Page 54 of Keeping Amanda
Nash: Oh jeez, now I’m rethinking going to Anchor Point. Ha! If you need anything tomorrow, shoot me a text.
Amanda: Okay.
Nash: Good night.
Amanda: Night.
She stared at the message string for a moment with a smile on her face, before putting the phone back on the small table next to her bed. It had been a long, weird day. With too many highs and lows. All of a sudden, she couldn’t keep her eyes open a moment longer. Amanda took a moment to appreciate how comfortable it was being in her own bed, with her own pillow, in her own apartment, before succumbing to the exhaustion dragging her into sleep.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
It had taken all of Buck’s control not to text Mandy every hour. The clock was moving extremely slowly, and it was driving him crazy. He had a ton of stuff to do, but she was all he could think about. It felt weird to not have her at his side. They’d been so close for weeks and leaving her at her apartment was utter torture.
He hadn’t saidanythinghe’d wanted to say, which was why he’d sent her that long text last night. Thankfully, she still seemed to want to go out with him. He was afraid he’d blown it.
Today’s meeting with Colonel Burgess had gone as expected. He wasn’t happy that Buck had gone against protocol and left his chopper, but once he’d heard the circumstances, he begrudgingly accepted what he’d done. He was much more interested in hearing about the connections they’d made with the Guyanese military, and he informed Buck that the vice president had been personally calling him to find out the result of the mission.
The colonel warned that he’d probably need to report to the VP at some point, which Buck had no problem doing. It was surprising that the man had taken such a personal interest in the children and Mandy, but he was extremely grateful he had.
It was hard to admit that if he hadn’t gone down to South America, he might never have met Mandy. She was almost all he could think about now. Buck felt like a teenager again with his first crush. Except his feelings toward Mandy were no mere crush. They went deeper. She felt like his other half. It was a strange thought, especially since it happened to fast…but not unwelcome.
Honestly, if Casper hadn’t gotten his head out of his ass after years and realized that he and Laryn were meant to be together, Buck might be a little more reluctant to get involved with Mandy. But his team leader had put a spotlight on what the rest of them were missing out on. Yes, his circumstances were very different. Laryn almost always traveled with them when they were deployed, since, as head mechanic, she was responsible for the upkeep on the helicopters. But she still worried about Casper every time he climbed into a cockpit, whether waiting back on a naval carrier or back home in the States.
It was the respect and love the two of them had for each other that made Buck realize a true relationship was possible.
Made him more determined to see where he and Mandy could take things between them.
He had a lot of things he needed to do, but he’d put everything off to take Mandy on a date. He’d originally planned to take her someplace special. Fancy. She deserved that, after all they’d been through. But for their first date, he decided low-key might be best, and his favorite place in the world to hang out and eat was Anchor Point. It was a hole-in-the-wall joint, but as he’d told her last night, they had great food. Especially French fries. Whatever seasoning they used made them super crispy and delicious.
And, as expected, when his friends got wind that was where he was taking Mandy, they’d invited themselves along. Buck didn’t really mind. He wanted Mandy to like the men he worked with as much as he wanted them to like her. It wasveryimportantto him that the people he loved most in the world got along, because once his fellow pilots decided you were a part of their group, that was it. You were included in their ribbing, their jokes, their dramas. It was just how they were. They worked hard, played hard, and were as loyal as could be.
So…he was going on a date with Mandy and five of his best friends. It would be comical if it wasn’t so ridiculous. Buck was glad he’d warned her that they might be there, and even more relieved that she didn’t mind.
He pulled up to Mandy’s apartment at ten minutes to five and saw her walking outside with Rain. As soon as the dog spotted him, he whined and pulled on his leash, making Mandy glance up. The way her expression morphed from neutral to absolute happiness tugged at Buck’s heartstrings. It felt good to be looked at the way she was staring at him right now.
She let go of Rain’s leash, and the dog made a beeline for him, almost looking as if he was smiling as he ran. When he got to Buck, he ran a few circles around him, all the while whining in what Buck would like to think was joy. Then he lay on his back and gave Buck his belly to scratch.
Laughing, he did as he was basically ordered, squatting down and petting the exuberant dog.
“I think he’s liking his new life,” Mandy said dryly.
“He’s settling in?” Buck asked.
“As if he’s always been a spoiled rotten apartment dog,” she said in the affirmative. “You wouldn’t know a few weeks ago he was a skittish stray living in the jungle, afraid of men, and hyper aware of everything around him.”
Buck stood. “It’s because he trusts you. Knows you’d never put him in a situation that would cause him harm. And it all started with a can of olives.”
Mandy smiled. “I love him so much. It’s weird, because I never really saw myself having a dog, but I can’t imagine him not being around. Even though he’s a bed hog.”
“He is?” Buck asked in surprise. “He always slept in a tiny ball when we were in the jungle.”
“I know. I was shocked myself. But last night, I woke up freezing because he’d dragged the covers away from me and was lying under them, fully stretched out.”
Buck laughed. “It’s probably too late to make him sleep on the floor now, huh?”
“Probably,” Mandy agreed. “But it might be time for me to get a bigger bed.”
And just like that, Buck’s thoughts went into the gutter. All he could think about was Mandy lying on a king-size bed, completely naked, waiting for him to join her. It was ridiculous, as they hadn’t done more than kiss, but it was still something he wanted. Badly.
