Page 55 of Isla by Any Other Name

Curt cut in. “Cal, you can use my chopper. Ma’am, if it’s okay with you, I can pick him up for you, if you’ll show me where to go.”

“You’d do that? Thank you so much!” Allison said, her eyes lighting up. She turned to her son. “Liam, go see Mary. Tell her I said it was okay for you to have some cookies.”

“Okay, Mommy. Can I have three?”

“Two, now go on. I’ll see you soon.” Liam ran off and Allison turned to Curt. “Mister Olson, I’m ready whenever you are.”

“It’s Curt.”

“Curt, then.”

“We can be ready in ten minutes. You can meet me at the helipad.”

“I’m ready now. Dad, can you call Bob and let him know I’ve gone to get the vet?”

“Not a problem, sweetie,” Cal said. “We’ll keep an eye on Liam while you’re gone.”

“Thanks, Dad.” Smiling at Curt, she said, “Ready?”

Mitch shook his head—just like that, the biggest forever-bachelor on Earth was going to fly off into the sunset.

Mitch, Cal, and Brice organized the plan they hoped to implement in two days. Mitch loved this part of the game. Planning strategies was a strength of his. As a SEAL, the planning was the most important part of the operation. A well-planned attack meant they were in and out fast without casualties.

Jax, Nick, and Mitch headed back to their quarters. The drones needed to be checked over and the coordinates programmed. Mitch wanted to check out the topography of the area before they cemented their plans.

“Hey, did you check out the way Curt was looking at Cal’s daughter?” Jax laughed.

“I did. I wonder what her story is. The little guy’s really cute,” Nick said.

“Maybe Curt will find out, since he’s spending some alone time with her up in the chopper,” Jax laughed. “I haven’t seen that spark in Curt for a long time. He looked interested.”

“Let’s not get excited, guys. We’re in the middle of nowhere. This job is an in-and-out operation. Hopefully, it’s over soon,” Mitch reminded them. “Now let’s get down to business. We’ve got drones to program.”

The next morning, their plans were finalized. They hoped to take these guys down tonight. Mitch only hoped it would be a one-day operation.

Mitch needed to de-stress and get his head in the game. He’d been up all night thinking about Isla and how he missed her. He walked down to the stable and asked to borrow a horse. He needed some alone time. He would ride and clear his head, which lately was impossible to do. His mind was filled with memories of Isla and their time together. Whoever said it got better with time was wrong. He rubbed at the spot on his chest. Would it ever stop aching?

Allison was at the stable when he went down to ask for a horse. “Hey, Mitch, right?”

He nodded. “I was just wondering if I could have a horse for a few hours.”

“Sure. How experienced are you?”

“My parents own a ranch in Tennessee. Probably rode before I walked,” he laughed.

“I’ve got just the horse for you. Come on, I’ll introduce you.”

Allison took him to meet his ride for the day. “His name is Wildfire.”

Wildfire stood seventeen hands and was a beauty. He had a chestnut coat that looked like fire in the sunset. “Hey buddy, want to go for a ride?” Mitch crooned as he rubbed down the horse’s neck. Wildfire bobbed his head like he knew what Mitch was saying.

Allison laughed. “He does, don’t you, boy? Let’s saddle him up and he’s all yours. He could use the exercise. He’s my brother’s horse and he hasn’t been ridden much lately. He’s getting lazy.”

“I didn’t know you had a brother.”

“Yeah, his name’s Jacob, he’s in the Marines, Special Forces. I miss him. It’s just me, Dad, and Liam up at the house.”

“Can I ask you about your son’s dad?” Mitch asked. As soon as he did, he felt awful. That’s not something you ask a mom. Especially one you barely knew. For all he hated Curt trying to set him up, he was just chomping at the bit to see Curt with a happy ending.