Page 40 of Her Forever SEAL

“So let me get this right. She didn’t think the teacher’s assignment was clear enough, so she figured she could take a detour.”

“You got it in one. Give that girl an inch and she takes a mile. That, my love, is all you.”

“What are you talking about? I follow orders.”

“You’re a SEAL, your job is to figure out ways to get things done in any situation. Improvisation should be your middle name.”

He loved that she knew him so well. He was also getting a hell of a kick out of his daughter. “Then what happened?”

“Lisa wrote two pages about Earth and then the other four were a formal argument that Pluto's hydrological evidence made it eligible for inclusion in the unit and its exclusion was an oversight.” Sophia paused. “Mrs. Hendricks gave her an A and a note that said 'exceptional commitment to your argument.' She has carried that note in her pocket for three days.”

“I love that kid.”

“I know it. Better yet, she knows it.”

“How's Kayla?” he asked.

“Good. She's good. She aced the math test she was worried about.”

“And the art?”

A small laugh. “She's getting there. The perspective is starting to click. She's stubborn about it, which means she'll actually learn it.”

“Good.” He smiled at the dark. “And Conrad?”

“You mean Conner?”

“That’s what I said, Conrick.”

Her giggle was a delight. “Cat thought he might sit with them at lunch, but he walked past them at the last minute.”

“How’s her posse? Are they all killing it at lacrosse?”

“They--” She started. Then she paused. “Yeah, they’re all killing it.”

“Is something wrong? Is it Delgado?”

“No, he’s great. He’s treating the freshmen really well.”

“Then what is it?”

She paused. “It’s nothing.”

It was something. But this was the deal. She handled things while he was gone. All of the wives did. They were all damned lucky, they had strong, smart women.

He didn't push. Pushing from ten thousand miles away when he had four minutes left on the window and no ability to act didn't serve either of them.

“I love you,” she said, when the compression started. She always felt it too, the way the time ran out.

“I love you, too.” He meant it with everything he had. “Sleep when you can.”

“Same to you.” A pause. “Be smart, Mason.”

The line went quiet.

He stayed where he was for a minute. The perimeter was still. The air was still. He could hear Drake somewhere in the dark talking quietly to Clint, nothing he could make out from here, just the low register of men he'd worked alongside for half a lifetime.

He got up and went to find Drake.