drew in a deep breath. “Not now, but for years I did. She wanted to hurt my father by keeping my existence a secret from him. She knew him and had known he would have wanted to become a part of my life, but she never gave him that opportunity. In the end, she not only hurt him but she hurt me, as well. I could never do that to my child. That’s why I would never stand in the way of you developing a relationship with Laramie. I know the pain and heartbreak it could cause.”
The only noise in the room was the sound of the logs crackling in the fireplace. “Thanks for sharing that with me, Bristol.”
Telling him the story of her parents and her relationship with her father had drained her. Slowly standing to her feet, she said, “Now that we’ve gotten that cleared up, what time would you like to come meet Laramie tomorrow?”
An anxious smile touched Laramie’s lips. “How soon can I come?”
She chuckled. “Laramie is an early riser so I’m usually up preparing breakfast around eight. You’re welcome to join us if you like.”
“I would love to.”
She glanced at her watch. It was late. Almost midnight. “Do you want me to call you a cab?”
“No, I should be able to get one on the corner.”
“Okay.” She walked him to the door and watched as he put on his Stetson, while thinking how much more cowboy than SEAL he looked at that moment. “I’ll see you in the morning then.”
“Yes. In the morning. Oh, by the way, does Laramie have a favorite toy?”
She shook her head. “No. Like most kids his age he likes stuffed animals. He does have this thing for airplanes and he likes to color so he has a ton of coloring books. For his birthday one of Ms. Charlotte’s sons, who also has a two-year-old, gave Laramie an electronic tablet. I’m trying to teach him how to play educational games on it.”
He nodded. “What kind of tablet is it?”
Bristol told him the brand. Her heart missed several beats when Laramie stood in front of her, holding her gaze. As if to get her mind off what she was feeling, she thought of something. “It might get confusing with you and Laramie having the same first names. Can I start calling you Coop, or is that name restricted to just your team members?”
“No, it’s not restricted so that’s no problem.”
“Good.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets. “If there’s a change of plans or if you need me for anything, you can contact me at the Marriott Hotel in Times Square. I’d like for you to have my personal number,” he said, pulling out his cell phone. “What’s yours so I can call you? That way you can have it.”
She rattled off her phone number and when she heard her phone ringing in the purse she’d placed on the table earlier, she said, “I got it.”
He nodded. “Now you have mine and I have yours.”
She dismissed any significant meaning to that. He was merely providing her his number because of Laramie. “Good night, Laramie...Coop. I am so glad you are alive.”
He smiled. “Me, too.”
He stood there for a second, staring at her, before saying, “Good night, Bristol. I’ll see you in the morning.”
He turned and quickly moved down the steps.
* * *
Laramie entered his hotel room, feeling a happiness he hadn’t felt in a long time. In addition to that, a rush of adrenaline was pumping furiously through his veins. What were the chances of the one woman he thought he would never see again, the one woman he thought about often, the one woman who’d helped him retain his sanity while being held hostage, would be here? In New York? And that he would run into her?
Well, he hadn’t exactly run into her, but the circumstances surrounding their chance encounter still seemed unreal. And not only had he found out he had a son tonight, but he’d seen him. What a feeling! It was exhilarating, and he couldn’t wait to share it with the guys.
He glanced at his watch. It was late. Almost midnight. But he knew Bane, Viper, Mac and Flipper would be up. However, Bane had triplets and Mac had four kids Laramie didn’t want to wake up. To be on the safe side, he would text the four to call him.
Laramie also knew he needed to contact his commanding officer to let him know he would be taking his military leave after all. He wondered what would have happened had he not been in New York tonight. No telling when his and Bristol’s paths would have crossed, if ever. He’d already missed two years of his son’s life and he didn’t plan to miss any more.
At some point he also needed to call his parents to let them know they were grandparents. He wondered how they would feel about that. They’d never hinted one way or the other if they wanted grandchildren. They hadn’t ever nagged him about settling down or marrying.
After sending the text off to the guys, he removed his jacket and hung it in the closet before the first call came in. He recognized the number as Bane’s. “You okay, Coop?” Bane asked with deep concern in his voice.
“Yes, I’m fine. But I do have some news to share. Hold on, I hear another call coming in.”
The others began calling and they connected to their conference number so they could all be on the phone at once. “Okay, Coop, what kind of news do you want to share with us?” Viper asked.
“Don’t tell us the commander gave you another top secret job. Another cockatiel for you to deliver to some very important person?” Flipper teased.
“Maybe it will be a dog this time,” Mac kidded. “Or maybe a pet monkey.”
Laramie took their jokes in stride; nothing could put a damper on his mood. “I ran into Bristol Lockett here in New York.”
“Bristol Lockett? That woman we couldn’t tear you away from in Paris three years ago?” Viper asked.
“If I recall,” Bane said, “you went missing for three days because you were with her.”
“And we couldn’t wipe that damn smile off your face for almost a month,” Mac interjected.
“So how was the reunion?” Flipper asked. “She still look good?”
“Yes, she’s the same woman, Viper. I didn’t know you were missing me so much during those three days, Bane. I don’t recall smiling for almost a month, Mac. If I did, I had a good reason for it. And yes, Flipper, she still looks good and the reunion was great once she recovered from fainting.”
“Why did she faint?” Bane asked.
Laramie settled down on the edge of the bed. “Bristol thought she was seeing a ghost. She’d assumed I was dead.”
“Why would she assume that? Had she contacted your parents or something?” Viper asked.
“No. I never gave her any information about my family.”
“Then why would she assume you were dead? No agency had the
