have killed ourselves, but what Uncle Frank didn’t know didn’t hurt us, I guess.”
“You were one of those kids always floating the river or jumping off train trestles, weren’t you?”
“Guilty. Let me guess. When you weren’t a mild-mannered reader or a cautious swimmer in a sensible creek—”
“Hey, it’s better to be sensible than sorry!” Was that the way he saw her? She blinked and realized that once again she was still in the cafeteria. Talking with him transported her entirely. She’d forgotten her food, which had to be seriously cool by now. When she glanced at the clock above the door, she was shocked. She had twenty minutes to go before work. Where had the hour gone? She forked in a mouthful of turkey and noodles, chewing fast.
“I wasn’t knocking being sensible,” he was saying. “You always have to be careful in water. I couldn’t resist the urge to tease you. You are always the good one, aren’t you? You always try to do the right thing.”
“I try. I don’t know how well I do. I feel like I always make a mess of things in the end.” Like with him. She already had a serious crush on a man who couldn’t bemore wrong for her. A man who could never be anything more than a friend. Wasn’t that a colossal mess?
Uh, yeah. She had no idea how to stop her feelings. “My cousin and I would take the horses up into the forest. That was probably my favorite thing.”
“I like horses best from a distance. I prefer something more predictable, like a snowmobile or a dirt bike.”
“Wait a minute, you grew up around horses, but you don’t like them?” She stuck her fork in her salad, spearing a mouthful of greens. “I think there’s something the big strong brave Ranger isn’t telling me.”
“Not all country boys grow up liking horses.”
“Uh, my cousins did. C’mon, spill. You had a bad experience you never overcame.”
“How did you know?”
“Happened to one of my cousins, too. He fell off his pony and he didn’t get back in the saddle ever.” She took a quick bite.
“I know how he feels. I used to see a horse and my knees would knock together.”
“I don’t exactly believe you. Aren’t Rangers supposed to be tough?”
“That’s a big rumor. Sad but true.”
She loved how he could make her laugh. “Too bad I can’t put you to the test, Mr. Tough Guy. I would invite you to ride horses with me this summer, but you’ll probably be off traveling the world.”
“With any luck, I won’t be too far away. I’m stationed at Fort Lewis, over in Washington State. You never know. I have more leave coming, but I can be sent anywhere at a moment’s notice, so I probably won’t be able to show up to your challenge.”
“I hear the joy in your voice.”
“I’m trying to hide my relief, but it didn’t work, huh?”
“Not a bit, buster.” She was grinning ear to ear, and it was because of him, this man who was hundreds of miles away, but made her feel like he was in the next room. “I’ve got to shovel down the rest of my dinner in the next two minutes and race over to the libe. I’m working tonight.”
“I don’t want you to race in the snow.” His tone lowered, intimately, tenderly. “I’ll let you go. Goodbye, Lexie.”
She couldn’t make herself say goodbye, for some reason. Yes, she cared way more than was safe or sensible. “Adios.”
She disconnected, although she held the phone for a moment longer than necessary as if to somehow keep the connection with him, a tie she didn’t need and he didn’t want.
Somehow she was going to have to deal with her feelings. Luckily, now wasn’t the time.
Chapter Eight
H e was beat, but it was good to be back home. He tossed his ruck on the floor, pulled his keys out of the door and hit the lights. He’d been lucky to get the little one-bedroom apartment. It was a stone’s throw from the air base, but it echoed around him as he shouldered the door shut. Everything looked the same as when he’d
“You were one of those kids always floating the river or jumping off train trestles, weren’t you?”
“Guilty. Let me guess. When you weren’t a mild-mannered reader or a cautious swimmer in a sensible creek—”
“Hey, it’s better to be sensible than sorry!” Was that the way he saw her? She blinked and realized that once again she was still in the cafeteria. Talking with him transported her entirely. She’d forgotten her food, which had to be seriously cool by now. When she glanced at the clock above the door, she was shocked. She had twenty minutes to go before work. Where had the hour gone? She forked in a mouthful of turkey and noodles, chewing fast.
“I wasn’t knocking being sensible,” he was saying. “You always have to be careful in water. I couldn’t resist the urge to tease you. You are always the good one, aren’t you? You always try to do the right thing.”
“I try. I don’t know how well I do. I feel like I always make a mess of things in the end.” Like with him. She already had a serious crush on a man who couldn’t bemore wrong for her. A man who could never be anything more than a friend. Wasn’t that a colossal mess?
Uh, yeah. She had no idea how to stop her feelings. “My cousin and I would take the horses up into the forest. That was probably my favorite thing.”
“I like horses best from a distance. I prefer something more predictable, like a snowmobile or a dirt bike.”
“Wait a minute, you grew up around horses, but you don’t like them?” She stuck her fork in her salad, spearing a mouthful of greens. “I think there’s something the big strong brave Ranger isn’t telling me.”
“Not all country boys grow up liking horses.”
“Uh, my cousins did. C’mon, spill. You had a bad experience you never overcame.”
“How did you know?”
“Happened to one of my cousins, too. He fell off his pony and he didn’t get back in the saddle ever.” She took a quick bite.
“I know how he feels. I used to see a horse and my knees would knock together.”
“I don’t exactly believe you. Aren’t Rangers supposed to be tough?”
“That’s a big rumor. Sad but true.”
She loved how he could make her laugh. “Too bad I can’t put you to the test, Mr. Tough Guy. I would invite you to ride horses with me this summer, but you’ll probably be off traveling the world.”
“With any luck, I won’t be too far away. I’m stationed at Fort Lewis, over in Washington State. You never know. I have more leave coming, but I can be sent anywhere at a moment’s notice, so I probably won’t be able to show up to your challenge.”
“I hear the joy in your voice.”
“I’m trying to hide my relief, but it didn’t work, huh?”
“Not a bit, buster.” She was grinning ear to ear, and it was because of him, this man who was hundreds of miles away, but made her feel like he was in the next room. “I’ve got to shovel down the rest of my dinner in the next two minutes and race over to the libe. I’m working tonight.”
“I don’t want you to race in the snow.” His tone lowered, intimately, tenderly. “I’ll let you go. Goodbye, Lexie.”
She couldn’t make herself say goodbye, for some reason. Yes, she cared way more than was safe or sensible. “Adios.”
She disconnected, although she held the phone for a moment longer than necessary as if to somehow keep the connection with him, a tie she didn’t need and he didn’t want.
Somehow she was going to have to deal with her feelings. Luckily, now wasn’t the time.
Chapter Eight
H e was beat, but it was good to be back home. He tossed his ruck on the floor, pulled his keys out of the door and hit the lights. He’d been lucky to get the little one-bedroom apartment. It was a stone’s throw from the air base, but it echoed around him as he shouldered the door shut. Everything looked the same as when he’d
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