“He seems like a great guy,” Tara conceded. “And I’ll save mybuts for tomorrow.”
Kaci pulled Miss Higgs to her chest one last time.
“You know,” Tara said softly, “she’d want you to go to Germany.”
She swallowed another lump in her throat. “I know,” she whispered.
The thingabout not officially dating a stubborn, take-care-of-herself woman was that it felt wrong to leave, but also too close to a real relationship to stay.
Getting serious with a woman wasn’t something Lance needed. Though Kaci was into a lot of the same things he hadn’t even realized he’d missed while he’d been with Allison, he wanted the freedom ofnotbeing tied up with pleasing someone else.
Not long-term.
But her cat was dying. And he had a heart. He would’ve felt bad for anyone saying goodbye to a beloved pet.
Especially Kaci.
Had to be killing her to hurt bad enough that she let it show. And it had to be killing her that anyone saw her suffering.
The lady didn’t like to look weak.
When he got home, he dragged his tent and a sleeping bag into the backyard.
He could see the stars just as well from here, he reasoned. Didn’t have to add an hour or two on the road to enjoy it.
The fact that he’d be close by if Kaci happened to need—want—him had nothing to do with it.
She was a big girl. She could take care of herself.
Juice Box stepped out onto the patio near the pool. “Thought you were camping.”
“Thought you had a date.”
Juicy dangled a beer can and flashed a cocky grin. “Night’s young. She’ll be here.”
“Nikki again?”
“Yeah, but I’m running out of Nikkis to date. Might have to learn another name soon.”
“Don’t have to try so hard,” Lance said. “Nothing wrong with settling when you’ve found the right one.”
Juice Box tossed himself into a plastic lawn chair while Lance set up his tent. “Who’s looking for the right one? I’m just having fun.”
Couldn’t fault the kid. Lance had said the same thing when he’d been fresh out of pilot training too. “Are you?”
“Am I what?”
“Having fun.”
“Fuck yeah.”
“Glad to hear it.”
Maybe Juicywashaving the time of hislife.
But when Lance had been all over the party scene, it had always felt…flat.
He’d never quite fit in. Not as well as Cheri had. They’d been together for joint undergrad pilot training in Oklahoma, but then Cheri had left for fighter training in Texas while Lance had been sent here to Gellings. So when he’d gotten to his first real squadron and met Allison, who preferred Friday night movies at home, baked cookies for fun, and could make conversation with everyone from a guy like Juice Box to a wall, he’d seen the answer to all of his needs.
