Page 44 of Her Honorable Hero

His mouth twitched up in a tired grin. After seeing her bloodied and then in a coma, the idea of Miranda spitting fire at him was welcome.

While drying off, he surveyed his bathroom with a critical eye. He did the same thing with his bedroom as he got dressed. Walking out to the living room he took note of the hallway and determined that even though it was narrow, it should be able to accommodate a walker, but a wheelchair would be touch and go.

“Do you want a sandwich?” he asked Jack as he opened his fridge.

“I already placed a to-go order for steak sandwiches, fish tacos and carnitas tacos with all the sides at the Snack Shack. We’re picking them up on the way back to the hospital.” Griff’s stomach growled at the thought as he grabbed a bottle of fruit juice and shut the refrigerator.

Jack leaned against the kitchen island and gave Griff a hard look. “So tell me about Miranda.”

“I waited too fucking long.”

“What do you mean?” Jack asked.

“I should have asked her out the first time I saw her. I knew she was special. I’ve been jonesing for her for almost two damn months. I’ve been taking public transportation instead of driving my perfectly fine truck, just so I could see her. Mom thought it was cute. Dad thought it was funnier than hell.”

“You mean you, Griffin Porter, gave up a chance to sing along with the country radio station?”

“I know, right?” Griff agreed. “Anyway, my truck was in the shop the first time I took the train. That was when I met her. It was fixed the next week, but there wasn’t a chance in hell I was going to miss an opportunity to see her again.”

“Why didn’t you just ask her out?” Jack took a sip of water. It was obvious he was really curious.

“Because Dad’s been so sick. The chemo was really kicking his ass, and I’ve been a morose piece of shit to be around. Mom’s called me almost every night of the week when I wasn’t up there on the weekends. Dating just wasn’t in the cards. But this weekend? This weekend Dad lit up, and I knew it was my chance.”

“What were you thinking so hard about just now when you were coming out of the bedroom?”

“You kind of suck, you know that?” Griff asked his friend as he finished his juice and threw the bottle in his recycle bin and slouched into the corner of the kitchen counters.

“That’s what happens when you spend three years together on a SEAL team. You end up being able to read each other a little too well.”

Griff wished that Jack hadn’t switched to Mason’s team. It hadn’t been the same on Black Dawn without him.

“So, what were you thinking?” Jack prompted again.

“I was wondering whether or not I could get this place in working order so that Miranda could recuperate here.”

“Hmmm.” Jack took a sip out of his glass.

Griff really appreciated that he kept his own counsel. The man didn’t jump right in with why he shouldn’t take such a big step. Jack had been the most laidback and thoughtful of all the team members. He was even more relaxed than Hunter Diaz, but that was probably because he was a few years older.

“Out with it,” Griff said.

“Are you sure you want questions? Seems to me, you’ve made up your mind.”

“I have, but I like the idea that you might be looking at some angles I haven’t covered.”

“Reasonable,” Jack nodded. “You know she doesn’t have any family. What about other good friends? Wouldn’t they take her in?”

“I don’t think so. Not a single one of them has come to visit. Sure, they’ve sent flowers. They’ve called, but they’ve had a million and one excuses why they couldn’t be here. When we were talking, she said they were all workaholics like her, and she didn’t think they would even be able to take a week off to meet up with her for a vacation. I think it’s up to me.”

“That’s an interesting turn of phrase, ‘It’s up to me.’” Jack straightened away from the kitchen island. “Griff, you’re making it sound like it’s your responsibility. It’s not. You really don’t know the woman. You’re not in love with her. You haven’t even been out on a date with her, have you?”

Griff took his time before answering. “That’s the thing Jack, I do know her. God, by that second train ride I knew she was someone special. As Dex would say, she’s wicked smart and she makes me laugh. I think about her all the time.”

Jack nodded for him to continue.

“I know this is going to sound strange, but I got to watch her do her job on the train and she’s super-competent. It was a huge turn-on.”

“Did she wear a business suit?” Jack asked with a grin. “You’ve always been a sucker for a woman in a pencil skirt.”