Hunter's Heart by Rita Henuber

you’re good. It’s when it gets in the way of work, you need to worry.”
    They were silent for several minutes, leaning against the building, listening to night sounds. A coyote barking. Plane engines cycling up. Music coming from one of the huts.
    “That can’t be all,” Bug said.
    No it wasn’t. Hunter sought Bug’s advice because the man had run the gauntlet in relationships. Bug’s first marriage ended in divorce. He and his high school girlfriend, both nineteen, married after he graduated Navy boot camp. Things were okay until he went into the SEALs.
    It happened his wife didn’t like being lonely. She found any number of sailors in San Diego to keep her company while he was away. After the divorce, Bug drank too much and made it his sworn duty to meet and bed every bar bunny in San Diego, right up to the day a California Highway Patrol officer pulled him over for speeding.
    Bug fell hard for her. They were together for a couple of years until she stopped to assist a man whose car had broken down. The man thanked her by shooting her in the head. Bug asked for a transfer to the East Coast to get away from the memories. Two days after he arrived in Virginia he met his wife. He asked her out, took her home and never left.
    “I didn’t tell her I’d be gone two weeks.”
    “How long have you been seeing her?”
    “Been out twice.”
    “Then what are you worried about? She won’t be feeling very kindly to you when you get back. Once she sees your ugly face she’ll forgive you.”
    “Yeah…but, ehhh …. The night before we left, I stayed over at her place.”
    Bug snorted. “ Fuck .”
    “Exactly,” Hunter said.
    “You went out with her twice and you’re this messed up over it?” He shook his head. “Brother you got it gooood. May I suggest when you go to see her you wear full protective gear? An angry woman can do more damage than a five-hundred-pound IED. That’s assuming you’ve got big enough balls to see her again.”
    “You are not making this any easier for me.”
    “Then I’m doing my job.”
    “Asshole.”
    “Frog, women are a profound, complicated species we men can never understand. All we can do is go to our knees and thank God when we find one who’ll let us in her life. Be there for us. Put up with our truckloads of bullshit. Love us and let us love her.” His voice trailed away and he puffed on the cigar. “Seriously dude, you know you didn’t have a choice.”
    “Doesn’t make me feel any better. What do you tell Jenny when you leave?”
    “I tell her its training or a deployment. She knows where. I’ll call if I can and tell her I love her.” He pushed off the wall and faced Hunter. “This…” He paused and swept a hand around. “This shit is not a problem—it’s easy. We train for every fucking scenario to the point it’s as instinctive as breathing. What we leave behind…”
    He shook his head. “That takes guts and ain’t easy. That one woman comes along and smiles at you. All the blood leaves your big head for your small one. The self-control we are all so fucking proud of having…. Pffft.” He tossed a hitchhiker’s thumb over his shoulder. “Gone. The big mean fighting machine no longer has any fucking idea what it’s doing. My brother, women are trouble—in capital letters.” Bug examined the Herrera then looked over at him. His grin showing white teeth between his dark beard and mustache. “But you know how us SEALs love trouble. And damn , women are abso-fucking-lutely worth it.”

    The next day the puke, asshole, mother fuckers did everything they could to sabotage the fast rope and extraction training. The day was a waste for the entire unit. Hunter was glad they didn’t have live ammo. LT called them together after chow. “We’re leaving. Pack up. Got a plane out at midnight.”
    “Wait a minute,” Hunter spoke up, none too happy. “We’ve taken shit from those Army assholes for days. I don’t know about anyone else but I’m