Page 18 of Keeping Laryn
“It’s my job,” she told him honestly.
“I know, but you’ve gone above and beyond what most mechanics would do.”
“I’m not most mechanics,” she said firmly. “My dad taught me that a driver, or pilot, is only as good as the machine he’s driving or flying. And if I wanted to work for the best, I needed to make sure he had the tools he needed tobethe best. And you, Tate, are definitely one of the best. I’m not saying that to inflateyour already huge ego, just stating facts. And if I ever do anything to make your job harder, that would be the ultimate fail on my part.”
Had he stepped closer to her? He had. They weren’t touching, but he was definitely standing closer to her than she could ever remember him being in the past, anytime they’d had a discussion.
“I was also a dick last night. I overstepped my bounds. It won’t happen again.”
Laryn wasn’t sure how to feel about that.
“But I’m still going to do what I can to prove to you that I’m a better man than I’ve been in the last three years.”
“Tate—” Laryn protested. But he talked over her.
“I mean it. I don’t know why I’ve always been an annoying prick to you. But that ends now. I have to go. I’ll talk to you later.”
And with that, he turned and jogged after his friends, leaving Laryn standing in the hangar next to the chopper, still utterly baffled at his change in behavior. She had no idea what she’d done, or not done, to make him do a one-eighty in his attitude toward her. But she liked it. A lot.
Feeling lighter than she ever had before a flight trial, which was one of the most stressful things she had to endure as head mechanic, she turned toward the chopper to see what else could be perfected before tomorrow night.
CHAPTER FIVE
“What gives?” Edge asked Casper after their meeting with the colonel. It had gone way longer than any of them had expected, and it was now after ten p.m.
“About what?” Casper asked, even though he had a feeling he knew exactly what his friend was referring to.
“You and Laryn. I didn’t miss that look you gave me when I kept her from falling on her ass. If looks could kill, I would’ve been dead meat.”
“Nothing.”
“Stop with the bullshit. You’ve been different around her ever since that incident after we picked you up in Iraq.”
Casper ran a hand through his hair. He was tired. Stressed about the upcoming trials tomorrow night. They were fun, but also harrowing. Not life-or-death harrowing, but hoping the helicopter performed the way it was supposed to so they could get on with their next mission was always nerve-racking. A lot rode on his and Pyro’s ability to put the chopper through its paces, to make sure that, in the heat of the moment, when every life in the helicopter was on the line, it did what was asked of it.
“You gonna try to hit that?” Edge asked crudely.
Casper acted without thinking. He shoved his friend aggressively, making Edge have to take several steps back to keep his balance. It was a good thing the parking lot was empty, because having someone observe them fighting wouldn’t be good for either of them, or the Night Stalkers in general.
“Don’t talk about her like that!” Casper growled as he stalked closer to his friend.
Edge might be eight years older than him and in his early forties, but the man was just as capable of defending himself as Casper. If push came to shove and they ended up actually fighting, it would be an even match, and neither would come out of it without some serious injuries.
But Edge didn’t seem remotely willing to fight. He smirked and held up his hands. “Sorry, dude. Just had to make sure.”
“Make sure of what?” he asked.
“That you weren’t just fucking with her. I like Laryn. Always have. She’s a hard worker and I respect the hell out of her. If you were just looking to get laid, I would’ve taken you out. Made sure you stayed away. But your reaction tells me everything I need to know about your intentions. My only question is—why. Why now? What changed?”
Casper did his best to rein in his anger at his friend. He actually appreciated that he was looking after Laryn. “Honestly?”
“Of course.”
“It was after we lost the chopper in Iraq. She met me on the flight deck, giving me grief like she always does. We went to talk, she wanted to know how the chopper felt when it was hit, why we weren’t able to avoid the RPG, everything about what happened. But unlike in the past, she seemed…upset. Her face went white when I described how we went down, and she literally started shaking. It was in that moment when I realized that the stoic, grumpy mechanic face she’s always shown us, shownme, was a mask. She cares about the choppers—of course she does—but when she learned about what happened after Pyro and I went down, how serious the situation was, it hit her hard.”
“And?” Edge asked. “That doesn’t explain your interest in her now. Just because she was upset that you crashed—Er…landed hard, doesn’t explain why you all of a sudden seem to want to tear me a new asshole for touching her.”
“I’ve paid more attention to her over the last month, and she’s…She’s everything I’ve been looking for in a partner. In a woman. Hard-working, compassionate, funny, kind…and sexy.”
