Page 5 of SEAL's Doorstep Baby
Jacob Fischer is the bane of my existence.
Regrettably, he is also Emily’s brother.
There’s a lot I don’t want to hear about him. I don’t want to hear about his work as a navy SEAL. I don’t want to hear about his reaction to Emily having a child. I don’t want to hear about Emily not telling him about having a child for the hundredth time. And most of all, I don’t want to hear that, after all these years, Jacob has told Emily about the night we spent together.
But I love Emily, and despite the fact that even his name sets my teeth on edge, I try to reply casually so she feels open to share.
Unfortunately, casual also means dismissive, so I ready myself for the same fight we’ve had a hundred times.
“Oh goodie,” I drawl, and only some of my annoyance is put on. The guy really is a Class-A jerk. “When do we get to bask in His Grace's glorious light?”
“Stop it, Allie. Not this again. You know Jake isn’t proud. He may seem that way to some people, but it’s only because he usually has a lot of responsibilities.”
I roll my eyes at the reminder. “Yes, I know he is protecting us all. Doesn’t mean he has to act like he expects us to be his marines with orders to be followed.”
“SEALs. It’s SEALs.”
“I knew that.” I honestly protest because I did know that fact. The only reason I didn’t say it was so she wouldn’t think I paid a lot of attention when she talked about him.
“I know you’re protective of me, but that’s enough. We both know he’s nothing like that.” I always loved watching the way Emily could go from spoiled princess to mama bear when it came to the people she loved. I have seen it with Jacob—she stands by him religiously, ready to defend him to her dying breath—and now it is the same with Maddie. It is beautiful to see. But I won’t let her know that. She’d be insufferable.
“Got it,” I agree easily enough.
For a moment, the line is quiet. I try to rein in.
The thing is, beyond all my own personal issues with Jacob, he’s a lousy brother. He loves Emily—I know that. He was a rock for her growing up. But he really does act like a drill sergeant to her. He rarely asks how she’s doing. He never visits, barely calls—
I know that Emily loves him. I just love her the same way.
“Yes, yes. I agree. He is not arrogant and proud. Instead he is the calm, aloof, and cool man. So is he still coming back?” My dry reply speaks volumes about my real opinion.
“Yes. He’s at the base so he’ll be here soon.” She pauses. I know what she’s going to say before she continues. “There’s just one thing I haven’t been able to do.”
“Emily. Don’t tell me—”
“I know. But I just couldn’t tell him all that when it was the first time we were speaking in almost a year. I couldn’t tell him about Jeff or Maddie, but I’m ready now. I’m going to tell him before he meets her.”
“Good. Maddie needs all the family she has. As do you.”
* * *
A week has passed, and everything has changed.
Bouncing Maddie on my knee, all I can think about is how my entire life is different. My entire life is ruined.
Across from me, Jacob’s face is as cool and collected as ever. His eyes are clear. His face isn’t even flushed.
More than I ever have in my whole life, I hate him. I really, really hate him.
“How can you be so calm about this?”
I know it is unfair to poke at his pain in this manner, but I hate seeing him be completely stoic about it, like he has made peace with it already.
I don’t want him to have peace. I don’t want any of us to have peace. I want Emily back. How can he care about anything except getting Emily back?
A part of me knows that thereisno getting Emily back. I feel irrational. I feel devastated.
“Allison, I understand that you are in pain. I am too, but you do not understand any of what I am feeling. Your friend is dead. Not your baby sister.” Jacob is sterner and angrier than I have ever seen him. It’s brief, just a moment of real emotion flickering across that stone face, and I deflate when I see it.
