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Chapter 1

Kelly stood at Zane’s side behind a barrier at the bus depot of Cah to read hiet past his own butterflies to analyze his companion’s state of mind

It had been six way to their plane Six long, lonelyZane had woken everyto hear horrible news about the men he considered friends, and not a day had passed that Ty hadn’t been on his mind

The call Zane had lived in fear of receiving had never cole satellite call fro hi hojust weeks before Christmas, the best present Zane could have asked for

Kelly had admitted to much the same type of existence as they’d driven there frole to keep hisbesides the fact that he wasn’t there to help protect them

"You nervous?’ Zane asked hi "I’ve never been on this side of it"

"Is it any easier on the other side?"

Kelly glanced up at Zane, shrugging "Not really You sit there with all your buddies, men who’ve been your world for months, years You think about the people at home, wonder if they’ve h everything that could have changed, and the nerves start building Even the s can hit you like a hauys break down and cry because their wives got a haircut"

"That why you rinned and nodded as the first buses began to pull in Nerves skittered through Zane as tired Marines in ruan to trickle into the tented areas where faan to tremble "God," he said under his breath

"The first ship holds seventeen hundred ht be here awhile," Kelly warned

And they were An hour and a half later, they were still standing behind the roped-off area, witnessing reunions, waiting Zane atching a man eet his attention Zane scanned the crowd alht of

He only saw one familiar face, and it wasn’t the one he was desperate to lay eyes on "I thought they’d be out together," Zane one He’d bolted and hopped the barrier, taking off at a dead sprint through the celebratory crowd

Zane laughed as Kelly cut a swath toward the unsuspecting Marine Nick was striding through the crowd of young sailors and Marines, nodding as they saluted hi and lean in his uniform, hair shorn close and face clean shaven He hadin photos, and he walked with a change in his gait, like hea limp

Zane hustled after Kelly, but he couldn’t keep up People parted for Kelly, sliding out of his way like they kneasn’t going to let them slow hi hugs, hopped around a few children too tiny to get out of the way It was probably those erratic movements that caused Nick to spot hiraced Nick’s tanned face, and he braced himself at the last round They disappeared froht briefly, and Zane hurried to join them

Kelly didn’t seeht of his lack of decorued Nick hard Nick flailed under hi still on his back He finally wrapped his ar instead

"Jesus Christ, if that’s the welcoer said as he approached He shook Zane’s hand and patted hi at Zane’s feet and threw himself on top of Kelly

A moment later, Owen appeared from the sea of faces and launched hi his ar pile in theon the botto the crowd for the only person he desperately needed to see He was searching so hard that he al just a few yards away and gazing at Zane with a sht "Ty"

"Hi," Ty said with a bigger grin He was tanned and bearded, which hy Zane hadn’t ier than when he’d left too, obvious even under the hat he wore, and he was far leaner But his hazel eyes still glinted like they always did

Zane started toward hiht see or what the consequences would be Ty jogged the rest of the distance and threw himself into Zane’s ar the warmth and solidity of the h it wasn’t the one Zane usually associated with Ty It was still hihtened his ar at his uniform

"I ripped at Zane’s hair, and he stood on the toes of his boots so they could cling tighter to each other

The thought of a kiss never entered Zane’sback so he could look at Ty’s face, the face he’d seen in his dreaht as he lay awake He just squeezed his eyes closed and held on to Ty like he rasp for his very soul in a pit of a thousand reaching hands

Ty held to him the same way

"Can’t breathe!" a pitiful voice finally called out, interrupting the joyous reunion

Ty pulled back only enough for hihter that were their friends Nick was trying to extricate himself from the bottom, with little luck

Ty shook his head "Don’t care," he rinned widely He took Zane’s face in his hands "Hello, beautiful"

Zane returned the sether, kissing him for all the e of a dreaht he ered on Ty’s hands on his face were still warm and solid His beard was scratchy at Zane’s cheek He was real This was real, and Zane wasn’t about to let it slip away

He grabbed Ty and dipped hi him for all he orth He heard the distant snap of a few cameras, the tears of joy fro their ripes froround so he could at least try to be dignified about co on to his neck so he wouldn’t fall

It was therush of eh

When he finally stood thehing Zane couldn’t keep his hands off Ty, wanting toto reassure himself that this wasn’t a dreao "You look a," he said as he leered at Zane

"So do you" Zane ran a hand over Ty’s shoulder and the new insignia there "Captain Grady, huh?"

"Captain" Ty nodded, his beard alave us all a bump in rank equivalent to the time ould have served if we’d stayed in the Corps Owen and I got kicked over to officers"

"Captain Grady," Zane repeated He shook his head and swiped his fingers across Ty’s chin "Nope You’ll always be Staff Sergeant to me What’s with the beard?"

"Special forces Don’t worry, it’s co off"

"No, I like it Keep it for a while"