Hot SEAL, Labor Day by Cynthia D’Alba
Chapter 13
Saturday night, they placed calls to their families via scheduled video chats.
His parents were surprised, but supportive. Of course, they were disappointed they hadn’t been there, but relaxed when Sawyer explained there was a video of the entire wedding. His parents said they were heading back to the states soon and would reach out to her when they got back since Sawyer would be deployed.
When she’d asked him where he was being deployed, he had told her Africa but that was all he could say. To his parents, he just said deployment.
SEAL missions are classified and need-to-know. His parents were both aware of that. His dad accepted his deployment as any military personnel would. After being married to his father for so long, his mother was accustomed to mission secrecy, so neither parent asked any questions.
The call to her parents went pretty much as she’d expected. Her mother went completely off the rails, not that Ana had expected anything less.
“But I already have your dress picked out and the venue reserved,” her mother had cried. “Geoffrey will be crushed.”
“I doubt it,” Ana said, referring to Geoffrey, not her mother securing a venue. “Besides, you should have talked to me before making plans for my wedding.”
“How?” her mother demanded. “You disappeared and wouldn’t answer my calls.”
“And that didn’t suggest a problem? I wasn’t ever going to marry Geoffrey, mom. That was your and Randall’s dream, not mine. I’m sure Geoffrey will be disappointed, but he’ll live. Besides…” She pulled Sawyer closer. “This is the man I’m married to.”
Her mother lifted her nose in the air. “I can’t believe you ran off and had a tacky Vegas wedding. How could you? Do you have any idea how that’s going to play in Chicago society?”
Sawyer looked at her, a questioning expression on his face.
“I don’t care about Chicago society,” Ana said. “Only you and Grandmother Zeller care about that.”
“Well, I’m sure it’s easy to get a quickie Vegas marriage annulled,” her mother said.
Ana scoffed. “Not happening.”
“We’ll see about that. I hope to God you had the sense to get a prenup.”
This time when Sawyer looked at her, his eyebrows rose. “I’m sorry, what?”
“I did not. We didn’t need one.”
“Oh, you foolish girl. Of course, you need one. This…this…man could—”
“That’s enough, Mother. This man, as you call him, has a name. Sawyer Beckett. He’s an honorable man.”
Her mother scoffed.
For the first time, her father spoke. “Congratulations, Kitten.”
“Thank you, Daddy. I’m really happy.” She looked at Sawyer, and then back at her dad. “He makes me laugh. I’m always first, and I trust him with my whole heart.”
Her father beamed. “That’s all I can ask for. Sawyer?”
“Yes, sir,” Sawyer replied.
“You take good care of my baby.”
“Yes, sir. Of course.”
Her father’s eyes narrowed. “I’m serious. Anything happens, or you hurt her in any way, your life is over. Got me?”
Ana gasped. She’d never heard her father threaten anyone. “Daddy!”
“It’s not an idle threat,” he said.
Sawyer’s expression was solemn when he said, “You don’t have to worry about me, sir. However, I do ask that her mother and her manager give her more breathing room. I won’t have my wife harassed, even by people who think they know better. Ana is an adult and I expect to hear that she’s being treated as such.”
Her father smiled. “I agree, Sawyer.” He looked at his wife. “Back off, Irene.”
Her mother began to cry. “I only wanted what was best for her.”
Her father nodded and handed a box of tissues to his wife. “You’ve got our word, Sawyer.”
“Thank you.”
They didn’t call her manager because he was her manager, not her family. Instead, Ana sent him a text explaining she’d gotten married and would be back in San Diego tomorrow. Additionally, she asked that he not call this evening.
Sunday morning was hell. She clung to Sawyer, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“It’s not fair,” she wailed. “I just find you, and the stupid Navy wants to send you away from me.”
He smiled and kissed her. “Oh, honey. They can take me out of the country, but they can’t take you out of my heart. You hear me?” He patted his chest. “You are here.”
“And you are in my heart,” she said with a cry. “Can we at least talk while you’re gone?”
“Of course. I can call you, or text, even do computer chats. It might not be every day. That depends on what we’re doing, but I’ll try. I promise. I have only one request.”
“Anything,” she said with a sniff.
“Every time you play a concerto, I want to listen. I don’t care if it’s on the phone, or some computer link, but I love hearing you play. When you played for me after the wedding, well, it was something I’ll never forget.”
“I will. It’ll be in every contract. I have to have a way to broadcast to you. No exception.”
He kissed her for a long time. When he pulled back, his eyes glistened. “I love you, Ana. Stay safe.”
She grabbed him for a tight hug. “I love you, too, Sawyer. You’re the one who needs to stay safe. When do you leave?”
“Soon.”
She sighed as tears streamed down her face. “Please come back to me.”
“I will. I promise. This is such a routine mission, I’ll be bored and calling you all the time wanting to talk and you’ll be saying, ‘Sawyer. I have to practice,’ and I’ll say, ‘Great. I’ll listen,” and I will.”
With a final kiss that tasted salty from their tears, they separated. Sawyer followed her on his bike into San Diego before peeling off for Coronado. That made her cry harder.
As soon as she returned,Randall upped her practice time, explaining she’d lost an entire week. He was still furious about having to reschedule her San Diego tour, but he’d been able to move a few things and get her dates rescheduled for late October.
She didn’t hear from Sawyer for almost a week, the seven longest days of her life. When he finally called, he was in Africa, but that’s all he told her. He mostly wanted to talk about her and her upcoming concertos.
A few times, while she practiced, he put his phone on speaker to let his team listen. Loud applause and whistles accompanied the end of each piece, which made her smile.
For the next four weeks, she traveled for her scheduled appearances. She left the U.S. to play in France, and was shocked to meet Sawyer’s parents, who’d come from Belgium to hear her. His folks had been wonderful. They’d seemed genuinely happy about the marriage, unlike her own family.
Her father continued his support, but he had warned her that her Grandmother Zeller was not happy
Her mother, with encouragement from Ana’s Grandmother Zeller, had contacted a lawyer. First about an annulment. When Ana told the lawyer to get lost, their second action was to get a postnuptial agreement. Ana decided to ignore them. Sawyer was untouchable in Africa. When he returned, she’d make a point of tearing up all the paperwork in front of both women.
Her chats with Sawyer, when he wasn’t listening to her playing, were intimate. Sometimes, he would tell her what he wanted to do to her when he got back. His voice and his dirty talk made her horny. Who’d have thought it? Ana Cristiano loved sex and could have orgasms, but only with Sawyer. There wasn’t another man anywhere who could make her wet and achy with just his words.
It was early October when she finally had a break. Instead of going to her parents’ home in Chicago, she took a room in Seattle overlooking the ocean. She’d always loved water. Now, the sound of the ocean waves made her feel closer to Sawyer.
Plus, Geoffrey had recently bought a house there. He had an excellent grand piano she could use to practice during her tour break, another activity that made her feel closer to Sawyer.
She flipped on the television to surf for a movie. The television was set to a news channel. She joined in the middle of an ongoing story about Africa. As she half-way listened, the report talked about the crash of a military Black Hawk helicopter delivering a team of Navy SEALs on a mission.
Ana’s head snapped toward the television. Her heart leapt into her throat. Sawyer!
“Unfortunately, there were no survivors, other than the co-pilot. Names are being withheld until notification of the next-of-kin.”
Ana’s breathing became a hard pant. Her heart raced. Her arms grew numb. A heart attack. At only thirty, she was having a heart attack. She didn’t care. Without Sawyer, life wasn’t worth living. She toppled off the couch onto the floor.
Ana becameaware of rhymical beeping and whispered voices. Someone pried open her eye and flashed a bright light. She didn’t like heaven, or was this hell?
“Stop it,” she said. “That hurts.”
“And there she is,” an unfamiliar voice said.
Ana opened her eyes to slits. The man leaning over her was a stranger.
“Ana, are you okay?”
She rolled her head toward the voice. Geoffrey was sitting beside her bed.
“Where am I? What am I doing here?”
“You’re at Seattle General Emergency Department,” the stranger said.
“Who are you?”
The man smiled. “Dr. Latture. You fainted.”
“No, I never faint.”
“Well then, today’s my lucky day. I get to treat your first one.”
Geoffrey stepped up to the side of her bed. “You scared the crap out of me.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I flew to Seattle to talk to you. Dad is retiring at the end of the year, and I wanted you to hear that from me.”
“Fine, whatever. What are you doing here?” She gestured around the room.
“I was outside your door at the inn and I heard something thump on the floor. When you didn’t answer, I got security to unlock your door. I found you on the floor and called an ambulance.”
“What’s wrong with me?” But even as the words left her mouth, she remembered Sawyer. Dead. Oh my God. She began to cry.
“You’re fine,” Dr. Latture said and glanced toward Geoffrey. “Is this man your husband?”
“No!” they both replied simultaneously.
“I’m a friend,” Geoffrey said. “Do you need me to step out of the room?”
“Please. I’d like to speak with Ms. Cristiano privately.”
When they were alone, the doctor said, “Have you had these fainting spells before?”
“No, never.” She struggled upright. “I’m fine. Geoffrey overreacted.” She paused and asked, “Am I pregnant? I know pregnant women faint.”
Dr. Latture shook his head. “No, you’re not. Did you think you were?”
She shrugged and tears began to run down her cheeks. “I’d hoped. You checked that?”
Of course, she’d hoped she was pregnant. At least she would have had a piece of the man she’d fallen so in love with. Now, she’d have only her memories, and she didn’t have enough of those.
The doctor nodded. “When you were admitted, and the test was negative. I’m sorry.”
“Can I leave?”
“I’d like you to stay overnight, just observation.”
She tossed back the sheet. “No. I need to go. Can you call Geoffrey back into the room?”
Geoffrey walked back in as she was struggling to stand. “Ana. Get back in bed.”
“I need my phone. I need to call Sawyer.”
“Okay, but get back in bed.”
“No. I’m going back to the hotel. Can you stay with me?”
“I’d rather she stays here overnight,” Dr. Latture said. “But as long as someone is with her, I’ll discharge her.”
“I’ll stay,” Geoffrey said.
The doctor left the room, and Ana sat back on the bed.
“My phone, Geoffrey.”
“I don’t have it, Ana.” He held out his. “You can use mine.”
She snatched it from his hands and dialed Sawyer’s phone. It rang until his voice mail picked up. “Sawyer. Call me. I need to hear from you.”
Geoffrey took his phone. “What is going on, Ana?”
“You heard about the helicopter crash in Africa?”
“Sure, it’s all over the news. It was shot down, not just crashed. The Pentagon is threatening all kinds of retaliation. Why?”
“Sawyer’s in Africa.”
“So? It was a helicopter of Navy SEALs.”
“Sawyer’s a SEAL.”
Geoffrey’s eyes opened wide. “Oh. I didn’t know. I knew he was military, but that’s all Dad said. I’m sorry. You think he was on that copter?”
“Yes. I haven’t heard from him in a couple of days, but that’s not unexpected. It happens. But now? I can’t reach him.”
Another man entered the room. “I got us lattes, is that okay?”
Ana frowned and looked at Geoffrey. “Who is this?”
“Oh, sorry. This is Linden, my, um friend.”
Linden handed a coffee to Geoffrey, and said, “It’s time, Geoff. I refuse to keep our relationship hidden as though it was something to be ashamed of. I’m not ashamed of you. I hope you feel the same.” He turned toward Ana, and said, “I’m his boyfriend.”
Ana grinned for the first time. “I’m so happy to meet you, Linden.”
Geoffrey’s face was bright red. “I…didn’t…um…Dad…”
Ana held up her hand. “You can tell Randall whatever you want to, Geoffrey. I’m just glad you found someone you care for. That’s all I could want for you.”
His face relaxed. “Thank you.” He looked at Linden. “We’re taking her back to our house for tonight.”
“Cool,” Linden said. “Happy to have her.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Ana protested. “I’ll be fine. I’m sure Sawyer will call me tonight.”
“We’ll get your phone and take it with us.”
Sawyer didn’t call that night, nor any night for the next two weeks. No one from the military contacted her, but then maybe they didn’t know about the marriage and had contacted his parents instead.
But wouldn’t they have contacted her?
She tried to call him every night. There was never an answer other than his voice message asking her to leave a message.
Relenting, she called his parents numerous times, and never got an answer from them either.
In desperation, she called Patty, praying her husband could find out something. But she hit a dead-end there as well. Neither had heard a word.
She’d watched their wedding video so many times, she knew every word, every scene. She spent hours looking at their pictures. She’d been so shocked when she’d seen him standing there with short hair, a clean face, and in an immaculate dress blue uniform. He’d told her later that Paul had brought it with him.
She’d thought Sawyer sexy before, but clean-shaven Sawyer almost made her drop her roses…six for each day they’d been together. She’d thought him handsome, but that word didn’t begin to describe him. He’d been handsome, and gorgeous, and sexy, and the most beautiful vision her eyes had ever beheld. She’d almost run across the living room to get to him.
And those nights together? He’d ruined her for any other man. She’d never want another.
She was happy for Geoffrey and Linden. Linden was perfect for him, and was obviously in love with Geoffrey. She hoped they found their happily ever after like she had, even if her ever after was gone.
After two weeks, she knew beyond a doubt; Sawyer had died in that crash. She’d never see him again. She’d never kiss his beautiful lips; never run her tongue down his abdomen and listen to his hiss.
She was broken. Her life would never be the same after Sawyer Beckett.
The rescheduleddates for San Diego came. She wanted to cancel, but she couldn’t do that to her audience again. She had inconvenienced the musicians in the orchestra previously, and she refused to do it a second time. She had no choice but to go on tonight.
She sent two tickets to Patty. She came and brought her sister. Ana tried to be a gracious host, but seeing Patty brought back all her wedding memories. Patty had hugged her, told her to break a leg, but not literally, she’d added with a laugh, and the ladies had gone to find their seats.
She was avoiding her mother. While her mother hadn’t been gleeful that Sawyer was dead, she hadn’t been all that remorseful for her attitude and actions toward him. Someday in the future, Ana might speak with her mother again, but not anytime soon.
Ana did talk with her father, who provided the right words of comfort and support she needed. He understood why she couldn’t come home. He loved Ana’s mother, but that didn’t stop his being extremely irritated with her.
A knock on her door pulled her away from her musings. “Yes?”
“Five minutes, Ms. Cristiano.”
“Thank you.” Ana flexed her fingers and got ready to perform what she suspected would be the hardest concerto of her life.
She stood, took a deep breath, and walked to the wings to wait for her cue to enter. The conductor looked over his musicians and nodded. Then he looked at Ana. She walked out to the grand piano sitting front and center on the stage. The orchestra sat behind her, filling the large stage. As was her habit, she sat her phone on the piano, dialed Sawyer’s phone, and let it ring. When his voice mail answered, she sat the phone on a small table beside her piano, and nodded to the conductor. Even if he would never hear her play again, she played for him, and only him.
The orchestra began. She placed her hands on the piano keys and played, pouring all her sadness and emotions into the keys. She pounded the keys with a virtuosity that poured from her soul. Her music had never sounded like this before. She rocked on her seat, closed her eyes, and let her fingers take over her body.
At the end of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata Number Nine in B Major, the first piece of the evening, the audience applauded loudly, which wasn’t typical of her usual audience. She usually got a polite clapping as they waited for the next piece to begin. She played through the next six pieces, each one more remarkable than the previous one.
Her heart was on fire, crying out for the man she’d lost. Her soul wept all over her keyboard. Her audience had no idea they were watching her dissolve into nothing but black musical notes.
She’d been dreading the seventh piece of the evening. Rachmaninoff’s Concerto Number Three, her solo piece and her and Sawyer’s song, the one she’d played for him on the night they’d married. She’d wanted to ask for it to be removed, but in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to ask. She had to learn to go on.
Her fingers rested on the keys waiting for the conductor to signal for her to begin. When he did, she forgot the world around her and played. She didn’t watch her hands as she played. Tonight’s music came from her soul, not her fingers.
She was ten minutes into the concerto when she glanced into the wings. Her fingers stopped. Her eyes opened wide. Her heart jumped into her throat as tears poured down her face. Was Sawyer really there or was this a hallucination? Was she losing her mind?
She stood but found she couldn’t move.
A murmur rippled through the audience. She heard them, but she couldn’t process what she was seeing or hearing.
“Sawyer?” she said quietly. “Sawyer?” she repeated louder.
Her hallucination took a step forward and blew her a kiss.
“Sawyer!” she cried and ran toward the stage’s wing where he stood.
He jogged out and met her halfway. Picking her up in his arms, he kissed her.
“I thought you were dead,” she said with a voice choked with tears.
“We went on total blackout after the raid that killed Zulu team. I am so sorry. There was no way to reach you and tell you. No one could call home. I am so sorry.” Tears rolled down his face. “I love you so much. I never wanted to cause you any pain. I am so sorry. Forgive me.”
“There’s nothing to forgive. You promised to come back to me, and you have. I love you so much.”
Noise from the audience drew her attention. She turned and smiled. “Ladies and gentlemen. Let me introduce you to my husband, Petty Officer First Class, Sawyer Beckett. I’m afraid he surprised me this evening. I wasn’t expecting him…” She wiped her tears. “As you can see. Help me welcome him home.”
The applause from the audience was loud and raucous, definitely not what she was used to.
Sawyer waved, and then kissed her. “Finish. We can talk later.”
She smiled and nodded.
He walked into the wings and turned to watch her as she retook her place at the piano. The conductor looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
“Let’s continue,” she said, and began her solo again, except this time, she played for an audience of only one.
No matter how many people she played for the rest of her life, the only audience who mattered stood in the wings, his legs spread wide in his stance, and his arms crossed over his chest.
Her audience of one would always be enough to carry her for the rest of her life.