He turned into his bedroom and found Bailey staring at his bed. It was made, an unbreakable habit from the military. For an instant, he could picture her on his brown sheets, waiting for him.
Oh, no. They were nowhere near that point yet.
He shook the vision from his head. “Are you going to stare—”
“Shhh.” She turned to face him, her finger over her lips. In a low quiet voice, one often used in covert situations, she asked, “Do you hear something?”
His heartbeat pounded faster than normal, but he was sure that wasn’t what she was referring to.
She silently stepped to the side of his bed and he got down to look under it. More clumps of dust. Yep, he needed to do something about that.
No puppy, though.
From the other side of the bed, he heard his closet door slide open.
“Well, there you are, precious little Noel.”
He looked up in time to watch Bailey bend over. That picture would be emblazoned on his brain, ready to pull out on a cold night to heat his world.
When she stood, she had the pup in her hands, sound asleep. “Did you get lost and all tuckered out trying to find Tanner?”
Legs spilled over Bailey’s hands as she carried Noel to him. “You ready to go back to your daddy?”
The phrase hit Tanner like a baseball bat to the chest. The mere idea of children with Bailey sent his brain into a tailspin. He was not ready for that scene. “Here. Let me take her.” He offered. “I’ve kept you long enough.”
With Noel tucked under one arm, holding her like a football with legs, Tanner took Bailey by the elbow and ushered her out of his bedroom.
“You stay in there with your brothers,” he warned the puppy who was now fully awake and ready to play. “Chrys, keep an eye on her.” Tanner swore the new mother rolled her eyes at him before she sprawled on the floor exposing her belly, an indication to her offspring it was lunch time.
“Thank you for helping me find Noel,” Tanner said as he opened the back door and followed her to her car.
“No problem.” Bailey glanced at her watch. “I still have time to pack.” She fidgeted with her hands in front of her, clasping and unclasping them. Then she looked at him with those big brown eyes. “I’m really sorry we haven’t been able to go out yet.” She glanced away as Case drove up and parked behind her car. As soon as he cut the loud engine, she met his gaze. “With my training schedule, work and everything, I’m not sure when—”
Tanner placed his finger over her lips to stop her words. He didn’t want to hear them. “We’ll figure it out when you get back.” He replaced his finger with a light kiss. “Now go, before you’re late and miss your flight.”
Tanner opened her car door for her. As she slid in, she called out, “Hey, Case.”
“Bailey.” He nodded as Tanner closed her door.
Not wanting her to leave without saying something, Tanner added, “Text me when you get to California.” He chuckled. “I know you prefer to call and talk, but I’ll be fast asleep.”
“I’ll text,” she promised through the open window before she tore down the driveway.
Tanner and Case stood side-by-side until she turned onto the highway.
“Nice save my friend. She was about to break it off.” Case shoved his hands into his pockets.
“No, she wasn’t,” Tanner snapped and headed toward his house. “We just haven’t been able to sync our schedules to find a time to go out.”
“So I’m not the only one you’ve been ignoring lately?” Case was a step behind him. “And what’s with the firepower?”
Tanner reached to the back of his belt where he’d stuffed his gun and reversed direction toward the office. “I need to lock up the office, then I could use a beer.”
“I’ll take the beer, but I want the whole story.” Case met him stride for stride.
“The problem is, there’s not that much to tell.” There was so much truth in that statement it hurt Tanner to admit it.
Case followed him into the office. “So if you haven’t been spending all this time with the lovely doctor, who have you been seeing? Anyone I know?”
As Tanner flicked out the last of the lights, he gestured for Case to leave. He knew he was about to shock his best friend. “I’m finally going to college.”
Chapter Nine
Bailey was so thankful for the four hour time difference because she’d gotten to sleep in and felt completely refreshed, ready to tackle the week ahead.
“Look at that lake,” Jessica pointed as Bailey and her new roommate walked from the Athlete Housing to the dining hall at the Chula Vista Olympic Training Center. Beautiful Otay Lake glistened in the morning sun with the mountains majestically standing sentinel behind it.
Bailey used her phone to take a picture then remembered she hadn’t texted Tanner the night before when she landed. She sent the picture to him with a little note that she’d arrived safe and sound.
“This place is amazing.” Bailey took in the one-hundred fifty-five acre campus filled with sports venues from fields for soccer and field hockey to a BMX track and baseball fields. This was one of the few facilities in the USA dedicated to the training of Olympians and Paralympians. A new sense of pride filled her. She’d made it to that point in her quest for gold.
She’d arrived after dark last night and been shuffled with several other incoming Olympic and Paralympic athletes through check in and room assignment. Her team had been clustered together in a group of two-bedroom, two-bath suites. This morning, though, the area was quiet except for Bailey and Jessica. They hadn’t met their suitemates yet, or perhaps they were arriving later.
“Our schedule says we’re to eat a heart-healthy but hardy breakfast this morning.” Jessica folded the paper and stuffed it into her pocket with her real hand. “Let’s get this out of the way,” she suggested. “I lost my lower left arm and left leg when a mortar missed our Hummer and exploded underneath it flipping us. I was pinned for over an hour while we were attacked.” She looked at Bailey’s exposed prosthesis below her cycling shorts. “Yours is a transtibial amputation.”
“Yeah. Three inches or so below the knee,” Bailey clarified. “I tripped a roadside IED. Yours is transfemoral.” She referred to the amputation above the knee. “Mine happened two years ago. Yours?”
Jessica smiled. “You’re a relative newbie. I lost mine six years ago.”
“But this is the first time you’re trying for the team?” Bailey asked as they made their way into the dining hall and through the line.
“I had a rough few years,” Jessica didn’t look at her and added more food to her tray. “Your head and mine were not in the same place at Walter Reed. It took me years to pull my head out of self-pity and do what you shrinks call find my new normal.”
Bailey leaned over and gave her new friend a one-armed hug. “Glad you’re there now. And I’m glad you’re my roomie, at least for this camp.”
As they completed the line, Bailey looked around the half-filled dining room. “Any preferences?”
“We’re being beckoned by our coach and m and m.” Jessica nodded toward a table off to their left.
As they headed that direction, Bailey asked in a low voice, “M and m?”
Sotto voce, Jessica answered, “Macho Michael. Like the M&M candy. Bright and colorful on the outside and sweet enough to eat.”
Bailey burst out laughing. “Really?”
“You just wait,” Jessica warned.
“And have you tasted the goods?” Bailey asked.
“Not my flavor.” Jessica shrugged. “I prefer chocolate. I’ll show you a picture of my fiancé when we get back to the room.”
“Congratulations,” Bailey said as she placed her tray beside Coach Mia.
“Thank you.” Jessica pulled a silver necklace with a stunning diamond ring on it from under her tank top then lifted her left hand prosthesis. “I didn’t want it here. I prefer to keep it close to my heart.”
“
I didn’t know you were engaged,” Mia commented. “Congratulations. Will your fiancé be traveling with you to Italy?”
“Unfortunately he can’t make that one, but he’ll be in Charlotte for the finals and Rio if I make the team.” Jessica dug into her breakfast.
“Bailey,” Michael boomed from three chairs away. “It’s such a pleasure to meet you in person. I’m sure you’ll give me a run for my money this week.”
Bailey swallowed and sipped her juice before she answered. “Not sure I’m going to be able to do that on real roads. I’m here to learn and improve my technique.”
“And get fitted for your bike,” Mia added.
“My bike? I get my own bike?” Bailey was astounded. She knew there were bikes there modified for amputees, but she never figured she’d get one for herself.
Michael interjected, “I talked with my sponsors and convinced them that you needed a custom fitted bike and they agreed to sponsor you as their first female Paralympic competitor.” He beamed with his announcement.
“Thank you, Michael. That’s the most wonderful thing… I…I’m overwhelmed, I can’t thank you enough.” Bailey wanted to jump up and hug the man who had made her day. Her week. Her year. A sponsor was huge, especially since she hadn’t even made the team yet.
His grin was more self-congratulatory than self-deprecating when he said, “It was my pleasure.” He sipped his coffee. “The sponsor and their crew will be here in about an hour. I have some adjustments they need to make on one of my bikes, so I’ll introduce you to everyone.”
Members of the team wandered in over the next thirty minutes and joined them.
“I’ll meet you all at the Strength and Conditioning Center in ten minutes,” Mia announced and rose from the table. “Michael and Bailey, I’ll see you two when you’re done. You’ll have to make up anything you miss,” she warned them both and left.
“We’d better get a move on.” Michael rose. “Can’t keep our sponsor waiting.”
Bailey felt bad for the others at the table as she joined him. Everyone in their group was sponsored by the US Military Endurance Sports organization or the Paralyzed Veterans of America, and a few also had some small sponsorships, but Michael had several huge corporations that subsidized him. He had just moved her into his class. She hadn’t asked for it and wasn’t sure how she felt about the honor, but they had selected her.
Michael placed his hand in the small of her back as though to guide her out of the dining facility. Her independent streak, that had brought her through so much adversity, reared its head and she overtly stepped away from his touch.
Undaunted, Michael commented as they headed for the Athlete Connections Center, “So, you’re a psychologist.”
“Yes, I like working with veterans. I can reach common ground with them quickly and move into therapy so much faster than a non-military psychologist. Are you working outside of your training?”
“No. I’m working on a masters at Johns Hopkins.” He smiled down at her. “Like you, I couldn’t lay there in a hospital bed and do nothing. I’m studying Bio-Engineering. We’re barely out of the dark ages where limb loss is concerned. I want to make a difference in how prosthetics work in the future.”
Bailey liked how passionate he was about changing their world. Like her. They just took different approaches to making things better. He was all about improving the body and she focused on the mind.
Although the bicycle fitting seemed to take forever, she loved the way her new bike rode. They had balanced it to her body, which made all the difference.
Michael waited for her to finish and together they went to the weight room. Since he knew his sister’s circuit, he led the way. Then it was off to the track. Seeing her new bike, ready for her, waiting next to his, thrilled her to her core.
“Five laps warm up, then join us for sprints,” Mia called as their team passed.
“Race ya,” Michael challenged.
“Give me a few laps to get used to my new bike,” Bailey insisted.
“Slacker,” he called over his shoulder as he shot off.
She caught up quickly and they lapped their team and fell in behind them.
“Heading out,” Mia yelled as they left the training center for the open road. “This should feel familiar. It’s the route we’ve been riding on the stationary bikes.”
They rode along the lake where Bailey wanted to gaze across the water and enjoy a warm California day, but their pace and closeness to each other forced her gaze to the road and those around her. Michael veered off into the dry hills.
Glancing over to her, he called, “Let’s go.”
“Go right ahead.” Mia called to the group, “Michael is taking the high road today. Push yourself if you want. I’ll be taking the lower trail and anyone who wants to come with me.”
Carl and Jessica started to follow them, had a brief conversation that Bailey couldn’t hear, then returned to the pack.
“Looks like it’s just us,” Michael stated as they pulled farther away from the others.
She looked back at the team and knew she could catch up with them.
“You can do this. It’s really good practice for Italy,” Michael encouraged.
That was all the incentive she needed. She’d done this every morning for weeks, on a bike in her apartment. She could, and would, make it through these hills.
As they topped the last mountain, because Bailey was sure these had grown into full-fledged mountains during the ride, she was breathing hard and sweating to death.
Michael stopped and grabbed his water bottle. “Hydrate,” he ordered and squirted water into his mouth.
More thankful than she thought possible for a minute of rest, she grabbed for her bottle.
Before she knew what had happened, she was surrounded by Michael’s arms and pressed against his dry chest. She wasn’t sure which surprised her more, that he wasn’t soaked through or that he had a strong hold on her. Muscle memory from hours of spec ops training wanted her to break her captor’s hold, but her mind overruled.
It was Michael…congratulating her. “You did it, and kept pace with me.”
When he pressed his lips to hers, she was too stunned to move. The kiss was hard and fast.
“I’m so proud of you!” Michael squeezed her and lifted her off the ground a few inches.
When he set her down, she gently shoved herself away and guzzled water while she fought internally trying to decipher what had just happened. “Well, I’m not pleased with my ride.”
“You should be.” Michael removed his helmet and poured water over his head, scrubbing his fingers over his scalp. “You were fantastic. You’ll make the team for sure.” He looked at her. “Not that I had any doubt.” He gave her a smile she was sure got the attractive man anything he wanted.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” she replied and remounted. “Let’s get the heck off this mountain.” She took off ahead of him, not really sure where to go, but down was an excellent choice.
Michael caught her in seconds and they rocketed down the hill. She flapped her shirt so air rushed over her sweat-soaked stomach, quickly evaporating in the dry heat. She wanted to do the same for her back, but her aerodynamic helmet wouldn’t allow it.
An hour later, Bailey and Michael joined the others on the CVOTC track. She hung back next to Jessica and asked about their ride. She overheard Mia ask her brother about Bailey’s performance. He went on for what seemed like forever, extolling her stamina and ability to accomplish the goal. Those two skills, and her friends’ encouragement, got her through the same Special Forces training he’d endured. But no one could ever know one of the military’s biggest feminine secrets.
After her shower, Bailey threw on a robe and took a minute to collapse on her bed. She automatically grabbed her phone which had been on the nightstand charging.
Braggart. Look what happened here last night. Tanner had sent a picture of his kennel from the house. A good two feet of snow blanketed everyt
hing. She couldn’t even tell where the sidewalk was.
“You’re all smiles,” Jessica said as she flopped onto her bed. She rolled onto her side to face Bailey. “Do you have a boyfriend?”
As Bailey stared at the picture that looked almost black and white, with the bare oak trees, everything covered in white like a frosted cake, she wondered that herself. “Not really,” she admitted to her roommate, and herself. That kind of relationship involved dating, seeing each other regularly. She had a friend who she liked to kiss and hoped it might develop into more.
At the knock at the bedroom door, they both jumped. “Come in,” Bailey yelled, too sore to move off the bed and open the door.
“Hey, suitemates,” two college-aged blondes bounced in. “I’m Cassie and this is Kiki from the other side of the suite. Great to meet you, and sorry to barge in, but there’s a super hottie at the door asking for Bailey.” Their heads went from one woman to the other.
Bailey took a deep breath and forced her aching body to move. “That would be me.”
Jessica giggled. “Want to bet me it’s M&M?”
“Sucker bet,” Bailey glanced back at her as she grabbed her crutches. She hadn’t put her leg back on and really wanted to air it out a bit more before they left for supper. She tightened the belt on her robe and left while Jessica introduced herself.
Bailey opened the door to Michael who looked better than any man should be allowed to after the punishing day they’d endured. In a blue polo that brought out the color of his eyes and khakis, he was business casual right down to the deck shoes on his prosthesis. She could admit that he was beyond good looking. She could also admit that he didn’t give her the warm fuzzy she’d gotten moments ago from a picture of snow and a line of text.
Michael followed her crutches down to the floor then back up to her eyes. “Our sponsors are taking the whole team out to supper in Chula Vista. When they buy, we always go to the best places. Jessica is expected as well.” He grinned. “Can you get dressed in fifteen minutes?” His grin widened. “I’d be willing to help.”
Dog Tags for Christmas Page 29