SEALs Love Curves Book 6: Family

Rocky’s dinner arrived while he was talking to Dex. He decided not to tell him about Nikki and Sly yet, even though Dex could tell something was off. He kept asking what was going on, but Rocky insisted he was just anxious about the surgery and being gone for a month.

“We’re fine. There’s nothing going on here that we can’t handle,” Dex said.

“Yeah, I know. I just wish I could be in two places at once.”

Dex told him to enjoy his dinner and to call once he was up the next day and said goodnight. Rocky dug into his dinner and was about to enjoy dessert when the phone in the room rang.

“Uh, hello?” he answered it.

“Hey, Rocky. It’s Nicole.”

“Oh, hey. How are you? Is Sly okay?”

He could hear the smile in her quiet voice when she answered. “He’s fine. He just fell asleep. He gets tired easily.”

“Is that because of his kidneys?”

“Yeah. His body has to work harder, and it wears him out. But that’s not why I called.”

“Okay, why did you call?”

“I wanted you to know what room we’re in. I mean, if you want to know. I don’t know if you really meant it when you said you want to get to know Sly, but if you do—”

“I do, Nikki. I meant it. I want to know him. But you’re his mother, and if it’s not okay with you, that’s your call. I haven’t been here. You don’t know me, so I get that you need to be careful.”

“No, I…” She sighed heavily. “You’re his father. I’m not going to keep you from him. If I knew how to find you, I would have told you when I found out I was pregnant.”

“I know,” Rocky said. “I was the one who didn’t want to use full names. It’s on me, not you.”

Nikki was silent.

“So, are you going to tell me what room you’re in?” Rocky asked with a laugh.

“Yeah, um, sorry. Sly’s in room 768.”

“Okay, good. Thanks. Does he have to stay in the hospital for a long time, too?”

“A week or two, yeah.”

Rocky scoffed. “Seriously?”

“Yeah, why?”

“They want me to stay a month.”

“We live close to here. Dr. Andrews said I can monitor him at home. Sly’s going to be recovering for a few months, but he can recover at home.”

“Is Dr. Andrews a good doctor?”

“The best. He’s amazing.”

The irrational jealousy Rocky felt at Nikki’s praise of the doctor made him want to punch something.

“So, um, I’m going to get ready for bed. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow. I just wanted to make sure you could call us.”

“Thanks, Nikki.”

“Yep. So, um, good night.”

“Good night. Oh, wait.”

“Yeah?”

“What’s your last name?”

“Burke.”

“Nikki Burke. It’s nice to meet you.”

“You, too, Adrian Malone.”

“Good night, Nikki.”

“Good night, Adrian.”

He smiled as he hung up the phone. Nikki Burke. And Sylvester Burke. His son. Who would be getting his kidney the next day.

His mind bounced to Dr. Andrews, and curiosity got the better of him. Rocky searched for more info on the man Nikki was so fond of. He needed to make sure the doctor was as good as Nikki made him sound.

The glowing reviews online made it seem like he was even better. Rocky liked him more when he saw a picture of the man with his wife of over thirty years and their children and grandchildren.

He wasn’t going to admit that, though.

He started to put his phone down but paused and searched for Nicole Burke. Her name was common enough that he had to sift through people who weren’t her to find Nikki’s unused social media profiles. Her accounts clearly hadn’t been updated in years, and the other information he found about her wasn’t much more recent. Rocky knew he could find out just about anything he wanted to know, but he wasn’t going to violate her privacy anymore than he already had.

His nurse came in around eleven to ask if he needed anything, but Rocky told her he was going to try to sleep and was okay. She turned off his lights and pulled the curtain to block the light from the window in his closed door.

Rocky didn’t take long to fall asleep, with dreams of Nikki and Sly to keep him company.

Morning came far too early, but Rocky was happy for it because it meant Sly was going to feel better. He was prepped and taken up to the surgical floor before the sun was up. People buzzed around him, connecting him to machines to monitor everything while he was under. Rocky let them work and tried to relax and think about Nikki.

He wondered how she slept, and if she slept. He had no idea what it was like to be a single parent, but even if he did, he figured it was that much more difficult to be a single parent to a sick kid. The look on Sly’s face when he asked about the humvee told Rocky things weren’t easy for them financially, and he felt even more guilty for not knowing about Sly.

“Good morning,” a cheerful voice said. “Can I get a moment with our patient?”

The rest of the staff filtered out, and one person said, “Good morning, Dr. Andrews.”

Rocky looked up at the covered face of the man who was going to save his son’s life and smiled. “Nice to meet you, Dr. Andrews.”

“You know who I am?”

“I asked Nikki about you. She said you’re great.”

“Nicole and Sly are wonderful people. Thank you for what you’re doing for them.”

“I would have been here sooner if I’d known, sir.”

Dr. Andrews nodded slowly, cataloguing Rocky. “I believe that. Nicole said you want to get to know Sly after this?”

Rocky nodded.

“He’s a special kid. And Nicole is an amazing mother. I know it isn’t my place, but without her parents in the picture, I think of her as another daughter. I hope you don’t intend to hurt them.”

Rocky shook his head and held the man’s gaze. “I wish I’d known about Sly years ago. If I had, I would be a part of their lives already.”

“And Nicole?”

Rocky sucked in a breath. “I hope she’ll let me get to know her. But beyond that, sir, quite honestly, it’s not going to be your business or anyone else’s.”

Dr. Andrews was silent for a moment, then nodded. “Take care of them, Mr. Malone.”

Rocky nodded. “I will.”

Dr. Andrews left the room, and the hustle resumed. It wasn’t long before someone was telling Rocky to count backward from ten and he was drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Nicole paced Sly’s room while she waited for news on the surgery. Dr. Andrews said it would take a few hours, but every minute that ticked by had Nicole more and more anxious. She just wanted to see her son again, and know he was going to be okay.

The door opened, and she jumped. Dr. Andrews strolled in and smiled. Nicole nearly collapsed with relief. Dr. Andrews gestured to the chair behind her and took the other one himself. He patted her hand on her knee.

“Everything went well,” Dr. Andrews said. “It was textbook, to be honest. Having a kidney that came from a living relative was perfect, and so far, everything looks great. Sly is still groggy, but that’s to be expected. They’ll have him back in here within the hour.”

“Thank you so much, Dr. Andrews. Thank you.”

“Stay strong, Nicole. I did the easy part. As always, you have the tough part. Go get something to eat and relax for a minute.”

Nicole nodded. “I will. Thank you.”

Dr. Andrews squeezed her hand and stood. He was almost to the door when he stopped. “Do you want to know about the donor?”

Nicole looked up at him. “Can you tell me?”

Dr. Andrews nodded. “Since there is a relationship, yes.”

“There’s not a relationship. We’re not… I mean…”

“I just meant he’s Sly’s father. Is that not the case?”

“He is. Sorry. I thought you meant… How is he?”

“He did well, too. I would expect a full recovery from him as well. And for what it’s worth, he seems like a good man, Nicole.”

Nicole nodded. “He is. He’ll be good for Sly.”

Dr. Andrews smiled. “Maybe for you, too.”

Nicole shook her head. “He doesn’t live here, I don’t think. And we don’t really know each other. He wants to know his son, but that’s it.”

Dr. Andrews grinned. “I’m not so sure about that. Get something to eat. I’ll be in before long to check on Sly.”

Nicole nodded, ignoring what Dr. Andrews said about Rocky. Besides, it didn’t matter because Sly was Nicole’s one and only priority.

She went downstairs to the cafeteria and got coffee and a breakfast sandwich. She didn’t want to risk not being there when Sly got back to the room so she carried her food upstairs. She’d just finished eating when Sly was wheeled back into the room.

“Good morning, Mom,” the nurse said. “I’m Dana. I’ll be the nurse for today. Dr. Andrews said this guy did awesome. We’ll be watching him closely for today and for the next forty-eight hours, but then we’ll get him up and moving. He’s still pretty tired.”

“I’m hungry,” Sly mumbled from the bed.

“Can he eat?”

Dana nodded. “Absolutely. Soft stuff to start because he was intubated and his throat is likely to be sore. The menu has breakfast options and the soft foods are marked. Not a lot of kids like things like oatmeal, but pancakes are probably soft enough. Maybe some fruit.”

Nicole looked over the menu and thanked Dana. Once she ordered breakfast for Sly, he asked if he could watch TV.

He zoned out while the cartoons played on the screen. Nicole closed her eyes and said a quick prayer of thanks to whoever was listening.

* * *

Rocky groaned when he tried to move. Pain shot through his abdomen, like someone shot him.

“Stop moving, dude,” Dex said.

“What the hell happened?” Rocky asked. His brain was foggy from the anesthesia.

“You had surgery to give a kidney to a kid,” Dex said.

Kidney. Kid. Sly. Nicole. It all came back to Rocky in a flash. The only thing he couldn’t figure out was why he was hearing Dex’s voice.

He pried his eyes open and saw his friend and roommate sitting next to his bed. “What are you doing here?”

Dex snorted. “Did you really think we were going to let you go through all this alone? I took the first shift.”

“Shift? The rest are here?”

Dex shook his head. “Not yet. I’m here for a week, then Mason’s going to come. Slade and Kyra talked about coming, and you know Lily isn’t going to miss a chance to baby you.”

Rocky snorted, then winced when the pain sliced through him. “Don’t make me laugh.”

Dex chuckled. “Sorry, man. You need me to call your nurse? She said you can have something when you wake up again.”

Rocky shook his head. “I’ll be fine.”

“No need to be a tough guy. If you’re hurting, take the meds. You know that.”

Rocky nodded. “I know, but I need to judge how bad it is before I start taking stuff.”

“Suit yourself. Hey, do they tell you how the kid is? The one you gave your kidney to? Or they can’t because you don’t know who he is?”

Rocky met his best friend’s gaze and drew in a breath. “I know who he is.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you remember Nikki?”

“Nikki? The chick you lost your mind over that one weekend and never got over? Uh, yeah. But what does she have to do with this?”

“It’s her son. The one I gave my kidney to.”

“No shit? What are the odds she would have a kid you were a match for?”

Rocky waited for Dex to put two and two together. When he figured it out, his jaw dropped.

“No. No fucking way. Are you kidding me?”

Rocky shook his head.

“How long have you known?”

“Since yesterday when I saw him in the waiting room and she sat down next to me and told me.”

“Fucking hell. Why didn’t she ever call you?”

“She didn’t know my name.”

“Shit. Are you okay?”

Rocky shrugged. “I haven’t really had time to process it all.”

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me last night when we talked? I knew something was off.”

Rocky shrugged. “It threw me. A lot. I always wanted a family, but… not like this. I wanted to be there to see my kids grow up. I wanted to have a wife and be a part of everything.”

“You blame her for this?”

“No. Fuck, no. Nikki is an amazing mom. She’s done everything for Sly. And she said if she knew how to reach me, she would have.”

“Do you believe her?” Dex asked, not in a malicious way.

Rocky nodded. “I do. I don’t think this was easy on her. She said she’s alone. No one was here with her. She’s done the best she could, but she said she’s open to me getting to know Sly.”

“Sly? His name is Sly?”

Rocky chuckled. “Like father, like son. She knew me as Rocky and named him basically for me.”

“I like her already.”

Rocky smiled. So did he.

“Am I going to get to meet her?”

Rocky nodded. “I’m sure. I wanted to call once I was up to see how Sly’s doing. Can you hand me the phone?”

Dex got up and picked up the phone. He dialed the room number while Rocky held the handset to his ear.

“Hello?” Nikki answered on the first ring.

“Hey, Nikki. It’s Rocky. How’s Sly doing?”

“He’s good,” Nikki said, a smile in her voice. “He’s eating and watching TV, so pretty much living the dream.”

“Good. That’s great news. Did you see Dr. Andrews yet?”

“Yeah, he was in here right after surgery. Said everything went well and we should be good. Obviously, it’s a long road to recovery, but we will recover.”

“Great news. I’m happy to hear it.”

“Yeah, me, too. Thank you. We…” She choked up. “We wouldn’t have gotten here without you.”

“I’m glad I could help.”

“Dinner?” Dex whispered.

Rocky waved his hand at him. “Shut it.”

“What was that?” Nikki asked.

“Nothing. Sorry. Just a pest in my room.”

“Seriously?”

“No. A friend of mine. He came down to make sure I’m following the rules. He wants to meet you and Sly.”

“Oh, well, that’s fine, but um, maybe not today. Let’s give him a day or two. We can talk tomorrow. If that’s okay.”

Rocky nodded. “Of course. I think I need the same.”

Nikki gasped. “I’m so sorry. I should have asked. How are you?”

“I’m good. And you shouldn’t have asked. You have someone a lot more important to worry about.”

“Yeah, but—”

“Nikki, don’t worry about it. Sly is your number one priority. This ugly jackass in front of me can worry about me.”

“You looking in a mirror?” Dex asked.

Rocky snorted.

“What did he say?” Nikki asked.

“He asked if I was looking in a mirror. He thinks he’s funny,” Rocky told her, then flipped Dex off while she laughed softly.

“Do you live close to here? I never asked you.”

“Nope. We live in New York. Niagara Falls.”

“Wow,” Nikki breathed. “I’ve always wanted to go there.”

“You should come visit,” Rocky said without thinking.

“Maybe,” Nikki answered. All of a sudden, she was reserved and pulled back. “Um, I need to go. I’ll talk to you soon.”

She hung up before Rocky could say goodbye. He looked at the phone in his hand.

“Scared her off?” Dex asked, taking the receiver and setting it down.

“Screw you.”

Dex snorted. “You saw her for the first time yesterday in what? Seven years?”

“So?”

“And you’re inviting her to visit you? She’s a single mom with a sick kid. You need to take this one slow, or you’re not going to get anywhere with her,” Dex said.

“I’m not trying to get anywhere with her. I just want to know my kid.”

“You aren’t still hung up on her? Because if my memory serves, you were pretty broken up about her running off on you. And I don’t think it was just your ego. I think you liked her. A lot.”

Rocky shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. She’s not interested, and that was a long time ago.”

“If you say so,” Dex said.

Rocky rolled his eyes. “Hey, do you think you can do me a favor? Since you’re here?”

Dex raised an eyebrow in question.

“Find a local toy store and go pick something up.”

“Something in particular?”

“Yeah, Sly likes humvees. Go get him the nicest one you can find. And anything else you think would go with it.”

Dex grinned. “Are you serious?”

Rocky nodded. “Yep.”

Dex snorted. “He really is your kid.”

Rocky just smiled. He liked the sound of that.