Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Amanda was nervous.
She’d had the best time tonight. Nash’s friends were hilarious, and friendly, and she felt included and welcomed by them all.
It was as if she’d known them for years rather than just a few hours.
She liked how they fought over who would pay for the drinks.
She liked how concerned they were about Nash when they’d heard he’d run after her into the jungle.
She liked how down-to-earth they all seemed.
She’d done some research about Night Stalkers earlier in the day and was more than a little impressed.
After reading about these amazing pilots—who’d done their fair share of rescuing men, women, and children in the past, as well as the military men and women they transported—she was even more grateful for Nash coming to her rescue like he had.
Because who was she? No one. A random teacher who’d made a stupid mistake in her panic by not verifying a child was actually missing before running off.
And yet he’d never made her feel bad about that.
Had done everything in his power to make her feel safe.
In her eyes, it wasn’t his piloting skills that made him extraordinary, it was his compassion, his personality, his apparent need to serve, and his desire to protect others.
Amanda liked him. A lot. And now that they were back in the States, safe and sound, and he’d said the things he’d said to her via text, it was getting more and more difficult to hide her feelings. To hide her desire.
Hearing him say he didn’t want a fling only made her need for him intensify.
Would it be stupid to throw herself at him?
Probably. But even knowing that didn’t make the desire for him any less.
Sitting next to him in the bar, watching him with his friends, seeing him laugh, feeling his hand on her thigh, his thumb brushing back and forth as they sat next to each other…
had ramped up her need for him all the more.
Nash Chaney was a good man. And she wanted him. Badly.
Yup, the night had gone extremely well. The only question mark was Laryn.
Amanda liked her a lot, just as much as the first time they’d met.
But she was quiet all evening, despite a razor-sharp focus.
She also had an incredible ability to keep what she was thinking off her face. Amanda couldn’t read her at all.
Well, except when she looked at Casper. The love she had for the man was easy to see, and her man returned it tenfold. It was beautiful.
When they got to the bathroom, they did their thing. And when they were washing their hands afterward, Laryn glanced at her and said almost casually, “Night Stalkers aren’t supposed to leave their choppers.”
Amanda grabbed a paper towel and turned to face her as she dried her hands. “I know. Nash told me.”
“Tate did the same thing with me, but there was a Navy SEAL who would’ve died if he hadn’t gone.”
Amanda nodded. Nash had told her the story of how Laryn had gotten kidnapped out from under Casper’s nose because he’d left her alone in the helicopter in Turkey, while he’d gone to help Pyro with two injured SEALs.
“For Buck to have done that, it was a big deal. A huge deal. He could’ve gotten reprimanded. Lost pay. Lost rank. There must’ve been something about the situation that spoke to him on a level that was unlike any other he’d been in.”
“It was intense. There were kids. The rebels were coming,” Amanda said. She wasn’t sure what point Laryn was trying to make.
“It was stupid for you to run away.”
“It was,” Amanda agreed without hesitation. She wasn’t offended. It had been stupid.
“But Buck leaving his chopper wasn’t exactly smart either. So don’t you go thinking you were the only one to make a mistake that day.”
“Thanks. Nash admitted the same thing to me.”
“Always knew he was smart,” Laryn said with a small smile. “But I have to say, I’m impressed. You thought a kid was missing, and you didn’t hesitate to go find him.”
Amanda nodded. “I should’ve made sure James wasn’t there before just running off.”
“Maybe. It’s easy to second-guess what you should’ve done after the fact.
Tate should’ve made me go with him, not stay in the chopper by myself.
I shouldn’t have gone with him on that mission in the first place, although I don’t regret it, because his instruments weren’t working correctly and I managed to fix them in-flight.
There are several things we each could’ve done differently, but we didn’t, and what happened, happened. ”
Amanda nodded.
“I like Buck. A lot. He’s like a brother to me. I don’t want to see him hurt. And I know this is ridiculous, me asking you about your intentions when ultimately it’s your business, and Buck’s. But I’ve been watching over these men for years now, and I can’t just turn off my concern.”
“I don’t mind. I’m glad he and the others have someone to look after them. I like him too. He’s different from any other man I’ve known.”
It was Laryn’s turn to nod. “More intense, right?”
“Oh yeah.”
“And bossy. Cocky. Protective.”
“Yes, to all three. But I don’t like him just because he kept me safe in the jungle. It’s because of his personality. His kindness toward others. His…I don’t know. Everything? All I know is that when I’m around him I feel…seen. Seen in a way I haven’t been before.”
“I get that. Tate makes me feel the same way. From what little I know of you so far, I like you, Mandy,” Laryn said.
“And I think you’ll be good for Buck. I just wanted to make sure you don’t have blinders on.
His work is tough. They leave at a moment’s notice sometimes.
He might not know how long he’ll be gone.
He can’t talk to you about where he was or what he did…
top secret and all. What he does is dangerous as hell.
Do you know much about Night Stalker pilots? ”
“A little. I researched them today.”
“Good. But that won’t give you the half of it. Trust me when I say, what those men do out there is insane. The way they can maneuver their helicopters is downright scary…and impressive. Are you going to be able to handle that? Being alone a lot? Having him gone and putting himself in danger?”
“Yes,” Amanda said with conviction. “I don’t need a man to be happy.
I’ve been able to function without one just fine up until now.
I want to make Nash’s life easier, not harder.
I’ll miss him like crazy when he’s gone, but I trust that his skills, and those of his friends, will keep him as safe as he can be.
And you’ll be there to make sure his helicopter isn’t going to fall out of the sky. ”
“Damn straight.”
“Thank you for what you do, Laryn. Nash has spoken very highly of you. He knows how hard he and his fellow pilots are on their machines—we talked about it a little while we were in the jungle—and he’s impressed that you don’t even blink when they come back from a mission with, in his words, their choppers a little banged up. ”
Laryn chuckled. “A little banged up? Yeah, that’s one way to describe it.” Then she sighed. “I’m being a bitch, aren’t I? Jeez, I never wanted to be this person. What right do I have to question you about your feelings toward Buck? You’re probably so irritated right now.”
“I’m not,” Amanda insisted. “I think it’s lovely that you care about Nash enough to want to make sure I’m not just after his hot body.”
Laryn laughed. “They are built, aren’t they? All of them. They’re the hot squad, for sure.”
“Totally.”
The women shared a grin.
“Right, hopefully you don’t think I’m a horrible person for interfering. I want to state for the record…I’d love to hang out with you sometime without the guys around. I mean, if you want to.”
“I do!” Amanda was quick to say. “I don’t have a lot of friends here.
I mean, I hung out with some of the teachers at the school where I used to work, but you know how it is once you leave a workplace.
The people you thought were friends seem to just fade away, and you realize you weren’t actually as close as you thought. ”
“I get that. That’s happened to me as well, although probably not as much since I tend to work with mostly men.
I definitely don’t have a lot of female friends, and I like you.
You seem pretty down-to-earth. Not like a lot of women around these parts, who just want to sleep with a sailor or soldier for the thrill of the chase or something.
And don’t get me started on the ones who are looking for a baby daddy they can force to pay child support for the next eighteen years. ”
“Ugh! There are women who do that?” Amanda asked.
“Oh yeah. It’s gross.”
“No wonder you wanted to make sure my intentions were good.”
“Come on. Let’s get back out there. I’m sure Buck is probably anxious as hell right about now.”
“Why?” Amanda asked.
Laryn grinned. “Because I’m sure he wants you to himself after we all crashed his date. And he’s also probably worried about what I’m telling you right now.”
“Do you have juicy stories about him?”
“Oh yeah.”
“Then we totally need to hang out again.”
Laryn was still laughing as they exited the restroom, and Amanda saw Casper and Nash standing at the end of the hallway waiting for them.
Laryn headed straight for her man, and Amanda smiled a little shyly at Nash as she came toward him.
“Everyone else leave?” Laryn asked.
“Yup. You good?” Casper asked her.
“We’re good. Great. Peachy. Right, Mandy?”
“Right,” Amanda agreed, giving the other woman a sincere smile.
“Awesome. Did you tell her all sorts of embarrassing stories about us?” Casper asked.
“Whatever,” Laryn said with a roll of her eyes. “We were just peeing. Come on, stud, take me home.”