8. Chapter Eight
Chapter Eight
L iam Pacer walked outside Sprite and Roam’s house after grabbing a jacket. Christmas in Kansas was definitely different from the dry Middle East. He breathed in the crisp, cold air and headed toward the clubhouse and the orchard.
When he’d chatted with a couple of the guys, they’d said they had a trail around the compound that started near the clubhouse and went by the orchard. It had been run so much the grass had been pounded down and the red dirt had been flattened.
His phone was in his back pocket if he needed a flashlight because the moon was just a faint light tonight.
He was glad he was able to get leave to walk Sprite down the aisle and see Blake. He hoped she understood that he didn’t love her any less because he wanted to stay on active duty. He’d never meant to have kids, but the woman who had Blake had thought she’d snag a sweet life married to a military man. He still didn’t know how she’d gotten pregnant, but he’d loved Blake from the first moment he held her in his arms.
But he didn’t believe loving a child meant he had to give up the job he was meant for and good at. His team worked behind enemy lines, taking care of those that shouldn’t be allowed to continue. He’d known that very few women would be willing to put up with the fact that there were sometimes months between him being able to call. If that meant he’d be alone for the rest of his life, so be it. He had a job to do.
He walked through the orchard and saw movement over near the fence the guys had mentioned was the start of the trail. He paused to see if it was animal or human. Once he determined it wasn’t a skunk or another animal he didn’t want to cross, he continued walking, making sure to make noise as he did.
“Twist, you better not be going to shoot me with the Nerf gun again,” a female voice called.
Liam smiled. Twist had been having a Nerf war with some of the younger kids, and he must have also decided anyone was fair game.
“It’s not Twist. It’s Liam. I was going to walk the running path the guys mentioned,” he said, walking closer to the voice.
“You can join me if you want. I needed a little space from all the people,” she said, walking closer and holding up a small flashlight, letting the beam light her face. “I’m Tasha. I was one of the many at lunch today,” she said.
Liam nodded. He thought she might be related to one of the brothers, but honestly, he’d relaxed while he was here and hadn’t worried about putting too many faces with names. This was a vacation for him.
“Nice to meet you. I wish I could say I remembered you, but there were so many people. What do you do?” Liam asked as he and Tasha started walking the track.
“I’m a nurse. I currently help at the clinic,” she said.
“You said currently. Do you have other plans?”
She snickered. “Yes, and if my brother knew, I’m sure he’d try to stop me.”
“Older brothers and younger sisters can be a pain,” Liam agreed.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love Bluff Creek and the people, but it’s not what I envisioned for my life.”
Liam could understand that. “What did you envision? I’m an impartial sounding board because I have zero skin in this game.”
Tasha and he walked quietly for a while without talking. Liam didn’t think he’d ever been this comfortable with a woman and silence.
“I worked in a large hospital ER in Dallas before Rose was taken. When we got her back, Scoop, my brother, said we needed to come here to be safe. I was on board with that. Then my mom, who was a traveling nurse, moved here permanently. Suddenly we’re all supposed to just love Bluff Creek and stay here. I love the people, but trust me, there definitely isn’t the adrenaline rush I got from trying to save someone in the ER.”
Liam nodded even though Tasha couldn’t see. It’s like she was speaking his language. He’d be a liar if he didn’t admit that the rush of combat wasn’t part of the draw. Jumping out of a plane for a HALO jump, knowing at any time they could be detected. It was a rush.
“What are you considering doing?” he asked.
“Something completely outside anything I’ve ever done. I’ve never left the United States. I got my passport. I’ve been checking out where nurses are needed. Doctors Without Borders was listed, but it looked like that position could possibly be more about teaching other nurses. I just know that I want to travel and use my skills,” she said, then her arm shivered against him. The path was tight, and their shoulders had been brushing.
“Are you cold? I could loan you my jacket or slide my arm around you to share warmth,” Liam asked. He was trying to be a gentleman, but it was cold out, and he hoped she’d go for shared warmth.
“Thanks. I have my coat on but forgot a scarf. Shared warmth sounds good,” she said, slipping underneath his arm. He wasn’t tall, but she still fit in his arms well.
Liam was curious what her future plans were if she was going to travel. “Is this something for a while, or do you see this as a life plan? I guess I’m asking if you’ll travel and nurse for a while, then come home and settle down to have kids?”
She giggled, and it was a cute sound on her.
“I know everyone thinks that all women want kids, but we’re not all built the same. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love interacting with the kids here on the compound, but I don’t have any great need to have my own. I mean, if I fell for a guy who had kids, it wouldn’t make me not want him, but I don’t plan on having children. I love being a nurse, and that’s what I want to do. I want to help people and have the thrill of knowing I helped that person cheat death.”
Liam couldn’t ever have imagined he’d run into someone who shared a lot of his philosophies.
“Depending on how much control you want on where you are sent, you could be a nurse in the Army or in the reserves.”
“I’ve considered it, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to be told what to do. After Christmas, I’m going to do more research and make a list with all the possibilities along with the pros and cons. My goal in the New Year is to figure out the next step.”
Liam saw lights up ahead and realized they’d walked around the compound. He’d recognized landmarks the guys had mentioned: the snowplow barn, the racetrack, and if he wasn’t mistaken, they were now where the bail bonds houses sat. The time with Tasha had been enjoyable.
“When do you leave to go back?” Tasha asked.
“Two days after the wedding, I’ll head to Wichita to fly out. From there, I’ll fly to one of the Army bases in the US to catch a transport overseas.”
Tasha paused and turned in his arms. The large outdoor pole light showed her face he hadn’t been able to see. Her dark eyes and her mouth had him wondering what she’d think of them spending some time together. Standing here with her had him wishing he could take her inside, but he wouldn’t disrespect the people here with a quick wham-bam.
“You and I both know that we’re on different paths, but from the first time I saw you, I’ve been attracted to you. I hope you feel the same. If you were here for a long time, I’d ask you to take me on a date, get to know you better, and on date three, we’d be together. But you’re here for two more days and then gone. And I don’t want to miss this chance with you. I’m not asking for forever. I’m asking for tonight,” Tasha said, then leaned up and kissed him.
At the first touch of her soft lips, Liam knew sex tonight would be different with Tasha. A shiver worked its way down his spine as their tongues and lips mated, and his arms wrapped around her, tugging her flush against him.
“I can’t promise more than now. Is this really what you want?” Liam asked. He wasn’t a total dick. He was on board with whatever Tasha wanted, but he didn’t want to mislead her.
“How about you come inside the house and we work on making sure you and I have multiple orgasms tonight? Then, if we can spend a little time together before you leave, we’ll do that. After that, we’ll go our separate ways when you fly out,” Tasha said, then unlocked her door. Stepping into the doorway, she waited for his answer.
“If you’re sure, then count me in,” Liam said, following her into the house.