Seal of Honor by Dahlia Rose Page A

He was a Navy man, stationed as the historic NS Pearl Harbor Base in Hawaii. His small unit was a socialized team that specialized in reconnaissance and infiltration. In other words, he was a SEAL and damn proud of it. Their missions were long and sometimes so harsh that few could deal with it long term. But those who did, hunkered down for weeks at a time. There had been a lull recently and Zack was happy about that. In the last few years he’d seen less of his house by the beach than ever before. Oahu was a beautiful place to live; he was hoping to get to enjoy it more.
    A date with Jordyn definitely would make a whole lot of difference. He would take her to a picnic on the beach or out on the boat. Is it okay for pregnant women to go out on open water? He made a mental note to Google it later in the day. If his mother could see him now she would call him crazy for dating a pregnant girl. Zack frowned at the wayward thought; the woman that sired him was never a mother. He would not let his past ruin anything in his future. He had let that happen one too many times.
    But in the war room, three hours later, he was frowning at a mission briefing for his unit. Of all the times for them to be sent out, it had to be now. Just my luck. They were leaving that night and his date with Jordyn was going down the drain. Duty came first and he’d be gone for nearly ten weeks. With any luck, they’d be back for Christmas. Hell, he’d been interested in her from the time he walked into the coffee shop and saw her behind the counter.
    That night, by the time they were done with packing their gear, it was well after eight. He called the coffee shop at six but she had already left and Zack was remiss in getting her number. The only other option was to drive to her home before they left. He had one and a half hours to drive to where she lived, explain things to her, and then hightail it back to base.
    He pulled up at her apartment building and frowned. It definitely wasn’t in the nicest area of Oahu. In fact, it was downright crime-ridden. Zack was instantly worried about her and her unborn baby. He found her apartment easily and knocked on the door. He noticed the suspicious glances some of the neighborhood guys gave his uniform. Maybe that would make them think twice about hitting her place, looking for money or even looking in her direction. He rang the doorbell and waited for her to answer.
    She frowned when she opened the door. “I thought you stood me up.”
    “I didn’t. Work got in the way of my best laid plans,” he explained.
    “Well, it may be too late to go out, but you can come in if you want. I’ll even share my dinner. Besides, standing out around here too long draws some unwanted attention.” Jordyn stepped back so he could come inside.
    He looked around her small yet neat apartment. “I’d like to stay for dinner, but I can’t. I have to go back to work. I didn’t have your number to call and the manager at the coffee shop wouldn’t give out personal information. My job—”
     
    “You don’t have to explain. What was I thinking anyway? I’m a pregnant woman and some soldier comes in the shop and impulsively asks me out? I must be crazy to have believed it.”
    She turned away and Zack caught her by the shoulders. “Jordyn, it’s not like that. Honestly, I’ve wanted to ask you out the first time I saw you at the Java Hut. First, I was biding my time, gaining courage, but then I saw that you were pregnant and thought, oh, well, she’s off the market. Today, when I found out that wasn’t the case, I went for it. I’ve been put on mission status today. We’ll be gone for ten weeks. I’d like to see you when I come back.”
    “I’ll be big as a house by then, bigger than I am now.” She shook her head. “You won’t want to see me then. Zack, I’ll be a mom with a newborn soon. Reality dictates I say this, but what guy wants a relationship like that? You’re a soldier, you’re hot