SEALed Under the Mistletoe

Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

VICKIE

T he low hum of conversations and clinking glassware filled the reception hall, muted by the soft holiday music playing in the background. Vickie took a steadying breath and clinked her champagne glass against Eve’s, forcing a smile as she tried to absorb herself in the conversation with her sisters. She could still feel Knox’s presence like a low current in the room, pulling her gaze his way whether she wanted it or not. It was maddening.

“Didn’t they do such a great job getting the lodge ready for a romantic Christmas wedding?” Eliza asked.

“Sure did,” Eve agreed. “It is definitely decorated differently than normal for Christmas. More… romantic.” Their older brothers Jack, James, Josiah and Jonah were engaged in a heated debate over football teams. Melody was at the front table laughing at something Gage said. The room was full of close family and friends and while Vickie knew she should be joyous, she had a pit of anxiety swirling in her gut.

“What about you, Vickie? Do you like the decorations?”

Vickie looked closely at the décor. Twinkling white lights adorned towering real trees in the corners, their fresh scent mingled with the aroma of the slow cooked roast beef in front of her. Light danced off the gold ornament bulbs and accents around the room. Each detail was carefully thought out. It was glamourous just like her sister.

“It’s beautiful,” she confirmed.

She had to force herself from looking at his table again. She wondered if she could convince one of her brothers to switch seats with her so that her back was towards him. This was supposed to be a week of celebration, a time to be there for Melody and Gage, to toast love, and happiness, and the future. But that future looked a lot more complicated now that Knox was sitting just across the room, with his broad shoulders and stormy eyes that held a history that she didn’t care to think about. She hadn’t seen him in three years. Now, it was like he was everywhere, filling the air around her.

Eliza nudged. “He’s handsome, isn’t he?” she asked with a sly smile, nodding toward Knox and his brothers. “That whole family is ridiculously good-looking. Those are some serious genes. You see Gage’s brothers? They are hot too. Although, they aren’t all special forces operators like Knox and his brothers.”

“Total badasses,” Eve interjected. “And I think Knox is the best looking of the bunch.”

Vickie forced a laugh, swirling the liquid in her glass. “You’re welcome to him,” she said with a half-hearted smile. “I’m sure he’d make for good eye candy at brunch.”

“Maybe, but I think he only has eyes for you,” Eve teased, her eyes sparkling as she raised her champagne glass. “He keeps looking this way.”

Vickie scoffed, but her heart did a little twist. “I’m not in the market for a military type, remember? I’ve been around way too many living as close to the base as we did. I know how they are.”

Eliza raised her eyebrows. “Not every guy in the military is a player, Vickie. Don’t you think that’s a bit... harsh?”

Jack chuckled, joining in the girls’ conversation. “Maybe not all of them, but she’s not wrong. A lot of them, especially the younger ones, are. I’ve known and dated a few myself. But seriously, Gage told me his cousins are great guys.”

“I’m just glad you met and married your true love,” Vickie said to Jack. “Speaking of your husband, when does he get in?”

“Tomorrow afternoon. He has an important meeting in the morning and is flying out right after.” Vickie adored her brother-in-law, Phil. Neither of the men wanted a large wedding and had settled on a justice of the peace ceremony with only their closest family and a weekend long swim party and BBQ. Vickie liked the laid-back atmosphere much more than the formal, but this week was all about Melody and Melody loved being the center of attention.

“If your talk with Knox doesn’t go well, you can always hook up with one of his brothers or cousins. I mean, just look at them,” Eliza said, bringing the conversation full circle.

Vickie shook her head. “El, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I'm really not in the market for love right now. Or ever, maybe.”

Eliza's face fell. “But Vic, you can't just give up on--”

“I'm not giving up,” Vickie interrupted, her voice firm but kind. “I'm choosing to focus on myself, my career.”

“But what if he is the one? What if he tells you something that makes you change your mind about the situation?” Eve asked.

Vickie swallowed, shrugging her shoulders with forced nonchalance. “I don’t do what-ifs. I’m a realist. Men like him… they don’t go for women like me, not seriously. Besides, my life’s complicated enough without adding Navy SEAL drama to it.”

Eliza’s eyes softened. “Vickie, you’re beautiful. Inside and out. Anyone would be lucky to be with you.”

She looked down, fingers tightening around the stem of her glass. She knew Eliza meant well, but words like that just reminded her of how naive she’d been three years ago. For one night, Knox had made her feel like she was special, like she was beautiful and desirable in a way she’d never known before. But then she’d walked out of his house the next morning and run straight into another woman—a tall, gorgeous blonde who looked at her like she was a bug to be scraped off a shoe. She could still feel the sting of humiliation, the way her cheeks had burned as she fumbled to say goodbye. She’d been an idiot to think she was anything more than a one-night stand to him.

“I’m telling you; I’ve seen his type and it’s not me.”

Eliza opened her mouth to argue, but Jack cut in. “Leave her be, El. Vic knows what she wants.”

Vickie shot him a grateful look, then turned and caught Knox staring at her. His presence commanded attention without effort. His dark hair and beard were neatly trimmed. A thin scar ran along his jawline, he hadn’t had it three years ago. She had the urge to trace it with her fingertip, to ask him for the story on how he got it.

“So about Knox,” Jack whispered into her ear. “Any idea on what he wants to talk about?”

“Probably wants to clear the air since our two families are merging together,” she said.

“Or maybe he wants to explore things with you,” Jack said gently.

“That would require me wanting to do the same,” Vickie said. “And I don’t. Let’s talk about something else.” She did not so gently change the topic.

Jack got the picture and turned back to the conversation about the best running back in the NFL and the buzz of conversation resumed around her. She tried hard to engage with her siblings. She nodded in the right places and smiled when necessary. Stealing another glance at Knox, she wished she hadn’t. Her first cousin Ashley, younger by a decade, was standing in between Knox and one of his brothers. Her hand was resting on Knox’s shoulder as she leaned forward to say something to him. Her low cut dress no doubt gave Knox quite the show. Ashley looked a lot like the woman Vickie ran into leaving Knox’s house. She couldn’t tear her eyes off the scene unfolding in front of her. Knox said something and Ashley laughed.

Vickie's throat went dry, her palms suddenly clammy. She gripped her wine glass tighter, anchoring herself to reality as memories threatened to overwhelm her. Here it was. Confirmation that she hadn’t been wrong with her assumptions. The evidence was right there, right in front of her face.

“Are you okay, Vic?” Eliza asked, studying her face with concern.

Vickie forced a smile, but her voice cracked. “I just... I need some air.” Without waiting for a response, she pushed back her chair and made her way through the crowded room, trying to ignore the curious glances from her siblings. She stepped out onto the back patio, the cold winter air biting at her skin and filling her lungs with the sharp scent of pine. She hugged herself, feeling the ache in her chest start to fade as the chill replaced it.

She heard footsteps behind her and tensed, she didn’t want to talk to anyone.

“Vickie—” Knox said, appearing as if out of nowhere. She hadn’t seen him following her out. “Are you okay? I saw you leave and?—”

“Oh God,” Vickie whispered, the implications hitting her like a freight train. She took a step back, needing distance. “This can't be happening.”

“I wanted to check on you.” Knox finished.

She looked away, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m fine. Just needed a breather.”

Knox shifted, clearly unsure whether to step closer or keep his distance. “Look, I know this is… awkward. But I was hoping we could talk. Clear the air.”

She swallowed, forcing herself to meet his gaze. The flickering light from the windows caught the new scar along his jawline, a detail she wished she hadn’t noticed. “There’s nothing to clear up, Knox. My baby sister is marrying your cousin. We’re going to run into each other at family events, I’m sure. We can be cordial and respectful to each other. It was three years ago. I’ve moved on.”

He took a step closer, his eyes darkening with something she couldn’t quite read. “Have you? Because I haven’t stopped thinking about that night. About you.”

The raw honesty in his voice sliced through her defenses, but she pushed back, shaking her head. “Don’t do that. Don’t act like this was something meaningful. You used me, Knox. Lied to me. I asked you if you were seeing anyone, and you said no. Then, the next morning, I ran into your girlfriend on my way out.”

Knox’s brow furrowed, genuine confusion flickering across his face. “Vickie, I didn’t have a girlfriend. I swear, there was no one else. I don’t know who you ran into, but it wasn’t a girlfriend. I would never do that to you or to another woman. At the end of the day, the only thing a man has is his word. I wouldn’t lie to you.”

She scoffed, her heart aching with a mixture of anger and old hurt. “Then explain the woman who was there when I left. Tall, blonde, looking at me like I was trash. Explain why you didn’t try to reach out, why you just let me walk out of your life without a word.”

He ran a hand through his hair, his gaze pleading. “I left you a voicemail. I tried to explain why I had to leave that night. There was an emergency deployment—I didn’t have a choice.”

“A voicemail?” Vickie’s voice was incredulous. “I never got a voicemail, Knox. If you left one, I didn’t get it. All I got was silence. And humiliation. It’s bad enough doing a walk of shame the morning after a one-night-stand but to open the door to a gorgeous woman on the other side?”

Knox’s face fell, and he took a tentative step forward, his hand reaching out as if to touch her. “I swear, Vickie, I never wanted you to feel that way. If I’d known… if I’d realized you didn’t get the voicemail, I would’ve done anything to make it right. I thought you didn’t want to hear from me. I thought…” He trailed off, his voice thick with regret.

She felt her defenses crumbling, the anger giving way to a raw vulnerability she wasn’t prepared for. “Why didn’t you try to email me? One email, Knox. That’s all it would’ve taken.”

His eyes softened, regret etched into every line of his face. “After I left the voicemail, I got deployed. I didn’t have any way to reach you for months. By the time I got back… I tried calling the number I had for you and it no longer worked. I thought you’d moved on. And when I didn’t hear from you, I figured that was what you wanted. I gave you my cell number, I figured if you wanted to call me, you would.”

The words hung between them, each one slicing deeper than the last. Vickie felt a lump in her throat, and for the first time, she let herself imagine that maybe she’d been wrong. Maybe the last three years had been built on a misunderstanding that had stolen something precious from both of them.

She looked away, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill over. “I don’t know if I can believe you, Knox. It’s been three years. You can’t just come back into my life and expect me to forget how I felt that morning.”

He moved closer, his hand reaching out to gently cup her cheek. The warmth of his touch sent a shiver through her, and she closed her eyes, fighting the urge to lean into him. “I don’t expect you to forget, Vickie. I just… I need you to know that what I felt for you was real. It wasn’t a game. I’d never hurt you like that on purpose.”

She opened her eyes, meeting his gaze with a mixture of fear and hope. “I don’t know if I can go through this again, Knox. I can’t be the one left behind, wondering if you’ll come back.”

“You are being unfair, sweetheart. I wasn’t dating anyone else, and I did try to call. I called the number on your billboards around town. The night we spent together meant something to me, Vickie. I don’t do casual sex any more than you do. I felt a connection between us. I’ll never leave you behind. For the last three years, all I could think about was you. The what ifs filled my mind. What if you were the one who got away? What if we were meant to be. I had faith if we were, God would bring us back together, and he did.” His hand moved to her shoulder, his thumb brushing over her collarbone, a gentle reassurance. “Let me prove it to you. Give me a chance to show you with my actions that I’m not going anywhere this time. I’ll stay, Vickie. If you’ll let me.”

She searched his face, looking for any sign of deception, but all she saw was sincerity and a longing that mirrored her own. Her heart ached with the possibility, the hope that maybe—just maybe—they could rewrite the ending she thought was carved in stone. The thought of the blonde woman still plagued her. Who was she? Why would she lie? Was Knox telling the truth or was he just a damned good liar?

“Who was the other woman, Knox? Why would someone be waiting for you outside your house?” And she judged the hell out of me, too. She left that thought out.

Knox ran his hands through his hair. “I don’t even know who would be coming around my house. I wasn’t dating anyone and none of my men’s women would just show up unannounced at my place.” He closed his eyes for a second and then opened them. “I had a neighbor that fits your description. She was obsessed with me, a typical Frog Hog.”

“Frog Hog?”

“A woman who chases after Navy SEALs and sleeps with them. She was looking for a SEAL husband. Wanted military benefits. She’d already tried to trap another SEAL by faking a pregnancy. I wanted nothing to do with her. I made it clear several times.”

Oh. Wow. Maybe Jack was right after all. She’d made a mistake, a big mistake.

“The number was misprinted on the signs,” she told him. “The last two digits were transposed. When we noticed, we had them taken down and new ones put up. If you called the old number, the voicemail would never have reached me.” She wondered what she would have done if she’d received it. Would she have called him back? Would she have ignored it?

Knox stroked the inside of her jaw. “Let me show you, Vickie. I meant what I said three years ago and I mean what I say tonight. I want to get to know you better and I want to see if there’s something here between us.”

With a trembling breath, she nodded, barely able to believe the words coming out of her mouth. “Alright, Knox. One chance. But I need to know you’re serious. I won’t be anyone’s second choice again.” Whether it was in her mind or not, for three years, she lived with the thought and feelings attached to her belief.

He smiled, a slow, heartfelt smile that reached his eyes. “You’re not a second choice, Vickie. You never were. You’re the only woman I’ve thought about for three long years.”

Vickie felt her heart racing as she stood close to Knox, their breaths mingling in the chilly night air. His gaze held hers, searching her face with a tenderness that made her feel vulnerable, yet safe. He lifted his hand to her cheek, brushing his thumb along her skin with a gentleness that sent warmth through her entire body. She didn’t pull away, didn’t want to.

“Vickie,” he murmured, his voice low and full of something that sounded like hope. “If this isn’t what you want, tell me now. I’ll walk away. But if there’s even a part of you that feels the way I do…”

His words trailed off, leaving her breathless. She swallowed, feeling a swirl of emotions that she’d fought so hard to bury—the anger, the hurt, the longing she’d denied even to herself. But at this moment, with Knox standing in front of her, she felt her walls start to crumble.

“Knox…” she whispered, barely trusting her voice. She didn’t have the words, but her body was already moving, her gaze dropping to his mouth, her lips parting just slightly. Without thinking, she leaned forward, her lips brushing softly against his.

The kiss was tentative at first, a delicate meeting of lips that sent a shiver through her entire being. But then Knox’s hand moved to the back of her neck, and aggressively pulled her closer, and his other hand slipped around her waist, steadying her. She felt herself melting into him, her fingers clutching the fabric of his jacket, holding on like he was her anchor.

Knox’s mouth moved over hers with a slow, unhurried tenderness, it was as if he was memorizing every second of this moment. The world around them faded until there was only him—his warmth, his steady hands, his lips capturing hers with a primal firmness that made her feel things she hadn’t allowed herself to feel in years. He held the nape of her neck tightly and ground his lips against hers, claiming her mouth and asserting his intentions.

He pulled back just a little, resting his forehead against hers, his hand gently cupping her cheek. They both stood there, breathing heavily, eyes locked, the space between them charged with unspoken promises.

“I’ve waited three years to do that again,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “And it was worth every second.”

Vickie let out a shaky laugh, feeling lighter than she had in a long time. “I never thought I’d let you kiss me again,” she said, tracing a finger along his jaw, feeling the thickness of his beard beneath her touch.

Knox’s lips curved into a smile, his eyes brightening. “I’m glad you did.”

He leaned in again, his mouth finding hers in a kiss that was deeper, more confident, more certain. She’d just parted her lips, and his tongue dipped in when a loud, exaggerated clearing of a throat broke the moment. Vickie startled, pulling back quickly, her heart racing as she looked over Knox’s shoulder to see her brother Jack standing a few feet away with his arms crossed, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Well, I guess the conversation went well,” Jack drawled, clearly trying to hold back a laugh. “Hate to break up the moment, but both of you are missed inside. Melody’s about to launch a full search party, and she sent me to find you two. She wants to give out the itinerary for the week.”

A flush creeped up Vickie’s cheeks as she released her hold on Knox, taking a hasty step back and trying to straighten her hair, which had been slightly mussed by the wind—and maybe by Knox’s hand. She could barely meet Jack’s eyes, mortified at being caught like a teenager sneaking a kiss behind the bleachers.

Knox, however, took it all in stride. He grinned at Jack, clearly unfazed. “Appreciate the heads-up,” he said, chuckling as he released Vickie with a final, lingering touch on her shoulder. He reached his hand out to Jack. “We haven’t been officially introduced. I’m Knox.”

“Jack.” He gave him a dry look. “Just doing my duty as the big brother. It’s what I live for,” he said, giving Vickie a teasing wink.

She rolled her eyes, but the warmth in her cheeks hadn’t faded, and neither had the feeling of Knox’s lips on hers. “Let’s go,” she muttered, trying to sound casual as she brushed past Jack, who was clearly enjoying every second of her embarrassment.

As she walked back inside, Vickie could feel Knox’s gaze on her, and despite the interruption, a small, secret smile crept onto her face. She might have been caught by her brother, but that kiss… it had felt real.

But that didn’t mean Jack was going to let her forget it anytime soon. He caught up to her and leaned in as they walked, his voice a conspiratorial whisper.

“So, does this mean I’ll have to deal with Knox hanging around us all week?” he teased, nudging her playfully.

Vickie shot him a warning look. “Not another word,” she muttered, though there was no real venom in her tone.

Jack just chuckled, hands raised in surrender. “Fine, fine. But don’t think I didn’t see that smile on your face.”

She tried to scowl at him, but she knew it was pointless. Her brother knew her too well. As she walked back over to where her siblings sat, she stole a glance over her shoulder, catching Knox’s eye. He smiled at her, and for the first time that night, she didn’t look away.