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‘So you’re not army barmy like us lot, then?’ He laughed. ‘Well, I can tell you that Hayd is a great soldier and CO. You and your team are in good hands.’
‘Right.’ She nodded, forcing out the closest thing she could manage to a laugh.
‘It’s good to see Hayd back on operations.’
‘He’s been out?’ Bridget’s ears pricked up.
‘Only recently. We’ve all done several back-to-back tours over the years and we’re lucky we all got through them pretty much untouched—physically anyway. But Hayd was on a parachute jump about six months ago when some kid on his first jump passed out.’
Bridget sucked in a breath, not sure where Ellis’s story was going.
‘Oh, it’s okay. Hayd had to cut his own parachute to dive and catch the kid in mid-air—not as common or as easy as the movies might lead you to believe—and he only had enough time to pull his emergency chute before the hit the ground, but he saved the kid.’
‘Right...well, that’s good,’ she managed to choke out, telling herself that it was the drama of the story that had a wave of nausea slosh
ing around inside her. Nothing more.
‘No, he’s not likely to tell you either. But I’ve entrusted him with my life more times than I care to remember.’
Bridget nodded. And smiled again. Even though her teeth were gritted and her head felt as if it was jerking up and down. Knowing Hayden was such a true hero didn’t really help her remember she was supposed to be staying away from him.
‘So, how about that dance?’
She tensed instantly but tried to look as apologetic as she could.
‘I...sorry... I don’t actually...dance.’
‘You look like you should,’ Ellis tried again, but being encouraging rather than pushy. ‘A couple of the others are out there on the floor, it doesn’t have to be just the two of us.’
She relaxed a little and shook her head.
‘Sorry.’
‘Fine.’ He looked disappointed but didn’t push it as he headed for the dance floor, pausing to shoot her a final, open invitation. ‘If you change your mind, you know where we are.’
Then he headed for the others, leaving Bridget wishing she’d had the courage to join him after all. And then Mattie was heading over, and Bridget relaxed even more.
‘You okay, Bea?’ her friend asked, before adding something else she didn’t hear over the music.
‘Sorry?’
Mattie leaned closer.
‘I asked if Hayd has been looking after you?’
Heat rushed her again, making her cheeks feel hot.
‘Yes,’ Bridget managed. ‘But you didn’t really have to ask your brother to babysit me.’
‘I did have to.’ Mattie pulled an apologetic face. ‘We were supposed to be working together at Jukrem camp—until I got called away for this new mission. I was really hoping to be able to show you the ropes out there.’
‘It doesn’t matter. I need to learn to be bolder anyway.’ She forced a smile. ‘Stronger.’
Like finally shedding the ties of her past and beginning to live the life she wanted to. Which probably included accepting an invitation to dance from a nice guy like Ellis and resisting this mad attraction to Mattie’s brother.
‘You’re stronger than you realise, Bea,’ Mattie suddenly said. ‘You know what they say, fake it until you make it.’
‘Yeah, well, I don’t know how to fake it.’
