Forget Me Not (Love in the Fleet)

by Ashby, Heather

  Dr. Schneider opened her mouth, closed it, then looked away before turning back to him. “She’s obviously part Siamese and they behave very much like dogs. Communicative, devoted to their owners, that kind of thing. I understand they even greet you at the door. She’s probably not purebred, but the dark points and blue eyes are a giveaway to her pedigree.”

  And what color are your eyes? Are they blue? Or are they green?

  She looked down and seemed flustered as she fiddled with the paperwork. “So what about the spaying, Lieutenant?”

  “Affirmative. Book it.”

  “Why don’t we keep her for a day or so? We’ll spay her and take care of her shots. Check with Lillian at the desk. She’ll give you all the paperwork. Leave a good phone number so we can reach you when she’s ready to be picked up.” The doctor started for the door.

  “Um, Doc, she’s got a lot of problems. Just so you know.”

  She stopped and turned to him. “She seems fine to me, except for being in heat and possibly pregnant. What do you think is wrong with her?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t figured it out yet, but trust me, she has so many things wrong with her, she’ll probably need to see you every day for, oh, say…” He paused for effect, a smile threatening his lips. “As long as it takes.”

  Dr. Schneider walked out the door.

  “Name?” asked the receptionist.

  “It’s on the record. Brian Crawford. But feel free to make that Captain Brian Crawford if you want.” Apparently she didn’t know he was kidding and added “Captain” in front of his name. Sky’s mouth twitched in amusement.

  “Yes, sir, Cap’n Crawford, but I need the cat’s name,” Lillian said.

  “She’s an unplanned cat so she doesn’t really have one. I wasn’t planning to keep her.” He glanced above Lillian’s head at Dr. Schneider’s diplomas. University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School. Impressive. He scanned through the Latin, looking for her first name, which he figured was probably Brunhilde.

  No way.

  No way was she a Daisy. Daisies were sunny and perky, not cold and uptight. “But I’ve changed my mind. The cat’s name is Daisy.”

  Lillian cocked her head. “You mean like Dr. Schneider’s?”

  “Not quite. It’s Daisy Mae. With an ‘e.’ She’s French.”

  He flipped through his Rolodex of smiles, selecting just the right one because he would need the receptionist on his good side if he was going to get on any side of Dr. Untouchable. Usually chicks that didn’t fall for his I’m-the-bad-boy-of-your-dreams-honey smile succumbed to his aw-shucks-golly-gee-ma’am grin. Worked like a charm.

  Certain he had Lillian’s attention, Sky unzipped a shoulder pocket in his flight suit and extracted his credit card. He glanced around dramatically, leaned over the desk, and said in a low voice, “You won’t tell anybody about my little secret hiding place, now will you, Lillian?”

  She took the card, her smile filling the room with sunshine. Too bad he wasn’t interested in the receptionist because it was clear he had her hook, line, and sinker.

  Sky turned to find Daisy walking down the hallway, her attention glued to a chart. “Lillian, can you—oh.” She seemed startled to find him still there. Glancing around for an out, she added, “Did you take care of everything, Lieutenant? Any questions we can answer for you?”

  “Nope. Everything seems to be under control.” Then he turned his mouth toward Lillian without taking his eyes off Daisy and added, “Lillian, please give me a call when Daisy Mae is ready to be picked up.” He wished he had a picture of the doctor’s mouth dropping open.

  “Daisy Mae,” she repeated for clarification.

  “Yes, ma’am. And you better get to know her real well while she’s here, because she’s going to be your worst nightmare.”

  “No, Lieutenant Crawford, I’m afraid you’re going to be my worst nightmare.”

  “You got that right, sweetheart.” He flashed both of them his roguish smile. “Have a wonderful afternoon, ladies.” Sky adjusted his garrison cap, saluted them, and walked out the door.

  Her worst nightmare? Way to go, dumb ass. He didn’t want to be her worst nightmare. He wanted to share a kayak with her. And a bed.

  Sky shook his head to clear it as he pulled out into traffic and headed home. What had he gotten himself into? He was now the proud owner of a cat? Oh, hell. He should be used to it by now. Hadn’t he spent his entire life shooting off his mouth before loading his brain?

  Sky felt a smile sneak up on him as he waited at a light, fingers tapping on the steering wheel. Just think. Underneath that tough Schneider exterior lurked a Daisy. There was no question she was tough, and smart, if she’d graduated from an Ivy League vet school. He already knew she had a high IQ—and he wasn’t talking Mensa here. He was talking “Ice Queen.” Dr. Daisy Schneider. The Ice Queen. Sky’s smile blossomed into a full grin because he knew exactly who was going to be the one to pluck her up out of the snow.

  Daisy slammed the front door behind Lieutenant Crawford. “The nerve of him.”

  “Oh, I thought he was kind of cute,” said Lillian. “And he’s obviously interested in you, Doctor. What happened back in the exam room?”

  “Nothing happened in the exam room. He was abrasive and—”

  “He asked you out, didn’t he?” Lillian smiled knowingly as she shuffled the records on her desk.

  Daisy stared at the door, clenched her fists, and uttered unintelligible sentiments. “He is so full of it, his eyes should be brown.”

  “You know, Daze, maybe you should consider dating again.”

  “Dating him? Come on. My BS radar was working overtime and it wasn’t even turned on. He was annoying and rude.”

  “And hot. Don’t forget hot.”

  “Then he’s all yours, Lillian, because I am not interested in a con artist. Look, I’m heading home.” She called to the two Labrador Retrievers behind the counter. “Come on, girls. Let’s call it a day.”

  As Daisy ushered her dogs into the Jeep, she glanced up at the “nice rack” on top and laughed to herself. Brian Crawford had looked mighty funny trying to wiggle out of that one. He honestly hadn’t been talking about her breasts and yet he somehow still came off looking guilty. She’d practically seen the wheels turning in his head when he figured out his faux pas. But he’d made her laugh. Was that such a bad thing? To laugh again?

  Once she arrived home, Daisy let the dogs out through the sliding glass door, cranked down the air conditioner to counter the sticky Florida heat, poured herself a glass of wine, and collapsed into her favorite overstuffed chair. How would she fill another empty evening? Watch a movie? No. They made her think too much. A chick flick would remind her she was alone. A guy movie would remind her there was no guy in her life. A war movie? Not in this lifetime.

  Glancing at the altar on her mantelpiece, Daisy teared up as she viewed the handsome Marine in the photos: the formal portrait in dress uniform, the combat mug shot with his buddies in the desert, and the wedding picture where the happy couple held his sword, poised to cut the cake.

  Daisy sighed. “Dammit, Jack. Why did you have to go and die?”

  Chapter 2

  Sky was drowning. Water engulfed him: nose, mouth, and every pore. Attempting to push back the panic and sharpen his focus, he reached for the Helicopter Aircrew Breathing Device and its three to five minutes of emergency air. Like trying to suck a frozen milkshake through a straw, he realized it was empty.

  Panic returned in spades. His body begged him to suck in air, but his training kicked in. Taking a deep breath was the last thing he needed to do. What he really needed to do was to get the hell out of the helicopter. Now.

  He didn’t know if he was upside down or right side up. All those hours in the training tank paid off as he raced through the mental check
list. Check the bubbles. Left was still left and right was still right, but bubbles always travel toward the surface. Follow the bubbles. Okay, he was right side up. Thank God for that. So just open the—

  But the fucking door wouldn’t open. Neither would his five-point harness. He wanted to scream out his frustration, but it would only use up precious oxygen or allow more water to flow into his mouth.

  He reached over and shook Daniel. Dammit, Daniel. Wake up. He knew Daniel was unconscious, but he didn’t know what to do first. Unstrap him? Take his vitals? Save his own ass? He reached for Daniel’s harness, but he was all thumbs.

  Nothing. Fucking. Worked.

  Somebody tapped on his window. Jill. Why was Jill under the ocean? And oh, God, she had the baby on her hip. He couldn’t hear what she was saying but he knew in his bones what she wanted him to do. He could read her lips as she screamed at him through the plexiglass, her mouth filling with water, her hair waving wildly in the current, the baby crying.

  Get. Daniel. Out.

  Panic dug its claws in deeper. Sky twisted and jerked his body, struggling to free himself from the harness. Instead he became more entangled. Trapped. He tried to kick open the door, but his legs had become twisted up in something and would not function. He had to free Daniel and he had to get Jill and the baby back to the surface. What was keeping his legs from working?

  Sheets. It finally became clear to him that sheets were tied around his legs. He kicked and thrashed until they finally sprang loose and he was free. Standing, shaking, soaking wet.

  But there wasn’t any water. He wasn’t in the ocean. And he wasn’t in a helicopter.

  He was in his bedroom. And, thank God, he was alone. Naked, drenched in sweat and tears and snot and… Jesus Christ, would the dreams ever stop? Would Daniel ever leave him alone? Would Jill? She’d brought the baby this time. When she brought the baby he was totally powerless. Yeah, like he had any power to begin with.

  Not over this.

  He heard a knock on the door and lunged back toward the bed, pulling the sheet around him as if nothing had happened.

  “You okay?” his roommate asked.

  “Yeah. Go away.”

  “All right, but let me know if you need anything.”

  “Yeah. Thanks.”

  He might go back to bed, but there was no way he was going back to sleep.

  Chapter 3

  Another vanload of daisies had just arrived at the clinic.

  “You mean there’s more?” Daisy muttered to Lillian under her breath.

  “Where do you want these flowers, ma’am?” asked the driver.

  Four vases of daisies were already crammed into the waiting room, with two more behind the counter. “Here, I’ll take them into the back. Thanks.” Lillian accepted yet another bouquet of flowers. She turned to her boss, “I think somebody is trying to tell you something, Doctor Daisy.”

  “Oh, I get it,” piped up the delivery woman. “You’re Daisy and all these daisies are for you. I gotta tell you, he was so funny when he called to order them.”

  “Wait. You talked to him?” Daisy asked. “I mean, so many different trucks have come by today, but they didn’t know who ordered all the flowers.”

  “Yeah, I subbed the order out to them after a lieutenant over at the Navy base called this morning. The gentleman was perfectly clear. He wanted a hundred daisies delivered here. When I asked him, ‘A hundred?’ he said, ‘Yeah, and I want the card to say ‘You’re one in a million.’ Then he kind of paused and started to say, ‘You couldn’t, by any chance…?’ and I thought he was going to ask for a million. Anyway I called all over town and all we could come up with on short notice was ninety-two so there may still be more coming. Geez, honey, he must really love you.”

  “I don’t even know him. I only met him yesterday and tried to blow him off.”

  “Guess it didn’t work. Wish I had that kind of problem. Well, he sounded nice on the phone. Not creepy, you know, like a stalker.”

  “He’s not a stalker. Just persistent.”

  “Like I said, you could have worse problems than a charming man sending you flowers.”

  “Oh, trust me. He’s charming all right. Anyway, thanks for handling it. I’m sorry for all the inconvenience. Lillian will take care of a tip.”

  “No inconvenience. I can use the business and it’s always fun watching love bloom.”

  “Watching love bloom? Oh, my God,” Daisy muttered under her breath as she headed back to an examining room. Daisies were filling up her office because Lieutenant Crawford thought she was one in a million.

  She hadn’t asked for this. Had she led him on? No, she’d gone out of her way to let him know she was not interested. The last thing Daisy Schneider needed was a man in her life. Well, she needed Jack, but that wasn’t going to happen. She certainly didn’t need Brian Crawford. What a pompous, self-centered, egotistical—and very hot—jerk.

  And she’d give him compassionate too. After all, he had rescued the cat. And the look on his face when she’d mentioned the possibility of aborting kittens? Like a young boy with his first pet. His eyes had radiated genuine concern.

  Daisy felt that while she might not like everything about Brian Crawford, he was one of those what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of guys. An open book. No secrets with that one. But a hundred daisies? Come on.

  “Cat Scratch Four-Seven-Five, Mayport Tower, you are cleared to land Runway Two-Four at Taxiway Charlie.”

  “Mayport Tower, Cat Scratch Four-Seven-Five, copy. Cleared Two-Four, Charlie.” Careful to keep his personal mutterings within the confines of the aircraft’s intercommunications system, Sky crooned sweet nothings to the love of his life, his MH-60R Seahawk helicopter. “That’s my Little Girl. Come on, darlin’. Nice and easy. Come to Papa.”

  He adjusted the cyclic stick between his knees and guided his multi-million dollar girl to touch down first her tail dual-wheel, then her front single wheels onto the tarmac at Naval Station Mayport.

  “Yeah, that’s the way I like it, sweetheart!” Turning to his co-pilot, he added, “Oh, man. That was good for me. Was it good for you?”

  Sky didn’t have to look at Mikey to know he was rolling his eyes, but laughing nonetheless. “God, I swear you talk to this helo like it’s a woman.”

  “Are you kidding?” Sky flipped the automatic vibration control switch, tuned the radio to ground frequency, and taxied forward to clear the active runway. “Women are way more complicated.”

  “Cat Scratch Four-Seven-Five, you are cleared to taxi to your line.”

  “Ground, Four-Seven-Five, taxi to my line,” Sky responded to the call. Then turning to Mike, he added, “Unlock her tail, Studs, so she can shake her booty.”

  Michael Dudley Nikolopoulos prepared the helicopter for taxiing. “If you talk to the bird like this, I’d love to be a fly on the wall when you’re with a chick.”

  “Oh, son, you should be so lucky to get training from the Skylark, king of the skies and the bedroom. Many ask, but few are chosen. You mind your P’s and Q’s however, and I might just take you under my wing. And maybe you can live up to your call sign, Studley.”

  “Oh, spare me, master. I think that I can figure it out for myself.”

  With a slight raising and lowering of the collective lever, Sky controlled the rolling speed and guided the eleven-ton Seahawk to its parking spot, careful to allow plenty of rotor clearance between the other parked helicopters.

  “Lock her tail, Studs.”

  Mike locked the tail, shut down the engines, applied the rotor break, and signaled the plane captain for the chocks to anchor the aircraft.

  Sky nodded his head approvingly as he unbuckled his harness. The kid was doing all right. He might just have the makings. “I’m glad you’ve got the girl thing figured out, Mikey, because
I’m already booked for tonight. Got a date with a sweet young thing.”

  “That stray cat? Did you ever find it a home?”

  “Yeah, my apartment. But it’s okay, because the sweet young thing I refer to is the good doctor the Senior Chief sent me to yesterday. Major babe. She could cure anything that ails you. I’m going to swing by right now and check her out—I mean, check out how my little girl is doing.”

  Mike removed his helmet. “So you’re going to keep the cat?”

  “Oh, yeah, buddy. She’s my ticket in the door. To veterinary heaven.”

  They continued to laugh as they climbed out of the helo, slung their flight packs across their shoulders, and headed into squadron headquarters.

  Until he walked into the clinic that afternoon, Sky hadn’t considered how much space ninety-two daisies and their accompanying vases would take up. It was like a funeral parlor on steroids.

  “Good afternoon, ladies. I see the flowers arrived.” He nodded to each of them. “Lillian. Dr. Schneider.” Dr. Daisy stiffened when she saw him. Not that it deterred him in the least. “Just stopped by to see how my girl’s doing.”

  “Your girl?” She indicated the flowers. “I certainly hope you’re not referring to me.”

  “Naw. I came by to see Daisy Mae. She had surgery, right? Wait. I hope you didn’t think all these daisies were for you.” He tried to contain his smile but failed.

  “I don’t know what to think, Lieutenant Crawford, but I can tell you this. If the flowers are a ploy to get me to go out with you, you could have spent your money more wisely by making a donation to our feline rescue program. As for Daisy Mae, I spayed her this afternoon and she’s resting comfortably. She can go home tomorrow. Would you like to see her?”

  “Absolutely. Remember, we’re joined at the hip, Daisy Mae and me.”