“Just think.” Private First Class Joseph Mills set his used napkin down on his disposable tray. “A few more days, and we’ll be back to eating greasy cheeseburgers, loaded fries, and drinking ice-cold soda…through a straw.”
Raegan chuckled at the young soldier’s comment. “Spoken like a guy who just turned twenty-two and has the metabolism of a horse.”
Chief Warrant Officer Tré Tupper grinned at their young teammate from his seat across the table. “Careful, Joe. That shit will catch up to you eventually.” The forty-something African American man gave his slightly rounded belly a pat. “Trust me.”
Typically, as a first lieutenant, she wouldn’t be sitting at the same chow table as her chief or those ranking below her. But since the nine-man covert op they were on was anything but typical, they were allowed to play this one by a slightly different set of rules.
“Chief’s right,” Raegan agreed with the man in charge of their elite M.P. team. “Sometimes even good genes only last for so long.”
Created in the spitting image of her late mother, Raegan was naturally petite and blonde with golden eyes. Also, like her mom, she knew first-hand the work it took to maintain her lean physique.
The shorter a person is, the more five extra pounds feels like ten.
It was one of the reasons Raegan spent so much time in the gym back at Ft. Hood. She wasn’t body-obsessed or anything like that. And she absolutely didnotcondone body shaming inanyform or fashion.
Real beauty—the kind of beauty that truly mattered—could be found in every shape, color, and size. But her regular routineof lifting and running helped to keep Raegan’s stress levels down and her body in excellent shape. Not for vanity reasons but so she could do her job to the best of her ability.
For her unit.
Her country.
For you, Mom.
The unexpected thought left Raegan drawing in a deep breath of emotions as she reached for the glass she’d only recently set down. Taking another swig of the water thatusedto be iced, she placed the cup down and swiped at the sweat covering her brow.
Definitely going to have to shower again before bed.
As if reading her mind, Sergeant First Class Valarie Lane said, “I’m just ready to be someplace where my face doesn’t feel like it’s going to melt off.” The tough-as-nails woman raked a hand through her short, blonde hair. “People talk about the heat back in Texas, but damn. This is brutal.”
The thirty-eight-year-old mother of three was known for speaking her mind. It was one of the things Raegan liked most about her. With Valarie, you always knew where you stood.
Curious now, Raegan picked up her phone and checked the weather app.
“A hundred fourteen.” She turned the device around so the others could see. “It’s eight o’clock at night, and it’s still one hundred fourteen degrees.”
“Such horseshit.” Mills shook his head in disgust.
“I talked with the missus earlier this morning,” Chief Tupper shared. “Told her to make sure the AC was cranked way the hell down by the time I get back home.”
Valarie started laughing. “I told Daniel the same thing when I talked to him and the girls last night. I said I didn’t care how much extra duty time I had to sign up for to cover the extra onthe electric bill, as long as I don’t wake up covered in sweat every damn morning.”
“Right?” Tupper released a deep, raspy chuckle.
Several minutes passed by with the casual conversation shifting from the weather to what they missed most back home.
“Burgers and fries,” Mills answered first—and without hesitation. But then, “I’m just playing. First thing I’m doing when we get back is see Claire.”
Claire was Joe’s girlfriend of nearly two years, and Raegan had gotten to know the other woman rather well. When Joe recently shared a picture of the engagement ring he had hidden in his dresser drawer back home, Raegan was genuinely happy for them both.
“You still gonna pop the question when you get back?” She looked over at a man she considered a friend. “Or do you have some big, elaborate plan all worked out?”
“I amend my earlier statement.” The young soldier raised a palm and shook his head. “I should have said, when we get back, I’m driving straight to my place where I’ll shower, shave, and make myself presentable as fast as is humanly possible.”
“And then?” Valarie asked.
“Then…” Genuine affection filled Joe’s elated eyes. “Then, I’m taking Claire the ring, and I’m not leaving her place until she says yes.”
“Uh…you know, getting arrested for harassment and/or trespassingmaynot be the best thing for your career,” Raegan teased.