She kissed his cheek and boarded the bus. Hamish followed, grinning the whole time. He sat next to Daphne every day that year, even asking her to the seventh-grade dance. She couldn’t go because her grandmother was sick, but it didn’t stop him from asking her to the eighth-grade dance the next year.
For the next five years, they were inseparable. When Hamish decided to join the Army, Daphne was distraught at the thought of losing the love of her life. So, on a stormy May weekend, they ran off to Vegas and eloped. Now, he was an eighteen-year-old soldier with a young new wife and barely making enough to feed the two of them.
Daphne got a job on the base and took night classes, hoping to still get her college degree. Their lives seemed to be only positive despite their lack of income. They had a good circle of friends, they went for long hikes on the weekends, and they found a way to budget carefully and provide for themselves. Two years into their marriage, when he made the decision to join the Rangers, she wasn’t quite as thrilled.
“But you’ll be gone for weeks,” she said, looking at him.
“I have to be gone for weeks for training, then I’ll be back. If I’m accepted as a Ranger, I’ll be assigned to one of the units, and we’ll most likely move.”
“Hamish, I don’t want to move. I like it here, and it’s still close enough to my family that I can see them now and then.”
“Honey, this is what being an Army wife is like. You know that. We’ve been doing this for two years.” He kissed her, realizing just how young she really was. They were the same age, but Hamish was an old soul. She went from her parents taking care of her to him taking care of her. Now, she was going to have to face taking care of herself. “I’ll be home soon, and we’ll celebrate.”
He never suspected that if he wasn’t there, she’d reach out for someone who was. He never suspected that she’d cheat on him. And he damn sure never suspected that she would cheat on him with Mark Jones, Jr. By the time he came home a full-blooded Ranger, her things were gone, the divorce papers were on the table, and a note.
I’m sorry.
Hamish tried calling her, but she kept sending him to voicemail. In the end, he knew it was futile. Even if she came back, he’d never trust her again, and she would continue to demand that he leave the Rangers. They’d been too young, too impulsive, and now, at least one of them was single again.
He wasn’t surprised by how easily he got over Daphne. He thought he might at least mourn her for a few weeks, but it was as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He no longer worried about what she was doing while he was gone or how much money she might be spending.
Being a Ranger was everything Hamish wanted. When his teammates began calling him Ham hands and then just Ham, he learned to like the teasing for the size of his wide palms. They’d served him well on more than a few occasions.
Six years later, after dating Missy Bondet for two years, he found himself engaged again. The day he put the ring on her finger was the day he knew it was a mistake. He loved her. He just didn’t feel as though he was in love with her. She wasn’t the woman he could see as his forever.
For both Missy and Ham, they knew it wasn’t the right time. At least she had the decency to leave the ring with her note. He wasn’t angry. He wasn’t disappointed. It was obvious to Ham. He wasn’t meant to be married.
“What do we do now, Ham?” asked the huge man beside him. Jak Robicheaux was one of the biggest and most gentle men he’d ever met. He was like the big friendly giant. Except when he wasn’t.
“Let’s get this shit done and get back to base,” he frowned.
Jak and Ham were the same rank, but Ham had been placed as the team lead. He wasn’t hung up on titles and admired the shit out of Robicheaux. He was from a solid family of Rangers who were arguably the best in Ranger history. But he was also smart, fair, and a great teammate.
When Ham and Jak confronted an evil in Haiti that seemed to have no face, it was Jak’s great-grandmother who came to their rescue. He could only shake his head now as he pulled to the front gates of Voodoo Guardians. It wasn’t exactly easy to find nor on a map anywhere in the world. In fact, you had to be sent directions with specific coding that would disappear once you hit each mile marker. When he hit the gates, the directions were gone.
When Jak retired a few weeks before Ham and invited him to join the famous security team, Ham couldn’t refuse. It was the opportunity of a lifetime.
Hesitant at first, when he entered the auditorium for the first morning meeting, he knew he was in the right place. He would learn from those around him and become an even better Ranger and an even better teammate. This is where he was supposed to be.
“Ham? Ham?” Jak waved him over to where he was standing with two identical blonde men. “Ham, do you remember meeting Christopher and Patrick Jordan? We met them in Norfolk. They’re both SEALs.”
“I remember. Nice to see you both again,” he said, shaking their hands.
“Nice to see you, brother. Welcome to the family,” smiled Patrick. “We’re still in, but we’ll be home soon enough.”
The doors behind them opened, and a willowy, long-legged blonde came through the doors. Her hair fell in large waves down her back, her huge blue eyes seemingly searching for something or someone. As she walked toward them, both of the brothers groaned.
“Patrick! What the hell did you do with my car?” she yelled.
“Sadie, calm down. Ham, this is our sister Sadie. Our triplet sister, and she has quite a fiery temper sometimes.”
“Nice to meet you,” he said, holding out a hand. Sadie looked down at the hand, frowning, almost backing up. There was a sliver of fear in her eyes as she stared at him, and Ham retracted his hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I know I’m a bit rough around the edges.” She shook her head, and her brothers stared at her with concern.
“No. No, it’s me. I’m sorry,” she said, extending her hand to shake his. “It’s nice to meet you.” Ham shook her hand as gently as possible, and she took another step back.
“Sadie, about the car,” said Patrick.
“Never mind. It doesn’t matter.” She turned, storming out of the room. Jak stared at the two brothers, unspoken communication flowing between them.
