“That’s precisely what I’m talking about,” Trevor replied. “When we’ve lost a brother in the past, we’ve all gotten stinking drunk, acted macho, and never acknowledged how bad it hurt. But last night, Cal actually cried. I didn’t know the man even had tear ducts.”

Griffin stared. “For real?”

“Yes. For real.”

Finally, the moment broke and they grinned at each other. He muttered, “You’re so full of shit.”

Griffin noticed that Trevor pointedly didn’t ask him if he’d slept with Sherri. But then, he didn’t volunteer the information, either. “In other news,” Griffin said as he stretched out on his own cot, “Sherri’s going to BUD/S in two weeks.”

“No kidding?” Trevor exclaimed, sitting bolt upright and clutching at his skull. “I’m surprised Cal didn’t hold her back to be a functional operator.”

“She volunteered.”

“Did she, now?” The Brit stared thoughtfully at Griffin. “Why do you suppose she did that?”

He shrugged. “She said something about being best suited to deal with the media attention the first woman SEAL will have to endure.”

“So she sacrificed herself for the others,” Trevor said soberly. “That was noble of her.”

Noble, huh? Griffin hadn’t thought of it in that light, but he supposed it was. Funny. He’d never thought in terms of any woman as noble before. But it wasn’t a bad way to describe what Sherri had done.

“We’ll miss her around here,” Trevor commented. He added what sounded like an afterthought: “We’ll miss you, too.”

Griffin grinned. “You’ll be so busy trying to get into Anna’s pants, you won’t notice I’m gone.”

Trevor’s cheeks turned bright red, and Griffin started. He’d meant that as a joke. But was there something going on between the Brit and the brunette that he’d missed? Apparently, yes. Reserved, classy Trevor and fiery Anna with the big mouth and fast wit?

Did Sherri know? Was that part of why she’d volunteered to leave? So Trevor and Anna could have a shot at finding happiness? The phrase noble sacrifice floated through his head.

And he hadn’t even thanked her for giving up her dreams and ambitions for the greater good, which was exactly the sort of sacrifice a SEAL might make.

Well, hell. He’d been outSEALed by a woman.

Chapter 14

Two weeks later

Sherri was met at San Diego International Airport by a public affairs officer who looked about twelve years old and whose name tag said Schneider.