Page 34 of The Princess and the SEAL

Chapter 14

Ryan

MY EYES BEGAN TO TEAR WHEN I stared at the ten thousand perfectly aligned crosses. They were placed in formation, like little soldiers, on a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach.

The crosses were pointed toward America.

I choked up. Though I had read many books about the war, being in the cemetery rattled me. I knew that I risked my life every day as a SEAL and that I, too, could end up sacrificing my life for the freedoms of my country.

Just like Giselle was sacrificing her happiness to protect her own country. The irony about what we had in common was not lost on me. I loved my country; she loved hers. And this love would ultimately keep us apart.

The escort was incredibly knowledgeable, and despite my initial reluctance to take a guided tour, I was grateful that Giselle had hired him.

As Giselle and I walked hand in hand through the memorial, I saw an old man wearing a cap that had the words “D-Day Survivor” stitched on it.

I extended my hand to him. “Sir, I’m so honored to meet you. I’m a Navy SEAL, and I’m completely in awe of how brave you were here. Thank you for your service.”

He smiled and shook my hand. “Thank you, young man. I appreciate your kinds words, but it still feels strange to be thanked for the worst day of my life.”

His reaction caused me to pause. I saw him as a hero, and even though he was revisiting his past, the pain of his memories was evident in his sad eyes. How many friends had he lost here that day? What had he seen?

“I understand, sir.”

He glanced at Giselle. “Is this your beautiful wife?”

I winced. He must’ve seen her ring. “No, sir. Unfortunately, she is not.”

He placed his hand on my back. “Son, I fell in love with a girl once. She was beautiful. A nurse. Hair the color of sunshine and eyes the shade of rain. But I didn’t want to get married while I was in the Army. When I returned, she had eloped with someone else. I never forgave myself for letting her go.”

I nodded. “Thank you, sir. It was night to meet you.”

His words seared me deeply. Would I regret letting Giselle go? But unlike this man, I didn’t have a choice in the matter. Giselle was engaged.

But even in the few days since I had met her, I realized that I wanted more out of life.

Maybe I would like to have a girlfriend.

Too bad it would never be Giselle.

Giselle placed her hand on my chest. “I’m sorry about that. I should take off this ring, but I keep it on in case I get pictured. I hope you understand.”

Right. Those pictures could be explained away. After all, I was just the bodyguard. “I get it.”

My heart was overwhelmed with death and sadness. We finally left the memorial and headed back to the hotel after an exhausting day. I felt satisfied that I had paid my respects to the men who had sacrificed their lives for freedom. The greatest generation.

We were both wiped out after our long trip.

Giselle stood in front of her hotel room door. “Would you like to come in? We can order dinner and watch a movie.”

I exhaled. Normally, yes, of course, I would. But I wasn’t in the right mindset. I needed to be alone.

“I’d love to, Princess, but I’m going to call it a night. Today was rough for me. I just need to be alone.”

She looked down at her feet. “I understand.”

I lifted her chin and kissed her. “Good night, Giselle.”

“Good night.”