Invincible

25.

Even though I loved to ski and snowboard, I preferred summer to winter in Tahoe. The water was so blue and clear. We planned to hike on the Horsetail Falls Trail. It was a fairly easy hike, not too crowded that our view would be spoiled.

While I slept in, Annie had woken up early and ran to the store. She bought groceries for the week and made sandwiches for the hike.

We hiked along Pyramid Creek. I peeked through the trees until I found a great swimming hole. No one was around, so we stripped down and went skinny-dipping. We made love under a beautiful small cascade.

I climbed out, got dressed, and found a large, flat boulder for our picnic. I set all the food out, poured two glasses of wine. Annie was still wading in the swimming hole. She looked so blissful. I could stare at her forever.

She finally emerged, looking like one of those water nymphs. She gathered her clothes and I checked out her perky ass.

The sky was didn’t have a cloud in sight, and the crisp air was almost like a drug to me. There were snow-capped mountains in the distance. After nine months at see, I couldn’t image a more beautiful sight. After five years of captivity, I’m sure the view even meant more to Annie.

She took a sip of her wine. “So, when you deploy next month, where are you going?”

“Middle east.”

She nodded. “How will I communicate with you? Do you even have a phone?”

“Well when we are on ship or one of the bases, I can check email. Maybe even use the phone. But if I’m on operation, it might be a month or so with no word.”

Her lip trembled. I knew it would suck for her to get this close to me and then be left without even a way to contact me.

“Can I call someone? I mean to see if you are okay?”

I took a bite of my sandwich. This was a talk we needed to have sooner or later. “Well, the wives have a number to call, and groups to meet at. But there isn’t really something set up for girlfriends.”

She shrugged her shoulders, and turned around to get water out of the backpack. “I get it. I’ll just call Kyle’s mom.”

Dammit. I couldn’t do this to her. She needed support to be with me. Especially since her family completely sucked. There was one way I could make this easier for her. Something I vowed never to do. I tore off some tin foil from the sandwich.

When she turned back around, I had a surprise for her.

“What are you doing?”

I dropped to one knee. “Will you marry me?” I coiled the foil into a ring.

She didn’t respond, just started shaking her head. ““Why are you asking me? So I can get wife updates while you are deployed? That’s ridiculous. No. I don’t want to get married for the wrong reasons.”

“That’s part of it. I want to take care of you. But I have thought about marrying you. And you’re it for me. Say yes.”

“Are you insane? We just got together. A week ago you weren’t even sure if you wanted to ever see me again. You can't be serious."

I didn’t give up—I always got what I wanted. I couldn't stand the thought of her not being safe, not being protected. “Dead serious. Yes or no—I won’t ask again.”

Her top lip contorted. I knew she had feelings for me, but didn’t see this coming a mile away. But she was it for me, in the ways that mattered. And the only way this would ever work out, the only way she would be safe, with my job and her father, is if she became completely mine. “You haven’t even said you love me yet. Do you love me?”

Of course I did. But I couldn’t say it. “You know how I feel about you.”

She closed her eyes. I wished I could climb inside her head. Crush out her bad memories and replace them with good ones. But I couldn’t do that. The only thing I could do was take care of her for the rest of her life, and make sure that no one ever harmed her again.

Her eyes opened—those gorgeous hazel eyes that I’d seen the first night in the brothel. I knew her answer, she didn’t have to speak a word.

Her eyes darted from me to the crappy foil ring.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get you a nicer ring. This was all I could come up with.”

“Yes, Pat. Oh my God! I never thought you’d propose. Not ever. I didn’t even think you wanted a girlfriend. You’re crazy, but I love you. Yes.” She climbed in my lap and pushed me over.

“I can’t wait to start planning. When do you get back from your next deployment? It will take at least a year to organize. Don’t worry, my dad will pay for everything.”

Here we go. Of course, I knew that all women wanted to plan their dream wedding. And Annie had enough of her dreams taken away; I didn’t want to burst another. But over my dead body would I let her father pay for one penny.

“That’s the catch. I won’t be back for nine months, maybe ten if we extend. And we have to get married before I go or you won’t get any benefits. I need you taken care of and you're nothing to the military if there isn't a marriage license to back it up. The SEAL wives will welcome you, and the BUD/S instructor SEALs will be there if you need anything. I leave soon. I want to spend as much time with you as my wife as possible. Let’s go now.”

“Now. Here? Today? Without my family? They’ve been through enough without me and now you want to elope?”

I wanted to tell her that I knew for a fact that her dad didn’t give a shit about her and left her to die. But I’d take that secret to my grave. Maybe one day she would learn the truth—but it wouldn’t be from me. No way in hell.

“Yes. Let’s go to Harrah’s. Now. I can’t wait Annie. I don’t think you understand the SEAL community. We will have a ton of paperwork to fill out, have to get your ID card, all your benefits, my life insurance. Get on the housing list, since I’d rather you live on base where they can keep you safe. This is the only way it will work. I can’t be deployed and have you back home without a safety net. There’s an eighty percent divorce rate and I won’t let us be a statistic. I’ll never cheat on you. You don’t have to worry about that. But it won’t be easy. Though compared to what you’ve been through it should be a piece of cake.”

“But my parents—”

I stopped her with a kiss. I didn’t want to hear about her parents. I needed to protect her from them. “Now or never.”

She paused, her lip caught in her teeth, then smiled. “Now. Let’s do it.”

This was the only way I could protect her. Seeing her happy face replace the image in my head of the sad girl in the brothel brought me peace. I rarely had peace or even desired it. My fucking bumper sticker read, “Give War a Chance.”

Annie insisted on finishing the picnic lunch she’d prepared. She said she wanted to savor the moment, remember the place we got engaged. She took photos of the trail, the foil ring, us.

We finally made our way back down the trailhead, found my truck and drove off toward the Douglas County Administration Building to get our wedding license. Annie called en route and we were able to get an appointment, and the chapel had an opening in an hour. Getting our license didn’t take long, and we drove to a jewelry store to get her a ring.

I picked out a small white gold princess cut diamond for her and she bought me a titanium band. I couldn’t afford to get her a huge rock, and I never lived beyond my means. Annie had to be happy with my lifestyle, as a Navy wife. There would be no luxurious vacations and no beachfront mansions. But she’d never starve and I’d always provide for her. And she knew that.

I didn’t feel nervous. I was fucking sure about it. Once I made a decision, I never wavered.

The attendant signaled that we were next. The chapel overlooked the lake.

Annie pulled me aside. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Positive.”

“I never thought I’d get married. I used to think that even if I escaped, no man would ever love me. That I’d always be Star. I’d always be seen as nothing but a whore. Then I met you and you gave me hope. Not hope that you would love me, I didn’t love myself. Just hope that I would one day get my life back. Even after you saved me, I didn’t think there could ever be a chance for us. You seemed so tough, so strong, so invincible. And you’re so sexy. I mean, you look like an action movie star. You could get any girl, why would you want a former hooker? And you constantly said over and over that you didn’t want a relationship until you retired. I figured what happened on that boat was just you taking pity on me. When you told me at the embassy that you never wanted to see me again, I thought that was it. And I was actually trying to make peace with living in a world without you in it, and I focused on getting strong and healthy. Seeing you returning from deployment was bittersweet, because I didn’t think you wanted to even get to know me. I don’t know what switched inside your head, but you’ve made me the happiest woman ever. I’m so happy you chose me in the brothel. Everyday in captivity I played the ‘what if’ game. What if I hadn’t gone on the cruise? What if I hadn’t been drunk that night? What if I hadn’t decided to go take pictures? There are no more ‘what ifs’ in my life. I’m present. I’m here now. And if I could go back in time and choose not to get kidnapped, I wouldn’t change a thing. Because that nightmare brought me to you. To think you were living in San Diego when I was in high school and we never met. Did I see you on the beach? We are meant to be together. Forever. I’ll spend every day of the rest of my life trying to make you happy."

I didn’t cry, but I became choked up. I almost told her I loved her but the officiant interrupted our moment and came back to the center of the chapel and started the ceremony.

Annie glowed. We were still dressed in our hiking clothes, but this was our wedding, our way. I’d give her the wedding of her dreams when I returned from deployment. But I’d pay for everything, and her parents wouldn’t be invited.

It came time to say our vows. I repeated what the officiant told me.

“Do you, Patrick Joseph Walsh, take this woman whose hand you now hold, to be your true and wedded wife; and do you solemnly promise before God and these witnesses to LOVE, CHERISH, HONOR AND PROTECT HER: to forsake all others for her sake; to cleave unto her, and her only, with her forever until death shall part you?”

My heart pounded in my chest. “I do.”

“Do you Analía Rose Hamilton, take this man who now holds your hand, to be your true and wedded husband; and do you solemnly promise before God and these witnesses to LOVE, CHERISH, HONOR AND PROTECT HIM, to forsake all others for his sake; to cleave unto him and him only, and him forever until death shall part you?”

Annie beamed. “I do.”

The officiant finished the ceremony. We exchanged rings. And then he said the words I was waiting to hear.

“Therefore, by the power vested in me by the laws of the state of Nevada, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride.”

I cupped Annie’s face and kissed her. She jumped on me and I twirled her around.

“I present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Walsh.”

There was no one in the chapel but I didn’t give a fuck. Annie was mine now. Forever. She was a Walsh. And no one would ever hurt her again.