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"Fang," she reached to pat the dog’s belly, "so your ass about thescratched his shoulder under the seat harness "A group in the States sponsored the dog a while ago and since ere headed out, the dog will be swapping over to another plane in Mogadishu He’ll be gone before…" He sed hard "Iwill be safe"

"Fang, you’re going to be okay," she said with a total conviction she knew he needed to hear "I’ve crunched the nurinned like a grateful kid before closing his eyes

The dog scrabbled across the grated floor and tucked in beside Jose His hand slid down on top of the aniht of Jose’s old commander, the one he’d told her s for veterans under stress She could totally iht now

In fact, she could envision a lot at the moment, that tenderness in Jose that had so drawn her How could he not recognize that in himself? The part of himhis eyes, just leaning closer to her where no one could hear thes doesn’t mean I’ it"

"I didn’t say anything"

"You didn’t have to I can feel your thoughts, lady"

Didn’t that just make her point? They were so in tune with each other, it rong that he kept denying what they could have together "You’re petting a dog It’s like one of those pictures circling around the Internet of soldiers with pups It’s heart-tugging, all right?"

"Okay I just don’t want you to make tooYou’ve been kidnapped You got shot at earlier today You could get shot at again I’ether before we land"

"I know you will I have complete faith in your ability to do your job"

"Too bad that confidence in me didn’t carry over into the relationship department"

His voice rumbled so lowly it alines But she caught every word all the sa and the mutt inched on to the next available hand… on to Bubbles, who looked less than pleased to have company, especially fuzzy couided the pup back to the crate strapped down, although Bubbles chose to sit beside the dog Softie

Stella glanced away and back to Jose Frustration sparked inside her over hi the whole breakup at her feet She looked around at the others and they were catching their own catnaps or far enough ahere they wouldn’t overhear A part of her winced at having such an intense conversation when they were anything other than alone, but their life was anything other than norrasp moments when they could

"Jose, you’re the one who didn’t wantrats"

His eyes crinkled at the corner with one of those sad smiles "Like you would ever settle down"

"If I had kids, I would es to my life" And she meant it "I want to be there for row up like I did, not if I can help it"

"Moot point for us anyway"

She flinched, reality a cold freakin’ splash of water "We could all die today"

"That’s not what I ainst hers

"But it’s true The risk here is off the charts"

He glanced over at theback out "I can’t walk intothat way"

"You approach every ht?"

He sat up straighter "You’re afraid I’ to worry you could be killed, living life with that kind of reckless approach?"

"I just didn’t expect that froht you would understand You signed on for the sa out with guys likeher sound foolish when she wasn’t She’d just had a plan and he arrived too early "You ical," he reh "Apparently not about falling in love"

"You loveher all too aware of the pain they’d both felt over their breakup

"I did"