Brianna's Navy SEAL Read Online Free Page A

her hand over her mouth, but everyone had noticed. It had been a pretty loud yawn.
    "Not enough sleep?” Cable asked, grinning at her over his fork.
    "Nah, we're just too tedious for Brie,” Jake teased. He reached to move Joey's cup away from the edge of the table. The toddler, wiggly in his booster seat, was intent on scooping peas onto his spoon. His father nudged them on with his thumb, and Joey dumped them gleefully into his mouth.
    "See, Mama! I do it!” He waved the spoon.
    "I don't think you guys are tedious,” Brianna protested, watching her nephew to avoid seeing Cable viewing her embarrassment. “Or teaching, for that matter. You know I love it."
    "For now.” Parker, Sophie's husband, hadn't been part of the family for long, but he'd quickly gotten the hang of picking on Brianna. “By Christmas break she'll be taking off again, maybe for the Middle East. New York and LA haven't seemed to be enough."
    "Shush, you guys.” Cable didn't need to hear about her past restlessness, and it wasn't like she could counter their accusations by pointing her finger at her sisters anymore.
    "Middle East?” Cable questioned, eyeing her. “What are they talking about?"
    "Nothing.” She stabbed a piece of meat with her fork, then set it down, her appetite gone. She had no doubt Cable was intimately familiar with the Middle East, and wondered what he was thinking.
    "So, what do you think the Sox's chances are to win the pennant this year?"
    Grateful to her father for taking pity on her, Brianna stood and started gathering plates while the rest launched into their favorite fall debate. She'd just get a few moments alone in the kitchen to recover. But Cable followed her with his own stack and started scraping remains into the trash. Stuck, Brie bent to help.
    "You do a lot of traveling?” Cable asked, something careful in his voice. Not sure why that was, she answered cautiously.
    "Not really. Just a couple of times in the last few years."
    "You going overseas?"
    "No, that was a joke. I'm sorry, that's just kind of what happens with a big family. They toss out inside jokes and ignore how rude it is to guests."
    Cable dropped the silverware into the sink next to the plates and scooted the trash can back into place with his foot. “What are you doing after dinner?"
    "Um, well, usually we ... I go home and relax, ‘cause tomorrow's Monday. Tonight I have some bookkeeping to do for an accountant I help out, though, so no rest for me."
    "I was hoping you'd go get coffee with me or something. But if you're busy—"
    "Not that busy.” Brianna felt like she was in high school again, her chest filling with air and threatening to take her to the ceiling. “Um, there's a new coffee shop on the square. It's within walking distance. We can take it to the park, then walk back. If you want."
    "Sounds good."
    "Hey, you guys want to play Cranium?” Jake poked his head through the door. “Sophie and Parker are hanging out for a while before they head home."
    Brianna and Cable looked at each other, then back at Jake.
    "Sure,” said Cable.
    "For a little while,” Brianna added.
    "Great.” Jake winked knowingly. “Save the dishes. Dad'll do them later. Come'n out."
    Brianna wiped her hands on a dishtowel and followed them, cursing herself. She didn't want to play Cranium, she wanted to go on this pseudo-date with Cable. But she hadn't wanted to contradict him, when he seemed to be enjoying himself and might see her as being pushy.
    Damn it. She had to stop this. She still felt like a teenager, but now in a bad way. She'd smile and play the game for half an hour, then they'd go get their coffee. It was as simple as that.
* * * *
    Brianna should have known. Simple was never part of Macgregor family events, not anymore. The game went on for two hours, interrupted by drink runs, bathroom trips, the impossibility of getting her mother to sit still for five minutes, and Joey's interest in Cable's biceps and refusal to nap. By the time the