Seal Of Honor
By Dahlia Rose
Copyright © November 2012, Keshia Robertson
Cover art by Mina Carter © November 2012
ISBN: 978-1-939151-05-6
This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious or used fictitiously. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.
Sugar and Spice Press North Carolina, USA
www.sugarnspicepress.com
.
Chapter One
“Good Morning, Commander. Your usual?”
The girl behind the counter smiled and, as always, Zack Hennessey’s heart skipped a beat. The coffee shop was a fifteen-minute drive from his house and he stopped there every morning before he went on base. Just to see her. Her name was Jordyn Royale; it said so on her name tag and she was as beautiful as the island they were on. Hawaii had lush, colorful flowers, amazing fruit and the smell of the sea in the air. It was personified in her face. She had chocolate-brown skin the color of mocha coffee and warm brown eyes that sparkled. She never talked much about herself, but he sometimes caught her looking around as if she was wary, as if expecting to see someone she didn’t like come in the shop or afraid someone would jump out and grab her at any moment.
The first time she made his coffee she told him she would try hard to remember his name and his order for the next time he came in. If she only knew that from then on he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. Zack was curious about her and wondered what her story was, wondered about her. Her slight baby bump was evident. So she’s pregnant, who gives a woof? he thought. He thought it only made her more enticing, having a life growing inside her. Zack had always wanted a family of his own and was resigned that it just wasn’t going to happen. And it was just his luck that the woman he was interested in was carrying another man’s child and so she was probably off the market. Every morning he came in to see her he charted the growth of her baby bump and, in his own way, watched the life grow along with her.
“Commander?” Her soft voice brought him from his reverie and she repeated the question. “Your usual?”
“Three espresso shots in it this time.” Zack grinned. “It’s been a long few days.”
“Coming right up.” She passed the order slip to her work partner and rang up his order. “Five seventy-five.”
As usual, he paid with a ten and put the change in the tip cup. “How are you today, Jordyn?”
“I’m fine,” she replied. “The little girl is starting to move around now.”
“That’s good. Her dad must be excited,” Zack said.
Her smile faltered and then faded. “No dad. It’s just me and her.”
“Well, whoever he is, he’s a fool,” he said.
“Maybe I’m the one who messed it all up,” she countered.
“Were you?”
She gave him a look, one with sadness in the depths of her chocolate-brown eyes. “No, I wasn’t.”
“I didn’t thought so.” A mental cheer started in his head and he squelched the urge to do a fist pump. “You’re around what, five months now?”
“Six,” Jordyn said. “But good guess.”
“So, um, what are you doing later? I’d like to take you both out to dinner,” Zack said.
She laughed and it was a wonderfully husky sound. “I’m pregnant and you want to take me out?”
“Why is that so hard to believe?” He leaned forward on the counter. “Let’s go out to dinner.”
“Yeah, Jordyn, go out to dinner. Give it a whirl,” her co-worker said. She was a short Hawaiian woman with a great smile. “You better or I will.”
“She’s right. Give it whirl,” he said softly.
Her eyes met his for a moment and she swallowed before nodding and scribbling on his receipt. “This is my address. I’ll see you at eight.”
He took his coffee and receipt and winked. “I’ll see you tonight.”
Zack walked out into the sunshine and made his way to his truck.
By Dahlia Rose
Copyright © November 2012, Keshia Robertson
Cover art by Mina Carter © November 2012
ISBN: 978-1-939151-05-6
This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious or used fictitiously. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.
Sugar and Spice Press North Carolina, USA
www.sugarnspicepress.com
.
Chapter One
“Good Morning, Commander. Your usual?”
The girl behind the counter smiled and, as always, Zack Hennessey’s heart skipped a beat. The coffee shop was a fifteen-minute drive from his house and he stopped there every morning before he went on base. Just to see her. Her name was Jordyn Royale; it said so on her name tag and she was as beautiful as the island they were on. Hawaii had lush, colorful flowers, amazing fruit and the smell of the sea in the air. It was personified in her face. She had chocolate-brown skin the color of mocha coffee and warm brown eyes that sparkled. She never talked much about herself, but he sometimes caught her looking around as if she was wary, as if expecting to see someone she didn’t like come in the shop or afraid someone would jump out and grab her at any moment.
The first time she made his coffee she told him she would try hard to remember his name and his order for the next time he came in. If she only knew that from then on he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. Zack was curious about her and wondered what her story was, wondered about her. Her slight baby bump was evident. So she’s pregnant, who gives a woof? he thought. He thought it only made her more enticing, having a life growing inside her. Zack had always wanted a family of his own and was resigned that it just wasn’t going to happen. And it was just his luck that the woman he was interested in was carrying another man’s child and so she was probably off the market. Every morning he came in to see her he charted the growth of her baby bump and, in his own way, watched the life grow along with her.
“Commander?” Her soft voice brought him from his reverie and she repeated the question. “Your usual?”
“Three espresso shots in it this time.” Zack grinned. “It’s been a long few days.”
“Coming right up.” She passed the order slip to her work partner and rang up his order. “Five seventy-five.”
As usual, he paid with a ten and put the change in the tip cup. “How are you today, Jordyn?”
“I’m fine,” she replied. “The little girl is starting to move around now.”
“That’s good. Her dad must be excited,” Zack said.
Her smile faltered and then faded. “No dad. It’s just me and her.”
“Well, whoever he is, he’s a fool,” he said.
“Maybe I’m the one who messed it all up,” she countered.
“Were you?”
She gave him a look, one with sadness in the depths of her chocolate-brown eyes. “No, I wasn’t.”
“I didn’t thought so.” A mental cheer started in his head and he squelched the urge to do a fist pump. “You’re around what, five months now?”
“Six,” Jordyn said. “But good guess.”
“So, um, what are you doing later? I’d like to take you both out to dinner,” Zack said.
She laughed and it was a wonderfully husky sound. “I’m pregnant and you want to take me out?”
“Why is that so hard to believe?” He leaned forward on the counter. “Let’s go out to dinner.”
“Yeah, Jordyn, go out to dinner. Give it a whirl,” her co-worker said. She was a short Hawaiian woman with a great smile. “You better or I will.”
“She’s right. Give it whirl,” he said softly.
Her eyes met his for a moment and she swallowed before nodding and scribbling on his receipt. “This is my address. I’ll see you at eight.”
He took his coffee and receipt and winked. “I’ll see you tonight.”
Zack walked out into the sunshine and made his way to his truck.
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