feel Cole stiffen at the word hike.
“Who’s the lucky fellow?” Mark asks through a mouthful of chicken.
“Make that plural. It’s with Abby, June, and Sue,” I laugh. “There’s a meteor shower.”
“And?” Cole asks, making me roll my eyes.
“Keith and Mike, possibly Derek, but he was muttering about it being cold when we were out last night. Such a baby,” I chuckle until I see Cole’s jaw flex. Oops. “We were just walking along the water’s edge. The house can be busy sometimes.”
“I see.” Cole leans back and pushes his plate away. “And where was Keith?”
“Umm…he was dealing with Frank.” I notice Cole glances at Mark and then his father. The tension starts to build the more we sit in silence. “So,” I look at everyone, “can I get a tour?”
After the grand tour of the grounds, I can feel Cole stewing about something. He has been off since dinner, and I would bet money on it being that I mentioned spending time alone with Derek. It’s quite cold out as we walk back to the main building. I see some of the men heading toward their bunks.
“Are they heated?” I ask.
“Yes, but just enough so they don’t get hypothermia.”
“Yikes,” I whisper.
“Don’t have heaters in the mountains, just what’s on your back.”
“That sucks.”
“It always sucks.”
“Then why do it?”
He stops at a whiteboard and starts scribbling something.
‘03:00 60km Barrel run’
Yikes.
“Personally, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.” Cole tilts his head up toward the sky.
I tuck my freezing hands into my jacket. “Even after what…happened?”
His gaze drops to the ground. “I know it’s hard to understand, but yes.”
A few of the guys are hanging around a large fire pit. We make our way toward them. I wish so much I could hear what’s running through Cole’s head right now. Something is definitely off.
“Evening, Colonel.” One of the candidates nods politely at Cole. “Miss,” he says as he addresses me.
So this is fifty-nine, the one Cole has been watching.
“Roth,” Cole says. I notice he doesn’t address him as his number. Maybe it’s because they're not training at the moment. Another man comes up to join us. He is much shorter than Cole and Roth, almost eye level with me.
“Colonel Logan, it’s nice to meet you,” the man says. “I’m Captain James. I was happy to hear our half of the group got to train here at Camp Green.” He looks at me. “So this is the lady who’s got the camp buzzing.” He extends a hand. “Captain James.”
“Nice to meet you, Captain.” I shake his hand then quickly shove mine back in my jacket. Cole puts his hand on my waist, moving me in front of him so I am closer to the fire.
Cole and Roth start talking about Roth's time over in Afghanistan. I tune them out, leaning my weight into Cole. His hands are stroking methodically up and down my arms. It feels nice as I watch the fire crackle and pop.
“Lovely girl you got there,” I hear Roth say. “Well, I should hit the sack. I see we're going to be up shortly.”
“Good night, Roth.” Cole leans down, whispering in my ear, “You seem quiet.”
“I’m comfy,” I answer, still in my trance from the fire. He chuckles as he wraps his arms around me.
“I want to take you to bed.”
“And I want you to.” I sigh, loving the way I feel in his arms.
***
“MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!” Cole shouts at the men as each one carries his teammate across a field three feet deep in snow.
I see Roth carrying James like he was weightless, taking long strides well ahead of the rest of them.
“If they fall,” Daniel says, handing me a coffee, “they have to go back to the start and do it all over again.”
“Really?” I ask in disbelief as he takes a seat next to me on the bench.
“Yes, they have to know they can’t fail. Most of these men can do it. It’s all mental.”
We watch as two men fall and don’t get back up. Cole goes over and starts
“Who’s the lucky fellow?” Mark asks through a mouthful of chicken.
“Make that plural. It’s with Abby, June, and Sue,” I laugh. “There’s a meteor shower.”
“And?” Cole asks, making me roll my eyes.
“Keith and Mike, possibly Derek, but he was muttering about it being cold when we were out last night. Such a baby,” I chuckle until I see Cole’s jaw flex. Oops. “We were just walking along the water’s edge. The house can be busy sometimes.”
“I see.” Cole leans back and pushes his plate away. “And where was Keith?”
“Umm…he was dealing with Frank.” I notice Cole glances at Mark and then his father. The tension starts to build the more we sit in silence. “So,” I look at everyone, “can I get a tour?”
After the grand tour of the grounds, I can feel Cole stewing about something. He has been off since dinner, and I would bet money on it being that I mentioned spending time alone with Derek. It’s quite cold out as we walk back to the main building. I see some of the men heading toward their bunks.
“Are they heated?” I ask.
“Yes, but just enough so they don’t get hypothermia.”
“Yikes,” I whisper.
“Don’t have heaters in the mountains, just what’s on your back.”
“That sucks.”
“It always sucks.”
“Then why do it?”
He stops at a whiteboard and starts scribbling something.
‘03:00 60km Barrel run’
Yikes.
“Personally, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.” Cole tilts his head up toward the sky.
I tuck my freezing hands into my jacket. “Even after what…happened?”
His gaze drops to the ground. “I know it’s hard to understand, but yes.”
A few of the guys are hanging around a large fire pit. We make our way toward them. I wish so much I could hear what’s running through Cole’s head right now. Something is definitely off.
“Evening, Colonel.” One of the candidates nods politely at Cole. “Miss,” he says as he addresses me.
So this is fifty-nine, the one Cole has been watching.
“Roth,” Cole says. I notice he doesn’t address him as his number. Maybe it’s because they're not training at the moment. Another man comes up to join us. He is much shorter than Cole and Roth, almost eye level with me.
“Colonel Logan, it’s nice to meet you,” the man says. “I’m Captain James. I was happy to hear our half of the group got to train here at Camp Green.” He looks at me. “So this is the lady who’s got the camp buzzing.” He extends a hand. “Captain James.”
“Nice to meet you, Captain.” I shake his hand then quickly shove mine back in my jacket. Cole puts his hand on my waist, moving me in front of him so I am closer to the fire.
Cole and Roth start talking about Roth's time over in Afghanistan. I tune them out, leaning my weight into Cole. His hands are stroking methodically up and down my arms. It feels nice as I watch the fire crackle and pop.
“Lovely girl you got there,” I hear Roth say. “Well, I should hit the sack. I see we're going to be up shortly.”
“Good night, Roth.” Cole leans down, whispering in my ear, “You seem quiet.”
“I’m comfy,” I answer, still in my trance from the fire. He chuckles as he wraps his arms around me.
“I want to take you to bed.”
“And I want you to.” I sigh, loving the way I feel in his arms.
***
“MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!” Cole shouts at the men as each one carries his teammate across a field three feet deep in snow.
I see Roth carrying James like he was weightless, taking long strides well ahead of the rest of them.
“If they fall,” Daniel says, handing me a coffee, “they have to go back to the start and do it all over again.”
“Really?” I ask in disbelief as he takes a seat next to me on the bench.
“Yes, they have to know they can’t fail. Most of these men can do it. It’s all mental.”
We watch as two men fall and don’t get back up. Cole goes over and starts
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