The wordfuckblared in my head.
I exhaled. “Minor shoulder strain from off-duty rock climbing. It’s nothing.” The sling I was wearing would come off shortly.
Lawson’s sharp jaw flexed. “Are you trying to stay grounded?” He held up his hand. “Don’t answer that. But since I have your attention, I want to remind you about career day at Pine Valley High this Tuesday.”
I nodded. “It’s on my calendar.”
Though the last thing I wanted to do was spend the day hobnobbing with high school kids. But come to think of it, I could talk to the football coach while I was there.
“Good,” he said. “Shaping our youth is important. And if I were you, I would rethink your off-duty activities if you want to get back up there.” He pointed to the clear blue sky. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an appointment to get to.”
I watched Lawson disappear inside medical, his words sticking in my brain. Of course I wanted to fly again. I’d experienced a G-LOC before, but that was during my training days in a centrifuge environment, not in the sky and sure as fuck not injuring someone else because of my actions. My gut hurt just thinking that Tate might not fly again. But I was praying like a motherfucker he would.
For the time being I had to concentrate on anything but the damn G-LOC, or I would go ballistic. I slipped on my sunglasses and headed toward the hangar. As I did, that woman, Monroe, at Devil’s Hollow came to mind.
Feisty as hell, beautiful as fuck, and her siren voice had done things to me that no woman had in ages. But the one thing that had me thinking about her last night was how she’d called me out for my recklessness. I loved a woman who spoke her mind. On top of that, she reminded me of sunshine and brightness that seemed to burn away the dark cloud hanging over my head.
I grinned, recalling the banter between us.
“Are you calling me a cockroach, Sunshine?”
“If the shoe fits.”
I laughed out loud as I approached the hangar, wondering how I could find Monroe. Maybe she was what I needed to quiet the noise.
Pine Valley was a small town, and I hadn’t gotten the vibe Monroe or her friend Lila were tourists.
The hangar smelled like jet fuel, stale coffee, and the kind of grease that never washed out. Dax was sitting in one of the folding chairs, alone and watching the football game on the flat screen.
“Where is everyone?” I asked, sauntering over to him.
Normally on a Sunday afternoon, the hangar was alive with a camaraderie between fighter pilots, aircraft maintenance, and pararescue teams, boasting about their favorite football teams.
Dax was assigned to the latter as Rescue Specialist, and he was a good one at that.
He straightened in his seat and tossed a foam football at me in the open space. “It’s still early, and some folks have family obligations, and others might be on duty.”
I caught it with my good arm, but my injured one still protested. “Huh. That’s not going to go over well with Lawson.”
His brown gaze landed on my sling.
I tore off the bandage as I sat beside him and kicked out my legs. “He already gave me the rundown.”
“Eek. I guess no more adrenaline fixes for you.”
“Fuck no. If I want to keep my wings, I have to toe the line.” I watched the Broncos score a touchdown. “Do you want to go into town later for a drink? I wouldn’t mind asking around about Monroe.”
He snorted. “You’re still high on her. I can’t blame you. She’s certainly a looker with that blond hair, green eyes. And did you see her toned legs through her leggings?” He whistled.
I had seen more than that. Green eyes that would tempt a saint. Pouty lips that conjured up every sex position I could think of.
“I’m up for the Rusty Spur,” he said. “Provided I don’t get called in for an emergency.”
I probably shouldn’t be so desperate to track down Monroe. I should concentrate more on getting back into the cockpit thanfinding my next hookup. If I couldn’t fly anymore, I wasn’t sure who the fuck I would be.
But she was cutting through my psyche like a rescue rope, and I was desperate to feel that same rush I had the first time I’d laid eyes on her. It felt like I was flying again. As crazy as that sounded, she might be my only salvation. And that scared the hell out of me.
3
