They were Navy SEALs, for God’s sake. They all knew the score, knew it could be any of them at any time. They weren’t as invincible as they liked to think. They’d drink to their friend and be thankful for one another’s company. That’s how T would’ve wanted it.
He could see by the empty shot glasses lined up on the wooden bar the guys hadn’t waited on him.
“Hey, my man.” Decker clamped a thick hand down on his shoulder. “You are way behind. Could we get this man a drink?” he shouted to the bartender. And with that, they proceeded to catch him up on what could be his last bar night as an active-duty SEAL.
Four shots later, he was feeling a bit better about things. Well, not better, but he did appreciate the dull buzzing in his ears.
Parker, Rocky, and Chappers had challenged some of the guys from Echo platoon to a game of pool. The onlookers, male and female, surrounded the table as the match deteriorated into a drinking game.
“Lot of hot women over there,” Decker said, leaning against the bar beside him.
Matt took a pull of his beer without comment.
“Not even tempted, are you?”
Matt lowered the bottle. “Nope.”
“Don’t blame you.”
Matt eyed his friend.
“You’re the one that showed me her picture.”
Right.
“You know, my marriage didn’t implode because I was a SEAL.”
Matt looked at the man beside him, who’d never once mentioned his failed marriage in all the time they’d known each other.
“It imploded because I was too blind to see she was a bitch from hell.” Decker laughed and threw back a shot. “But if she hadn’t been, if she’d been like your Abby…I’d have walked away from the SEALs years ago.”
Matt couldn’t have been more shocked if Doug had told him he was a woman. He’d never met a man more devoted to the team, except maybe Teddy, and he’d always assumed that Doug hadn’t cared enough to make his marriage work. That being a SEAL required such a level of dedication he’d chosen the team over his wife.
“You know, I’m surprised you haven’t,” Doug said.
“Haven’t what?”
“Gotten out.” Doug raised a beer chaser to his mouth, took a long drink. “Teddy told me that was your plan.”
Everything in Matt tensed. “Come again?”
“T. He told me you were making noise about leaving the team, way back when. I’m just surprised, with your lady and the kids and all.”
Matt could only stare. T had what? It took him a second to digest. “How did he say it?”
“Huh?”
“When he told you, how did he say it?”
“Well, he wasn’t laughing, but I remember thinking he didn’t seem surprised either. I figured the two of you had talked about it and you’d tell the rest of us when you were good and ready.”
Matt shook his head, trying to understand. “But he told me not to quit.”
“I know. I was there. But men say a lot of things when they’re dying.”
Matt had forgotten Decker was there, so unaware he’d been of anything but the man dying in his arms.
“And don’t quit what?” Decker asked. “Don’t quit the mission? Don’t quit on life? Don’t quit jacking off?”
Decker laughed and raised his bottle to the guys around the pool table, as it all swirled in Matt’s head: Teddy. What he’d meant. Abby. The kids. The guys.
“How are you at pool?”
“I’m okay,” Matt answered absently.
“Come on. Let’s go teach these boys a lesson.” Doug pushed off the bar and walked to the pool table.
Matt followed, unable to sort the jumbled pieces at the moment.
After two rounds of pool and an unknown number of drinks, even his dick was buzzing. No, wait. That was his phone. He fished it out as another round slid down the oak bar. Abby. For a second he considered not answering it, but he was a weak man when it came to her.
“Hello!” he shouted over the mayhem as somebody sloshed beer over his arm.
“I need a drink,” Rocky slurred next to his ear.
“What?” Matt had no idea what she was saying. Shit. He couldn’t hear a thing.
The chick who’d introduced herself at the pool table chose that moment to grab him from behind, almost knocking the phone from his ear. “Come on, McKinney, get off the phone and dance with me.”
There was no music in here. Wait. Maybe there was. The singing of navy songs had begun. Teddy’d loved that.
Matt shrugged the girl off as gently as he could, still making it clear he wasn’t interested. “Abby? Hey, I can’t talk right now. I can barely hear you.”