Forget Me Not (Love in the Fleet)

by Ashby, Heather

  Sky would have thought he’d mind spending “Daisy time” with the old guy, but George was so interesting. And if the approval on Daisy’s face was any indication, she was touched he was making the old man’s evening so enjoyable. Who would have guessed community service could be fun?

  After dinner, Sky walked Captain Duncan back to his room and helped him clean out his new electric razor. And once he got to the guy’s room, well, then there were his photos to look at and old flight logs from the fifties and sixties. Glancing down at his watch, Sky realized he’d been gone almost an hour. “Oh, man, look at the time. Nice to meet you, George, but I gotta find Daisy.”

  Smooth move, Skylark. Ditch the babe for the old guy. But her Jeep was still in the parking lot and he found her walking the dogs in the grass.

  “Hey,” she called. “I thought maybe you’d left, but then I saw your truck.”

  “Sorry, I got carried away with Captain Duncan. I thought maybe you left. I’m sorry I abandoned you. He asked me to help him and I guess time got away from me.”

  Daisy settled her dogs in the back seat of her Jeep. “It’s okay. I’m glad you could help him out. He’s a wonderful man and I always enjoy talking with him. I think it’s great you two hit it off.”

  But Sky’s brain had switched gears and he was done talking about old men. As she slammed the door and turned to him, he moved into her space. Daisy backed up a step and seemed surprised to find the car at her back. Sky placed his hands on the window frame over her shoulders, bracketing her. “I had a good time tonight. Can I see you tomorrow?” he asked.

  “You’ll see me when you pick up your cat. You really should stay home with Daisy Mae tomorrow night and keep an eye on her.”

  Sky glanced down at her mouth, then back to her eyes. He leaned in close, but did not try to kiss her. “We might need the doctor to come home with us to, you know, keep an eye on her.”

  “Not necessary.”

  She was saying no, but it lost its impact with the breathy way she said it. Her voice stroked his body and he could already imagine her whispering into his ear while they were… Focus. “Okay, then my roommate could watch her so you and I can—”

  “I’m busy tomorrow.” But the way she was looking at him said she wouldn’t mind being with him instead. Her blue-green eyes seemed lost in his gaze. Sky had her right where he wanted her.

  “Do you volunteer on Thursdays too?” he asked.

  “Yes, at the Boys and Girls Club.”

  He swore she hadn’t been this tall a minute ago and he felt his blood thicken when he realized she was standing on tiptoe. The hell she didn’t want him to kiss her. “At the Y? By the high school?”

  “Yes.”

  Jesus, he’d conquer kingdoms for her, if she asked him with that sultry voice. “May I join you?” Pretty please.

  “If you wear your flight suit. I work with elementary kids after school. They’d love it if you came in uniform. Four o’clock?”

  Sky’s mouth was so close now he could feel her breath, soft and warm against his lips. “You got it. I’ll take Daisy Mae home and meet you there around four. Okay, darlin’?”

  “Brian, I wish you…” Daisy’s eyes slid closed.

  He brushed his lips over hers, a whisper of a kiss from left to right. “You wish I’d what?” And back again, from the right this time.

  Her eyes fluttered open and she sighed. “I wish you wouldn’t…”

  Again, barely touching her, he swiped a gentle kiss across her mouth. “Do what? Call you darlin’?” And back. “Or kiss you?” It was all he could do to restrain himself from crushing her to the car, feeling her body up close and personal. But he reined himself in and touched only her mouth with his.

  “Both. Look, I have to go.” But she didn’t move. Except to put her hands on his chest. He wasn’t sure if she was going to push him away or pull him closer.

  Dream on, Skylark.

  He leaned in one more time, but stopped short of kissing her. “Want me to see you home? You did say ‘Follow me’ earlier. Does the offer still stand?”

  Daisy pushed him gently and turned her head aside. “No, I’ll be fine. I have the dogs.” That barely-there voice had been replaced by Dr. Untouchable’s.

  “Okay, but just say the word. There’s nothing I’d like better than to…protect you.”

  Her head snapped back. “Who’s going to protect me from you?”

  Sky stepped away, smiling crookedly. “Doc, you’ve got me all wrong.”

  “Do I?” She slid along the side of the car toward the driver’s door.

  “Yeah, I’m one of the good guys.” He followed her, opened her door, and ushered her in. The Ice Queen might be back, but she’d sure enjoyed those kisses. Sky took one more chance by leaning into her car, taking her chin in his hand, and kissing her soundly. Careful to keep his tongue squarely in his mouth, he wasn’t sure if she’d welcome it or bite it off. She didn’t respond the way he’d hoped, but she didn’t pull away either. He broke the kiss cleanly, handed her a Portside Manor envelope, and said, “Boys & Girls Club. Four o’clock. Be there or be square!”

  Sky was certain he’d bring a smile to Daisy’s face when she saw the check made out to the Oceanside Feline Rescue Fund. If not, then definitely when she read the memo line that said:

  How am I doing now?

  Chapter 5

  Smack in the middle of her canine search and rescue presentation, Daisy saw Brian steal up behind the children and stand in the shadows. He nodded a silent hello. She knew once they became aware of his presence, her show would be over. These children loved it when any adult came to share their time, affection, or expertise with them. Most, starved for attention, loved to hang on to her when she visited on Thursdays. She could only imagine how they’d react to Brian in his impressive Navy flight suit with all the cool patches on it.

  As usual, the children weren’t as appreciative of her dogs as they were of her. Many were frightened by their size, so she reviewed the basics on how to approach and treat animals. Next she explained how her Labs had been trained to track. Although Belle’s skills focused on finding live people, Godiva was also certified as a cadaver dog. But Daisy certainly didn’t need to share that with the children.

  The kids appeared spellbound as she discussed how the dogs had been taught to hone in on a scent and then follow it to find a missing person. Not that she’d done any tracking since Jack left for Afghanistan. They used to do it together. Along with cooking, hiking, kayaking, and other activities. Like having someone to spend the evening with, someone to talk to about her day. Someone to hold her, kiss her, and make love to her.

  Things she had no business thinking about right now. She needed to focus.

  Daisy threw in a lesson on child safety. About staying with a trusted adult and never talking with strangers. In other words, she reminded them to stay out of situations where a tracking dog might be necessary. When she asked for a volunteer to leave an article of clothing and then hide somewhere in the facility, Brian’s face lit up, as did the children’s. They all raised their hands to volunteer and begged to be chosen. In the excitement, Daisy’s favorite little girl, Tanya, noticed Brian standing at the back and alerted the others. Cries of “Who’s that?” filled the air. Half the children rushed to Brian and hung on him, while the other half hung back. She’d forgotten. Uniforms meant Police.

  Daisy tried to get their attention, but Brian was louder. He stuck two fingers in his mouth and whistled. They quieted immediately.“I’m Lieutenant Crawford from the Navy base and I’m here to talk about some cool stuff, but right now Dr. Daisy’s in charge and you need to give her your full attention. When she’s finished talking, and after Belle and Godiva find your friend, then it’s my turn to talk.”

  They settled down and he nodded to her. Daisy was impressed with how he
took charge of the situation and continued with the hunt.

  “I’m going to ask Cory to give me his sweatshirt,” Daisy said. “Then we’ll give him three minutes to hide anywhere in the building.”

  Cory untied his red sweatshirt from around his waist and handed it to her. One of the counselors accompanied him as he giggled and skipped away to hide. While they waited, several children turned, smiled sheepishly, and waved at Brian, but he gave them the look to redirect their focus back to Daisy.

  “Now, children, remember,” she said. “Don’t be afraid if the dogs bark while they search. They’re talking to each other and they are signaling me to follow. Please try to keep quiet during the hunt, though. Loud voices could distract them.”

  After three minutes, Daisy leaned down and spoke gently and quietly to her dogs, then she held Cory’s sweatshirt under their noses and said, “Find him! Away!” Belle barked and tugged on her leash, which frightened several children. Daisy was touched that Brian knelt down and comforted them along with the counselors. Once reassured, the crowd advanced out of the community center gym and down the halls.

  In no time the dogs found Cory and the counselor hidden across the courtyard in a storage room adjoining the swimming pool. Every child was ecstatic upon discovering them. Every counselor became involved in quieting the children. Daisy was impressed that Brian seized the moment and again took charge.

  “Okay, listen up!” They immediately quieted. “That was quite a show, Dr. Daisy. Your dogs are amazing. Now, kids, if you’d like to know what it’s like to fly a helicopter, you need to walk back to the gym silently and sit on the bleachers. If you understand those directions, let me hear a ‘Yes, sir!’ ”

  A chorus of “Yes, sir!” rang out.

  “Remember, silently. For-waaaard…march!”

  Some of the boys marched in an exaggerated manner, while Brian called out, “Hup, two, three, four.” Tanya and a little girl in a pink sweat suit latched on to Brian’s hands as the group marched back to the gym. He grinned at them and they smiled back, swinging their arms while they marched. Other children begged to have a turn holding his hand.

  The kids were obviously crazy about Brian and why shouldn’t they be? There was no question he was charming. In the past twenty-four hours, Daisy had watched him charm both children and the elderly. Her goal was to avoid letting him charm her. As they walked back through the halls, she reminded herself of how annoying he was, calling her pet names: sweetheart and honey and darlin’. She’d chastised him repeatedly and yet he’d continued.

  But then she thought about those mind-blowing kisses last night. No way should she have been so turned on. He’d hardly even touched her lips and yet somehow that made his kisses more passionate. Was she really so desperate that those barely-there kisses were like water to a dying soul in the desert? Like she was a dry sponge soaking up every drop she could absorb. And later she’d stared at the ceiling for half the night, not able to get those kisses—or him—out of her mind.

  Daisy shifted her focus to her dogs, the hunt, and the pounding rhythm of a Zumba class in order to quiet the butterflies fluttering low in her belly. She had no business getting excited over some charming playboy—a military pilot of all things—and his almost non-existent kisses.

  Who was she trying to fool? Those kisses had been existent enough to make her half-crazy. What in the world was wrong with her?

  “Do you really fly helicopters?”

  “Why does your jacket say, ‘Skylark?’”

  “You got guns on your ’copter?”

  “What’s it feel like to fly?”

  “You ever shoot anybody?”

  Sky put his fingers in his mouth and whistled. “Hey! Hold your horses!” The children settled quietly on the bleachers. “Here’s how we’re going to do this. Dr. Daisy invited me here today.” He bowed to her and watched her blush. He liked that he could make her do that. “I’m going to talk to you for a few minutes and then I’ll answer your questions. But here are my rules. When I’m talking, you’re not.” Then he yelled, “Get it?”

  “Got it!” they screamed back.

  “Good. Okay, like I said, I’m Lieutenant Crawford and I’m in the United States Navy. I fly Seahawk helicopters out of Naval Station Mayport, right down the road. Raise your hand if you’ve ever seen a gray Navy helicopter flying over your house or school.” Hands flew up in the air. “When you see us flying, you should know we’re watching over you and making sure you’re safe from bad guys. We look for foreign ships or submarines that might bring danger to our country and for bad people who try to bring bad drugs here as well.”

  “Hey,” he called to two boys on the top row of bleachers. “Leave her alone.” They dropped the girl’s pigtails like they’d burned themselves and assumed the angel position. “Don’t look at me like that. I saw you pulling her hair. Now tell her you’re sorry.” Their eyes darted around. “And that’s an order,” Sky added in his best drill sergeant voice.

  “Sorry,” they both said. The girl turned around and made a face at them.

  “Okay, where was I?” Sky continued. “Our helicopters do something called SAR which stands for Search and Rescue. Just like Dr. Daisy’s dogs searched for Cory and then rescued him, we do the same kind of thing at sea. Like if somebody falls off a Navy ship or ejects from a combat jet. And occasionally we do search and rescue on land in an emergency, like after Hurricane Katrina or the earthquake in Haiti.”

  The little girl in pink who had held his hand walking to the gym was squirming in the front row. She tentatively raised her hand, then pulled it back down, as if she was afraid to ask a question.

  Sky paused and called on her. “Did you have a question about hurricanes or earthquakes, young lady?”

  She looked like she was about to cry. “No, I gotta go potty,” she said. All the children burst out laughing.

  “Hey,” Sky called. “That’s not funny.” But he was working overtime not to laugh too.

  He looked up and noticed Daisy was biting back a smile too. One of the counselors climbed down and led the little girl out of the gym. Sky was rapidly developing a whole new respect for elementary school teachers and camp counselors.

  “All right, I’m almost done. Now, helicopters can hover pretty low over the water.” He squatted down and waved his hand over the gym floor. “And then we drop rescue swimmers down a cable. They put a harness on the person in the water, and my helo, which has a really powerful winch, pulls that person up into the helicopter. Then we fly them back to our ship or to shore so they can see a doctor to make sure they’re okay.” He glanced at Daisy. “The next time I come here, I’ll bring a Power Point and some models, okay?” The hell with the Power Point and models. He wanted to know if it was okay to come back with her. Daisy nodded affirmatively.

  Yesss.

  “Now I’ll take questions, but you have to raise your hand. Get it?”

  “Got it!” they yelled in unison.

  “Good.”

  Hands waved in the air, begging to be called on. Sky added, “I’m only going to call on you if you’re sitting quietly. Okay, Cory. What’s your question?”

  “You ever kill anybody?” Some children laughed, as if it was funny. The boys sat on the edge of their seats, eyes wide, waiting for his answer. He knew it was probably every boy’s question. Would have been his question at that age too. But not anymore.

  “When everybody does what they’re supposed to do, nobody ever needs to kill anybody,” Sky replied and moved on to another question. “Little boy in the third row with the green shirt.”

  “You ever crash your helicopter?”

  “No,” he lied. “Next question.” He better stick with the girls. An older girl in a Florida Gators T-shirt was waving her hand wildly. “Yes, ma’am. What’s your question?”

  “Why does your shirt
say Skylark?”

  Finally a safe one. “Well, first of all, this is a flight suit. Pilots wear them so they can carry all necessary items should they have to bail from an aircraft.” He leaned down and zipped and unzipped a variety of pockets up and down the sleeves and legs of the suit. “Let’s say my helo was hit and it caught on fire. My crew and I might have to ditch, or land it in the water. Since we could be way out in the ocean, we have to be prepared to take care of ourselves until help arrived. So we carry all kinds of things, like extra oxygen, a survival knife, and drinking water in our flight suits when we fly.”

  He walked over and let the child unzip a pocket on the leg of his uniform. Several boys scrambled down to do it too. “No, guys. Remember, you have to sit still.”

  “Now this,” Sky said as he patted his name patch, “is my call sign. All pilots have a nickname they use when they’re flying. Mine is ‘Skylark’ and, um, I’m a little embarrassed to tell you how I got my nickname.” He glanced up at Daisy. Her eyes sparkled in anticipation and a smile played around the corners of her mouth. “Okay,” he mumbled, “I guess there’s a lesson in everything in life.

  “In the Navy, to skylark means to not pay attention.” He demonstrated by waving his head around with his most ADHD-totally-off-task-look, his mouth open wide with his tongue hanging out. The kids went wild. He leaned in conspiratorially and asked, “Have you ever gotten in trouble for not paying attention?”

  They went berserk again, giggling and calling out, “Yes!”

  “Well, I used to be that way. When I was at Navy school, I always got in trouble for skylarking. And my friends started calling me the Skylark, or Sky, for short. Then everyone called me that…” he looked up and caught Daisy laughing right along with the children, so he laughed too. “And when I became a pilot, they decided my nickname should be my call sign.” Then he put on a look of pretended confusion, scratched his head, and added, “Gee, I’ve been Sky for so long, I can’t remember my real name.” The children dissolved into laughter all over again.