SEAL My Home: Bad Boys of SEAL Team 3, Book 2 (SEAL Brotherhood Series 9) by Sharon Hamilton Read Free Book Online

bottom of the slope was a minefield peppered with kids, beginning skiers and boarders of all levels crisscrossing each other’s tracks. They were going inside, turning to go back up the lift, or heading to stand in line by one of the other lifts.
    Rory had been so careful not to take a fall that T.J. had actually beat him to the bottom, which irked him a little. T.J. thumbed toward the other side. “Saw Coop, Ollie and Brady over there.” He pointed. Rory eyed the lift with a long line attached to it like an umbilical cord.
    “They’ll wait for us at the top,” T.J. said.
    Rory nodded and took up his position. They were coming under some heavy scrutiny from two young college-aged girls who giggled and whispered, stealing glances Rory tried to ignore. When their chair arrived and whisked them away, he was grateful for the distance the lift gave them.
    T.J. was trying to stuff down a grin, but failing. “I would have switched with one of them, or better yet, I could’ve taken their seat and you could have had them both to yourself.”
    “Nice one, T.J. Better behave or I’ll weave a story when I get home that Shannon won’t like one bit.”
    “I’m clean.”
    “Hell you are. I can fuckin’ read your mind.” He pointed to the girls with the end of his glove. The girls had begun the steep ascent and were hanging nearly thirty feet above them. “That’s trouble. Not anything I want anything to do with.”
    “Focused on the mission, are we?” T.J.’s actor good looks were always disarming. His clear blue eyes and blindingly white teeth made it so Rory had to look away to avoid being teased for gawking. Everyone knew he wasn’t, of course, but T.J. was that good looking. And totally comfortable with it, too, needling everyone with the effect it had on the rest of his team.
    Rory, on the other hand, felt like a piece of roughed up sandpaper, crumpled and well used for his age. He also sported more wounds on him, especially from errant projectiles, which sometimes got away from him. He and Fredo were always the ones closest to any explosive devices they set or tried to defuse.
    He drew in the cold crisp air, blew out white vapor, and spoke to the big SEAL beside him. “I’m just trying to get loose. Been a couple of funny days. I’m tight, and I don’t like that.”
    T.J. shared a common background with Rory, having been tossed around the system without ever knowing his parents. Rory knew T.J. had demons he carried from childhood. It didn’t take much for him to feel bad about himself, though he would never say it.
    “I feel you. Doesn’t happen to me so much anymore. Kind of found myself with Shannon and Courtney, you know?”
    Rory looked away. “I fuckin’ know. Would you stop with all the baby talk, T.J.? I told you, I’m not doing that.”
    “I’ll remind you some day when you’re dashing off to labor and delivery, you asshole. Boy, do I pity the little girl who has to have a mug like yours. She’ll probably have a beard, too!”
    Rory punched his buddy in the arm, then scrubbed his hat right off his head and let it fall to the ground below as they continued their climb. T.J. had his hands on Rory’s hat, and then one of his gloves and tossed them over into the snow as well. There was a lull and then the fight was on. They began punching each other, tearing at each other’s jackets, glasses, gloves, and finally the boards. By the time they made it to the top, they stood in their turtlenecks and snowboard pants without gloves or any equipment besides shoes. Subsequent seats of skiers and boarders were laughing as they watched the two muscular guys continue the shoving and name calling until it disintegrated into rolling in the snow.
    Rory began to chuckle as he felt the pain in his chest lighten, realizing how stupid they’d been. It was going to be a long walk under the chairlift to gather all their things. He realized T.J. was busting a gut too. They both fell backwards in the snow, laughing