Navy Rescue. Geri Krotow

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СКАЧАТЬ Bradley.”

      “No problem.”

      Both men looked at her, waiting. They wanted her to be the first off the plane.

      Gwen tried to grin but it wasn’t much of a success. She turned and walked to the main cabin door. The airman who’d opened the door stood back after he’d let the ladder down.

      “It’s all yours, ma’am.” He motioned for her to leave.

      She took a deep breath and ignored the immediate sharp pain that lanced through her left side. Her ribs were still bruised from the last fall she’d taken, tripping over a tree root on her way out of the jungle with Pax in her arms. Thankfully he hadn’t been injured.

      The day was bright and she squinted at the light as she grasped the railing and took the four steps down to the tarmac.

      As soon as her feet hit the deck she bent her knees, then sank to the ground and kissed the concrete. To hell with her fancy dress pants or what anyone else thought.

      There’d been many nights when she’d believed she’d never be on Whidbey’s tarmac again.

      She straightened and walked to the hangar. The open doors and the welcoming group were at least a hundred feet away, but Drew’s features were as sharp as if he stood six inches from her.

      His sunglasses hid his eyes so she only had his facial features and posture by which to judge his demeanor. He looked taller, his face more defined, more mature. Not as young as she’d remembered him for six long months.

      She’d fought to come back here alive.

      Her independence was still intact even though she had to accept help from the last person she ever wanted to depend on—Drew. It was only temporary.

      At least she’d be able to make amends to him, to tell him she finally understood that neither of them was more to blame than the other for their divorce. She’d played a big part by not recognizing her own need for independence sooner and wanted him to know she didn’t hold any ill will toward him. She truly only wanted his happiness.

      This would be a new start, a chance for both of them to move on like they should have done years ago.

      Before she could finish her train of thought Drew stood in front of her. She hesitated. Was he angry he’d been coerced to take her in?

      “Gwen.” He closed the distance between them and embraced her. She smelled Ivory soap and the hint of black licorice, his favorite snack. Licorice was Drew’s go-to stress reliever. He’d devoured it from big plastic bins after his return from the war, and again during his final dissertation and exams for his doctorate.

      He kept his arms tightly around her, and she relished the feel of his winter jacket against her cheek. By keeping her eyes closed she could almost convince herself she still had him to come home to. That this was real.

      She felt an urge to pull back, to look him in the eye and tell him she’d realized what really mattered in life.

      If she did, he’d think she was crazy, suffering from PTSD, that she didn’t mean any of it. She had no way to convince him of her sincerity.

      Her epiphany—that love and relationships were the only important things in life—was too late. He didn’t deserve to be harangued with revelations that might have served them better four years ago, maybe even earlier.

      Homecomings weren’t good times for surprises or emotional breakdowns.

      Instead, she clung to his shoulders and leaned heavily against him. It beat collapsing on the tarmac in front of onlookers.

      She would have stayed in his arms for hours if he’d allowed it. The longer she could soak up his strength, the longer she could put off facing the reality that she had to go home with him and play at being friends.

      Drew made the decision for both of them as he pulled back and bent his head to hers, taking the sunglasses off. “I’m so glad you made it, Gwen.”

      His eyes were unnaturally bright and she wanted desperately to believe it was from relief that she was alive.

      “I am, too. And I’m doing great. I won’t be in your way for long. I appreciate your taking me in, though.”

      His instant frown removed the shine from his eyes and his mouth formed a straight line. An all-too-familiar expression from the last months of their marriage. His body stiffened next to hers but he kept his arms loosely around her waist.

      “It’s going to take a while to recover from everything you’ve been through, Gwen.”

      “Do I look that bad?”

      He had the decency to appear chagrined.

      “You’ve been to hell and back. Ro told me you were living in the jungle for most of your time on the ground.”

      “I was. But I’ve been trained to do that. I went to SERE school, remember?” Graduating from the navy’s Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape training had been one of her proudest accomplishments.

      Until she’d carried Pax through one of the more dangerous places on the planet and lived to tell about it.

      “Speaking of Ro...” She peered over his shoulder to where her best friend stood next to the ridiculously handsome Miles.

      “Ro!” She stepped away from Drew, holding her arms open. Ro ran up to her and gave her a big hug.

      “Welcome home, sis.”

      Gwen couldn’t say anything past the burning in her throat.

      * * *

      DID HE REMEMBER her going to SERE school?

      Drew shoved down a distinct, primal need to growl as he watched Ro and Gwen reunite.

      How could he forget? When Gwen arrived back from SERE she’d sported several scrapes and bruises. The large bruise over her kidney had given him pause—and been the start of a long battle to convince Gwen that she belonged somewhere other than the navy.

      He ignored the tension in his stomach. He’d been young and fiercely protective of his new wife. She’d been just as intense, determined to prove she’d make a good officer.

      Gwen had never understood that of course he supported her career and her talents. But to him she’d been his wife first. And he’d wanted to protect her, to keep her from the horrors she’d witnessed in the war in Afghanistan.

      Now she’d survived the wilds in the southern Philippines. She’d evaded terrorist camps and again, death.

      No wonder she hardly spared him a glance. He couldn’t stand to look at himself, either.

      Because in the end he hadn’t been able to protect her—from anything.

      He waited until she was done with the brief greetings from Ro and Miles. They’d agreed before she landed to keep it short. Ro would visit Gwen soon enough, at home.

      As soon as possible without being СКАЧАТЬ