Forest glanced down to his right and gave Colonel Vane a look. “Hmm. They’re coming in late tonight, and they were going to take a down day while the roadies set up. They’re on a USO tour. We’re either going to have to move that up or keep you here.”
There was no way her team would be granted an extra day in Bagram. They had a special ops unit to support, and missions constantly headed out.
“Hmm,” she said, “I don’t think keeping me here is possible.”
Someone approached from behind and to her right. Lyons’s presence couldn’t be denied. He had an uncanny ability to set her nerves firing and the fine hairs on her arms lifting.Had he come over because he recognized Forest? Or had he come over, full of his protective instincts?
“Who is this, T?” he demanded.
She shook her head. Lyons positioned himself a little too close and crossed his arms over his chest, puffing out as he faced Forest. Lyons was a tall man in his own right. Six-four, he towered over her, but he had to crane his neck to stare at Forest.
Forest’s eyes narrowed, and then he arched a brow. “Name’s Forest.” He shoved out his meaty hand.
Lyons gave Forest a shake and then greeted the colonel after taking a quick read of his name tag. “Good evening, Colonel Vane.”
Colonel Vane gave Lyons a nod, making her feel like an ass for ignoring the senior officer.
“Good evening,” Colonel Vane said.
“Tia and I go way back,” Forest rumbled. “I’ve known her since she was a kid.”
“Really?” Lyons turned to her. “Somehow, I can’t imagine T ever being a kid.”
“Oh, she was scrappy and full of spitfire. Barely kept her out of—”
“Hey,” she interjected. “No need to be spilling my secrets. I have to work with this guy.”
Forest ran his fingers through his shocking white-blond hair. “Um…”
She turned to Lyons. “Suffice it to say, Forest and I crossed paths when I was having trouble with a certain foster family. It’s because of him that I went into nursing school.”
“And Skye,” Forest asserted.
“Well, it was because of Skye that I became a CRNA.”
“Skye?” Lyons asked.
“My sister,” Forest answered. “She and Tia used to work together in the emergency department in DC.”
“Skye encouraged me to apply for CRNA school.”
“And join the military?” Lyons asked, glancing between them.
Lyons was fishing for pieces of her past, making her realize how little she shared with the men in her team. Not that she could fault him for asking. She was a part of them yet apart from them. Joining in with their male banter was awkward for all involved. Men simply thought and interacted differently than women.
“Scholarships,” she answered. “I was broke and didn’t like the idea of a few hundred thousand in debt when I got out of school.”
“Ah,” Lyons said. “Why am I only just now finding out about this?”
She shrugged. “Guess it never came up.” Stopping suddenly, she realized they’d been carrying on a conversation while the colonelstood silently, watching the exchange. “Sir, please forgive me. I didn’t mean to intrude.”
Colonel Vane clasped his hands to his front and rocked back on his heels. “I think it’s great. What are the odds that Angel Fire’s manager would know someone here?” He turned to Forest. “This could be a great PR angle. What do you think?”
“Hmm, there are possibilities,” Forest answered in his low rumble. “We’re just finishing up a tour of the base. Colonel Vane was showing me where the food was.” He turned to the colonel. “Do we have anything else to discuss? Or would it be okay to share a meal with my friend?”
Colonel Vane glanced around the chow hall. “It’s seldom anyone gets to see someone from home. How about we send someone for you in an hour?” He glanced at Tia.
“Yes, sir,” she said. “And thank you, sir.”
