Page 78 of Lucky Charm

“Sister, if you’re calling me for normal, you got problems.”

“Well, I am in Afghanistan for the third time.” Cait bit her lip. She hadn’t updated Jackie even by email, and now she didn’t know how to explain any of it.

“What’s up? You’re chewing your lip. Always a sign you have something to tell me.” The woman swung her dark hair back and pulled it into a ponytail.

“You have patients.”

“Maybe, but they can wait. I haven’t messed up my appointment schedule at all this week, so I’m good for a bit.”

“How’s your little town? Liking it?” Jackie had taken over medical responsibilities for a small town in Texas.

“Yes, and don’t change the subject. What happened? Did you find your guy?”

Cait sighed. “Yeah, I found my guy.”

“Well, you should be smiling, then.” Jackie winked at her.

“Humanitarian mission gone sideways. It’s gotten more complicated than I expected.”

“This involve your guy?”

“Yes. He does have a name, remember? Lieutenant Travis Hunter. Quit calling him my guy.”

“Darling, you claimed him a year ago. I think he qualifies as your guy. Unless he’s not interested anymore, in which case, I’ll come over there and knock him upside the head.”

“It’s not that. We’re talking.”

“Quit that. You always talk yourself out of stuff doing that.”

Cait snorted. “Pot. Kettle. Black. That’s not what I called to talk about.”

“What then?”

“I’m thinking about getting out.”

“Of the Army?” Jackie’s voice raised a couple octaves.

“Yeah.”

Jackie sat back in her chair. “All right. Reasons. Tell me all of them.”

“That mission messed with me. PTS. Horrid dreams.”

“Get some help.”

“Not here. I will when I get home.”

“What else?

“Hunt’s Navy. I’m Army. It’s already conflicting, and we’re not even in a normal day-to-day.”

“That’s not a good enough reason. You are not dropping a career that’s meant a lot to you. Try again.”

Cait wrapped her arms around herself. “I can’t do Afghanistan again.”

“Then say no.”

“It doesn’t work that way. They tell me to go. I go. You know that.”