The emotion building in Jade left her in an unhindered bark of laughter. All those years, same old Theo. The childhood nickname he had coined for her brought back memories that hadn’t touched her mind in ages. Two children playing outside when her mother called for her to come inside. “Gem,” she would say, the endearment Jade’s mother had always used, attributed to the gemstone that was her name. The first time Theo had overheard it, at eight years old, he had arched an eyebrow and studied her before she took off for the night.
“Jim? As in Jimmy?”
Six-year-old Jade had scoffed, her eyebrows scrunched. “No. Like a gemstone. Like what jade is.”
Understanding had dawned on Theo’s face, but he wiped the expression clean in an instant, instead chuckling and shrugging. “If you say so, Jimmy.”
Jade had rolled her eyes as hard as she could before answering her mother’s call, but Theo had latched onto the nickname, using it anytime he particularly wanted to annoy her.
Now, Jade didn’t mind it. “Haven’t let that go, huh?”
Theo’s grin turned wicked. “Never.”
Jade couldn’t help herself. She laughed again before pressing her lips into a wide smile. “Yes, it’s been too long.”
Her voice came out quieter and raspier than she intended, but she didn’t care. The interaction carried her to a place she hadn’t experienced in years, taking her off guard.
Home.
She lost herself in the clear blue pools of Theo’s eyes, rimmed with a circle of deeper blue and lined with thick, dark lashes. They still held the same power over her, mesmerizing her with their mixture of sincerity andplayfulness. His lips parted as if to speak before he closed them again, the spell finally breaking when he cleared his throat and spoke.
“I have to be off,” he finally said, a new gruffness in his voice.
“What? Already?” Jade couldn’t bear for him to leave now that she had him back. She didn’t want him to leave ever again. “You’ve only just arrived. You at least have to eat.”
Theo shook his head, soft tendrils of brown hair dipping onto his forehead. “I can’t. I need to get back tonight so I can prepare my company for the transfer tomorrow. It’s a good four hours from Ivanelli to Hillseth.”
Jade nodded, finding peace in the word “transfer.” He would return. He wouldstay.
“Until Friday then, Captain Ni’ihm.”
A smirk teased Jade’s lips at his intentional use of her title before she straightened her shoulders and tipped her head, playing into his game. “We’ll expect you back then, Captain Redman.”
He saluted her—unnecessary, since he was a captain too, but the twinkle in his eyes gave away the playfulness that accompanied it. He was just being Theo. Then he stepped past her down the path that led to the base’s gate.
Without him, Jade became aware of the pounding of her heart, and she wiped sweaty palms against her jacket. She might as well have been eighteen again.
A rumble in her stomach reminded her that she hadn’t strayed into a dream. Jade made for the dining hall, glancing over her shoulder at the tall form of Theo striding in the opposite direction. As if he felt her eyes on him, Theo stopped and angled his head back at her as well. He smiled before dropping his gaze and continuing on his way. A comfortable warmth filled her as she turned her attention forward, joy flooding every fiber of her being in a way she never imagined possible again.
“Want to show me to my new place?”
Two days later, Theo returned with his entire company of troops. Jade had made certain to meet them at the gate, not only because she wanted to see Theo again, but also because she wanted to get familiar with his company. Some of them had been chosen to accompany them to the Brithswaite estate for her new assignment, and she hoped to make their acquaintance.
“Sure. Your company is in the Dresden barracks.”
Theo glanced over his shoulder at a wagon where cadets were unloading luggage. “Great, I’ve got plenty that needs to be carried.”
She would have shoved him, had they not been captives to decorum, but instead, she followed Theo to the closest wagon being unloaded. He grabbed a pack, turned, and feigned throwing it at her with a grin. Jade flinched and scoffed through a smile.
“Not the sort of behavior I would expect from a respected military leader, Captain Redman.” She crossed her arms and planted her feet, half of her mouth still curling up.
Theo grasped another bag and flung it over his shoulder. “I think you’ll find I’m full of surprises, Captain Ni’ihm.” His eyes twinkled as he took a large satchel from the wagon and held it out for Jade.
She accepted the bag, bringing the long leather strap across her body. “You’ve surprised me already.”
Theo held out one last pack, and Jade extended her arm, accepting the bag and letting the handles fall into the crook of her elbow. “Is that so? How?”
Jade nodded as she turned in the direction of the barracks, Theo falling in step alongside her. “Just by being here. You said you requested the transfer.”
