Always And Forever

“How did you get so cocky?”

“You mean confident?”

She grinned. “I don’t think the two words have anything in common, Kyle.”

“Sure they do. You can’t sit with an F-14 strapped to your rear carrying a ton of weapons if you aren’t a little cocky and confident.”

The imagery frightened Gale, although she knew it shouldn’t.

Kyle tilted his head as he saw her expressive eyes darken. He’d never seen a woman who was so transparent with her emotions and feelings. It was a delightful and touching discovery. No wonder Mike had fallen in love with her. “Sorry,” he muttered with a forced smile. “I’ll try and keep the war talk to a minimum. I can see it’s scaring you.”

“It does, Kyle.” She studied him in the silence. “Doesn’t it you?”

“What?”

“Scare you, flying with a load of weapons?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know...I never really analyzed it that way before.”

It was her turn to smile. “If you did, you probably wouldn’t be a fighter pilot.”

His grin broadened. “You’re probably right. Some things, I learned a long time ago, don’t merit being looked at too closely.”

“Is that anything like looking a gift horse in the mouth?”

“Exactly.” Kyle laughed, his spirits lifting like a fierce wind. He couldn’t recall having felt this happy before. He tried to analyze why Gale affected him like a heady wine. Five minutes ago, he’d felt like hell warmed over. Now, all that tiredness and depression had miraculously gone away. Was it because of the kindness he saw in her face? Those dancing green eyes that looked beyond his bravado and saw the real him? Or was it Gale’s full, soft lips, which reminded him that there was something left in the world that wasn’t hard, harsh or ugly?

“I think Mike’s the luckiest guy in the world. Imagine him snagging you.”

She turned to the kitchen counter to busy herself. It was too easy to stare into those dark blue eyes that made her go weak and shaky inside. “You’re making it out as if he captured the most beautiful woman in the world,” she teased. “And I’m not. I’m just an Air Force captain.”

“No one said women in the service aren’t beautiful.”

“Please.”

Kyle laughed softly as she turned and gave him a dark look over her shoulder. “Now, that’s the truth, Gale.”

“Sure. Fighter jocks have more lines per square inch than any other male I’ve ever run into.”

“Sounds like an indictment.”

“More like a chronic disease with you guys.”

He sat back, immensely enjoying her sense of humor. “That’s another thing I like about ladies in the military—they have a fine sense of humor.”

“And probably the last thing you look at or consider when you meet one.”

“Now, Gale...”

“Now, Kyle...” And again, she laughed. The merriment in his eyes stole her breath away. There was more happiness there than she’d ever seen before. “You’re just like Mike,” she accused gently, “all strut and stuff, but underneath, a very nice guy.”

“God, don’t let that get out! The guys over at Udorn think I’m one mean fighter behind the stick.”

Rolling her eyes, Gale got eggs from the fridge, then returned to the stove to cook them. “Here we go again. Make sure no one knows the real guy who wears those pilot’s wings. Really, Kyle, did they make all of you out of the same mold?”

“Well, we went through flight school together.”

“Instead of teaching you how to fly, I swear they put all of you through the same personality training.”

“That’s not so bad. I mean, look at us—we’re confident, good at what we do and besides that, we’re good-looking.”

“I give up. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say Mike was here and not you.”

Sipping his coffee, Kyle smiled recklessly. “Well, Mike and I are like brothers, but there are a few differences. I’m four months older than he is.”

Gale knew there were other, more profound differences. Mike was laid back; Kyle was far more aggressive. She wondered if Mike would turn out the same way after being in combat.

Forcing herself to return to the task at hand, Gale busied herself with scrambling the eggs while the bacon finished frying. Her hands trembled. Trying to laugh at the absurd notion that Kyle’s presence was responsible, Gale focused on Mike. She had met him a year ago over at Operations, where the meteorology department was located. He’d come in early one morning, angry over the fact his weather plan hadn’t been ready in time for his flight. On his return to base two days later, Mike had taken her out to an expensive restaurant in Sacramento to apologize for his less-than-gentlemanly behavior. Over the next six months, they’d fallen in love. Their happiness was complete until Mike abruptly received orders to Thailand. They had decided to get married before he left.

Frowning, Gale stirred the eggs briskly in the hot skillet. Vietnam. War. Death. She felt her heart contract powerfully with fear. It wasn’t fair that Mike was going to be torn away from her a month after they became husband and wife. What in life was fair? Not much. Kyle’s face haunted her. Shutting her eyes, Gale took a deep breath. What kind of crazy joke was being played on her? She loved Mike! So what were all these new and startling feelings she’d had since she had been introduced to Kyle?

Forcing herself to concentrate, Gale removed the skillet from the burner and put a lid over it to keep the eggs warm. At twenty-three, she thought she knew herself. It was true Mike was the first man she’d fallen in love with, but she’d had a lot of dates throughout college before joining the Air Force. Now, the nights she’d tossed and turned, dreaming of both Mike and Kyle, had left her nerves raw and taut. How could she be attracted to Kyle? Perhaps because he was Mike’s best friend and they were similar in some ways.

Reaching blindly for the skillet that held the bacon, Gale bumped the pan containing the hot grease off the electric burner. Unthinkingly, Gale reached out, trying to catch it. Hot grease splattered across her right hand. Pain reared up her arm, and she cried out, leaping back as the skillet crashed to the floor, the grease flung in all directions.

“Gale!” Her scream galvanized Kyle into action. In an instant, he was at her side, his arm going around her shoulders, holding the reddened hand that had been burned.

“Oh, damn...” she sobbed, gripping her wrist, trying not to let the pain overwhelm her. Sinking against his strong, supporting body, Gale felt safe. Kyle’s breathing was punctuated, harsh near her ear, his breath moist against her cheek.

“So stupid,” she whispered, a catch in her voice. “I—I’m sorry....”

“It’s all right. Come on, get over to the sink. Cold water will help,” he whispered, guiding her in that direction. The burn on her hand didn’t look nasty but still his heart was pounding in his chest and he felt shaky. After fumbling with the handle on the cold-water spigot, Kyle turned it on and forced her hand beneath the stream.

The water hit her flesh and Gale sucked in a breath, then bit her lower lip.

“Lean on me,” Kyle ordered huskily as he felt her tremble. She obeyed him. Her perfume, light and delicate, struck his flaring nostrils. It was the way she fitted against him that nearly unstrung him. Her hair, slightly wavy, felt like silk against the hard line of his jaw. Kyle ached to lean down and kiss her. “Take it easy, easy...” he coaxed, his voice low and unsteady.

For several minutes Gale was unable to do anything except feel. Feel the lessening of the pain, feel Kyle’s strong, powerful body against hers. His breath was choppy, and she was aware of his heart beating frantically in his chest where she lay against him. His touch was excruciatingly gentle as he placed a cloth over her hand after turning off the faucet.

“Come on, sit down. You’re shaky.”

Wasn’t that the truth, Gale thought, allowing Kyle to guide her to a chair at the table. Her watery knees had nothing to do with the burn, but with him holding her as if she were some fragile, priceless treasure.

Worriedly, Kyle studied her, his hand firm on her shoulder. Gale was waxen, and when she raised those dark, long lashes to look up at him, he felt as if someone had gut punched him. Dizziness assailed him, and his grip tightened on her shoulder momentarily. Large eyes, huge black pupils surrounded by a vibrant green, stared back at him. Gale’s cry had torn him apart, ripping away all his pretenses, his good sense.

Kyle went to the sink and dampened a wash cloth. Gale sat with her head bowed. She looked so hauntingly vulnerable, her shoulders slumped forward. Fighting all his rising, chaotic feelings, Kyle crouched in front of her.

“Here, this ought to help,” he said. He removed one cloth and laid the new one across the injury. Kyle heard Gale breathe in raggedly, but she didn’t cry out. He kept a grip on her arm. His heart refused to stop thudding in his chest, his pulse pounding until every beat was like the beat of a kettle drum being played within him.