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“And I thought I was the redneck?” Armadillo chided, elbowing Firefly and nodding in approval.
“Houdini, do you think you can teach the basics of flight?” Harley asked softly, looking at him. “Your goal would be to imprint the concept – and the rest of the team would focus on the application.”
“You all are serious?” Gage said in disbelief. “If they kick me out of the Air Force, I could come work here?”
Mary listened in disbelief as the group discussed some of the details, their frustration with him gone in a split second… and he was surrounded by smiling, welcoming faces, realizing that theywoulddo everything they could to help the man that was struggling in his lowest moment.
They were indeed a family – albeit a ‘thrown together’ one… and she was a part of them now. There would be no more lonely moments, no more struggling to get by. These people supported each other, worked through their problems together, and even had orchestrated her meeting Jax… which made her wonder what he’d said to cause their correspondence. Had he told them he was desperately lonely, wanting to be loved? She knew Karen had volunteered her – and would be forever grateful for it.
She met the other woman’s eyes in that moment and smiled, waving hello from across the room. Someday, she hoped that they would be here, having this moment, helping Ghost figure out a plan to come home eventually… and knew he had a home here, in more ways than one.
That was truly comforting.
And even as Mary thought the words, Thumper was saying them aloud for everyone – including her.
“Houdini’s home isherewith us the moment he got onto that plane in Kabul… not Ghazni. This was all a formality, and I think we knew it when Reaper sent him to visit. We should probably go ahead and order his business cards – and let’s get a name tag made up for him, too,” Thumper smiled, extending his hand towards Houdini and shaking it. “Welcome aboard, flyboy.”
Someday, she thought, smiling tenderly and thinking of her own beloved flyboy, who was on a plane headed towards Afghanistan.
CHAPTER18
GHOST
Jax couldn’t believethe whirlwind of the last few days – nor how breathtakingly beautiful they were.
He sat there on the plane, spinning his wedding band absently, staring at the seat before him, lost in thought. All those emails, all those moments, where he thought he would write his ‘friend’or send his ‘friend’a little something if she’d just trust him… had exploded into this unbelievable love story for the ages.
He was just lucky enough to be at her side, as her husband.
Mary had enchanted him from the very beginning, realizing they liked the same things… but having met her? Gotten to know her? He was not only ‘enchanted,’ but in so deep nothing could ever drag him away – except duty.
… And I’m not even sure about that anymore,Jax mused in amazement.
The Air Force wasn’t a dream goal of his. It was a means to an end to get out of a small town, and never look back… but now, the idea of going home to introduce Mary to his parents, take her around to places where he grew up, and show off his beautiful wife, sounded incredibly wonderful.
He was such a terrible son, too… he hadn’t even called his parents yet. He’d been so focused on starting his life, his marriage, and honestly infatuated with making love to his wife, that he hadn’t come up for air… until now.
Jax smiled to himself, still spinning his ring.
Five days was never going to be long enough – as demonstrated during this last visit. If he got leave in a few months, how was five days going to be enough to fill the emptiness of the void that was there when he left her?
What if her ex-husband bothered her?
What if he hit her – and Jax was stuck in Afghanistan?
What if there was a baby?
He stopped spinning his ring, swallowing nervously as he realized that his world wasn’t out here anymore. He was leaving it, leaving her, and helpless to do anything else right now.
Jax knew Hot Cakes was married and getting out in less than a month. Reaper was also married, with a child, and having to commute once every few months to see them. Caboose was at home with his wife, who nearly died and was recovering.
What if that had been Mary?
Jax would be inconsolable.
Handsy had lost a child and had sung happy birthday to his child’s memory with his wife on the phone. He remembered the broken man’s haunted eyes and suddenly felt ill, scrambling to get up from his seat on the plane.
Grabbing the vomit bag, Jax walked down the aisle pointedly and saw several people looking at him – until they glimpsed the bag in his hand held in front of his face… and backed away, giving him a wide-berth.
