“I need to talk to you.”

Kincaid stepped in pace with me as I started my run. Ramsey had watch this morning, so he would be running with Reaper and Ghost later in the day.

“Okay, what’s up?”

“You’re collecting attention, and not the kind you should be if you’re serious about being with my sister.” His features are hard, his face giving the impression he was concentrating on his run and not controlling the burn filling his belly.

“From who?”

“The newly advanced Lieutenant Goodman.” Her name coming off his tongue like a bitter pill, the valley above his brow dipping to painful looking levels.

“Rumor has it, she wants to celebrate by spending some quality time in your bunk.”

Three marines are a few paces ahead of us; I choose to wait until we pass them before hounding him for information.  I know the nurse he’s talking about. When the Captain made it clear I would be spending my downtime with my team as a physician in medical, he took me around and introduced me to the staff. Goodman had volunteered to escort me around, offering to make my first few days a little smoother. I shut her down as I told her I spent a fair amount of time at this particular field hospital and I could figure out for myself what I needed.

”Logan, I know some guys feel the rules from back home don’t apply here, but they aren’t sniffing around after my sister.”

“Sniffing? Is that what you think I’m doing? Looking for little tail when I get back home?”

“No,” he shoved me, taking off to the left through the dry brush toward Freedom Rock. “I haven’t been in this position in a while; fielding rumors which could hurt my little sister. Who, according to Mitch, via his wife Sarah, has surmised your recent attempt at impressing her as the result of some lavish way of saying thank you.”

Sometime after midnight, as I crawled into my bed, I heard the ping of my email. My need to hear from her again drove the exhaustion from my body. What I read did not surprise me, but gave me direction and confirmed what I had suspected. In my experience, women who try and deny the beauty everyone around them sees, has been taught this, told by some jealous male or female they don’t measure up. If I ever found the person who told this lie to Harper, I would rip out their tongue for lying to her.

“I know, she emailed me last night. She also thinks I’m mistaking meeting your wife for her.” I nearly collided with him as he abruptly stops before hurling over a bank of rocks.

“Are you serious? Do I need to call her and set her straight?”

“No, don’t call her, I have something else in mind. Did you confirm with Mitch about the equipment set up?”

Nodding his head, he checks his watch, “Yeah, everything is ready to go. Sarah made it sound like he was asking to do some product placement in her store. And Mitch is in love with you and the way you made his bottom-line not so bleak this month.”

Tossing me the first smile I had seen on him since we started over his shoulder as he picked up his leg and hurled over the rocks.

“The girls loved their flowers, and all plans for setting Harper up on a blind date is history. Mitch will come in while the girls are getting ready for Easter service and disable the internet on their side of the shop.”

I put a lot of thought in what I had planned for Easter, letting her know what I really wanted and who I wanted it with.

“And in other, less stimulating news, according to Goodman you spend too much time out here with some kid when you could be playing with her.”

Tugging him back, “That kid is doing everything I tell him to do to become eligible for SEAL selection. He’s also following every word of the rest the team to learn from seasoned soldiers.”

Worry crosses his face and his hands find his hips as he turns his attention, looking at the ground below. “The whole team or just a few of us?”

Kincaid is a big guy, with finely-tuned skills which could kill a man before he blinked, but on the inside, hidden behind the ingredients for a lethal cocktail, is the soft heart of a man who cares. “He could use some more help controlling his breathing.”

Satisfied with my suggestion, his head tilts up and we’re back to running. Letting the silence settle comfortably between us, I waited until we were around the main gate before resuming our conversation. Goodman is standing beside a number of nurses, listening to Lieutenant Oxford complain about a certain member having too many privileges. I know the bastard is talking about me and my team. The CO has the same opinion and has made it his mission to find tasks for the guys to do while we wait for an assignment. Just as I didn’t dignify the CO with a response, I ignore the greeting Goodman sends my way, not allowing her to think there will ever be anything between us.

“What?  No words for your fan club?”

Quickening my pace, a silent reminder I’m his leader until I leave this team.

“You mentioned how some people make excuses for how to act when they are away from home, justifying their need for companionship with the lack of correct partner. Now, I won’t proclaim to be a saint, having had my fair share of women to help me spend some downtime and get rid of the dust of the road. It was all done consensually and as a single man. Goodman is the type of girl who possesses no boundaries, following those justifications as guide maps to get what she wants. I won’t congratulate her on her advancement, as she did nothing except her job in order to receive it. I won’t pretend to be her friend, as this would inspire her to become bolder than she already is. I have a chance with Harper, granted it’s slim, and she is fighting me with everything she has, but I’m no stranger to challenges as the finish is always worth the effort.”

* * *

“Girl, as if this heat isn’t enough without men like him walking around.”

I tried not to listen to Goodman’s conversation as I pulled my scrub top over my head, hopefully she was talking about someone else.

“I wouldn’t mind taking a bite of Chief Sawyer’s ass, as long as we are discussing hot men.”

Aiden would get a big kick out of that one, he’s always been a big flirt and a real hit with the female population. Who knows, after the disaster of his last conversation with Rachel, he might take her up on her invitation.

“What we need to discuss is the snub you got from Lieutenant Forbes this morning.”

“It wasn’t a snub, it was—”

Not interested enough in what she had to say, I grab my equipment and head out. I haven’t seen this side of medicine since I took my first assignment as a SEAL. Keeping my men alive long enough to get further treatment had been my primary goal and I’ve loved it. My first stop involved a check on a set of sutures placed by Lieutenant Oxford. The area around the site looked red and inflamed, as I got closer and felt around, I caught a putrid smell coming from the wound. When I pressed along the edges, the poor guy winces in pain.

“Sorry,” I empathize, my anger bubbling as I continue to press along the suture line.

“I may need to remove the stitches and clean out the infection.” Malodorous smells are never good in any situation, but here in the ward, they are inexcusable, as everything is clean and sterilized. There’s no reason for a wound like this to become infected and go unnoticed.

“I told Doc last night it was hurting me, but he said it was because it was healing.” Checking his chart, I notice a dose of pain medication was given at twenty-ten, the notation indicated clean and dry with absence of redness and odor. The signature belongs to Lieutenant Goodman.

“HM2,” looking to the corpsman who was taking vitals on the patient in the next bed. “When you’re finished with him, I need your help with this incision.”

Twenty minutes and a hanging bag of antibiotics later, the wound had been drained and a culture ordered. I didn’t need to wait for the results to know this guy had a nasty case of MRSA.

“Go ahead and isolate him until we can positively rule out the infection.” The corpsman nods his head and turns to carry out my order.

I checked the last patient, a kid who failed to check his boots before sliding his foot into them, a scorpion stinging him twice on his big toe. The area around the sting had turned white and cool to the touch.

“Never knew that level of pain could exist until the damn thing stung me.”

The kid had been here less than three months, admitting to joining the military due to lack of funds for college. Examining the rest of his leg, I deem him ready to join his unit and get back to work.

“You’re lucky it didn’t do more damage, I’ve seen bigger men than you die from the venom of a baby one.”

Signing his paperwork and warning him to check his boots in the future, I hand off his chart to the waiting corpsmen.

My shift had gone by remarkably fast, considering the amount of non-urgent patients. Coffee sounded good and I was about to let one of the nurses know I was stepping out when Lieutenant Goodman brushed up against me.

“Hey, Lieutenant. Want some company with your coffee?” Batting her eyelashes as if they were some crazy seduction charm geared to work on me.

“You know, you shouldn’t wear false eyelashes out here in the desert, too much sand and dirt.”

Assuming she had an ounce of humility, my exposure to women who wore accessories to improve their looks gave me the knowledge they didn’t want anyone knowing something wasn’t natural on them.

“Then I’m glad I have you around a help me.” Lowering her voice, taking the slightest of steps closer to me. Clearly Goodman not only lacked boundaries, but she was fresh out of common sense.

“LT, you know I’m not an optometrist and wouldn’t want to step on any toes. Besides, you’re the one who wanted to show me around, surely you know where the eye wash station is.”

Leaving her wanting is something I plan to keep doing, as I stepped into the bright light of the day and come face-to-face with Aiden and Ashton.

“Hey, Doc, you ready for chow?” Aiden wears a smirk on his face, his eyes fixed on something behind me.

“I was headed that way, come on gentleman, I’m buying.” Not waiting for a quick-witted comeback, I walk as fast as I can away from medical and into the mess tent.

Snagging a cup of coffee and a clean table, I wait for them to get their food. My appetite leaving me the second I started working on the kid’s incision. Keeping my attention on the table, I take away the need to address anyone who passes by.

“Do I have shit to tell you.”

Aiden slides into the bench beside me, his tray full of food temporarily forgotten as he leans in toward me.

“That stunt you pulled this morning, has most of the nursing staff in an uproar.”

“Whatever.” Frustration filling my body, wishing like hell this bitch would find another swinging dick to focus on.

“You have Goodman trying to rationalize why you ignored her. Apparently the crazy bitch doesn’t handle rejection well.”

“Well, the crazy bitch, and one of her friends, wants to take your ass for a ride.”

Sliding my attention in Aiden’s direction, gambling on what kind of reaction I can get out of him.

“Fuck that! The way I hear it, her pussy has a set of golden arches over it.” Ashton nearly chokes on his drink, coughing and turning red. “You okay over there?” Aiden hands him a stack of napkins, turning back to me when Ashton nods his head and quits coughing.

“Got an email from Jordan today.”

“Oh, yeah. How’s she doing in school?”

“Graduated,” he looks at me perplexed. “Nearly a year ago.” Shaking his head as he digs into his food.

“Sorry, man. Time slips away when you're not paying attention.”

“Nah, it’s all right. You met her once a long time ago, I don’t expect you to keep up with her. She wanted me to know she’s started dating this guy, some new kid who moved into town.”

I’ve known Aiden for a long time, watched him do some crazy shit, but something is brewing behind those eyes of his. A new emotion I can’t place a label on yet.

“You gonna check the fella out?”

Without hesitation, “Fuck yeah, I am.”

 

TO: AlexGrl17

FROM: Logan. Forbes.LT@ OPS

CC:

SUBJECT: You are wrong.

Harper,

The longer I live, the more things amaze me. Recently I’ve come in contact with a few people, each one unique in their own way. The first, a man, I’ve know for years. Been to Hell and back, twice, and we are still friends. Today, he showed me a side of him I haven’t seen. A possessive side, one I had never considered lived inside him. The second, a harpy, which is the harshest word I am going to use as I am speaking with a lady. This harpy has, in my opinion, shamed herself with her actions. Giving those around her an impression of who she is, which, again in my opinion, is deplorable. Sadly, she has the power to change it, but it is my doubt she will ever choose to do so. The third is a beautiful woman, one who gives so much of herself, she finds it difficult to accept a gift from anyone. Including an honest opinion from a man who has been blessed with knowing her. Harper Kincaid, you may not have sent the care package to me in hopes of getting anything in return, but you are so wrong if you think you don’t deserve it.

Definitely yours,

Logan