Steadfast Soldier

This man was a rare breed. One who was, as their pararescue creed stated, willing to risk his life for others. The creed scrolled through her mind and left her more unsettled.

It is my duty as a pararescueman to save life and aid the injured. I will be prepared at all times to perform my assigned duties quickly and efficiently, placing these duties before personal desires and comforts. These things I do, “That Others May Live.”

That creed also meant he’d never give up his duty for any woman. Not even his wife. Just like her dad, his career would always come first.

Nevertheless, her determination to be involved in this family was about Ivan, not about Chance and not about her. She must really be tired. Otherwise her brain wouldn’t have brought the ridiculous and very premature concept of marriage into the mix.

If Ivan didn’t start rehabbing soon, he’d never regain use of his hand, which meant he’d never build his beloved chess sets again.

This case was time sensitive, and she owed Mandy a major favor. More than that, she’d come to care for Ivan.

Ivan had been worse than ever in his resistance this week. But that only fed her dogged determination. Even though time with Chance’s father cut severely into her planning and research time, plus the other work she needed to do to launch the animal-assisted therapy program proposal.

Chloe shook her head and punched her fist into her pillow, trying to get comfortable. No matter what opposition bounded in her path, she was determined not to let anything prevent her from going back. Slowly, she closed her eyes, plans marching across her vision as she drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Five

She was back.

With dogzilla.

And an armful of flowers so large they camouflaged her lovely face.

Chance was floored to find his dad’s neck craning to see the bouquet ambling up the drive. He had expected to meet his dad’s fury. Instead, he wore a slight, lopsided grin. “She came back again? Gutsy, that girl.”

Chance smiled as he reached to get the door for the lovely person God had sent to answer his most desperate prayer: that Ivan would snap out of his grief-driven depression enough to try to physically rehabilitate.

He knew Dad well enough to know that when he snapped back from the crushing blow of losing his soul mate, he’d regret not working harder to regain use of his limbs.

Chance swung the door open to see her vivacious grin, an expression that made his heart feel as if it hit a trip wire.

“Hey, soul-ja boy. Take this.” She plopped a large paper bag in his arms, not pausing to see if he’d protest.

Soul-ja? Maybe he wouldn’t tell her just yet that technically he was an Airman and not a Soldier. He rather liked the way the title rolled off her tongue.

Pleasant smells wafted from the bag, warm against his skin. He peeked. “You bought dinner?” Surprise streaked through him. His mouth moistened and his tummy rumbled.

“Nope. I made dinner. I bought the foam since you two bachelors seem hesitant to part with it.”