Page 85 of One Lucky Hero (Men in Uniform 1)

She took a bite of the pizza and debated opening up the what’s-going-on-between-us? talk. He had said that they could just be friends, but they sure didn’t feel like just friends. And if he was still planning on leaving, there was really no point in even being that.

“So, do you know when you’re getting reassigned?”

Dean paused midchew and swallowed. “I’m not sure I am.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Nothing, just some things have changed recently, and I’m not sure I want to go back anymore.”

“How come you were taken out of the field?”

“Because when you’re the only guy in your unit to walk away from a suicide bomber, they get worried about your mental health.”

Violet nearly choked at his casual delivery. “Oh, my God! Why would you want to go back?”

His expression told her she’d asked the wrong question, but geez, she couldn’t understand why anyone would make it through something so terrifying and want to jump right back into the fight.

“If every soldier backed down after a near miss, we wouldn’t have an army.”

Dean’s logic was right on point, and it left her cold thinking about him putting himself in harm’s way every day. She’d always known that it was dangerous, she watched the news, but it was different when it was someone you knew.

Someone you care about.

“Point taken.”

They ate in silence for a while as she revved up her follow-up question. “So, your plan is to go back overseas, then?”

“It was. My plan was to move up through the ranks and put in my time until I retire.”

“You said that things have changed, though?” Violet wasn’t sure if her heart was pounding with fear or excitement at the thought that he might say he’d changed his mind because of her.

“Yeah. Just recently, I’ve started to realize that I actually like what I’m doing at Alpha Dog and I’m afraid if I leave, the guy who replaces me might not fight as hard for these kids to have a future.”

He really is such a good guy. “Can’t you rise through the ranks without going back?”

“Me wanting to go back had more to do with my own insecurities as a soldier. Proving to everyone that I can still do my job and that they were wrong to sideline me.”

“This is about wounded pride? Really?”

“At first, maybe a little. Now, I’m just trying to focus on what I really want, and not some kind of misplaced duty.”

Violet didn’t want to tell him that things happened for a reason, although she firmly believed that and always had.

“Well, if it were me, I would rather stay here and work with kids. Not get shot at in the desert.”

Dean leaned toward her and brushed his fingers across her cheek. “Are you saying you want me to stay?”

Violet’s breathing sped up as those digits glided to the back of her neck and began kneading. And then she melted into a groaning puddle of mush and completely forgot what they were talking about.

“Oh . . . ”

“Sore neck?”

“Sore everywhere.”

“I can fix that,” he said. Turning her around on the couch so that her back was to him, he ran his hand over her, his fingers digging into her muscles. At first it hurt so bad she almost told him to stop, and then slowly the knotted muscles started to unravel. Leaning forward until her forehead rested on the arm of the couch, she groaned as his rough palms slipped up under her white collared shirt, and he worked on her lower back.

And just like that, he stopped. “Violet?”