On Fire by McKenna Lindsay

Author:McKenna, Lindsay [McKenna, Lindsay]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HQN Books
Published: 2015-03-30T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Five

KHAT STOOD BETWEEN Annie and Bedir Tarik, waiting to see Mike arrive, along with many other anxious SEAL families at Operations at NAS North Island situated on Coronado Island, part of the San Diego Bay area. A C-130 bearing Mike’s platoon from Afghanistan had landed some fifty minutes earlier. The group waited restlessly, excitement crackling in the air, over a hundred women and children and parents waited anxiously for their loved one to come through the glass doors. It was a cold mid-December evening. Outside, darkness had fallen at 5:30 p.m., and the San Diego bay area was covered in a soft rain.

Annie wiggled with excitement, her arm looped through Khat’s. “I just love these times,” she confided.

Khat felt infused with joy. Mike was home! And safe. Mike’s mother, Annie, who was dressed in a black wool pantsuit and bright red silk blouse to celebrate the Christmas season, wasn’t able to stand still. She was a woman of constant action, always restless, and was moving from one low-heeled foot to another.

“My dear,” Bedir murmured gently, “you’re going to wear out that spot on the floor.”

Khat chuckled. Bedir was dressed in a pair of black slacks, a white shirt opened at the collar and a camel hair sport jacket. Khat liked the surgeon, who was a picture of humility. She’d found out over weekend visits to their horse farm in Alpine that he was Sufi, a Muslim sect that believed love was the answer to the world’s problems. Bedir had been the exact opposite of her intense, driven Afghan father, Jaleel. In fact, Khat had become devoted to Bedir, who was so easy to talk to and who had such words of wisdom for her. She lapped up his kindness as he’d helped her adjust easily to life Stateside.

She felt Bedir’s hand on the arm of her gray wool coat.

“My dear child,” he said, “if you’ve never waited for a SEAL coming home, it’s a process. They must get their duffle bag out of the plane, get signed in by the team’s senior master chief, put their weapons in their locker, and then they are finally able to walk through those doors and into our awaiting arms.”

“How long will that take?” Khat asked, wanting desperately to see Mike.

“Usually an hour,” he murmured, patting her shoulder. He met Khat’s anxious gaze. “Now when Mike comes through that door, you go to him first.”

“But—”

“Tut, tut, child. We have met our son here many times over the years. He’s engaged to marry you.” His eyes grew warm. “He’s going to want to see you first. We’ll wait right here. A man should hold his beloved in his arms, first.”

Khat wasn’t sure. Mike’s parents wanted to see him just as badly as she did. Especially Annie, who was so excited. “Are you sure?”

“Quite,” Bedir assured her.

The noise in the crowded area grew as the door opened and the first SEAL came through it. Khat’s gaze was riveted on the door. She could see other SEALs walking down a long passageway toward the door.

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