by Em Petrova
That got her brain working overtime, and soon she was in a dark place. Thinking of all the things that could go wrong with Cav had her more on edge than ever, and soon she was recalling moments with Darren that were no better. Try as she might, these worries didn’t just disappear.
Right about now she could use that support group she had mentioned forming.
She glanced at the clock on her phone. 8 p.m. Was that too late to make a phone call to one of the other Ranger Ops’ significant others? Avery or Nevaeh or Edie?
In the end, she was such a bundle of nerves thinking of Cav out there right now doing Lord knew what and getting shot out in Lord knew where, that she picked up the phone and found the number she’d entered for Avery.
After two rings, she feared the woman was on duty, sitting somewhere in a squad car keeping the community safe, and she wouldn’t be able to pick up.
Then her voice came on the line. “Arielle! Is everything all right? You haven’t heard from Cav, have you? I haven’t heard a peep from Jess and—”
Oh no. Clearly she’d made a mistake in calling, because now the poor woman was even more worried.
“No, no. I haven’t heard anything,” she cut across her in a soothing voice. She gave a sad chuckle. “I guess you’re just as keyed up as I am with the waiting.”
“It’s a poor time for me to get a day off. I sat here all day thinking about… well, you know what.”
“I do know,” she said at once. “Look, there’s a little coffee shop that’s open all night, right off the interstate. They make fresh donuts at night, and we’re bound to get a batch if we—”
It was Avery’s turn to cut off her words. “I know it. I’m a cop, remember?”
They shared a laugh.
“I’ll meet you in twenty minutes.”
“That sounds good. And Avery, do you think some of the other wives and girlfriends would need some donut therapy as well?”
“Yup. I’ll round up the girls. Jess mentioned that Cav had talked to him about us forming some kind of support group. This seems the perfect time to start. I’ll see you there, Arielle.”
Feeling both uplifted and jittery without even having a cup of coffee, Arielle got ready and drove to the coffee shop. The place was still busy at this time of evening, and the fresh, yeasty scent of baking donuts had her mouth watering as she waited for the rest of the girls to arrive.
When they all poured through the door, she stood with a smile on her face and waved them to a big table. They were all smiles for her in return and they embraced.
“Nevaeh’s got a sick little one and couldn’t make it. But I promised to bring her a half dozen fresh donuts and that cheered her up,” Avery said.
Woody’s wife had bundled up her offspring and the toddler got passed around, which gave her more room on her lap for the growing belly of her second pregnancy. Arielle sat back in her chair and admired all the pluck of the ladies surrounding her. How their morale just seemed to pick up everyone else, and despite their fears, they were able to offer comfort to each other.
When she got a mug of coffee in her hands and the waitress promised all the fresh donuts they could eat the minute they came out of the fryer, Arielle looked around herself. She took a sip of hot, delicious coffee and then spoke up.
“I’m so happy you all decided to meet tonight. I was feeling so… lost and alone with my worries that I didn’t know where to turn.”
Several of the women nodded in agreement.
“I know there aren’t a lot of women in our situation like there would be on an Army base, but I was thinking there were plenty who worry about their loved ones with dangerous jobs. I thought we might have a regular meeting place.” She looked around herself at the quaint décor of the coffee shop. “This might be perfect, since it isn’t too far from several of the surrounding cities. And we could meet weekly just to discuss… well, anything that’s on our minds.”
“It’s a great idea, Arielle.” Avery placed a hand over hers and squeezed.
“We could also have a master list of phone numbers, where a person could call any of us at any time just to have a sympathetic ear.” Arielle looked up as the waitress returned bearing a huge platter of fresh, puffy donuts dripping with glaze.
Several of the women squealed as the platter was settled in the center of the table. Arielle reached into the middle for hers and raised it in a toast.
“To the club,” she said, meeting the gaze of each woman there.
“The club,” they chorused and took their bites.
Arielle smiled around her fluffy, sugary goodness and licked the glaze from her lips. If Cav were here, he’d let out a growl that meant he wanted to do that for her. And soon he would.
In the meantime, she had good donuts and great friends.
* * * * *
Damn, was this what all the guys went through on a daily when away from home? He’d had little sympathy all those times Linc or Lennon or the others got quiet, but now he knew their minds were on the women they loved, left behind at home while they dug into the trenches.
A bullshit raid had turned into some darker shit, which had sent them roaming all over South Texas. It’d been six or seven days since Cav had gotten a shower or a hot meal, and normally that would be enough for him to long for home.
But add in the fact there was a beautiful woman waiting for him there and he couldn’t wait to wrap this shit-show up and head for the hills.
He leaned his head back against the cement wall, his helmet making a soft clinking sound.
Jess looked at him. “You good, man?”
“Yeah, just wish these fuckers would show their ugly faces so we can pick them off and end this for the week.”
Jess gave a soft laugh. “You know it’s rarely for the week. This turns into that, which sends us somewhere else.”
Now Cav really was wondering how the guys did it.
“How do you… you know, keep your mind off Avery while we’re out here?” he asked.
“Same way you didn’t let one of the women you were fucking into your head. You’ve got to compartmentalize it, send them into the recesses of your thoughts, and remind yourself that they’re the reason you’re out here in the first place—to keep the world a safe place for them.”
He nodded. Made sense but damn if he could keep his mind from straying to Arielle. Maybe his worry over her reaction to his profession had him on edge. She’d lived through the loss of one man she loved and she’d already told Cav once that she couldn’t walk the path with him a second time.
But she’d taken a chance on him, and he couldn’t let her down. He had to return to her. If that meant putting his head down and running right into the line of fire to reach her on the other side, he’d do it.
Jess’s hand came down on his shoulder. “You’ll be okay, I promise. I was, and so were all the others. Now, get your head in the game, because I just saw a flash of light. Somebody’s coming.”
The next hour was a blur of firepower and bodies hitting the ground. At one point, they lost communication with Sully and had one of the scarier moments of their team history, but seconds later, he responded, much to their relief.
Lennon seemed to be the worst for wear—he’d busted his pinky finger and had a hell of a gash on his upper arm where a bullet had grazed him. But Woody patched him up in the helicopter transport.
Cav looked on as Woody straightened their teammate’s finger and taped it to the buddy finger, and then cut open the sleeve of his jacket further and poured antiseptic wash into the bleeding furrow.
“Edie’s gonna kill me,” Lennon said.
“She’ll be happy you weren’t killed,” Cav responded.
Lennon leveled a stare at him and then laughed. “You haven’t been with Arielle very long—you wait and see. Next time you come home with a cut or busted finger, she’s going to be hell to live with for… what, guys? A day? Week?”
A crooked grin took over Linc’s face. “Least till you take her to b
ed and make her forget.”
They all laughed, but Jess spoke up. “Avery isn’t one to be so easily distracted. My guess is none of these smart women we love are.”
Nods of agreement followed, and silence descended as each man, now safely in the air and finished with their duties at least for a little while, could wholly give over his mind to thoughts of the woman he loved.
As soon as they touched down, they all took one look at Colonel Downs waiting for them and let out a collective groan.
“What the fuck now?” Cav ground out, grumpier than the others.
“Looks like he’s got orders for us. Shit.” Sully’s soft cuss had them all falling into line and saluting as the colonel approached.
The sun was just dipping low over the horizon. All he wanted was a bed and his woman tucked in close, to smell her hair as he slept for hours. But that wasn’t to be, judging by Downs’ face.
“Good job, men. Now get inside. I’ve got word for you about the bomb suspect.”
Cav’s ears pricked up, and his brain shot forward like a bucking bull out of the chute. If there was one thing that could shift his thoughts from Arielle, it was news about the explosives.
As they entered the building, they stripped off weapons and piled them on the conference table. Downs stood at the head. Looking over the weaponry and at his tired men, he filled them in on yet another threat. This time, no bomb had been discovered, but a threat had been called in.
That had led to several persons being arrested.
Colonel Downs held up a photo of the lineup. Five men stood there, giving the equivalent of mug-shot expressions.
“Do any of you recognize these men?”
The photograph got passed around. Cav looked closely but couldn’t make out any. He’d never run across these men in his life. He passed the photo to Jess, who also shook his head.
“I’ve made copies of the file for all of you, and it’s been sent to your personal locked clouds. More on this tomorrow. Right now, I feel like I’m talking to a group of zombies. When was the last time y’all slept? Get yourselves home and into bed. I’ll be in touch at seven sharp.”
Damn. Seven wouldn’t give him near enough time to sleep off this exhaustion and give Arielle the thorough lovin’ she deserved after his long absence. More than likely, he was going to be severely sleep-deprived and Arielle would be thoroughly satisfied.
After they were dismissed, they collected their weapons and moved to their lockers to stow away all their gear. No matter what, care and organization for the next time they were called out must be taken.
He took too long to arrange everything and when he finally got to strip out of his clothes and hit the shower, he was nearing the end of his patience.
Sully walked into the big shower room too, looking like dog food that’d been warmed five too many times.
Cav switched between hot and cold water to wake himself up, and the cold spray hit him full in the chest, making his lungs burn.
“Did you get a chance to look at any of the file Downs sent just now?” Sully’s drawl sounded like he’d had an energy drink and wasn’t as tired as he looked.
“No, I barely got my shit stowed in my locker and came straight to the shower. Why?”
Jess and Woody walked in too, talking quietly among themselves.
Cav redirected his attention to his captain. “I’m assuming you did?”
He nodded. “Lots of prior arrests and some convictions among those five in the photo.”
“I’m not surprised.” Cav switched the water to warm again, turning to douse his head. It felt damn good to be clean. A bed would feel better. And Arielle…
He finished his shower and grabbed a towel from the stack that some invisible source provided to them all, along with fresh hot coffee. He threw each of his teammates a word of goodbye and on the way out grabbed a travel cup of coffee, hoping the caffeine would give him enough lift to get home and at least kiss Arielle before he passed out from exhaustion.
The drive to Rose took longer than to his own home, but his mind zoned out and soon he was pulling into his old hometown. The park was dark, the trees black splotches against the sky. To think he and Arielle had met there again by sheer circumstance made him believe the world had more good things in store for him.
When he turned onto her street, apprehension flooded his system. He’d never been gone so long before while dating her. How would she handle it? His gut instinct told him she hadn’t done well with his absence, that her previous relationship had caused too much pain, and Cav being in her life only brought it to the surface again.
He gripped the wheel harder, unsure what to expect as he navigated the quiet street to her home.
She’d sworn to him she wouldn’t push him away or kick him out of her life, but that was before he’d gone away for almost a week without a word about his wellbeing.
He could lose everything here, walk up to the front door and receive her glare. Or worse, a mask of indifference.
On the other hand, she hadn’t asked him to give up his work, and that fact gave him a flame of hope. She knew who he was and that deep down, his work helped define him. He’d be lost without the Ranger Ops.
He’d also be lost without her.
Maybe, just maybe he could find a way to keep them both.
You’re about to find out.
He parked in front of her house and got out of the truck.
* * * * *
The nights were the longest and most difficult on Arielle. She couldn’t possibly call for another donut run and had to find a way to deal with her rising anxiety besides carbohydrates. But everything felt especially difficult at this time of night, because it was the time Darren had lost his life.
She hadn’t learned of his death till morning. And she told herself she was over the worst of the grief, but she would always wonder what if he had lived, like everyone did when it came to the finality of losing a loved one.
It didn’t make her love for Cav any weaker, though. She loved him with a ferocity that stunned her on a daily basis. If he’d only wrap up whatever he was doing and come home to her…
She stretched out on the sofa and drew a throw blanket over herself that she’d newly crocheted using a handwoven technique. The project hadn’t taken nearly long enough, the big loops making the blanket the size she wanted in little time. When she’d finished, she’d shrugged and tossed it over the back of her sofa without another thought before moving to her next project of lining the kitchen cupboards with contact paper.
She really did need a pet or another hobby that took up most of her time. Perhaps she’d look into piano lessons or something.
As soon as she flipped open her book to the last page she’d read, there was a knock at the door.
She leaped to her feet, heart thumping. Running to the door, she peeked out first and a cry left her lips before she could even twist the door lock.
With a grin spreading across her face, she flung the door wide and jumped into Cav’s arms. He caught her with a groan and enveloped her in a tight embrace she’d never forget.
It might only have been six days since she’d seen him, but it was a homecoming that would be imprinted on her soul for the rest of her life. Now, more than ever, she knew what she wanted in life, and it was a world with Cav in it.
He cupped her chin and brought her face up to meet his gaze. The crinkles around his eyes were etched deeper, but he didn’t have any visible injuries, and for that she was relieved.
“Oh my God, Cav! You didn’t tell me you were coming.” She surged upward and crushed her mouth to his.
He bowed her back over his arm, kissing her with all the homecoming fervor a girl could ask for. Soft swipes of his tongue grew more insistent, till she was shaking to have him in bed.
He tore his lips away and drew her upright. “I wanted to surprise you by just showing up. Let’s shut the door before every bug in Texas comes inside.”
Lordy, his drawl… she’d missed the
sound so much, missed him.
He shut the door and twisted the lock behind him before swooping her up against him again. This time, the heated swirls of his tongue promised so much more.
“Cav, before we get too carried away, are you all right?”
The corner of his lips twitched upward in a lazy smile that dragged her deeper into his tow. “’Course I am, baby. But are you? I worried about you like crazy. The guys even gave me hell once for not being focused enough.”
“Cav! You can’t think about me when you’re doing such dangerous work. Don’t do that again.” She slapped his arm, which was hard as steel.
“Couldn’t help it if I’d tried. I was worried about you.”
Her heart melted. Taking his big hand in hers, she led him into the living room. She nudged aside the new throw before pushing him down to sit. “Can I get you anything? Food, drink?”
His eyes glowed. “You. Just you.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” She slipped into his lap, and he locked his arms around her. With her breasts pressed to his hard chest, the tips beaded with the need to be stroked, strummed, licked and bitten.
When he smoothed her hair away from her face and looked into her eyes, she felt love spring up.
“Are you all right, Arielle?”
She considered the question. A few minutes ago, she wouldn’t have known the answer to that, but considering now, she did.
She nodded. “Well, I finished a lot of projects.”
He chuckled. “Of course you did.”
“I made that blanket.”
His eyes widened. “You made an entire blanket while I was gone?”
She nodded. “It’s chunky, so didn’t take long. And I probably gained about five pounds from eating so many donuts, but I’m excited to tell you that the other ladies and I have formed a group. We meet at a coffee shop and it’s been really helpful to keep us all going and the anxiety about all of you being gone to a minimum.”
He sobered, studying her. “Baby, I’m sorry I’m putting you through this again. I—”
She pressed a fingertip to his lips. “I choose this life, Cav, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Now, get off this couch and get to bed. I can see you’re exhausted.”