Desert Alpha: A Lady Boss Press Navy SEAL Novella, Bethany Lopez [readict books .txt] 📗

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about you and King and everyone. I know this is what you are trained to do and I’m not saying I don’t think you guys are prepared for anything, I just can’t help but imagine every worst-case scenario possible.

Anyway… enough of that. Lori left yesterday. Her replacement was one of the first to arrive, so she received orders to go home and is probably already stateside by now. It sucks. There are other people I can hang out with, of course, but she was my best friend here, ya know, and the only one who really knew about us. I’m sure she was tired of me talking about you and was ready to get on that plane and away from me, lol.

I haven’t gotten my orders yet, but I’m hoping they’ll come down soon. I’m so ready to get out of here and be back home. I miss In N Out. I’m not joking. The first thing I’m going to do when we land is drive thru and get a double double animal style.

I’ll try to write you again before I leave here, but if not I will as soon as I get home. I have two weeks of leave after I’m cleared on our return. I wouldn’t mind road-tripping down to San Diego if you’re back. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.

I miss you!

Cass

Chapter 15

Cass

“Ohmygah….” I moaned around my burger after I took a big bite.

I was alone in my car, so I didn’t care how disgusting or gluttonous I looked hoovering down my In-N-Out burger as I drove to my apartment for the first time in eight months.

It was hot in Vegas, but nothing compared to where I was coming from. Still, I had the air-conditioning on full blast as I drove down the highway with my stereo blasting. Sometimes it was the little things you missed that you enjoyed more than anything.

I’d slept a little bit on the plane but was still exhausted and figured the jet lag would probably hit within the next few hours.

The thought of sleeping in my own bed had me grinning as I popped the last bite of the most delicious burger I’d ever had in my mouth.

I pulled into my parking spot and gave my dashboard a loving pat before getting out and grabbing my bags out of the trunk. I wasn’t sure what I’d walk into, even though one of my friends had promised to come by a couple times a month to bring in my mail and water my plants.

When I opened the door, I was pleasantly surprised when the scent of lavender hit me and I glanced around to see my apartment was shiny and clean.

“You’re the best, Jess,” I murmured, talking about my friend who’d obviously gone above and beyond by stopping by to clean my apartment once she heard I was coming home.

My mail was stacked neatly on the counter and it looked like my plants were still thriving.

Jess is a goddess.

I took my bags into my bedroom, mentally planning all the ways I’d thanks Jess. Flowers, a Starbucks gift card, maybe a spa day.

I was normally the kind of person who needed to unpack and get everything put away as soon as I got home, but I decided I deserved to do so with a big glass of wine, so I headed back into the dining room where my wine rack stood, still full from when I left.

I took out a bottle of my favorite red and crossed to open the kitchen drawer to pull out the opener. Once it was open, I set the wine on the counter to breathe and started going through my mail.

Bills, ads, junk … and then a long envelope with Rip’s name on the return label.

With a gasp I dropped the rest of the mail and tore open Rip’s letter.

Cass,

I hate to be abrupt, but there was an incident, and my team was brought home early. I can’t say more, but I wanted you to know just in case you’d been trying to reach me. I don’t know how long you have left in the desert, but I know your phone won’t work until you get back, and since I’m not sure when that’ll be, I figured this was a sure way for you to receive my correspondence. If I had your email, I’d have contacted you that way, but hopefully you get this.

I’m okay.

Yours,

Rip

Everything else forgotten, I ran to my bedroom to find my phone in the bottomless well of my purse and pulled it out to search up Rip’s number.

I pressed the button to call him and held the phone to my ear.

After a couple rings, his deep voice sounded.

“Hello? Cass?”

The relief was so potent I felt tears come to my eyes.

“Yes, Rip, it’s me … you’re okay?” I asked, my legs giving out as I sat back on the bed.

“Yeah, babe, I’m good. It’s so good to hear your voice. I actually just got all of your letters and read them today.”

“Really?” I asked with a laugh. It seemed like such a long time ago since I’d written. “I’m so happy they found you.”

“Are you back then?” he asked, and I loved hearing his voice so much I wanted to drown in it.

“Yeah, just got home right now actually. I was about to go unpack when I saw your letter.”

“I hope you weren’t worried.”

“A little, but you said you were okay so that eased my worry … How’s everyone else?” I asked, feeling settled enough to get up and go back into the kitchen.

“I can’t talk about the particulars yet, but Scotty was injured. He’s going to be fine. Not that you’d know it with the way he’s bitchin’ and moanin’.”

“Oh no, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s all good. We’ve been home for a few weeks now.”

“Are you back to work there then, or on leave?” I asked, hoping he’d be open