“Guess I’m in trouble for leading Aurora Crew away from the right flank.”
Ryan shook his head. “Far from it. You made the right decision and saved seventeen people and a squirrel. If you hadn’t, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“The squirrel made it? Where is he?” Tara loved this bit of news.
“Gunnar put it in his pocket and gave it to the wildlife rescue people.”
“With the wolf pups? You jumpers are softies.”
Ryan sipped the straw in her water bottle and leaned back in the chair. “I’m proud of you, Montana.” He handed her the water bottle.
She sipped. “Right back atcha, California.”
“Nope, I’m Alaskan now. And you’re on your way to being one.”
“Guess we’ll have to talk about that.”
“Don’t worry. We will.” He stood to go. “Do you remember what I said to you in the helicopter?”
She smiled. “Is this a trick question? I was slightly out of it.”
“You’re going to have to remember.”
“Did you tell me when I was dead or alive?”
Ryan chuckled. “You realize not many people can say that.”
“Tell me now.”
He looked around the room. “Not the time and definitely not the place.” He lightly kissed her. “Mm, you taste crispy. But it’s time I got back to the salt mine.”
“Text me a selfie.” She thought a minute. “Oh wait, my phone burned with my pack.”
“I’ll get you another phone. And I’ll ask Rosie to let me in your room so I can bring you some clothes when they release you. Behave yourself. No wild parties.” Ryan grinned at Angela as she entered the room.
Tara imitated Cameron Frye in Ferris Bueller. “Ryan O’Connor, you’re my hero.”
“Don’t let word get around. I don’t want wild women all over me. One is enough.” He pointed at her and disappeared out the door.
“Later, Captain America,” she croaked after him.
“Did you tell him?” Angela looked at her, intent on an answer.
“Tell him what?”
Angela leaned her crutches on her bed and climbed in. “What you made me promise to tell him.”
She smiled, remembering her plea to Angela when she thought she would die. “Right. I’ll get around to it.”
Miraculously, she could now tell him herself.
But once she’s out of the hospital, she’d rather show him.
Chapter 40
Ryan strolled into the Jump Shack and spotted his boss. “Hey Zombie, what’s up?”
Zombie scowled, clipboard in hand. “How’s Aurora Crew? I understand you know one of them a little better than the others.” He cleared his throat.
Ryan wouldn’t take the bait. “We got everyone out okay.”
"Good. Finish your incident report. Doss wants it before his After-Action Review. Use my office.” Zombie growled at him. “You and Alexanderson can take a couple of days off. Paid leave, on the house. And get a shower. You stink.” He wandered off to the Ready Room.
“Right.” Ryan moved to his locker and peeled off his clothes. After one of the best hot showers he’d had in his life, he towel-dried his hair and dressed in his usual cargo pants and T-shirt.
Sitting in Zombie’s office, he clicked the government laptop to life and pulled up an Incident Report form. He sat back in the rickety chair and exhaled. He was thankful Tara made it through the night. Her integrity and courage dazzled him. Had he been in her place, he wasn’t sure he could have done what she did.
As Ryan typed, Gunnar sauntered in with his digital tablet. “Here you go, bro. Emailed the Aurora Crew info to you.”
“Hey, you don’t suck so bad.” Ryan opened his email and found Gunnar’s document. “Zombie gave us a few days off.”
“Nice of him.” Gunnar sucked on a Dum-Dum, the short white stick poking out of his mouth.
“What’s the status on what we talked about in Delta?”
“I talked to Boone. Operation Badass is ready to go. Boone’s former SEAL buddies will do it. You’ll owe them a Denali flight, a fly-in moose hunting trip, plus a stay at your cabin stocked with fish bait and Alaskan Amber.” Gunnar finished his Dum-Dum and licked the stick.
“Oh, is that all? Can’t wait to hear the details.”
Gunnar grinned. “Like I said, if anyone can get a confession out of Hudson, Boone’s buddies will.”
One week later, Tara felt ninety percent better. Her coughing lessened and although her lungs were still sensitive, she no longer breathed like Darth Vader.
On the morning of her release from the hospital, Tara sat on her bed waiting for Ryan to show with fresh clothes. She glanced at the charred remains of her fire shirt and pants, neatly folded on a table. Thankfully, the Nomex had done its level best to protect her as designed. And God bless Max for dropping mud on their shelter. She intended to thank him sometime.
Someone lightly tapped on the door. “Waters? You decent?” Ryan peeked around it and Tara thought she would faint on the spot. His hair was styled back from his shaved face. Sexy, like a gentle wind had blown every hair in place.
“Whoa, you look a thousand times better. It’s a new you.” He entered the room, holding a daypack.
“I slept most of the past week.” She smiled at him, trying not to gape at his gorgeous transformation.
“Good. And I see you got your beauty sleep.” Ryan nodded approvingly and held the daypack out to her. “Here’s some loose-fitting clothes Liz picked out. If you need help changing…”
“Thanks, but I’ve got this.” She took it with a beguiling smile and headed into the tiny bathroom, closing the door.
“You always say that,” he called through the door.
“Because I’m always in control,” she hollered back. She couldn’t remember when she’d been happier. Standing in front of the mirror above the sink, she sized herself up. She was anything but sexy. At least she showered and washed her hair.
Before Angela left the hospital, she had given Tara a layered cut, hacking off most of her singed hair. What remained hung just below her shoulders, layered and full. Her waist-long hair was history.
“Nice job, Angie,” she breathed. The rest
