She laughed then, a bright, unexpected sound that scorched his soul. “Your parents could have been much cleverer. Stainless. Nerves Of. The ever popular Man Of.” She paused. “Blue.”
Kurt’sgrin turned into a full belly laugh. He’d forgotten how much fun she could be. “Unfortunately, they went with my mom’s maiden name.”
“Which was?”
“Strong.”
“They didn’t.”
“Yep.”
“Oh, my God,” she managed, gasping. “Your name is Kurt Strong Steele?”
“It’s on my birth certificate.”
She giggled.
His heart swelled. She was a danger to his sanity, but a reckless part of him didn’t care. “What’syourmiddle name?” he asked.
“Nope.”
“That’s a weird one.”
“I mean I’m not sharing, you dope.”
“No fair.”
“Who said I play fair?” she asked, her voice teasing at first, but fading at the end.
Of course his mind went immediately back to the sucker punch of finding out she’d been with another man while he was at training.
Maybe hers had too, because the line turned silent.
“Caitlyn?”
“It’sAmelia.”
“Seriously? As in Earhart?”
“I wish.” She sighed. “No, as in Bedelia.”
“Who?”
“My mom liked this children’s book series about a woman named Amelia Bedelia when she was a kid. My dad thought it was too weird for a first name, so they compromised.”
“Well, it beats Strong Steele. And you can always pretend you were presciently named after the pilot. Preferably without the disappearingpart.”
“Sure. We’re making up stories anyway, right?”
“Exactly.” And he’d do well to remember it.
What’s your favorite color?
Caitlyn smiled to herself as she typed the text message from the comfort of the deserted general aviation terminal at Hewanorra on St. Lucia. Her client wouldn’t return from her meeting for another hour, and Caitlyn had time to burn.
She and Kurt had been talkingdaily since she returned home, mostly to get their stories straight and ensure they knew the important details about each other. But, she might as well learn the little things about him too. Plus, it would drive him nuts.
Seriously?
