Free SEAL Protected by Rosa Foxxe

cautious casual aspect of our relationship and become more serious.
     
    “Well,” said my father after a long pause. “What do you say we go see Tom?” I looked at my father and smiled, my eyes shining – though I’d never admit it. It took only a few minutes for me to get ready, and then together my father and I headed for the hospital.
     
    Neither one of us spoke on the way to the hospital, though I could tell my father was thinking about something. Most likely, that something was myself and Tom, and while he seemed accepting, I was still dreading the moment when he and Tom came face to face.
     
    My fears were short lived. Within minutes, my father and I were being lead into Tom’s room. I gasped when I saw him. He was bare from the waist up and a heavy bandage was wrapped around his shoulder. His arm was in a sling as well and various things were hooked into him. I recognized a heart rate monitor and an IV drip. The other two were a mystery.
     
    “Tom,” I whispered, a hand flying over my mouth. I rushed to his side as his eyes fluttered open and wrapped my hands around his unencumbered one. “How are you?”
     
    He smiled, running his thumb over my hand. “A little worn down, but otherwise all right,” he said. He tried to turn toward me, but pain contorted his face and he eased himself back down. “Okay,” he conceded. “Maybe not all that well.”
     
    “You are so stupid, you know that?” I asked.
     
    “It’s my job to protect you, part of that is protecting your father. I did my duty, and I will stand by that.” He locked eyes with my father. “I’m proud of my actions, even if they did land me in a hospital bed.”
     
    My father shook his head and stepped up to the end of the bed. “My daughter has informed me that the two of you are in a relationship.” Tom pressed his lips tightly together, but he didn’t drop my father’s gaze. “Before this, I would have had you fired in an instant. But, seeing how she cares about you, and seeing how you care about her, I can’t hold it against either of you.” He sighed.
     
    “I love her,” said Tom. His voice was firm but I saw his hands were shaking. He turned his head to look at me. “I love you, Michelle, and I would do anything in the world to make you happy.” I smiled, my eyes watering. Hearing those words, my heart made its decision.
     
    “I love you too,” I said, and they rang true despite their sudden revelation. “And I’m so glad you’re okay.”
     
    “If you are able to work again, I would be happy to welcome you back to my workforce,” said my father. Tom and I smiled at each other and he pulled me in for a gentle kiss. It was chaste, but I could almost feel the joy of my father’s acceptance in his touch. I smiled into the kiss and pulled back to rest my forehead against his. Tom was alive. He was alive and he was in one piece. Not only that, but my father was fine with our relationship. I couldn’t have been happier. Everything had fallen into place.
     
    “Thank you, sir,” said Tom. “For your blessing.”
     
    My father snorted. “Please, if I said it was a blessing my daughter would have my head for the insinuation that she was to be given away. Though, that is essentially what it is.”
     
    I grinned at my father. “Maybe just this once, I’ll let it slide.” I winked at him and my father smiled, shaking his head at me.
     
    A knock on the half-open door startled us. A doctor stood in the doorway holding a clipboard. He raised it in a half-hearted greeting before sliding in. I sucked in a breath. This was the moment of truth. How injured was Tom?
     
    “Sorry to break up your party,” said the doctor. “But I thought you might want to know how your friend is doing.” He turned to Tom, who nodded. “Tom is stable, as you can tell, and his injuries will heal. However, the bullet did quite a bit of damage. Although he will heal, it will take a great deal of time, and he will never regain full