“I spoke to the woman over at the USO, who said this is where all the entertainers will stay while they’re here.”
He pushed through the entrance of the tent, sensing Kate directly behind him. The tent was larger than the one at Bagram, with at least three dozen bunk beds lined up along the walls. The USO staff had hung curtains between the bunks in an effort to provide some privacy. But where the other tent had been sparsely outfitted, this tent was equipped with metal lockers and several small refrigerators. Chase set the duffel bag down inside the door and turned to look at Kate.
“Please tell me you’re joking,” she finally said, turning to him. “There is absolutely no way that Tenley can stay here.” She gave a disbelieving laugh and gestured toward the cots. “She’s the only female in her band! Are you actually suggesting she sleep here with a bunch of guys, with only a scrap of material separating her from them?”
Chase crossed his arms. “Well, she’ll have you to protect her.”
“No way. There must be somewhere else. What about the time Carrie Underwood visited? Are you telling me that she stayed here?”
“No. She stayed in a private housing unit, but unfortunately we don’t have any available at the present time.” He gestured around him. “This is the alternative, and if it’s adequate for the other performers, I have to believe it’s adequate for you and your sister.”
Kate blew out a hard breath. “I knew the conditions over here would be harsh, but to have her sleep in the same tent with a dozen guys?” She gave Chase a helpless look. “Really, Chase? There’s nothing else available?”
“Is she in any danger from her own band?”
He could see Kate considering this before she shook her head. “No, but it’s not … appropriate. The point is, she shouldn’t have to bunk with her band. She’s an impressionable young girl, and she should have her own private accommodations. Wait …” She turned and stared at him. “Did you say I’m also staying here?”
“I did.”
Chase watched her expression turn from dismay to horror.
“Am I supposed to sleep here tonight? Alone?”
Oh, man. He knew her words weren’t an invitation, but he couldn’t prevent his imagination from surging.
“Unfortunately, I don’t have my own private housing unit for you to crash in,” he said.
Kate’s gaze locked with his and awareness flared in her eyes. Chase knew she was remembering what had happened between them, and when her lips parted on a soft “oh,” he realized he had to leave. He couldn’t stop thinking about the previous night, and now it seemed he couldn’t stop talking about it, either.
“You’ll be fine,” he assured her. “Let’s go over and check out the concert venue, and then grab some lunch.” He glanced outside. “This storm is going to be here before dark, so we should go soon.”
“Before we do that, is there someone at the USO that I can talk to?” She gave him a pleading look. “You don’t know Tenley. She’ll be miserable if she has to stay here.”
“Kate, trust me when I say I do understand. But this isn’t Bagram Air Base, and they just don’t have the resources here that Bagram has.” He gestured toward the metal bunk beds with one hand. “This is what’s available, and I’m sorry if it’s not up to your usual standards, but it’s what you get.”
Blowing out a breath, she picked up her pink duffel bag and dropped it onto the nearest bunk. “For myself, I don’t really care where I sleep. But Tenley deserves better.”
Chase found his resolve crumbling beneath her obvious distress. At the same time, he couldn’t help but admire how doggedly she looked out for her sister.
“Okay, look,” he said, scrubbing a hand across the back of his neck. “Let’s go over and talk to the USO folks. Maybe they can figure out alternate arrangements for the two of you.” She gave him a grateful smile, and he raised a hand to forestall the words of gratitude that he knew hovered on her lips. “Just don’t get your hopes up. They may not have anything else to offer you. When I talked with them, it sounded like they were stretched pretty thin.”
Kate made a sound of frustration and sat down heavily on the bunk. “I don’t know why I came over here,” she lamented softly. “What was I thinking? Russell tried to talk me out of this, but I thought it was our only chance to save Tenley’s career.”
Chase had no idea who Russell was, but he felt a surge of jealousy that Kate somehow relied on this man. Worse, it sounded as if she was on the verge of tears. He could handle her anger and her indignation, but he wasn’t sure how he would deal with her tears.
“Okay, c’mon,” he relented. “Let’s go over to the USO and then we’ll take a quick look at the concert venue, okay?”
Kate didn’t meet his eyes, but she nodded. “Okay.” Her voice was subdued.
Chase frowned. Was she crying? He was torn between wanting to go to her, and wanting to run as fast as he could in the opposite direction. In the end, cowardice won out and he retreated toward the exit.
“I’ll wait for you outside,” he said.
The Humvee had departed. Chase would spend the night bunking with a Marine Corps battalion, and had given the Humvee driver instructions to drop his protective gear and duffel bag off at their tent. Now he wondered if he hadn’t been a little hasty in sending the guys off. The wind was still blowing, and the small rocks and dust that it kicked up made it unpleasant to be outside for any length of time. When Kate finally emerged from the tent, she looked composed, but resolute.
“All set?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yes.”
She didn’t say anything else, and Chase didn’t ask. He was just relieved that she wasn’t crying. He could pretty much deal with anything, but not tears.
“The USO office is about a ten-minute walk from here,” he said as she fell into step beside him. The wind was at their back, so they avoided the worst of the debris that was flying around. But when they finally reached the office, they were both covered in a fine coating of dust. The USO was housed in a large, one-floor building and consisted of a lounge equipped with oversize leather chairs, flat-screened televisions and a bank of computers and telephones. At least a dozen soldiers were sprawled in the chairs watching television, or sat at the computers, connecting with family members and friends back home. Chase could see two civilians inside the office, and pointed them out to Kate.
“Do you want me to come with you when you talk with them?”
“No, I can take it from here. This is what I do.”
Chase sat down in a chair where he had a clear view of the office, and watched as Kate went in and closed the door behind her. Through the glass windows that separated the office from the public lounge, he could see her negotiating with the two USO representatives. She had her little planner with her, and was busy taking notes as she talked with the women. They were smiling and nodding, and she reached into her oversize shoulder bag and withdrew what looked like a handful of oversize glossy photos of Tenley Miles. She handed one to each woman. They spoke for several more minutes, and then Kate came out, looking extremely pleased with
