a second later, quickly forming a laughing, gyrating threesome.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Ryan said, watching his crew members cutting loose. He turned back to Stillman. “What did you say to Clay? He hasn’t cracked a smile since yesterday afternoon.”
Stillman glanced at the dancers and shrugged a shoulder. “Sometimes it helps to have a different take on...an incident.” The kid had clearly done all he could, but guilt, he knew, didn’t pay much attention to logic.
Ryan lifted his empty beer bottle and picked at the label with his thumbnail. “You know, Caitlyn’s different. Not only because she’s the best damn pilot I’ve ever had the privilege to fly beside.” He regarded Stillman with cool green eyes. “Thing is, she doesn’t see it. Despite the royal act, she thinks she’s one of the guys.”
Stillman bit back a snort. Queeny would never be “one of the guys.”
A waitress arrived to collect empty beer bottles and Stillman ordered a Corona. Ryan waved away his offer for a refill.
Ryan fingered the damp coaster left from his drink. “Don’t get me wrong, Caity will take charge of a situation in a heartbeat. She can’t seem to help it.” He blew out his breath on an awkward chuckle. “I guess I’m just saying she’s special. Make sure you treat her that way.”
Stillman saluted Ryan with two fingers. “Message received.” He didn’t see any reason to mention the flight officer had already delivered a more convincing threat.
“Uh, I’m afraid I outed you.”
In the midst of patting his empty chest pocket for cigarettes, Stillman squinted at Ryan. “That would be a little hard to do since I’m not gay.” He aborted his furtive search. Shit, in a moment of insanity, prompted by the last conversation with his ex, he’d quit smoking. For Queeny.
Ryan laughed and shot a quick look at the dance floor before returning his attention to Stillman. “Yeah, I got that loud and clear. I’m talking about your Reserve Army status.” He picked up a couple more coasters and began shuffling them back and forth. “I didn’t realize you hadn’t told Caity, or I would’ve kept my mouth shut.”
Well, hell, that explained the overbright smile Caitlyn gave him when he’d returned to their table with Clay. But it didn’t explain Ryan’s behavior. “Why would you be willing to keep a secret from a crew member you respect?”
Or, maybe he’d read the copilot right the first time. The “outing” had been deliberate. A way to get Stillman out of the picture so Ryan could keep Caitlyn for himself.
“You’re different from her usual doctor dates.”
The coaster shuffling stopped. Stillman met his look without blinking. Ryan might have home field advantage, but Stillman had more years of experience. And Queeny was a woman who called for a lot of...experience.
The conversation stalled when the waitress delivered Stillman’s beer. He took a healthy swallow and let the bitter bite ease some of the tension from his belly. He wasn’t afraid of a little Coastie competition.
“Caitlyn dates doctors, does she? Looking for a wealthy husband?” Hard to imagine, but then she’d come from a large family with little money. That tended to color a woman’s perspective on marriage, something he’d learned from Hilary.
Ryan’s eyes widened before he burst out laughing. “Hell, no. Caity-girl wouldn’t give up her commission for any amount of money.” He tossed the coasters on the table. “No, she needs a guy who can stand up to her. She figures doctors’ egos are about as big as hers.” He grinned, leaned over the table and punched Stillman’s bicep. “Hell, you’ve got ’em all beat. You’re a doctor and a military helo pilot. They don’t make egos bigger than yours.”
* * *
Caitlyn watched Ryan cuff Stillman’s shoulder. “What the heck is he doing, bonding with the enemy?”
“Lighten up,” Joe said, crowding her on the dance floor. “You liked him well enough before you
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Ryan said, watching his crew members cutting loose. He turned back to Stillman. “What did you say to Clay? He hasn’t cracked a smile since yesterday afternoon.”
Stillman glanced at the dancers and shrugged a shoulder. “Sometimes it helps to have a different take on...an incident.” The kid had clearly done all he could, but guilt, he knew, didn’t pay much attention to logic.
Ryan lifted his empty beer bottle and picked at the label with his thumbnail. “You know, Caitlyn’s different. Not only because she’s the best damn pilot I’ve ever had the privilege to fly beside.” He regarded Stillman with cool green eyes. “Thing is, she doesn’t see it. Despite the royal act, she thinks she’s one of the guys.”
Stillman bit back a snort. Queeny would never be “one of the guys.”
A waitress arrived to collect empty beer bottles and Stillman ordered a Corona. Ryan waved away his offer for a refill.
Ryan fingered the damp coaster left from his drink. “Don’t get me wrong, Caity will take charge of a situation in a heartbeat. She can’t seem to help it.” He blew out his breath on an awkward chuckle. “I guess I’m just saying she’s special. Make sure you treat her that way.”
Stillman saluted Ryan with two fingers. “Message received.” He didn’t see any reason to mention the flight officer had already delivered a more convincing threat.
“Uh, I’m afraid I outed you.”
In the midst of patting his empty chest pocket for cigarettes, Stillman squinted at Ryan. “That would be a little hard to do since I’m not gay.” He aborted his furtive search. Shit, in a moment of insanity, prompted by the last conversation with his ex, he’d quit smoking. For Queeny.
Ryan laughed and shot a quick look at the dance floor before returning his attention to Stillman. “Yeah, I got that loud and clear. I’m talking about your Reserve Army status.” He picked up a couple more coasters and began shuffling them back and forth. “I didn’t realize you hadn’t told Caity, or I would’ve kept my mouth shut.”
Well, hell, that explained the overbright smile Caitlyn gave him when he’d returned to their table with Clay. But it didn’t explain Ryan’s behavior. “Why would you be willing to keep a secret from a crew member you respect?”
Or, maybe he’d read the copilot right the first time. The “outing” had been deliberate. A way to get Stillman out of the picture so Ryan could keep Caitlyn for himself.
“You’re different from her usual doctor dates.”
The coaster shuffling stopped. Stillman met his look without blinking. Ryan might have home field advantage, but Stillman had more years of experience. And Queeny was a woman who called for a lot of...experience.
The conversation stalled when the waitress delivered Stillman’s beer. He took a healthy swallow and let the bitter bite ease some of the tension from his belly. He wasn’t afraid of a little Coastie competition.
“Caitlyn dates doctors, does she? Looking for a wealthy husband?” Hard to imagine, but then she’d come from a large family with little money. That tended to color a woman’s perspective on marriage, something he’d learned from Hilary.
Ryan’s eyes widened before he burst out laughing. “Hell, no. Caity-girl wouldn’t give up her commission for any amount of money.” He tossed the coasters on the table. “No, she needs a guy who can stand up to her. She figures doctors’ egos are about as big as hers.” He grinned, leaned over the table and punched Stillman’s bicep. “Hell, you’ve got ’em all beat. You’re a doctor and a military helo pilot. They don’t make egos bigger than yours.”
* * *
Caitlyn watched Ryan cuff Stillman’s shoulder. “What the heck is he doing, bonding with the enemy?”
“Lighten up,” Joe said, crowding her on the dance floor. “You liked him well enough before you
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