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“And then?”
“And then…” He looked at her again as he wet his lips. “And then I take her to her appointments. My mama isn’t capable of driving her, so I do it.” The kid was bright, and he could already see the writing on the wall as Ivy went on.
“So, tell me this. What happens if you’re on call this Thanksgiving or need to fly out at Christmas and spend your holidays under fire, covered in sweat and mud instead of with your family? Is that something you can live with?”
“It’s just food,” he said defensively and glanced at me. I could see him trying to find a way out. “I can miss a few meals.”
“And your sister?”
His face fell and his shoulders slumped. He opened his mouth but then shut it again.
“Gear, you’re a great candidate. You passed all the standard questions with flying colors, but this job is more than just being a badass soldier. It’s about everything else that you’ll have to give up along the way. A job like this means you have to be ready to go at the drop of a hat with no explanation. You have to keep everyone you love in the dark for their own protection. Even dating someone will be a major challenge, not to mention a future with a wife and family. That would have to be put on hold. I can see your family needs you. Your sister needs you.”
“Yeah.” He nodded, and it was obvious it was the first time everything had sunk in for him.
“I won’t pull your file from the stack, but I want you to make sure this is what you really want. If you decide it isn’t for you, just call Logan, and he’ll pull your file quietly and no one will be the wiser.”
I watched him leave, and when the door shut, I looked at Ivy.
“How’d you know?”
“By how many emails he’s received from his mother.” She scribbled down a few notes. “Most candidates email a lot at first, but then it tapers off once they’re settled in. Gear’s mother writes him several times a day, and he replied to every one of them.”
“That’s impressive, Dr. Knight.” God, she was sexy even when she worked.
Keith popped his head in the door. “Ready, Beckett?”
“Yes.” I hesitated as I looked at Ivy, who was gathering up her iPad and water bottle.
“I’m good, Ty. Go ahead.” She chuckled and shook her head at me. “I can handle myself.”
“Take a left outside the door,” Keith said, “and at the end take another left and you’ll find us.”
“Sounds good.” She smiled at him, then at me.
Keith’s mouth had softened a little as we started down the hall, but a few minutes later it morphed into a full-on smile when he approached the cute little strawberry blonde behind a counter.
“Liza Forrest, this is our new team commander, Major Tyler Beckett.”
“Nice to meet you, Beckett.” She offered a firm handshake and a bright smile, which swung immediately back over to Keith once she’d acknowledged me. Her cheeks pinked, and she tucked a small piece of hair that had escaped from her loose ponytail behind her ear. I stifled a smile of my own. Seemed Keith had an admirer.
“Liza here can find anything you need from anywhere in the world.” Keith beamed.
“Now I see why he calls you the wizard,” I added.
She chuckled. “He’s exaggerating. I just don’t stop until I get what I want.”
I couldn’t help but catch Keith’s gaze at that one, and he cleared his throat and moved his eyes back to her. Everything about him looked alive. His body had an energy I’d never felt before. I hadn’t met this Keith yet. He was more like the man Savannah talked about. The guy seemed completely different. There was confidence in his voice as he spoke to her. I liked this guy and enjoyed listening to them talk. We discussed some things I hoped she could get for me.
“It was really nice meeting you, Liza. I’ll be in touch soon.”
“Sounds good.” She waved as I left the two of them alone and made my way toward Ivy, who stood in conversation with a few soldiers.
“How is someone as pretty as you not snatched up yet?” one of them asked. “If you were mine, I wouldn’t let you within ten feet of this place. We wolves can sniff a female’s scent in the air.” He lifted his nose and gave a demonstration. I rolled my eyes at his nasty attempt to flirt.
“Oh, trust me, I have a wolf who doesn’t let me get ten feet away from him,” she warned as I came up behind her.
“That she does.” I glared at them as I slid my arm around her waist and kissed her neck, letting my lips linger for a moment. They all stiffened when they caught my rank on my shoulder.
