Corpsman and the Nerd (9 page)

Not able to withstand those glistening
gems, he leaned over, plucked her off her chair, and placed her in
his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he felt her hot
tears against that place where his neck and shoulder joined. He
wrapped her tighter against him and just held on until the storm
passed.

He tried to memorize her warm weight
on his lap. He couldn’t remember ever holding her like this before,
but he didn’t want to miss any part of the moment. The time he had
to savor and memorize experiences like this one were dwindling
fast.

Another thought beckoned. He liked
having her right where she was. Just as he suspected, KC fit
perfectly.

Smoothing her hair from her face, he
whispered into her ear, “KC, I want to do this. You know that. I
don’t like the idea of you going, but I do understand why you have
to.”

She hiccupped and pulled away to look
into his eyes. “You don’t like that I’m going?”

Pursing his lips Max shook his head
firmly. “I hate the idea of you possibly getting hurt or worse, but
I’m also man enough to admit that.” He grinned wryly at her.
“You’re also trained for this. So why shouldn’t you go? Just
because I don’t like it?” He shook his head and tugged her
closer.

He thought she must have felt him
swallow because her arms tightened and she pushed her face into his
neck. Max closed his eyes, memorizing it all, inhaling a little
deeper to keep her scent in his brain. Wanting so much more, and
knowing now wasn’t the time. Maybe never would be the time, but now
definitely didn’t work.

“
I’m sorry to be such a cry
baby,” she mumbled against his ear and he heard her sniff. Leaning
forward, but keeping a firm grip on her, he snagged some tissues
and pressed them into her hand.

“
Thanks.” He felt her
fumbling around her face, her position on his lap making the angle
awkward. But KC didn’t pull away from him. She stuffed the used
tissues into her pocket and wrapped her arm around him
again.

“
You’re welcome,” he said
huskily and realized he had to get her off his lap. Soon. Her warm
weight, scent, and the feel of her curves against him were engaging
in a definite conversation with his man’s body. And while he liked
the conversation, he didn’t think she would, so he eased her
breasts away from his chest and tried to breathe
shallowly.

“
We need to get back to
business,” she said and brushed a hand through his hair. “Thanks
for weathering that with me,” she whispered and wiggled off his
lap.

“
Any time,” he whispered
back.

“
Give me a moment,
hmmm?”

“
Sure.” Since he needed a
moment too. He watched her hastily leave the room. She returned a
little while later and he saw she must have splashed some water on
her face. Droplets ensnared in her hair reflected the light and he
caught his breath.

Even after a crying session, KC
Gilmore was still the most beautiful woman he had ever met. And his
arms felt empty when she settled into her own chair. He leaned
forward, wanting to catch another whiff of her scent. Wanting to
repeat that conversation their bodies had been enjoying
earlier.

Even though that way led nowhere, he
still didn’t mind torturing himself a bit longer.

*****

They managed to finalize most of their
business arrangements by the end of the week. KC signed all the
necessary papers to give him power of attorney and authority over
her financial and work decisions, and most importantly, Max became
Ryan’s legal guardian for the time she would be gone.

Especially in the event she didn’t
return.

A thought neither spoke out loud. KC
contained her emotions since her meltdown with him, and worked
through everything, with an aplomb he admired. He hadn’t any
additional reasons to pull her into his arms again, but there was a
new warmth in her eyes, a sort of longing she developed whenever
she looked at him.

He didn’t put much stock in the look
though, because he caught the same expression whenever she watched
Ryan or Spuds. Like she was making memories to take with
her.

Max understood her reasoning, because
he caught himself doing the same thing. He desperately needed to
capture every scent, every look, every laugh, every precious smile.
He wanted to feel her in his arms again. Even though her job
wouldn’t place her on the front line of battle, it didn’t
matter.

KC was still going to war.

And war always produced casualties. He
had no guarantee KC Gilmore wouldn’t be counted among them. That
thought kept him awake some nights. Or woke him up, panicked and
sweaty, and sent him down the hall to anxiously peer into her room
to make certain she was all right. But there was nothing he could
do to stop her from going.

The woman he loved was going to leave
him. Perhaps for good. And he couldn’t rouse the courage to tell
her how he really felt about her. Much less stop her from
going.

Chapter 10

KC turned and with a deep breath,
stooped and hugged Ryan for at least the tenth time. During the
time between now and when she received her orders, she had steadily
been nudging herself into her Navy Corpsman persona. She had a job
to do, and she’d do it. And she would leave with a smile. That
didn’t mean there weren’t a few tears in her heart. She was still
Ryan’s mom first and foremost.

“
Mom,” he protested and
wriggled, but he allowed the hug, barely.

“
Bye, sweetheart,” she
whispered. “Remember, I’m going to be gone for longer than two
sleeps.” She refused to think about the possibility of never
holding him again. So she squeezed just a little harder and
wondered if she could release her antsy son.

“
An’ I’m staying with Max. I
know, Mom, you keep telling me,” he huffed and wriggled
harder.

As soon as she set him free, he took
off, spying something nearby that obviously required his
attention.

She turned to Max and contained her
welling emotions. Being Max, he simply opened his arms and she
lunged into them. His arms closed around her, tightly, securely,
and she wanted to stay there. There was safety here in his
arms.

KC felt Max’s lips on her hair and
held on tighter, thankful he appeared to share her thoughts. She
swallowed when she heard her boarding call. He let her go, looking
down at her, his eyes as serious as she had ever seen
them.

“
Good thing we finished
everything early.”

She nodded. “I never suspected my
deployment would get moved ahead like this.” So fast, she couldn’t
seem to say goodbye.

“
We had two weeks.” His
voice was gruff sounding.

“
Fortunately. Just think,
your family packed and moved me, and we got all our business taken
care of in that amount of time.”

“
Yeah.”

“
I thought I’d have more
time than this,” she whispered.

“
Me too. But this is what
happens. They apparently need you.”

She nodded again, and thought of what
awaited her in Kuwait. The problem was she didn’t know.

He raised his thumb and wiped away a
tear she hadn’t managed to keep from falling and smiled. “Go. Enjoy
the sand and heat, while we’re shoveling snow,” he joked, and she
appreciated his effort. Hearing that tone of voice helped to keep
the rest of her tears in check. She’d be okay once she got there.
Right now she was thinking of all she would miss, and that’s what
hurt.

“
Right. I’ll miss all the
snow this year. That can’t be a bad thing,” she agreed and tried a
smile too. It didn’t fit very well.

Max gave a long suffering sigh. “Ryan
and I’ll be working our tails off while you’ll be—”

“
Roasting in the heat,
trying to avoid sand, and working my tail off,” she finished for
him.

“
Right.” He sent her that
devastating grin again. “Enjoy.”

“
Yeah, I’m sure.” There was
so much more she wanted to say. She still had to clear security so
she had to go. KC stared at these two precious males, hating that
she was leaving them. Ryan trailed up to stand beside Max and they
waved in unison as she hurried away.

Even though he teased her, Max’s eyes
never lost their sadness. But he tried to make the best of the
situation, for her. So she could do no less.

After she found her seat, KC bowed her
head and thanked whoever was responsible for Max Morrison’s
presence in her life.

*****

“
Max?” Ryan asked on their
way back to the car.

“
Yes?” he answered, batting
down the urge to storm the plane, physically remove KC, and bring
her home with them. It wasn’t right that she was leaving. That
she’d be so far away from them.

“
Whewe’s Mommy going again?”
The little guy bobbed along beside him, feinting left and right, as
though he were a superhero. Only a superhero could save K.C now.
Since Max’s powers hadn’t ever developed, much to his childhood
disappointment, Max knew it couldn’t be him. If KC even wanted
saved, which he doubted.

“
She’s going to
Kuwait.”

“
Whewe’s that?” Ryan kicked
out at something only he could see.

“
It’s a long way from here,
buddy.” Too far. Too long.

“
She has to be on an
aiwplane to go thewe?” Another enemy must have jumped Ryan because
he punched out and kicked, making all the necessary fighting
noises.

“
Yes.” Even though they told
him repeatedly, Max wondered if Ryan really understood. Now that KC
had left them, he seemed to understand this was more serious than
her weekend leaves.

“
When is she coming
home?”

“
Not for eight months,” Max
said, aching and empty and a little depressed. Ryan finally seemed
to grasp that eight months was a long time. But when Max looked at
KC’s son, he realized at least he had Ryan. She was facing these
months without him. The ache expanded.

“
How long is that? How many
sleeps?”

Max hunkered down and gazed into
Ryan’s eyes. The little guy had stopped being a superhero and now
just looked confused. “It’s a lot of sleeps, buddy,” he answered
heavily.

“
More than
thwee?”

“
More than
three.”

“
But she is coming home,
wight? Back to ouw house?” Ryan looked so upset Max nearly lost it.
He tugged the little boy into his arms.

“
I hope so, Ryan. I hope
so.”

Chapter 11

Two days later

To:
[email protected]

From:
[email protected]

Subject: I’m
here!

Dear Max and
Ryan,

I’m here! And missing you
both so much. How is Ryan? Has he finally understood that I’m not
going to come home right away? I hope so. He’s pretty adaptable and
since he’s with you, Max, I think he’ll be fine.

I arrived safe and fairly
sound. I slept some on the plane, but I’m still tired, and hungry
and totally out of sorts. I have a cot, though and plan to make use
of it shortly.

I did spend some time in
Norfolk,
VA
and we
mobilized from there. I’m at a Fleet Hospital on the Navy side,
since I am a surgeon. Probably be doing much of what you’d see in
M*A*S*H. (Even though M*A*S*H is Army, my unit will be similar, and
of course more modern.)

Max decided to buy the entire M*A*S*H
boxset. He planned to watch the movie and the TV program, so he
would have an inkling of what KC experienced. Anything to feel
closer to her. He returned to her email.

I’m in a tent with nine
other women. All of us of the medical persuasion. I’m the only
trained lab person, although I’m going to be working as a
surgeon/doctor, apparently. (Of course, I haven’t done that type of
work in a while, but I’m sure (hoping!) it’ll come back to me.) I’m
a bit nervous by the practical end of doctoring, since I’ve been
using the text book end recently, but anyway, this should be
interesting...

Max read through the lines and decided
she was a nervous wreck. He doubted she would have any trouble, but
KC was likely to worry herself to nausea over this. For her sake
and everyone else on the base, he hoped she got comfortable with
her skills quickly.

Speaking of hot, it’s
scorching here! Around 110 degrees. Those who’ve been here for a
while say it’s positively cool... (That doesn’t bode well.)
Although they do say you get used to it. Mitch also assured me I
would. He also, bless him, gave me a very good overview of what
this would be like. So, I’m not that surprised. But it is one of
those situations you have to experience.

While the days are
scorching hot, the nights drop rapidly in temperature, by about
thirty degrees or so, so then it feels positively cold. I can
already assure you, I don’t like the desert!