She opens her mouth to speak then presses her lips together.
“What is it?” I ask, taking a step toward her.
It’s hard not to notice her. Even when she’s dressed in greens and without a stitch of makeup, the woman is remarkably beautiful.
She hesitates before she takes a step forward and looks up at me. “Just…be careful out there, okay? Watch your six, Briggs.”
“You worried about me?”
“Yes,” she says without hesitation. “Yes. Please don’t show up on my table.” She’s dead serious. I know she’s having a hard time being away from her family. She’s probably never seen as much carnage as she has in the last month. I stare at her a beat too long as she holds my gaze.
“I’ll do my best, Scottie.”
“Do better than that,” she whispers before she turns and walks back inside.
Chapter Six
Briggs
Firing off my fists, I do my best to put a dent in the bag, and I don’t stop until I feel the restlessness inside give way to exhaustion.
“You are such a pus-say,” I hear Mullins say. I turn around with a grin on my face, which only grows wider once I see who she’s torturing.
Scottie is doing sit-ups in a T-shirt and camo pants. Mullins is pressing on her knees as she barks down at her like a drill sergeant. Scottie gives her the “eat shit” look I’ve grown so fond of. It’s been a few weeks since Hollins, and from what I can tell, she’s done a one-eighty since then. Her morale is up, and she’s giving her smiles out a little more freely, especially when it’s the five of us. I check in on her when I drop off supplies to the clinic, and the last time I was there, I watched her single-handedly save a man before the doctor could set the spoon down on his chow. It’s easy for me to admit I was in awe of her that day, and since then, I’ve been spending a little too much time being in that state.
“Morning, ladies,” I say as Scottie’s eyes bulge a little when she sees me.
“Go away, Briggs,” Scottie barks.
“Now, is that any way to treat a fellow soldier?”
Mullins turns to me with a grin. “’Sup, Briggs.”
“Just heard my favorite subject being discussed and thought I’d mosey on over.”
Mullins wrinkles her brow.
“Pus-say,” I repeat. She throws her head back and laughs.
“Figures,” Scottie huffs, doing a terrible job of hiding her smile while she lifts up.
“I know, I know.” I raise my gloves, palms out, in defense. “Poor form, but I couldn’t resist.” Scottie looks up at me with parted lips in an attempt to catch her breath. Sweat trickles down her temple, and my imagination kicks into overdrive.
“Hence the, ‘go away Briggs,’” Scottie says, standing.
“You should box,” I remark.
“Yeah?” she asks. “Why’s that?”
I give her a menacing smile. “It’s fun. It’ll work some of that pent-up aggression out of you.”
“I don’t have any pent-up aggression,” she says, a quizzical look on her face.
“Well, then maybe it’s sexual hostility. I’m also a pretty good teacher there too.”
“I bet you are,” Mullins says with a budding smile, just before Scottie socks her right in the tit. “I’ve got your pus-say.”
I throw my head back and laugh before Scottie levels me with her stare.
“Don’t you worry about me, Briggs,” she says sardonically. “I’m good. I get mine. Matter of fact, it’s time for a call with my Captain.” She yanks Mullins’s ponytail and gives me the bird before she makes her way toward the door. I turn to Mullins, confused.
“Captain?”
“Yeah,” Mullins says. “As in, US Army Captain. She doesn’t like to brag, but yeah,” she says, enjoying my discomfort, “he’s a bit of a badass.”
With my balls lodged in my throat from that swift kick, I swallow hard, praying like hell she doesn’t see it.
She saw it.
Biting her lip, Mullins briefly lays a comforting hand on my shoulder before she follows Scottie out of the door.
Chapter Seven
Katy
“How many men does it take to open a beer bottle?”
Smiling to myself, I continue wiping down my station. I’d recognize that twang anywhere now, and as much as I hate to admit it, Briggs’s voice has become a growing comfort to me. Whether it’s the familiar accent alone or the fact that it’s always accompanied by a warm smile and much-needed humor is a mystery. All I know is, in the last two months, he’s grown on me.
Mullins and I have been hanging out with the guys every spare moment we’ve had. They’ve become like family to us. Well…to me, anyhow. I haven’t asked, because I really don’t want to know, but I am fairly sure that in the last week, my best friend has engaged in extracurricular activities with Morrero. And Mullins isn’t the only one slipping out of her tent at night. From what I gather from wagging tongues at the clinic, Briggs is quite the ladies’ man and has one hell of a sexual appetite. I don’t understand why the thought makes me cringe.
Briggs still pisses me off with his bravado, but I’ve come to realize he truly is harmless, albeit a shameless flirt with an ever-growing ego. If he’s returned to base and telling jokes, that means they’ve all made it back safely, so that lighthearted drawl is music to my ears.
“I’ll bite,” I say as I spray sanitizer on the countertop. “How many men does it take to open a beer bottle?”
“None,” he chuckles. “It should already be open when she brings it to you.”
Shaking my head, I glance over my shoulder and see his eyes are already on me—well, my ass. Warmth and relief creep in when his dimple appears, as his smile deepens.
“You’re such a pig.”
“Missed ya, Scottie.” He leans in, resting his forearms on the counter I just wiped.
“Yeah, yeah…war makin’ you soft, Briggs?” I tease, pushing him away.
“Me? Soft?” he scoffs. “Hard as a fuckin’ rock.”
I choke, widening my eyes at his nerve.
“You walked right into that one.”
“Did you come over here just to aggravate me?” I ask. He knows how much his flirting gets to me and just loves to see me riled. My problem is the way it makes me feel. You can only get away with being flattered at the attention for so long. I’ve come to expect it from him, and if I’m honest with myself, I would miss it if he stopped, and that’s the part that bothers me. I never encourage him, and he never crosses the line. It’s his nature, and I’m not the only one on the receiving end of it. I sure as hell don’t want to be the woman who takes it for more than what it is. Briggs is being Briggs. At the end of the day, that’s what matters most. It seems he never lets the chaos of his job ruin his battle-side manner, which is fun and infectious. It’s one of the things that draws us all to him.
“Though seeing you blush is my new favorite pastime, Scottie, I wanted to tell ya we’re going out on a humanitarian mission tomorrow. Wanna come hand out some supplies and candy? Shake hands with the locals?”
Briggs knows how much I’ve been itching to get out of the clinic. Women aren’t allowed to accompany the convoys on combat missions but are permitted to attend the aid missions, which are deemed relatively safe.
“Seriously?” I ask, excited at the idea. I’m sure the smile I’m sporting is evidence enough.
He seems pleased with himself at the sight of it. “Yup. Go volunteer before someone else does…you’re welcome,” he adds, adjusting the brim of my hat.
I am so excited that I totally disregard my own personal space rule, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Thank you, Briggs,” I squeal.
“Don’t mention it.” He snakes his arms around me with some hesitation, and I quickly release him, backing away. He clears his throat. “No problem. I can’t imagine being stuck in this cage for as long as you girls have. I’ll talk to you tomorrow mornin’. Goin’ to bed as soon as I wash this stink off.” He stalks toward the door in his dusty combat boots.