“Nah, I ain’t scared.” Joe smiled wide. “Of course, she’s going to say yes. I mean…” He stretched out his taut arms as if to say look at me before adding, “What’s not to love?”
Raegan and the others laughed and shook their heads, each of them having grown accustomed to the man’s outgoing personality. But something Joe didn’t know—not with onehundred percent certainty, anyway—was that Claire absolutelywasgoing to say yes to his proposal.
There was no doubt in Raegan’s mind, because while they’d been at the cookout Chief Tupper and his wife had hosted the night before their deployment, Claire had pulled her aside to confess to having accidentally found the ring.
When Raegan asked the other woman what she would say when the time came, the pretty redhead had whispered to her…
I love Joe with all my heart. Of course, I’ll say yes.
And that meant, in roughly one week’s time, Joe would officially be engaged.
Deep inside, Raegan felt herself smiling for the two lovebirds. But as the small group’s conversation dipped into a lull, the familiar twinges of jealousy began settling in.
You’ll have that someday, too, Rae. Career first, picket fence later, remember? Just stick with the plan, and eventually, you’ll get everything you ever wanted.
It was the same mental speech she’d given herself time and time again.
At twenty-five, it wasn’t as if her biological clock were ticking or anything. But she’d be lying if she said the idea of having someone waiting for her back home wasn’t more than a little appealing.
With a quick, indiscernible glance Valarie’s way, Raegan thought about Daniel—the woman’s husband. Former military himself, the supportive and loving dad now spent his days working as a Monday through Friday security guard at some Fortune 500 company in Austin. Val once told her Daniel had taken the job so he could work while their daughters were in school and be home with them in the evenings and on weekends.
What it must be like to come home to a strong, supportive man who loves you…
The idea sure painted a really nice picture. But it was one that would have to wait to be hung. The walls of her life were currently far too flimsy. Temporary, at best.
But later…
As long as she stuck to the plan, Raegan was confident she’d be able to put up somerealwalls. Ones attached to a foundation strong enough to hold the kind of life she dreamed of building.
After I’ve put my time in…after Quantico…then I can focus on that stage of my life.
Because that was the plan. And since it hadn’t failed her yet?—
“What about you, Sarge?” Joe’s question to Valarie cut through her thoughts. “I’m assuming you just want to get home to the fam?”
“Daniel and the girls,” Valarie nodded with a loving grin. “Absolutely. Just thinking about hugging them all again…” The other woman sighed. “It’s what gets me through each day.”
Wanting to keep the focus on the others, Raegan looked across at Chief Tupper.
“Trudy?” she assumed he missed his sweet wife most of all.
“Don’t you know it!” The man’s lined expression softened as he spoke of his wife of twenty-seven years. “Did I tell you that woman nearly tanned my hide when I told her we’d been deployed? She was all about reminding me that my retirement papers go through in six months. She said, and I quote, ‘If you eventhinkabout getting hurt while you’re over there, I’ll kill your dumb ass my damn self’.”
Raegan and the others chuckled at the image of Trudy giving hell to the man they all answered to. “And what did you say back?”
The same ornery grin they’d all come to know and love spread across the man’s kind face. “I told her just for that, if my dumbass ass dies over here, or anywhere else, I’m going to haunt her for the rest ofherdays.”
Her eyes grew wide. “You didn’t.”
The respected man pushed his broad shoulders back and jutted his chin. “I most certainly did.”
“Yeah?” Valarie joined in the fun. “And how did Trudy respond to that?”
Clearing his throat, their unit leader’s chin dropped just a tad when he admitted a bit more quietly, “She, uh…” He cleared his throat again. “She vowed to find me after she passes so her ghost can spend eternity slapping the shit out of mine.”
The entire group broke out in laughter, including Chief Tupper. It was obvious to anyone that the man loved his Trudy dearly. They all did. Which, of course, made his attempts at convincing them otherwise that much more amusing.
“What about you, Lt.?” Valarie turned her pretty blue eyes Raegan’s way. “You seeing anyone back home?”