Page 69 of Cold Silence
Okay, so she didn’t like his answer but she could see it. And he was willing to ask even if he thought he would be shot down. Surprised at his easy acquiescence on the matter, she continued to watch him. Or maybe she just wanted to watch him. Maybe touch him. Experience the warmth between them again.
He arched an eyebrow. “What’s with the look?”
“I didn’t think you would agree to ask your CO so quickly.”
“Despite what most women think, men aren’t oblivious to everything. I saw how upset Julie was, and I’ll help if I can.”
“Thank you.” His kindness had always been something she’d admired, adding another check mark in a column that had filled fast in his favor.
He didn’t say anything else. Maybe he was replaying the incident and trying to figure out their next move. Or maybe he was thinking about the kiss that told her he still had feelings for her. Deep feelings like the ones she was experiencing.
Was she foolish for shutting him out?
A vision of Travis hitting his head and losing consciousness in the attack at her home flashed before her eyes. Even in a sleepy suburb of Orlando, Travis could’ve been killed in the blink of an eye.
How ironic. She’d chosen not to get involved with him because of the dangers of his job in foreign countries, but danger lurked all around all the time. Car accidents. Burning houses. Plane crashes. He could die anywhere. Anytime. His job increased the odds, but no job existed that would leave him completely safe. At least not a job that he would do.
She looked at him, and for the first time in two years, she let her feelings for him run free. Her heart was full and whole as she was sure God intended for her. She wanted to embrace the emotions. Be happy. Be content, but she couldn’t change years of running from pain in an instant—if she could change at all. Once they wrapped all of this up, she would take the time for some intense thinking.
Eryn poked her head around the corner. “We should get started.”
“Yes, right.” Claire got Eryn set up on the small table in the corner where Gage was sitting and looking at his phone.
“I’m going to the conference room to have a private conversation with my CO,” Travis said.
Claire nodded and wished she could listen in to his conversation, but he deserved privacy. Besides, the room where Mike had hidden a camera brought back his altercation with Travis and all she could think about was sitting up to check on them and then seeing the incident. Travis’s quick reflexes impressed her. She’d seen them in the simulations, but it was even more impressive in real life, taking Mike down like he was a scarecrow not a guy who worked out.
Mike. Man. He had to be delusional, planning to propose to her after stalking her. She wouldn’t be comfortable again until he was arrested. But how long of a sentence would a guy get for putting a camera in her office and stalking her? Probably not long enough. Hopefully, at least the two years she needed to finish this project and could move elsewhere.
First, they had to make the camera charges stick. She and Gage watched as Eryn connected the camera to her computer and her fingers flew over the keyboard. She glanced up every now and then and frowned at them.
“Isn’t there something you two could do other than stare at me?” she asked.
“Gage and Travis could run a scenario or two on the simulator,” Claire suggested.
“Thanks. I can work faster with you out of my hair.” Eryn didn’t take her eyes from the screen.
“Text if you need us,” Gage said.
Her only acknowledgment was a flick of her fingers. Just like Nick, she was fully engaged in her work.
They entered the hallway to find Travis on his way back. He shook his head, the result Claire had expected.
She smiled to ease his frustration. “I have a two-man cave scenario that you can put your frustration into.”
Travis grinned. “I’d be all over that.”
She got the devices from the storage room and gave them to the guys in the simulator room.
“Gage, yours is an outdated version since one of the current ones was stolen,” she said. “Give me a second to update it with new firmware, and we’ll get going.”
“Yeah, man,” Travis said. “Outdated, just like you.”
Gage socked Travis in the arm. “See if I have your back in the simulation.”
“You will. You always do.”
Claire liked the confidence in Travis’s voice as she went to the observation room and loaded the updated program. Her dad never really talked about having the backs of other soldiers, but he demonstrated it as did his buddies when they came to the house or she went to parties they held. She remembered as a kid being jealous of his army teammates. Her dad had a family in them. A family she couldn’t be a part of.
