They grinned at each other and then hugged, pounding each other on the back.
Tin Man held him by the shoulder. “Fuck, man, you look better than the last time I saw you.”
Cole knew he was talking about after the explosion when he was a mangled mess.
“And you’re still ugly,” Cole said.
Jade gasped, drawing both men’s attention.
“That wasn’t nice,” she said. She turned back to Eric. “You’re very handsome.”
“You’re not supposed to say that to other men,” Cole said with a growl.
She cuddled up to him. “But you’re the most handsome one of all, Daddy.”
“He’s never nice to me,” Eric said.
Cole rolled his eyes when Jade scowled up at him.
“This is going to be fun,” Eric said.
Cole groaned. He knew what that meant. He would use Jade against him every chance he got. The bastard.
“Are you ready?” Eric said. “We’re meeting everyone at the Shack for food and beers. You just have these bags?” He grabbed both and started walking.
“Yes,” Cole said.
“Do they have chocolate milk?’ Jade asked Eric.
Eric grinned. “If they don’t, I’ll send someone to get some.”
She looked horrified. “No, I was just asking. I like water, and if Daddy lets me, a pop.”
Cole grinned at Eric over her head as they walked along.
He still walked with a cane but not nearly as much as he did a few weeks past. Since he’d sat in a cramped airplane seat, his leg ached more than normal.
Eric kept up a conversation as he drove them to the restaurant. Cole sat in front with him, and Jade stared out the window in the back with wide eyes.
They pulled up, and he saw several trucks and cars he recognized, and his excitement rose. He hadn’t seen any of the guys since the military medical airplane took him away.
He got out and opened the door for Jade. After he took her hand, they followed Eric into the bar. It was pretty subdued as they walked in, and by the time people started seeing them, he had guys hooting, whistling, and coming forward to hug him. The whole time, he kept Jade by his side and introduced each of them, but he could tell she was getting overwhelmed with all the names.
He kissed the top of her head. “Don’t worry. You’ll get to know them.”
“It’s just they’re all very big,” she said, making those who heard laugh.
“Aren’t there other girls here?” Jade asked.
“There might be later on, but they’re not the type of women Cole will let you hang with,” Eric said.
“Why?”
Cole squeezed her. “The women Eric’s talking about come here for one thing: to find a SEAL for the night.”
“Like to have sex?”
“Yes, baby. The guys don’t touch them because they’ve had more guys than you want to know.”