at dawn and made his way to the showers. He passed the housing unit where Kate was staying, and his footsteps slowed. Had she been in there alone, nothing would have prevented him from going inside and climbing into her bunk with her. He desperately wanted to be with her again, and he’d known a keen sense of frustration when the USO personnel had told him that she would not have her own housing unit while at Kandahar. With her sister arriving that morning, there would be no opportunity for them to be alone again before she returned to the States. Reluctantly, he continued past Kate’s unit toward the showers. He was lost in his own thoughts and didn’t see the soldier who stepped quietly out of a housing unit on his left, until he heard his name called.
“Chase!”
He stopped and turned, surprised to see his brother walking swiftly toward him. “Hey, I was wondering if I might see you here,” he said, grabbing his brother’s hand and pulling him into a swift, hard hug. “I thought you might be up at Kabul.”
They drew apart, and Chase stared at his brother’s face, identical to his own except for the perpetual cocky grin.
“I was,” Chance grinned, “but they sent us down here yesterday to provide cover for a VIP visit.”
Major Chance Rawlins was an Apache helicopter pilot, permanently stationed at Bagram Air Base, although his missions frequently took him to the other bases in Afghanistan. He and Captain Jenna Larson had had a brief fling several months earlier, when they’d both been assigned to Fort Bragg in North Carolina. But when she’d turned up in Afghanistan, Chance had been quick to turn their relationship into something a little more permanent. Now the two were committed to each other.
Chase glanced from his brother to the housing unit he had just left, and felt a smile tug at his mouth. “I take it you didn’t stay alone last night?”
Chance’s eyes gleamed. “Are you kidding? How often are Jenna and I ever on the same base? Just try keeping me away from her.”
“Yeah, well, don’t get caught.”
His brother sobered. “She’s returning to the States in just a few weeks, while I’ll be over here for another six months. Man, that’s going to suck.”
Chase felt his brother’s pain, he really did. Just the thought of Kate leaving made his chest feel tight. He hadn’t really explored his feelings for Kate, but he knew he wasn’t ready to say goodbye to her. Not by a long shot.
“How long are you going to be at Kandahar?” he asked.
Chance shrugged. “I’m scheduled to escort a VIP to Bagram tomorrow, but Jenna left around 4:00 a.m. this morning for the Kalagush region.”
Captain Larson’s primary mission was to transport troops and personnel from one base to another, and although she was assigned to Kandahar, her missions took her to every base in Afghanistan, including some of the remote operating bases. She usually flew in tandem with another Black Hawk, and sometimes with an Apache escort, as well.
“So I take it you’re not flying escort with her?”
Chance shook his head. “No such luck, I’m afraid.” Reaching out, he gave Chase’s shoulder a friendly punch. “But what the hell are you doing here? Jenna said she gave you a lift from Bagram to Camp Leatherneck, but I didn’t know you were going to be here at Kandahar.” His grin widened. “Not that I would have changed my plans with her to come and see you, of course. So why are you here?”
“The Pentagon has temporarily halted all special-operations missions,” Chase said grimly.
“Ah,” Chance replied. “I heard an airstrike went wrong about thirty miles from here last week. Is that why you’re here? Part of the investigation?”
Chase gave a snort. “Hardly. I was yanked out of the field and given a personal security assignment.”
“Really?” His brother’s face registered interest. “Anyone good?”
Oh, yeah.
Chase shrugged. “Some teenaged country singer and her publicist. Part of the big Independence Day concert tour that begins tonight.”
“Oh, man. I’m sorry, bro. I know how you hate those assignments.”
“Yeah.” His voice was noncommittal. He hated the assignment so much that he couldn’t wait to get showered and dressed and over to Kate’s housing unit to see her. But he wouldn’t tell his brother just how soft he’d become. Chance would have a field day if he knew his tough-as-nails, allbusiness brother had violated even one rule for the sake of a woman.
To his surprise, Chance burst out laughing.
“What?” he demanded.
“Man, you are so freaking transparent,” Chance said, still laughing. “Jenna told me all about your assignment. A pretty, curvy brunette who looked like she wanted to kill Jenna for just talking with you.” He gave Chase a knowing look. “You dog. You put the moves on her, didn’t you? C’mon, you can fool some people with your badass attitude, but not me, bro. I can see the truth. It’s written all over your face. You like this woman.”
He said it as a statement of fact, and not a question. But he was right; Chase had never been able to keep a secret from his twin and there was no point in even trying.
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