This will knock you down for a while, but when you go back out you’ll be a sharper cop for it. I know it hurts, but that pain will drive you.”
“Why haven’t you ever flown again?”
The question came out of nowhere and Rachel sat back against the couch, surprise taking her breath away. “I just don’t…” she trailed off, shaking her head.
“This is kind of the same thing, right? I mean, why haven’t you flown again?”
Rachel didn’t know what to say now that the light was shining directly on her. Was he just trying to shift the attention away from himself? No, knowing Dean he’d already been thinking about this. “I don’t know. I think I would be disappointed if I couldn’t do it the way I used to. I don’t have the same range of motion that I did and that’s a big part of flying.” She shrugged and made a motion with her hands. “I wouldn’t have that adrenaline rush, you know? Flying in, blacked-out, under heavy fire to retrieve forty Marines pinned down in the mountains is a pretty tough act to beat.”
Dean inclined his head and leaned back against the couch, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “Yeah, you may be right.”
And he left it at that.
Rachel frowned, curious at the conversation. He’d accepted her statements easily. Maybe too easily. She was confused at what she felt. Did she want him to argue with her? Did she want him to push her to do something she’d kind of been wondering about anyway?
“Well,” he said finally. “I think we both realize how tenuous life can be. I have something for you.”
She watched as he left the couch and rummaged in the duffel. He brought a smallish paper bag over to her. Intrigued, she reached inside and pulled out a box.
Her heart stilled. It was a midnight blue velvet jewelry box.
For a minute she didn’t do anything, just sat on the couch with the box in her hand and her heart suddenly racing. Then common sense moved in, it wasn’t square. It wasn’t a ring box. At least, she didn’t think it was.
Blinking to clear her vision, she used her other hand to pop open the lid.
Then, once again, her heart was torn in two. No, it wasn’t a ring, which was a complete, and very surprising letdown. But it was a pair of beautiful earrings. She peered at them and flicked the stone with a fingernail, laughing. “What? Are these bullets?”
“Well, I think they used to be. Or at least the rim and primer part.”
Rachel blinked, then removed one of the earrings from the velvet covered cardboard. She turned it over in her fingers, looking at the workmanship. “These are beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like them.”
Reaching up she removed the plain silver studs she wore, placing them on the coffee-table in front of her. Then she replaced the studs with the bullet earrings. She shook her head, laughing, then stood to cross to him. “These are ridiculous and beautiful and silly, but I love them. Thank you very much.”
Rachel had planned to give him a light peck, playful, but emotion choked her. Wrapping her arms around his neck she leaned into him. “Nobody’s ever gotten me anything like them before. Thank you.”
Dean wrapped her up tight and swayed with her a little. “I had to laugh at the guy at the gun store. He thought I was buying them to get me out of the doghouse for buying a gun.”
Rachel laughed, enjoying the irony. She’d have been happy with a gun, too. “That is funny,” she told him, enjoying having his arms wrapped around her.
* * *
Dean relished holding Rachel in his arms, but something niggled at him. It had been disappointment he’d seen in her eyes when she’d opened the box. He guessed if he was a woman who had been handed a jewelry box, he’d have wanted it to be something different as well. But it seemed too soon for an engagement ring. Or any kind of ring for that matter.
He loved that she was thinking about marriage, whether she realized it or not. Rachel seemed to be one
“Why haven’t you ever flown again?”
The question came out of nowhere and Rachel sat back against the couch, surprise taking her breath away. “I just don’t…” she trailed off, shaking her head.
“This is kind of the same thing, right? I mean, why haven’t you flown again?”
Rachel didn’t know what to say now that the light was shining directly on her. Was he just trying to shift the attention away from himself? No, knowing Dean he’d already been thinking about this. “I don’t know. I think I would be disappointed if I couldn’t do it the way I used to. I don’t have the same range of motion that I did and that’s a big part of flying.” She shrugged and made a motion with her hands. “I wouldn’t have that adrenaline rush, you know? Flying in, blacked-out, under heavy fire to retrieve forty Marines pinned down in the mountains is a pretty tough act to beat.”
Dean inclined his head and leaned back against the couch, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “Yeah, you may be right.”
And he left it at that.
Rachel frowned, curious at the conversation. He’d accepted her statements easily. Maybe too easily. She was confused at what she felt. Did she want him to argue with her? Did she want him to push her to do something she’d kind of been wondering about anyway?
“Well,” he said finally. “I think we both realize how tenuous life can be. I have something for you.”
She watched as he left the couch and rummaged in the duffel. He brought a smallish paper bag over to her. Intrigued, she reached inside and pulled out a box.
Her heart stilled. It was a midnight blue velvet jewelry box.
For a minute she didn’t do anything, just sat on the couch with the box in her hand and her heart suddenly racing. Then common sense moved in, it wasn’t square. It wasn’t a ring box. At least, she didn’t think it was.
Blinking to clear her vision, she used her other hand to pop open the lid.
Then, once again, her heart was torn in two. No, it wasn’t a ring, which was a complete, and very surprising letdown. But it was a pair of beautiful earrings. She peered at them and flicked the stone with a fingernail, laughing. “What? Are these bullets?”
“Well, I think they used to be. Or at least the rim and primer part.”
Rachel blinked, then removed one of the earrings from the velvet covered cardboard. She turned it over in her fingers, looking at the workmanship. “These are beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like them.”
Reaching up she removed the plain silver studs she wore, placing them on the coffee-table in front of her. Then she replaced the studs with the bullet earrings. She shook her head, laughing, then stood to cross to him. “These are ridiculous and beautiful and silly, but I love them. Thank you very much.”
Rachel had planned to give him a light peck, playful, but emotion choked her. Wrapping her arms around his neck she leaned into him. “Nobody’s ever gotten me anything like them before. Thank you.”
Dean wrapped her up tight and swayed with her a little. “I had to laugh at the guy at the gun store. He thought I was buying them to get me out of the doghouse for buying a gun.”
Rachel laughed, enjoying the irony. She’d have been happy with a gun, too. “That is funny,” she told him, enjoying having his arms wrapped around her.
* * *
Dean relished holding Rachel in his arms, but something niggled at him. It had been disappointment he’d seen in her eyes when she’d opened the box. He guessed if he was a woman who had been handed a jewelry box, he’d have wanted it to be something different as well. But it seemed too soon for an engagement ring. Or any kind of ring for that matter.
He loved that she was thinking about marriage, whether she realized it or not. Rachel seemed to be one
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