“I have something for you, Sherri. I ordered it a while back, but I swore the day you went missing that I would give it to you when I found you, alive or dead.”

“Well, that’s morbid,” she teased gently.

He smiled up at her, but his eyes remained serious. “I heard about the guys giving their Budweisers to you in the hearing this afternoon. The entire SEAL community is talking about it, and my phone has been blowing up over it.”

She nodded, still humbled by the display. “It was overwhelming.”

“It was well deserved,” he said firmly.

She smiled down at him. It was nice to hear him say that out loud.

He continued, “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to see it. But Cal asked me to stay away from your hearing.”

“Why?” she blurted out.

“He knows me too well. And he saw how hard I freaked out when you went missing. He’s no dummy, he knows how I feel about you. I think he was worried if the hearing didn’t go your way, I would lose my cool and go after Duquesne.”

“Would you have?” she asked, curious.

“Oh, hell to the yes. I know better than anyone how much you deserve to be on the teams. You’ve earned every bit of it.”

Warmth flowed through her at his ringing endorsement. And to think, he’d been the most determined of all to force her out of the SEALs. They’d come a long way, the two of them.

“Why are you down there on the floor?” she asked. “I’d much rather have you up here kissing me.”

“Because I still haven’t given you this.” He held out a small black leather box.

She took it, smiled at him over it, and opened it.

She stared at the piece inside. She’d expected a Budweiser pin. But she was wrong. Oh, it was a SEAL insignia all right, but it was a ring. A bright-gold ring, with a tiny eagle clasping a miniature trident and flintlock in its talons, its delicate wings flying over a spectacular solitaire diamond.

“I know you can’t marry me yet,” Griffin said. “You have to finish BUD/S, and I have to go to Afghanistan and kill Haddad. But would you keep this with you as a promise ring? One day, I promise I’ll come home, put it on your finger, and make you my wife.”

She stared down at the ring and back at him. Tears blurred her vision until the man and the ring were one great, shining blob of joy.

“Yes, Griffin. I’ll keep it. And I’ll come home, too, put it on my finger, and marry you. And I’m holding you to your promise.”

“Never fear. I’m all yours, Sherri Tate. Forever.”