[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
She liked the sunglasses in place better than his unshaded eyes, after all. Never mind. If you re too busy
to help me, I ll ask someone else.
Not a problem. He held up a hand with a beleaguered sigh. I ll be waiting for you after the show.
It felt disloyal to be torqued off at the guy who d just saved her life, but Jimmy Gage was one uptight
dude.
She couldn t have stopped the words bubbling out if she d tried. She didn t try. Well, who shot your
cat?
Shot my cat?
Who pissed you off? I m really sorry to be such a bother.
A bother? A bother ? He stepped closer, his scowling eyebrows sinking below the top of his
sunglasses.
Silently, she held her ground, refusing to be afraid.
Besides, it wasn t like he could hurt her with so many witnesses around.
Listen, Shirley Temple, he batted aside a blond curl snaking on the wind toward his face, my crew and
I are a little short on time right now because you and your show people just had to have a fancy escort
and fanfare. You couldn t simply arrive covertly and do your performance. He was practically nose to
nose with her, the scent of aftershave, salty water, and something unmistakably masculine teasing her
nose. We re in the Middle East. It s dangerous. People could have died out there today because you
Page 18
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
and your group put yourselves and thereby us in unnecessary danger.
She started to shoot right back at him that how they arrived wasn t her decision. And she d given up a
prime performance in Atlanta to be here on this boat, entertaining troops like him who put their lives on
the line for their country. She deserved thanks, not
Except she wasn t here for gratitude. She d traveled across the globe to repay a debt to another soldier
who d saved her life with a donor card. In honor of that dead servicewoman s sacrifice, Chloe would
keep her angry words to herself.
She scavenged for her dignified conductor s calm and hoped it wasn t totally negated by her go-go
getup. I apologize on behalf of us all for any risks or scheduling problems we caused. Thank you again
for what you did for me earlier and for escorting us safely to the USS Roosevelt .
She turned and walked away. Not that she had any idea where the performers were supposed to gather
backstage. But she would hook up with Livia over by the stage rather than lose face by wandering
around asking for directions. And she absolutely would not look back to see if Captain Jimmy Gage was
watching her walk away.
Forget him. In spite of his offer, she would find someone else to direct her to the ship s doctor for her
medicine. Chloe turned her attention to the stage and her upcoming performance.
She only had to get through the next three hours, and then she would never have to worry about crossing
paths with Jimmy Gage again.
THREE
Jimmy gripped the steel bars and clanked down the ship ladder for his flight debriefing belowdecks. The
distant sound of music above offered a reminder of how he d lost it with Chloe Nelson.
On a normal day, he would have been able to keep his anger in check. Yeah, he d meant what he said
about resenting how they d all been put at risk for the sake of a showy arrival. And hell yeah, he knew
he d been curt because this mess with Chuck reminded him of his own unresolved crap from
Afghanistan, the way he d failed Socrates. But most of all, his brain roiled with thoughts of what even the
smallest delay could cost Chuck. If his own rescue had come a few hours later, he would have been
headless.
No one would die on his watch ever again.
Jimmy s boots thudded against the metal floor. He simply hadn t been able to scavenge much sympathy
for Chloe Nelson s allergies. Not with what Chuck must be going through. And especially not after how
he d seen his sister fight a crippling battle with leukemia with such a fearless spirit. He d dedicated his air
force career to carrying on that same spirit.
He may have promised to help Chloe after her show, but he didn t have the time or inclination to dissect
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]