hops to his feet. “Come on, we're up.” He nods to the cafeteria line.
“Colonel?” a guy wearing number sixty-one says, standing behind us. “May I have a word with you?”
Cole sighs as he stands. “Savi, go ahead with John and get something to eat. I’ll meet you back here.”
“All righty, you ready for a five star meal? We have chicken or chicken or chicken.” John laughs as he digs in, taking a huge portion of hunter chicken. I take a small amount and pair it with a roll and veggies. “Here.” He hands me a bottle of water. “Grab a knife and fork from there,” he points to a tray, “and we're done.”
“Hang on,” a guy, says handing me a napkin. “There you go.”
“Thanks.” I go to move, but he shifts in front of me.
“Here, let me.” He takes my tray out of my grip and starts walking back to the table. It’s a nice gesture; if only half the place wasn’t watching us. I notice his number is nine, and I think I spot his table because they are the ones who seem most interested. Then it clicks, making me chuckle.
“So what do you win by carrying my tray to the table?” I ask as I come up next to him. He attempts to hide his smile but it doesn’t work.
“To be team captain on whichever assignment I choose.” He blushes slightly. “When you show leadership, you stick out more. I need to gain as many points here as possible.”
I see Cole watching us out of the corner of my eye, and I see our table watching me too. “Tell me something, nine, what’s your name?”
He stands a little straighter. “Corporal Davie.”
“Do you know who I am?”
“No, miss, I don’t.”
“Pretty risky for you to take on that bet.”
“I like to take risks, but I figured being a gentleman wasn’t causing any harm,” he shrugs innocently.
“Are you being a gentleman?” I question his motives.
“Yes, miss, I was raised right. My mamma always says you respect a lady and they’ll respect you.”
I reach for the tray just as Cole does. “Cole,” I glance up at him, “Corporal Davie here was kind enough to carry my tray for me. Wasn’t that nice?”
Cole studies my face and nods. “Yes, it was. Come on, baby, let’s go eat.”
I see Davie’s eyes pop open when he realizes he just carried the Colonel's girlfriend’s tray.
“Thanks again, Davie,” I call over my shoulder as I follow Cole back to the seat.
I watch as Davie sits at his table and no one speaks a word. “Cole,” I begin, and he turns to look at me. “Has nine been doing well?”
Cole shrugs. “Not overly. He’s weak in the water.”
“Do you think he’ll make the cut?”
“No not unless he gets past his fear of drowning.”
I’m confused. “Isn’t that a normal fear?”
“Green Berets can’t be scared of anything.”
I scrunch my face up, trying to follow. “So you’re telling me you’re scared of nothing.”
He wipes his napkin over his mouth then stares down at me with a look that almost frightens me. “Just you.”
“Me?”
He leans in a little closer, resting his arm on the back of my chair. “I’m scared to death of losing you.” I want to make a comment, but I don’t. It wasn’t Cole’s fault he was taken from me before. Sometimes I have to remind myself of that; a part of me finds it easier to lash out than to accept what really happened.
“You won’t lose me, Cole. I love and trust you more than anyone.” I see a pained look run across his face. He picks up my left hand and rubs my wedding ring finger. I think he’s going to say something, but he doesn’t. I reach up and quickly run my hand over his five o’clock shadow. “I wish I knew what this face means.” He takes my hand and gives it a quick kiss, then turns his attention back to his dinner.
“Savi,” Daniel calls out, “how long you staying at camp?”
“Umm, just until tomorrow afternoon,” I answer. “I have a date in the evening.”
“Oh?” Cole raises an eyebrow.
“Yes, dinner and a hike.” I
“Colonel?” a guy wearing number sixty-one says, standing behind us. “May I have a word with you?”
Cole sighs as he stands. “Savi, go ahead with John and get something to eat. I’ll meet you back here.”
“All righty, you ready for a five star meal? We have chicken or chicken or chicken.” John laughs as he digs in, taking a huge portion of hunter chicken. I take a small amount and pair it with a roll and veggies. “Here.” He hands me a bottle of water. “Grab a knife and fork from there,” he points to a tray, “and we're done.”
“Hang on,” a guy, says handing me a napkin. “There you go.”
“Thanks.” I go to move, but he shifts in front of me.
“Here, let me.” He takes my tray out of my grip and starts walking back to the table. It’s a nice gesture; if only half the place wasn’t watching us. I notice his number is nine, and I think I spot his table because they are the ones who seem most interested. Then it clicks, making me chuckle.
“So what do you win by carrying my tray to the table?” I ask as I come up next to him. He attempts to hide his smile but it doesn’t work.
“To be team captain on whichever assignment I choose.” He blushes slightly. “When you show leadership, you stick out more. I need to gain as many points here as possible.”
I see Cole watching us out of the corner of my eye, and I see our table watching me too. “Tell me something, nine, what’s your name?”
He stands a little straighter. “Corporal Davie.”
“Do you know who I am?”
“No, miss, I don’t.”
“Pretty risky for you to take on that bet.”
“I like to take risks, but I figured being a gentleman wasn’t causing any harm,” he shrugs innocently.
“Are you being a gentleman?” I question his motives.
“Yes, miss, I was raised right. My mamma always says you respect a lady and they’ll respect you.”
I reach for the tray just as Cole does. “Cole,” I glance up at him, “Corporal Davie here was kind enough to carry my tray for me. Wasn’t that nice?”
Cole studies my face and nods. “Yes, it was. Come on, baby, let’s go eat.”
I see Davie’s eyes pop open when he realizes he just carried the Colonel's girlfriend’s tray.
“Thanks again, Davie,” I call over my shoulder as I follow Cole back to the seat.
I watch as Davie sits at his table and no one speaks a word. “Cole,” I begin, and he turns to look at me. “Has nine been doing well?”
Cole shrugs. “Not overly. He’s weak in the water.”
“Do you think he’ll make the cut?”
“No not unless he gets past his fear of drowning.”
I’m confused. “Isn’t that a normal fear?”
“Green Berets can’t be scared of anything.”
I scrunch my face up, trying to follow. “So you’re telling me you’re scared of nothing.”
He wipes his napkin over his mouth then stares down at me with a look that almost frightens me. “Just you.”
“Me?”
He leans in a little closer, resting his arm on the back of my chair. “I’m scared to death of losing you.” I want to make a comment, but I don’t. It wasn’t Cole’s fault he was taken from me before. Sometimes I have to remind myself of that; a part of me finds it easier to lash out than to accept what really happened.
“You won’t lose me, Cole. I love and trust you more than anyone.” I see a pained look run across his face. He picks up my left hand and rubs my wedding ring finger. I think he’s going to say something, but he doesn’t. I reach up and quickly run my hand over his five o’clock shadow. “I wish I knew what this face means.” He takes my hand and gives it a quick kiss, then turns his attention back to his dinner.
“Savi,” Daniel calls out, “how long you staying at camp?”
“Umm, just until tomorrow afternoon,” I answer. “I have a date in the evening.”
“Oh?” Cole raises an eyebrow.
“Yes, dinner and a hike.” I
Similar Books
