“He’s doing well,” Holden replied. “Should arrive in the Yucatan with Hope later this week. She’s heading a new expedition.”
“Ah, it’s like that, is it?” Gabe grinned.
Holden smiled. “Yep. It’s like that.”
His sister could’ve done much worse. He liked Griff and was glad Hope had the strong, unflappable man at her side. Besides, from what he’d seen over the two weeks he’d spent with his family in Virginia before coming here, the guy was in love with his sister. He’d die before letting anything happen to Hope.
Holden couldn’t ask for anything better in her suiter.
“Good for him,” Gabe said. “But no offense to your sister, I was hoping he would’ve taken Mac up on his offer to work for ESI.”
“None taken,” he said. “And Griff did tell me that he might revisit the offer in the future.”
It would be nice if the couple settled down here too. Having blood family nearby, along with his military brothers, would be great.
Gabe nodded. “That’s good. I’m glad none of you believed that bullshit about him.”
“No. We know him. We’ve bled with him,” Holden said. “And I also know this burger isn’t going to be enough, so how about one of those steaks, too.”
“Roger that.” Gabe chuckled, slapping a ribeye next to the burger on his plate.
With a quick nod and one more pet to Chief’s head, he left the grill master and pit bull to rejoin his buddies, grabbing a knife and fork before sitting down. While he devoured his food, the guys took turns filling him in on how they’d met their significant others by ribbing one another about their journeys.
By the time he cleared his plate, his sides were sore from laughing.
“Man, I wish I could’ve been here to see you get that tattoo, Carter,” he told the guy who had always turned white and shook during the many inoculations administered during their Delta years. “You must really love Mel.”
Carter nodded and tapped his chest. “I do. That’s why I let her ink this tattoo…and marry me.”
Holden laughed along with the others. “Oh, youlether?”
Carter flicked his gaze to the pretty redheaded sprite who was currently playing volleyball. Mel was kicking some SEAL ass along with Gabe’s wife, one of the bakers, and an attractive woman with a mixture of brown and blonde curls who had one hell of a great ass.
“Absolutely,” Carter said, regaining Holden’s attention. “But don’t tell her I said that.”
Dex snorted. “Yeah, or next time it will be your head Mel spikes over the net.”
Another round of laughter rippled through them.
“Man, I missed you jerks,” he said, still grinning as he got up to throw out his trash in the nearby garbage can before retaking his seat. “Even though you’re all domesticated now.”
“Domesticated, huh?” Dex snickered, tossing them each a can of beer he’d procured from the cooler next to his chair. “Be careful, Holden. You’re next.”
Holden snorted. “Like hell. I’ll be sticking to canned drinks and bottled water. I’m not taking a chance that the local stuff is tainted.”
His decision to leave active duty and work with his buddies had everything to do with finding his civilian legs, and to ground himself. He sure as shit hadn’t come there looking for a woman.
“Good luck.” Hunter lifted his beer in a makeshift toast, and the others followed suit.
“To the end of Holden’s bachelor days,” Carter said before all the men put the beer to their mouths and drank.
All but Holden. He wasn’t laughing. Well, he was, but it wasatthem, notwiththem. “You guys are delusional. But it’s not your fault. Your women have you whipped.”
“Yeah, and it’s great.” Carter grinned.
Mac smirked. “You’ll see.”
He shook his head. “No thanks. Not looking for a relationship.”
