Page 12 of Twins for the Secret Prince (Even More Babies #8)

EVA

E va had never known a summer like it, as though the sky had ripped down the middle seam and was emptying its contents all over Alaska.

The rain was a heavy deluge that threatened to never stop, and it was almost always accompanied by strong winds.

Although they were used to short, sharp rainstorms in this part of the state, the current weather was more like a prolonged, terrible storm.

Basic training was grueling enough for new recruits, but in such weather they faced a daily battle against the elements.

Training outdoors, their clothes were soaked through to the skin in minutes.

The running track around the perimeter of the base was so muddy it was treacherous, but still they were out there running every morning.

To their credit, they didn’t complain. Although Eva had no doubt that they secretly loathed her for making them train outside in the rotten weather, they accepted her orders without protest.

So, too, did Pete’s squad. She was keeping a close eye on their progress, of course, partly because she was interested in all of the new recruits and wanted to ensure they all had the same high standard of basic training.

Also, her competitive edge meant that she wanted to make sure her squad wasn’t being outpaced by Pete’s.

When the relentless rain caused flash flooding and several landslides in the area, causing many local residents to be evacuated from their homes, Eva saw a chance to help the community.

She approached Lieutenant Marshall to suggest that her squad help out in the local community center, which was being set up as a rescue center.

“That’s an excellent idea, Sergeant Bailey,” he said, smiling at her. “Not ten minutes ago, Sergeant Billings was in my office, suggesting his squad could do the same. I’ve given him the green light. Both of your squads will report to the rescue center ASAP.”

Eva’s heart sank. Why hadn’t she come to see Lieutenant Marshall at first light? Being beat to it by ten minutes was a slap in the face. “Excellent, sir. I’ll round up my squad and we’ll head out.”

As soon as she stepped out into the corridor, Eva saw the tall, broad figure of Sergeant Billings walking ahead of her. Hearing her footsteps, he turned and saw her approaching.

“Good morning, Sergeant Bailey. How are you today?”

“Good morning, sergeant. I understand that you have volunteered your squad for the rescue center. I just did the same. It looks like we’ll be heading there together.”

“Great minds certainly do think alike.”

Eva was uncomfortable with the way he was looking at her, like he was trying to commit every part of her to memory.

“We shouldn’t waste any time,” she said. “Let’s go round up our squads.”

“Yes, sergeant,” he said, smiling at her warmly.

“And stop looking at me like that,” Eva muttered under her breath. “You’re making me uncomfortable. I’m not a box of bonbons.”

Pete bit his lip to stop himself from laughing. “I apologize. The last thing I wanted was to make you feel like a box of bonbons.”

“We’re going to be working in close quarters until this storm lets up,” Eva said sternly. “Let’s keep this professional.”

“Of course. I can do that. But I can’t help the way I look at you.”

“Then maybe it’s best if you don’t look at me.”

“Ouch. That stung. And anyway, I don’t think that’s possible, but I’ll give it a try.”

“Sergeants! I’m glad I caught you.”

Eva turned to see the imposing shape of Major Aston walking quickly towards them.

“Major,” they said together, saluting him.

“At ease. Lieutenant Marshall just told me about your plans to take your squads to the rescue center. Good plan. I’ve just had news that the western bank of the river is about to burst. We need to get boots on the ground there as soon as possible to sandbag it.”

“Yes, sir,” they said in unison.

“And you need to operationalize a search and rescue mission for anyone who might still be in their home, whether trapped or refusing to evacuate. Coordinate some lifeboats with other rescue services. Let’s do our best to make sure everyone is safe and accounted for.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You know your squads best. Sort out who should be deployed where. I trust both of you to make this a success.”

“Thank you, sir. We won’t let you down,” Eva said.

For the second time in the space of ten minutes, her heart sank. Here was just the kind of mission she’d been waiting for, but now she had to not only share it with Pete but also work with him to coordinate the activities.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but let’s use my office to plan this out,” Eva said with a sigh.

“Can I look at you in there?” Pete asked.

“I guess so. But don’t stare.”

“And do you have coffee?”

“Yes, I have coffee.”

“Then lead the way.”

Even though the risk of someone noticing how Pete was looking at her was removed when they were alone in her office, Eva was still acutely aware of his eyes on her.

It made her feel awkward. Not because anyone could see them, but because she was aware that her heart was racing, being so close to him again.

She breathed in his fresh, clean scent, and she remembered how it had felt to be pressed against him, skin to skin.

She looked into his soft blue eyes and saw her desire echoed there.

“You should lead the sandbagging operation,” Eva said briskly, ignoring the way he was looking at her. “An experienced officer should be there. I’ll lead the search and rescue operation.”

“Isn’t that more dangerous? Why don’t I do that?”

“First of all, I don’t need you to protect me from danger. Plus, there’s a strong chance at least a few of the locals will refuse to leave their homes. It will be much better if someone who’s not from the other side of the country tries to encourage them to evacuate.”

“Fair enough. And I wasn’t trying to suggest that you need protecting from danger. It’s just that I owe you one after you hauled me out of the river.”

“Yes, you do owe me one. But for today, you’re sandbagging.”

“That just sounds wrong.”

Ignoring him, Eva said, “Neither of us will be with the recruits at the rescue center at first, but it’s a calculated risk. There’ll be other services there to direct them.”

“It’s the right decision.”

“I know. We just have to hope that those recruits step up. They can’t let us down.”

“I don’t think they will.”

“I hope not.”

Before she realized what was happening, Eva felt his soft lips on hers. It was a quick kiss, not a lingering one, but she felt a tug deep in her belly nonetheless. “Be careful, Eva.”

“You too, Pete. Good luck, and I’ll see you at the rescue center later.”

Three days later, Eva was back in her office, too tired even to brew a pot of coffee.

Her head was on her desk as she tried to work up enough strength to start the paperwork that needed to be completed detailing the events of the past three days.

She’d had only a couple of hours of restless sleep the entire time because the work had been relentless.

The scale of the storm had been much worse than she’d realized until she got out into the community and saw its devastating effects.

The first twenty-four hours of the search and rescue mission had been particularly challenging for Eva and her small team because the rain pounded down on them as they conducted a house-to-house search, looking for anyone who had been unable to leave their homes or who refused to do so.

When anyone refused, Eva and her team spent some time trying to shore up the house — the windows and doors, mainly — so that it was as stormproof as it could possibly be.

Some people refused to leave their homesteads until their livestock were rounded up and moved to higher, or safer, ground, and Eva and her team helped in that way, too.

It was backbreaking work and harrowing for some of the recruits, who had never been witness to such large-scale devastation before.

Throughout their rescue efforts, the wind howled and the rain never stopped.

Eva’s team assisted several elderly people who were alone and frightened, waiting for someone to come and take them to the rescue center.

They rescued pet cats and dogs, gerbils and birds, delivering them safely to the rescue center.

With only a couple of brief breaks at the center for hot drinks and food, the team went back out into the storm, armed with a list of people whose homes were in remote, isolated areas.

The jeep they rode in struggled up roads slicked with mud from landslides.

At one point, Eva thought they might have to turn back on one near-impassable road when the jeep seemed about to flip backward onto its roof, turtle-like.

However, she persisted and they made it up the hill, only to find that there was no one in the remote log cabin.

That was the lowest point for team morale as they stood together in the cold, damp cabin, aware of how close they’d come to danger, knowing that it had all been in vain.

Eva felt just as low as everyone else, but she summoned every ounce of energy she had left to tell them that this was what was expected of them in a crisis — to leave no one behind — and that she was proud of them.

Once they’d visited all of the isolated homes, they returned to the rescue center, which was almost too warm from the number of people taking shelter there.

Not that Eva, or any member of her team, even considered complaining about the temperature after spending so many hours outside in the wind and rain.

Pete and his team had been back at the rescue center for a few hours at that point, and he sat Eva’s team down at the end of a long rectangular table and made sure they were quickly served up a hot meal.

Once they’d eaten, he brought them hot drinks and suggested they all bunk down in one corner of the center for a couple hours’ sleep.

“That’s a good idea,” Eva said to her team. “We could be here for days, and you’ve all been on the go since early yesterday.”

“I meant you too, Sergeant Bailey,” Pete said.

Eva shook her head briefly. “If you find my team somewhere to sleep, I’ll draw up a shift schedule for our squads,” she said, holding eye contact to convey the message that he wasn’t to argue with her.

Fortunately, he didn’t. In truth, Eva didn’t want any of the new recruits to see how tired she was, so sitting at the table appearing to be busy gave her a much-needed rest.

Soon, she got a second wind, and she and Pete worked tirelessly with their squads and the other volunteers, cooking, bringing in food and medical provisions, and generally making sure that operations in the center ran as smoothly as they possibly could while the storm raged outside.

During the rare quiet moments, she covertly watched Pete, who was the very embodiment of grace under pressure.

It was quite a sight to behold, and she realized that she had grown to admire him, watching his actions in the center.

Other feelings for him were intensifying, too.

During the second night at the shelter, Eva watched as Pete did a puppet show for the young children just before their bedtime.

His performance was complete with funny voices and plenty of dramatic action.

The children were enthralled and, often, in hysterics laughing.

Eva’s heart tugged as she watched, aware that she was falling for this man, and angry with herself for doing so.

A sharp rap on her office door made Eva lift her head quickly up off the desk, and she tried her best to look alert, not like she’d been almost asleep. When she was told that Major Aston wanted to see her straight away, she was wide awake, adrenaline coursing through her veins.

When Eva arrived at the major’s office, Pete was standing there, looking almost as smooth and unruffled as he’d been when they first left the base days earlier. “You can’t possibly have had time to shower and change, have you?” she asked, astonished.

“Nope. Not yet.”

Eva shook her head. “You look like you have. I, on the other hand, look like rats have been nesting in my hair for days.”

“And maybe also in your uniform,” Pete said, frowning as he looked at her clothes.

Eva looked down at herself. Sure enough, she looked like her uniform had been crumpled up in a ball, kicked by a team of horses, and dragged through the dirt.

Fortunately, Major Aston didn’t comment on her appearance.

Instead, he told Eva and Pete that they were receiving commendations for their hard work over the past few days and that they were a credit to the base.

He thanked them for their efforts in the community and at the rescue center and told them to get some sleep.

“And you’re both taking the night off. That’s an order.”

“Thank you, sir,” they said together.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think I’m too tired to sleep,” Eva said, yawning, once they were out in the corridor.

“Not me. I could sleep standing up. But I won’t. My lovely rock-hard mattress is calling to me.”

“I’ll bet you wear a velvet eye mask, don’t you? Or maybe it’s satin?”

Pete grinned. “Maybe you’ll find out for yourself one day, if you’re lucky.”

“I’m way too tired for flirting,” Eva sighed. “Or whatever this is.”

“Go and get some sleep and then come and find me. You can practice your flirting then.”

“Who said I need practice?”

“Just promise you’ll come and find me later,” Pete said. “We’ve both got the night off, the rain has finally let up, and I need someone to show me what there is to do around this town for fun.”

Eva gulped. She didn’t even have enough fight left to resist the thoughts that were racing through her mind. “Okay. I’ll look for you later. Then we’ll go out looking for some fun.”