Page 12 of Cooper

I hesitate. “I don’t know. We’re so short-staffed… I’ll ask, though. Let me call you back in a few hours, okay?”

“I’ll be here.”

We’re both quiet for a beat.

“I’d love to see you, Nat. I miss you.”

Why does hearing that make me so happy?

“I miss you too. I’m going to see if I can get some leave.”

“I’ll keep my phone on.”

“I’ll call you back soon.” I disconnect and yank on some clothes, trying to figure out what I’ll have to do to get a few days off. I’m being irrational again but the need to see Cooper is more than I can stand.

I find Sandor making early morning rounds and fall into step beside him. “I need a favor.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Can I have a couple of days off?”

He eyes me. “For what?”

I hesitate.

I don’t want to lie. I care too much about the Royal Protectors and my position as one of them to disrespect them that way. Especially not my boss. “My commanding officer in Iraq was captured not long ago and rescued earlier today. I’d like to go to Germany to see him.”

He cocks his head, a faint smile on his lips. “You and Captain Cooper, eh?”

“You know Captain Cooper?”

“Not personally, but you don’t think I sent you to Iraq without being able to check in and make sure you were okay? Even if you washed out and didn’t make it through the program, I was responsible for your safety. You’re both my friend and my charge. I sent you over there, so I was going to be damn sure you made it back without any major problems.”

“You couldn’t guarantee that.”

“No, but if he’d told me he thought you weren’t up to the challenge, I would have pulled you out. Your safety came first.”

“Oh.” I hadn’t known he’d been getting those kinds of updates about my performance.

“You have forty-eight hours. I think there’s a flight out tomorrow morning.”

“I can go?” I honestly didn’t expect him to say yes.

“You need a break, and maybe it’ll be good for you to get out of town for a couple of days. Even better for you to talk to someone who isn’t one of us. You’re still struggling with something, Natalia, and even if you don’t tell me, you have to tell someone. If it’s Captain Cooper, that’s fine with me.”

Our eyes meet.

“I’ll meet with Dr. Saluga again as soon as I get back.”

“Yes, you will.”

I smile. “Thank you.”

“And you get to finish my shift tonight.”

“Yes, sir. After I book my flight.” I practically skip the rest of the way down the corridor. I have half a dozen things to do, including booking a flight, packing a bag, and maybe even getting a little sleep. Because I have no intention of sleeping when I’m with Cooper. I’m going to enjoy every second we have together because God only knows how long before we’ll see each other again.

I hate to think that way considering how much I like him and how I’d essentially thrown myself at him that night in Iraq, but what choice do we have? We both have commitments that will take us thousands of miles away from each other.

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