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Except life had taught her differently Life was tough Keeping it on track was even tougher She’d been working her tail off since she was nine years old when herher behind with two-year-old Sydney
Daddy’s union-wage-purchased, three-bedroo black Mercedes cruising into town The guy in the back seat was foreign, which was enough for Mama She’d always been certain overseas meant better, even tried to hook her kids’ names on those dreams
Monica thanked God seven times a day for the fact that Daddy hadn’t listened to Mama when it came time to fill out birth certificates He’d vowed he oofed He’d meant to write Monaco, he would add with a wink to Monica
Next pregnancy, Mama wised up and chose a more conventional naues
Fantasies? Reality scraped against Monica in grainy gusts that filled her ar with rusted rivets gaped open with the advance tea to escort troops, some to barracks, sohtail it forward Troops divided,toward the airport entrances, a hundred others toward the hangar Bringing up the rear, a private shuffled forward, CD player in hand, headphones sealed to his ears and two butterfly bandages on his fingers
Monica tapped his shoulder "Hey, Private Santuci?"
The private slid his earphones down around his neck, heavy-h "Hello, Major" He saluted with his bandaged hand
"Glad you kept your fingers in place Make sure you stop by and see me after the rest of your immunizations before you head off to your quarters so I can make sure you don’t need stitches"
"Yes, ma’am, but mess hall first--" the dark-haired soldier rubbed his belly "--then quarters I’rinned
"I pro"
"Thanks, ain before replacing his earphones to pass tily toward the entrance to the mess hall like a kid ready for McDonald’s
Apparently he’d never eaten here before
Except for the uniforolden arches to super size his meal, maybe twenty-one at the most Hell, he even had acne on his chin And yet he was a trained warrior, ready to put his life on the line for her sister
The notion humbled her
"Is he okay?"
Monica jumped, turned, found Jack, not that she needed to look Of course she did, anyway, finding the sun showcased the hint of curl in his dark hair after hours under a headset
She folded her ar that should keep him off duty"
"Good"
Jack’s face filled her eyes, so very th She tore her gaze down and away to the open hangar with tables et to work"
"Okay, then" He adjusted his M-9 in the holster on his survival vest "Don’t let ed past
A long shadow slanted in front of her Following Sing her "Jack! Why don’t you go ahead to the ed "Reonna be stuck to you like a flight suit at high noon"
The smile didn’t fool her or dilute the set of his stubborn jaw "Okay Fine Keep up"
She walked faster Her extra shadow kept pace into the hangar, looe and set up her station at a table with a folding chair for patients God, she needed hih her weary resistance like that hed "Please, Jack, I’m here I’m safe You can step back at least a couple of feet I need to tend toover me So unless you need another anthrax shot?"
He paled "Nope All set," he asserted quickly "Already had my first two in the series and won’t need the third for another three anizing her medicine bottles in alphabetical order "Go help someone else You’ll still be able to see me and keep track of my personal safety"
"Mon, you should know I’m not the kind to leave the little woer whipped her around to face hirinned that sexy, unrepentant smile And damn it, she couldn’t help but smile in return He always could charm her out of a mood, all the more reason to keep her distance "You are so bad"
"I know I’m in need of reform Wanna spank"Oh, yes," she said through gritted teeth "I definitely want to"
Reaching over her tray of bottles and syringes, she whipped a pair of latex gloves from a box Bumped elboith her hardheaded hubby She looked up to snap again
But couldn’t push ry words free
Deep brown eyes met hers So close The din around her faded from a roar to a dull huave her plenty of ti strand of hair behind her ear "How did it go so wrong?"
Heavy silence settled between theain Humvees revved outside An intercom system barked sporadic tinny announceing
Monica peered beyond Jack to find Colonel Drew Cullen waiting with folder in hand A welco showed no favors to rank The colonel in charge dropped into the folding chair Colonel Cullen, who’d probably once worn earphones around his neck but noore lines of life, worries, work Lines like the ones recently added to Jack’s face
Had she put them there? How many more would she add before their divorce was final?
Divorce The thought of cutting hi like a needle in her chest Not that Jack showed signs of leaving her side anytime soon
Monica turned her back on hi the next injection "Roll up your sleeve, Colonel This one’s going to burn a bit"
If only life gave warnings before owies
"Just get to it, Major" Cullen grinned, a few years falling away until he looked a little less foreboding He crooked his ared
"Relax, Colonel--" she snapped her glove then tapped his flexed rowled, low and soft and totally predatory Good God Thank heaven either the Colonel didn’t notice or pretended well Sheesh, she hadn’t even noticed that Colonel Cullen actually was rather hunky until Jack started with the Cro-Magnon growl
She swabbed, jabbed
"Well, what do ya know?" The Colonel sain