Page 1 of Casey's Hero
CHAPTER 1
“I thoughtyou were retiring from the hard stuff of being a Navy SEAL.” Jacob “Rooster” Fowler clapped a hand on his friend’s back.
“I thought so, too.” Jace “Hawk” Hawkins snorted. “Not so sure I’m completely out of that business. It seems like there are a lot of homegrown terrorists to deal with, and we have to play by a different set of rules when we’re conducting ops in the States.”
Jacob nodded. “Guess I’ll find out soon enough.”
“When are you planning to separate from the military?” Hawk asked.
“Not until I have my twenty.” Jacob glanced around the bar at the men who made up his family. “Besides, I like being a SEAL. Where else can I play with guns, get paid to stay in shape and shoot bad guys?”
Hawk’s lips twisted. “It’s a great life, but someday you’ll want to marry and settle down.”
Jacob frowned. “Why would I want to do that? You know this life…it’s not made for marriage.”
Hawk grinned. “True. And speaking of marriage…I can’t believe I’m getting married on Saturday.”
“You still have time to change your mind,” Jacob said. “I can have you out of here in a nanosecond.”
“No way.” Jacob’s friend stared at the entrance to the Big Wave Dive Bar, the place Hawk’s team of Brotherhood Protectors frequented while in Honolulu. A smile spread across his face. “You see that woman?” He nodded toward the exotic woman with long, wavy black hair coming through the door.
Jacob nodded. “She’s a woman. There are lots of women out there. You could have a new one every night of the week.”
“That’s exhausting. No, Kalea’s the one for me.” Hawk smiled and lifted his chin toward her. She returned his smile and held up a finger. “I never thought I’d fall for someone as hard as I fell for Kalea. Sounds corny, but she completes me.”
Jacob didn’t get it. He never had. “How can one woman have that effect on a man?”
“She’s amazing,” Hawk said, his smile widening. “I’ve never known a woman as determined, courageous and stubborn as she is. I can’t wait to marry her and make her a permanent part of my life.”
Kalea Parkman turned to speak to someone coming into the bar behind her.
A smaller woman with dark, straight brown hair pulled back in a ponytail secured at the nape of her neck entered, carrying a clipboard, her cellphone attached to the board. Pretty, petite and fierce were the three adjectives that came to Jacob’s mind. “Who’s the other woman?”
“That’s Casey Wesson, Kalea’s wedding planner and best friend. They met in a self-defense class while attending college.” Hawk’s lips twisted. “They bonded over tossing each other on the mats. Casey dropped everything when Kalea asked her to plan the wedding in one week.”
“She only has one week to pull it off?” Jacob shifted his gaze from the wedding planner to Hawk. “Are you two expecting?”
Hawk laughed. “Not yet. We’ve been engaged for several months while I set up shop for the new team. Once I had that under control, I asked her to set a date.” Hawk snorted. “She said one week. Thus, the emergency call to you. Had to have my best man at my side.”
“You’re lucky I wasn’t on a mission. But is a wedding doable in such a short time?”
Hawk raised his hands. “Kalea assures me that if anyone can make it happen, it’s Casey. She’s a dynamo, and she doesn’t put up with much. The woman demands perfection the first time and gets it. I have to admit, I don’t know how we could have pulled off a wedding in a week without her.”
Jacob’s gaze took in the diminutive brunette, impressed with Hawk’s assessment of Casey’s abilities. “Just one week? I thought most women took months to prepare for a wedding.”
“Not Kalea,” Hawk said, shaking his head. “The only reason it’s taking a week is that she wanted Casey to be there. Those two are like sisters. Kalea wouldn’t consider getting married without her as her maid of honor—and Casey’s a wedding planner. This wedding is giving her the opportunity to display her talents to a high-dollar client who’s considering Casey for her wedding planner.”
“You’re telling me this wedding is a showcase for Casey’s business?”
“Yes, and no. Even if she didn’t have a client watching, she’d be doing all of this for Kalea. She wants our wedding to be perfect.” Hawk sighed. “It’ll be perfect once Kalea says I do, and I get that ring on her finger.”
Jacob cocked an eyebrow. “Seems like a lot of hassle for a single day.”
“Maybe, but if it makes Kalea happy…” Hawk shrugged. “I’m okay with it. I’m just glad it’s only taking a week. I want to get it done and go on to our honeymoon. I was surprised her fatherdidn’t insist on having the wedding at his home. He’ll be here late Friday night. He has a meeting in Los Angeles tomorrow he couldn’t miss.”
“Isn’t her father John Parkman, the owner of the Parkman Ranch on the Big Island?”
Hawk nodded. “He is.”
