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“C’mere, Em…” he urged softly, cradling her beneath his chin as he held the phone aloft. She could see the two of them in the screen before he clicked the image to capture the photo. Sitting up, she looked at him again… and heard the phone but didn’t look away.
Instead, she laid her hands on his cheeks tenderly, leaning forward and kissing him deeply, with every fearful emotion she felt inside. She heard the click of the phone, recognizing that he took another photo… just before his arms wrapped around her, lost in their kiss.
If he was leaving, she wanted him to remember her when he was staring at those majestic sunsets, and hoped that somewhere deep down inside, he would yearn to return… to her.
CHAPTER10
X-RAY
Ghazni, Afghanistan
Last night replayedin his mind repeatedly.
His mind was a flurry of mixed disbelief and wonder at how the universe worked sometimes. Jana’s advice to him to read a romance book or two was invaluable. He pulled from it that women wanted to be held, kissed, talked to, and treasured… and every bit of it seemed to break through the defensive shell around Emily.
He had literally just told his friends that he wasn’t interested in a real relationship because he couldn’t commit himself, but as he talked to Emily… that very thing was at the forefront of his mind – and that kiss?
Holy smokes… that kiss in the car and in the Cessna was incredible!
They sat there for what felt like hours, just holding each other, and talking in the small cabin of the airplane. He must have traced her palms fifty different times, memorized the faint lines, wishing he knew some dumb pick-up line regarding fate, karma, or destiny…
Emily was significantly shy or protective when it came to certain things, and it was enchanting… but other times, when she was confident? His girl was a tiger with claws – and he liked it.
He always thought glasses on a girl was appealing… and smart girls did it for him. Even in high school, he was brave enough to go ask out the Valedictorian – except that she knew who he was and wanted nothing to do with ‘the swamp rat that climbed out of the gutter’.
It had hurt at the time – but he also knew he didn’t want to be around people like that.
Emily had driven him back to his rental car and he’d kissed her tenderly one more time, before saying their ‘goodbyes’.
… And, oh, how that hurt!
Now, fourteen hours later… he was sitting in a bumpy truck in the sweltering heat, getting slightly carsick from the way Reaper was careening about in the busy streets, and wishing with everything in him that he was still sitting in the cabin of that little Cessna with Emily.
“I slept like a log,” Vapor uttered, rubbing the back of his head and yawning, looking bleary-eyed.
“We heard…” Caboose said bluntly – causing John to snort with laughter as he tried to hide it by coughing, causing Vapor to frown at him.
Caboose greeted Reaper easily moments earlier as they headed back towards the base. The man asked about his wife, and the two chatted quietly up in the cab of the vehicle while John sat there in the back, lost in thought.
He wasn’t about to let this budding happiness fade with Emily. He might be on the other side of the world, but he was determined to hang on as much as possible. In fact, he picked up a little something at Heathrow for her when Caboose had taken off to go get some food and Vapor disappeared to make a phone call.
Walking past a little shop, John had spotted a tiny charm on a necklace that just struck him as different. It was a tiny silver and glass capsule. Nothing fancy, nothing outrageous, yet remarkable at the same time… just like his Emily. He bought the charm, a silver chain, and a gift box for her – intending to mail it as soon as he could.
He would initiate the communication, if only to guarantee that she would write him… simply because he couldn’t imaginenottalking with her. That first look, that shy smile, and the way she looked up at him in amazement, was so appealing to his masculine pride.
She looked at him like he waseverything… instead of treating him like he was second best or trash, like he’d been treated his entire life.
As the vehicle came to a stop, John got out and hefted up his bag, making his way back towards the buildings near the barracks in exhaustion. He’d slept some on the plane, but goodness between Vapor snoring – and Caboose – it wasn’t nearly enough rest.
“I’m gonna hit the hay…” Caboose uttered.
“I’m going to feed my face first,” Vapor replied, taking off in another direction, and John just kept walking, keeping his thoughts to himself as he headed towards the post office on base.
* * *
Before turning in to bed,John checked his email and sat back in amazement as he saw that Emily had written… and Jana. He clicked on Emily’s email and scanned the screen, feeling a smile touch his face and his heart in wonder.
* * *
