Christmas with Hope - prequel to the Wounded Heroes Series
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Hope Erickson, a Blackhawk pilot, and Nick Cunningham, an army ranger, renew their acquaintance on the battlefields of Iraq. Will they risk their hearts to one another or does fate have other plans in store for them?
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Excerpt
Nick changed out of his uniform and into the clean PT clothes he borrowed from another soldier. He hoped the accidental meeting would be worth the twenty bucks it cost him.
Hope was still in the weight room when he came out of the locker room. He considered his battle plan again. If she was still harboring ill feelings toward him he would have his work cut out for him.
"Hey, Cunningham, I thought you worked out in the mornings," a fellow officer in his platoon hollered.
Hope glanced up from the weight bench midstride. They locked gazes. If she was surprised to see him, she didn't show it. She did two more reps before straddling the bench.
Nick's carefully thought out plan just went out the window. Without a clue as to what he was going to say, he walked toward her.
Lieutenant Garret, on the weight machine next to her, smiled at him. "Heard you got yourself in a bit of a jam today... bad Intel?"
"Yeah, but thanks to Captain Erickson here, we all made it out alive."
Lieutenant Garret glanced at Hope. "You were flying the bird that rescued them? I thought they only used women pilots to ferry supplies and VIP's."
She tossed him a smug smile, "Not in this war," then grabbed her towel and walked off.
Nick quickly followed. "Bet you get a lot of that, huh?"
"I'm used to it." She stopped at a treadmill and stepped on, draping the towel across her right shoulder.
Nick climbed on the one next to her. After programming his speed and incline, he began a brisk walk. "How long have you been flying?"
"Since I was fifteen," she answered with barely a glance.
"I meant in the army."
"Nine years. Did Kylie tell you I was here?"
"Who's Kylie?" he avoided her question, hoping to keep his promise.
"Never mind." She met his gaze. "What do you want, Lieutenant?"
He gave her his best smile. "For starters, I'd like for you to call me Nick."
"There are rules against fraternizing."
"We're only talking. Besides, if I did have aspirations toward you in that capacity, that rule refers mainly to relationships between officers and enlisted personnel."
She shook her head as she glanced away.
"Whoa... wait a minute, was that a smile I just saw?" he teased. When she refused to look at him, he stepped off the treadmill and moved to stand in front of her. "I was a horrible kid, I admit it. And I'm sorry."
"Forget about it. It's no big deal."
"Why don't I believe you?"
"Believe me or not, that's your prerogative." She grabbed the towel from her shoulder and stepped off the treadmill. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go."
He followed. "Now you see; if you didn't keep brushing me off I might believe you."
She paused at the door, turning to him. "Are you always this tenacious?"
"Yes. It's one of my many attributes. Have coffee with me and I'll share some of my other qualities."
Hope laughed.
"Is that a yes," he asked, hopeful.
"All right, I'll have coffee with you. Not tonight, though. I have a pre-flight briefing at oh-seven-hundred."
"Tomorrow night then... after dinner with your crew, I'll meet you right here."
"Okay."
"It's a date then. Don't forget."
"It's not a date, its coffee, and I won't forget."
Hope was still in the weight room when he came out of the locker room. He considered his battle plan again. If she was still harboring ill feelings toward him he would have his work cut out for him.
"Hey, Cunningham, I thought you worked out in the mornings," a fellow officer in his platoon hollered.
Hope glanced up from the weight bench midstride. They locked gazes. If she was surprised to see him, she didn't show it. She did two more reps before straddling the bench.
Nick's carefully thought out plan just went out the window. Without a clue as to what he was going to say, he walked toward her.
Lieutenant Garret, on the weight machine next to her, smiled at him. "Heard you got yourself in a bit of a jam today... bad Intel?"
"Yeah, but thanks to Captain Erickson here, we all made it out alive."
Lieutenant Garret glanced at Hope. "You were flying the bird that rescued them? I thought they only used women pilots to ferry supplies and VIP's."
She tossed him a smug smile, "Not in this war," then grabbed her towel and walked off.
Nick quickly followed. "Bet you get a lot of that, huh?"
"I'm used to it." She stopped at a treadmill and stepped on, draping the towel across her right shoulder.
Nick climbed on the one next to her. After programming his speed and incline, he began a brisk walk. "How long have you been flying?"
"Since I was fifteen," she answered with barely a glance.
"I meant in the army."
"Nine years. Did Kylie tell you I was here?"
"Who's Kylie?" he avoided her question, hoping to keep his promise.
"Never mind." She met his gaze. "What do you want, Lieutenant?"
He gave her his best smile. "For starters, I'd like for you to call me Nick."
"There are rules against fraternizing."
"We're only talking. Besides, if I did have aspirations toward you in that capacity, that rule refers mainly to relationships between officers and enlisted personnel."
She shook her head as she glanced away.
"Whoa... wait a minute, was that a smile I just saw?" he teased. When she refused to look at him, he stepped off the treadmill and moved to stand in front of her. "I was a horrible kid, I admit it. And I'm sorry."
"Forget about it. It's no big deal."
"Why don't I believe you?"
"Believe me or not, that's your prerogative." She grabbed the towel from her shoulder and stepped off the treadmill. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go."
He followed. "Now you see; if you didn't keep brushing me off I might believe you."
She paused at the door, turning to him. "Are you always this tenacious?"
"Yes. It's one of my many attributes. Have coffee with me and I'll share some of my other qualities."
Hope laughed.
"Is that a yes," he asked, hopeful.
"All right, I'll have coffee with you. Not tonight, though. I have a pre-flight briefing at oh-seven-hundred."
"Tomorrow night then... after dinner with your crew, I'll meet you right here."
"Okay."
"It's a date then. Don't forget."
"It's not a date, its coffee, and I won't forget."