days. Then I go back to the U.S. for another semester.”
“ What subject are you studying?”
“ Nursing. I have one more semester after this one. There’s a little work left after that, but it’s moving along.”
“ Will you move here to Novosibirsk then?”
She frowned, looking back at Scott.
Scott’s eyes were already distant. Would she move to Novosibirsk ? She was about to be his wife. They couldn’t live on separate continents. But what choice did they have? Could he get a transfer somewhere else? What if they had no choice? “We’re still figuring that out,” he said. “We have a lot to figure out, but we will.” He squeezed her hand. “We will.”
Nicole forced her frown away. “We will,” she said. She entwined her fingers around his.
“ Brilliant,” Clarke said. “If there’s one bit of advice I can offer the two of you, it’s this. Never let love go. Trials may seem impassable, but you can overcome. This coming from a man who’s been married for ten years.”
Scott’s mouth fell open. Had Clarke just said he was married?
Clarke looked at Scott and chuckled. “This surprises you, lieutenant?”
“ I never knew that, sir…”
“ That’s because I never make mention of it. My work life and my private life are entirely different entities. But yes, I have a lovely wife and two beautiful daughters.”
“ They live here ?”
Clarke nodded. “In Novosibirsk, the city itself. Even though I could if I wanted to, I’d never let her live here on base. I visit her as often as time allows—we speak every day. What, did you think I was always in my quarters when I wasn’t around? I spend quite a few nights back at home.”
Scott was astounded. That absolutely floored him. All this while, he’d thought the captain was retiring to his quarters every night. “I don’t know what to say, sir.”
“ Ask me how I did it.”
“ How did you do it?”
“ We never let love go. When I was assigned here, she took a chance and moved with me from London.” He smiled. “And here we are.”
Within a span of seconds, Scott’s respect for Captain Clarke grew tenfold.
“ Well,” Clarke said, “as much as I’m sure the two of you would love to chinwag with us all day, I’m certain you’ve got some catching up to do with one another.”
“ Yes sir,” Scott said. “That we do.”
“ Then cheerio to the both of you. Don’t let us see you anymore today. That’s an order.”
Scott had no problem with that one. Nods were exchanged, and Scott and Nicole turned away.
“ I had no idea he was married,” Scott said as he led her out of the lounge.
“ That’s amazing,” Nicole answered. “She must really love him.”
Scott’s gaze distanced again as he heard her words. She must really love him. Was Novosibirsk really that far? Could Nicole love him that much?
She squeezed his hand. “Almost as much as I love you.”
Alleviation. To hear her say that relieved everything. They could make it that far. God had put them together for a reason. God put Scott in Novosibirsk for a reason. Everything would go as planned. “We’ll figure this out.”
“ I know. I trust you.”
As they passed through the bunk room, several of the operatives offered their goodbyes. Scott gave a special wink to Galina, who quietly replied, “You owe me.”
“ I like your unit,” Nicole said as they stepped into the hallway. “I like Nathan.”
Scott laughed. He wasn’t used to the captain going by first name alone.
“ His voice is sexy.”
That caught his attention. “What?”
She looked at him coyly. “His British accent is sexy. You’d better watch out.” Her eyes returned ahead, and she cleared her throat. When she spoke again, it was in a mock-British accent. “I could get accustomed to his presence.”
“ You keep dreaming about that.”
She giggled and squeezed his hand. After several seconds, her face grew serious again. “I don’t like your commander, though.”
“
“ What subject are you studying?”
“ Nursing. I have one more semester after this one. There’s a little work left after that, but it’s moving along.”
“ Will you move here to Novosibirsk then?”
She frowned, looking back at Scott.
Scott’s eyes were already distant. Would she move to Novosibirsk ? She was about to be his wife. They couldn’t live on separate continents. But what choice did they have? Could he get a transfer somewhere else? What if they had no choice? “We’re still figuring that out,” he said. “We have a lot to figure out, but we will.” He squeezed her hand. “We will.”
Nicole forced her frown away. “We will,” she said. She entwined her fingers around his.
“ Brilliant,” Clarke said. “If there’s one bit of advice I can offer the two of you, it’s this. Never let love go. Trials may seem impassable, but you can overcome. This coming from a man who’s been married for ten years.”
Scott’s mouth fell open. Had Clarke just said he was married?
Clarke looked at Scott and chuckled. “This surprises you, lieutenant?”
“ I never knew that, sir…”
“ That’s because I never make mention of it. My work life and my private life are entirely different entities. But yes, I have a lovely wife and two beautiful daughters.”
“ They live here ?”
Clarke nodded. “In Novosibirsk, the city itself. Even though I could if I wanted to, I’d never let her live here on base. I visit her as often as time allows—we speak every day. What, did you think I was always in my quarters when I wasn’t around? I spend quite a few nights back at home.”
Scott was astounded. That absolutely floored him. All this while, he’d thought the captain was retiring to his quarters every night. “I don’t know what to say, sir.”
“ Ask me how I did it.”
“ How did you do it?”
“ We never let love go. When I was assigned here, she took a chance and moved with me from London.” He smiled. “And here we are.”
Within a span of seconds, Scott’s respect for Captain Clarke grew tenfold.
“ Well,” Clarke said, “as much as I’m sure the two of you would love to chinwag with us all day, I’m certain you’ve got some catching up to do with one another.”
“ Yes sir,” Scott said. “That we do.”
“ Then cheerio to the both of you. Don’t let us see you anymore today. That’s an order.”
Scott had no problem with that one. Nods were exchanged, and Scott and Nicole turned away.
“ I had no idea he was married,” Scott said as he led her out of the lounge.
“ That’s amazing,” Nicole answered. “She must really love him.”
Scott’s gaze distanced again as he heard her words. She must really love him. Was Novosibirsk really that far? Could Nicole love him that much?
She squeezed his hand. “Almost as much as I love you.”
Alleviation. To hear her say that relieved everything. They could make it that far. God had put them together for a reason. God put Scott in Novosibirsk for a reason. Everything would go as planned. “We’ll figure this out.”
“ I know. I trust you.”
As they passed through the bunk room, several of the operatives offered their goodbyes. Scott gave a special wink to Galina, who quietly replied, “You owe me.”
“ I like your unit,” Nicole said as they stepped into the hallway. “I like Nathan.”
Scott laughed. He wasn’t used to the captain going by first name alone.
“ His voice is sexy.”
That caught his attention. “What?”
She looked at him coyly. “His British accent is sexy. You’d better watch out.” Her eyes returned ahead, and she cleared her throat. When she spoke again, it was in a mock-British accent. “I could get accustomed to his presence.”
“ You keep dreaming about that.”
She giggled and squeezed his hand. After several seconds, her face grew serious again. “I don’t like your commander, though.”
“
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