had barely spent time there. So, when he accepted the job with TFH, he decided to take his time and get to know the neighborhoods.
Rami:On the beach by Hale Koa?
Hale Koa was a resort for the military next to the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
Seth:Roger that. Be there in 30.
It was still early on a Saturday, so it wouldn’t take him long to get there. He found Rami hanging out under one of the massive Banyan trees that dotted the picnic grounds between the beach and the Hale Koa.
“I take it you still work on military time too?” Rami asked.
“No. My mother still hasn’t learned the time difference. You?”
He shrugged. “I had some trouble sleeping last night.”
Because he was Rami’s commanding officer on Team Bravo, Seth knew why he had left the military. PTSD was a bitch, but thanks to therapy, Rami was dealing with it.
“Nightmares?”
He cracked a smile. “Heartburn. But, if my mama visits, don’t tell her I can’t handle spicy food like I used to.”
He chuckled. “Noted. And please, when my mother shows up next week, pretend you know nothing about me.”
“Your folks are coming for a visit?”
He motioned toward the pathway for the run, and Rami nodded. Seth waited to answer until they were running. “No. My folks are moving here.”
“Oh…damn. That sounds like a nightmare.”
They split apart to get around a slowpoke couple, then came back together. “Naw, my parents have always been cool. Once we hit eighteen, they felt we were in charge of our lives. They’reboth retired now and with my brothers still on active duty, they decided to move near me.”
“Brother, I hate to tell you, things are about to change.”
Seth shook his head as they kept even pace. They ran side by side through the streets of Honolulu, the air still sweet from the night and not yet overly muggy. Even here, there was a nice trade as they took a route down Kalia Road to Ala Moana and then by the pristine shops that lined Kalakaua Boulevard. It was still quiet out, with only coffee shops and restaurants open and very few people. It had rained the night before, so the streets were mostly dry, with the occasional puddle to splash through. After passing by Duke’s statue, they headed toward the zoo, then hit Kapiolani Park before hitting Diamond Head Road to loop back to the Hale Koa. By the time they arrived back on the beach, they had run for an hour.
They mainly talked about family—his brothers and Rami’s little sisters—when Rami stopped mid-sentence and whistled. Rami was staring at something over Seth’s shoulder, and while Seth knew it was a woman, he wasn’t prepared to see Autumn Bradford rise out of the water like some kind of Bond girl.
Damn. Of course, the woman would wear a bikini.
“Fuck,” Rami said. “I mean, I knew she was gorgeous, but she hides a lot under her clothes.”
That much was true. Autumn tended to wear cargo pants and t-shirts, even when they were out. Water sluiced down her stomach. Her gaze was unfocused as if she were deep in thought as she dried off. Seth thought they should leave her alone, but Rami whistled before he could say anything.
