A SEAL's Vow (SEALs of Chance Creek Book 2) (23 page)

A half hour later, they met in the line for breakfast, and he leaned in for a quick kiss.

“Morning, sweetheart,” he whispered.

“Cameras.”

“I know.” He backed off reluctantly.

Nora was cheerful through the meal, however, and Clay felt good about the chances of things turning out. Maybe he just had to keep making love to her to get her to say yes. He didn’t mind that one bit.

After breakfast they parted ways. To Clay’s surprise, Dell appeared at the building site with the other men, but instead of interfering and offering unwanted opinions, he simply pitched in and did what he was told. They made terrific progress on Boone and Riley’s house.

Clay had never seen Dell like this. He imagined his dad must have acted this way at job sites often enough—he’d never been fired until recently, after all—but it wasn’t a side of his father he was familiar with. When Boone came by an hour later and mentioned they really needed a shed built near the main gardens, Clay thought it was a chance to throw his dad a bone.

“Dad, do you want to take that on? You wouldn’t have to answer to me,” Clay said when he’d pulled Dell aside and told him about Boone’s request.

To his surprise, Dell shot him a withering look. “Just like I thought. You want to get rid of me.”

“I’m trying to give you a project that will interest you,” Clay protested.

“A shed? You think I’m interested in sheds? I’ve been in this business for thirty-five years. My aspirations run a little higher than that.”

His raised voice attracted attention, and Clay lost his patience. “I don’t know what you want from me. I’ve done everything I can to help you out—”

“I don’t want your help. I just want a little goddamned respect! Is that so much to ask?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Clay saw Nora approaching, a wary expression on her face. She hesitated a little distance away, and he knew she was waiting for instructions. Dell caught sight of her, too.

“Steer clear of this one,” he said to her, indicating Clay. “He’ll treat you like he’s treating me someday.”

“What about how you’re treating me?” Stung, Clay forgot to keep his voice down. “You keep railroading right over me like I’m some kid playing a game. This is serious stuff.”

“Tiny houses? Reality TV shows? Pardon me if I think it’s all a great big joke.” Dell stormed away, leaving Clay close to blowing his top. He couldn’t blame the man for his frustration. He was right; there weren’t any projects here that suited his skills. Clay had no idea why he didn’t just go ahead and become an architect like he’d always wanted to.

Something clicked as Nora approached. His father had always wanted to be an architect. Yet here he was after thirty-five years working construction, still no closer to that goal.

“That wasn’t fair of him to say,” Nora told him, reaching his side. “He’s angry at himself, really.”

Clay shoved his hands in his pockets and watched his father stride across the fields toward distant pastures. “I think he’s angry because he’s never really had a chance to pursue his true goals.”

“Do you know what those goals are?” She was back in one of her work gowns, with a voluminous apron over it.

“Yeah, I do,” Clay admitted. “They’re the same as mine. He wants to be an architect.”

“I didn’t know that about you. I mean, I knew you designed the tiny houses, but I thought you liked the building part best.”

“I like both parts,” Clay said. “I like to design things and then build them. But my designs won’t be taken seriously if I don’t have the right qualifications.”

“A degree.”

“Exactly.”

“Does your dad want to go to school?”

Did he? Clay had no idea.

He pulled out his phone and called his mom. Nora watched him. When his mother answered, he launched right into his questions. “It’s architecture, right? That’s what Dad needs to do? Why hasn’t he ever gone back to school?”

She cut him off. “Is your father still living with you?”

“Yeah. Why? Do you want him to—”

“If he’s there, talk to him, not me. For God’s sake, you two are hopeless.”

When the dial tone buzzed in his ear, Clay frowned and shoved the phone back into his pocket. Nora was biting back a smile. She’d obviously heard.

“Dell’s right over there.” She nodded toward where Dell could still be seen striding across a meadow.

“I’ll be back in a minute. Go ask Harris if you can give him a hand again, all right?”

“Sure. Good luck.”

“I swear it gets more interesting than this,” he told her. “I wanted to show you so many things.”

“You will.”

When he caught up with Dell, his dad waved him away. “I don’t want to hear any more about sheds. Or is there a dog house you’d like me to build now?”

Clay chuckled. “Neither. I want to talk to you about something else. Something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.”

“What’s that?” Dell finally slowed down. “If this is about getting married and having kids, Jericho filled me in. You’ve got a deadline. Looks like you’ve found yourself a good woman. Just don’t blow it.”

“It’s not that.” Although that was certainly on his mind. “It’s school. I think I might go back for my degree.”

Dell stopped, but he kept his gaze on the horizon, as if studying something Clay couldn’t see. “Isn’t it kinda late for that?”

“I don’t think so.”

“What’ll you study?” His carefully casual tone didn’t fool Clay one bit.

“You remember what you said to me when I was sixteen and I wanted to pursue architecture?”

Dell’s lips thinned into a line. “This one of those ‘poor me, my parents fucked me up’ conversations?”

“No. That’s not my intention at all. You told me there was no money in it. You said school cost too much. You said I needed a skill, not a fancy degree.”

“That’s the way of the world for people like you and me.” Dell kept his head turned away.

“You said that, too. It stuck with me. What kind of people are we, Dad? People who don’t deserve to be happy?”

Dell’s chin lowered a fraction of an inch. “I had a good job and a good wife. I raised a family. Don’t tell me I didn’t do well.”

“I didn’t say anything about doing well. I said happy. You can’t tell me you’re happy right now.” He wasn’t going to give up that easily. He could tell his dad didn’t want to have this conversation, but it was about time they had it out. Dell couldn’t moon around Base Camp forever.

“No, I can’t.” Dell finally turned toward him. “Because my son’s talking nonsense.”

“I’m talking about the future. See, I’m not asking you this time, Dad. I’m telling you. I’m going to go to school. Probably part-time. Maybe I’ll even study online. I don’t know yet. All I know is I’ve always wanted to be an architect, and now I’m going to go for it.”

“Fine. Do whatever the hell you want to. I’m going to take a nap.” Dell headed for his tent while Clay watched him go. Nap? That was a new one.

He had a feeling Dell would be doing a lot more thinking than sleeping.

Maybe that was a good thing.

He returned to work, his mind still buzzing from his conversation with his father, so that he couldn’t even enjoy Nora’s presence. By the time she left to return to the manor, though, he’d settled down a bit and was able to get on with the job.

“It looks great,” Boone said when he stopped by the building site a half-hour later. It was lunch time and the rest of the men had gone to the bunkhouse, but Clay wanted to keep working.

“Want to help me finish up?” They’d let everyone tour the house later in the day, but first he needed to know that Boone approved of it.

“Sure thing. I can’t believe it’s nearly done.”

Clay nodded. “I know.” It felt so good to see his creation take shape in front of him. The tiny house looked just like he’d imagined it would. Better, even. They’d left the locally harvested wood raw so no products would off-gas into the small space. The kitchen was tidy and well-designed, and he felt sure Boone and Riley would like the loft bedroom he’d created for them. A second room at one end of the structure was for Riley’s studio—or possibly a nursery someday. He knew Boone and Riley were trying for a baby. The green roof would take time to grow in, but the rest of the structure was complete, and it blended in seamlessly with its surroundings. Clay couldn’t wait until the hillside was dotted with houses like this one.

“What do we need to do?” Boone asked.

“A couple of touches on the cabinets, and a few other things.”

“Riley’s so excited to see the house.”

Clay nodded. It must have been hard to start a marriage in a tent. He wanted a home to bring Nora to when they married.

If they married.

He decided not to think about that. “Let’s get to it then.”

‡

“W
hy are you
walking funny?” Nora asked Avery when she returned to the manor at noon. She began to pull food out of the refrigerator for lunch, and wondered if eventually Fulsom and Boone would make them spend all their time at Base Camp. She hoped not. She still enjoyed afternoons alone with her friends—just the girls.

“Had my first riding lesson yesterday,” Avery said. “And another one this morning. They’ve caught up to me.”

“Ugh. That sounds awful.”

“Well, I’m not too happy about the way my legs feel right now, but I love being on horseback, and Walker is a wonderful teacher.”

“Are you riding sidesaddle?” Nora remembered Clay and his father talking about that.

“Nope. I just pull on a pair of pants under my dress, hitch everything else around my waist and go for it. I figured it was a decent compromise.”

“What does Walker think about that?” She supposed if she ever learned to ride that would be a much easier way to accomplish it than sidesaddle.

“What’s that about Walker?” Savannah came in, grabbed a glass out of the cupboard and filled it with water. She drained it dry. “Oh, that’s good. I needed that. Harnessing the sun is thirsty work.”

“He’s teaching Avery to ride.”

Savannah lifted an eyebrow. “I bet he is.”

“Shut up,” Avery said good-naturedly. “I wish. He hasn’t so much as touched me except to help me get on the horse.”

“Watch out; before you know it, you’ll be engaged,” Nora said, turning back to the pantry.

“Who’s engaged?” Riley ducked in the doorway.

“No one’s engaged. At least, not yet. A girl can dream,” Avery said.

Nora pulled out some salad fixings and got to work chopping up vegetables. Avery grabbed the salad dressing and began to set the table for four.

“How are things going with you and Boone?” Savannah asked Riley.

“Now that we’re back, he’s pretty stressed out about the show and getting everything done. He’s trying to figure out how to find more women.”

“Boone the matchmaker. Hard to fathom,” Nora said.

“Maybe he’ll turn out to be good at it,” Riley said.

“Are you two working hard at that pregnancy thing?” Savannah asked. “Morning, noon and night, and all that?”

“We’re working at it,” Riley said dryly. A shadow clouded her face. “We really are working at it, but I don’t feel pregnant.”

“It’s only been a few days,” Savannah exclaimed.

“I know. It’s just… there’s so much pressure. I feel like I should be doing something.”

“I think you’re doing what’s called for,” Savannah said with a grin.

“Is the pressure causing a strain between you two?” Avery asked with concern.

Riley leaned against the counter. “No. Not at all. Boone’s pretty happy to keep trying.” She grinned, too. “How about you, Nora? Are you or aren’t you?”

“Pregnant?” Nora paused in the process of filling a pot with water.

“Not pregnant, doing it—with Clay?”

“That’s pretty nosy.”

“You
are
doing it with him,” Avery exclaimed. “You dog! How on earth are you pulling that off when we’re all in tents?”

“That’s my little secret. Besides, I have no idea where things between us are going.” She peeled a cucumber and began to chop it. “Did you lock the door behind you?” she asked Riley.

“Sorry.” Riley rushed to do so. “The last thing I need is another interview with Renata. She got all up close and personal this morning about my family and the ranch. ‘Do you blame Boone for losing your inheritance?’” She mimicked Renata’s plummy British accent. “Is the front door locked, too?” she asked.

“I think so. We all came in the back,” Nora said. The reminder of their need for caution took away some of her pleasure in their little gathering. She hadn’t thought about her stalker today, though, and that was progress. Spending most of her time in a group meant she felt safe.

“Where do you see things going with Clay?” Savannah asked cautiously.

“If you mean am I going to marry him, I really don’t know,” Nora said.

Riley frowned. “Why not? If you’re getting close, I mean?”

“You know why not. I hate being rushed. I refuse to marry a man I don’t know well. Look what happened to my parents.” She finished chopping the cucumber and reached for a carrot.

Riley bit her lip. “Boone’s going to bring in other women soon, Nora. Don’t wait too long to decide. You know Clay has to marry by July tenth.” Riley turned to the others. “That goes for you, too. Boone’s serious about matching people up.”