Page 12 of Gage

“Good,” I said with a smirk. “Because I almost changed my mind about our date.”

7

Gage

“You knowI have a date with Lori, right? I don’t want to screw this up—I like her a lot,” I said, my tone somewhere between frustrated and resigned, as River handed me a stack of files.

River gave me a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I know you haven’t had much time off, but this is important. If you want, I can explain it to the Lieutenant myself. But if she likes you as much as you like her, she’ll wait another week.”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “She’s not in the service, so you can call her Laura or Lori—it’s fine. I’ll let her know I have to be in Texas all next week.”

As River walked off, I leaned against the counter, staring at my phone. Damn. I’d been looking forward to spending time with Lori. Taking a deep breath, I hit her number. She picked up on the fourth ring, her voice slightly breathless.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Lori,” I said, trying to sound casual despite the disappointment weighing on me. “I was hoping to see you tonight or tomorrow. I just found out I have to be in Texas next week, and I thought maybe we could move our date up.”

“I’m sorry,” she replied, her voice warm but tinged with regret. “I’m not in town right now. I’m in Maine until Friday.”

“Maine?” The word slipped out before I could stop it. “What are you doing there? Sorry, that’s none of my business,” I added quickly, cringing at my own curiosity.

She laughed softly, the sound like a balm to my frayed nerves. “No worries. I’m here working on a story I’ve been writing for months. Call me when you get back.”

“I will. Lori, I hope you know I tried to get out of this job. I really wanted to see you.”

“I’m glad,” she said, her voice gentle. “I wanted to see you too. Call me when you’re free. Goodbye, Gage.”

“Wait, don’t hang up yet,” I said, almost panicking. “Are you busy right now?”

“I was running on the beach with some of the Army Rangers. I’m interviewing them.”

“You’re talking about Kash and his team, right?”

“Yes. Do you know them?”

“Sure, I know them,” I said, grinning at the memory of Kash and his crew. “Why are you interviewing them?”

“I’m interviewing all the teams who’ve reunited and started high-security businesses,” she explained, her voice taking on a professional edge.

“Have you interviewed any of the Golden Team yet?”

“Not yet, but I will,” she said with a teasing lilt. “Besides, I’ve already seen you guys in action.”

“You haven’t seen us in a big rescue,” I countered, my pride kicking in. “We go to war-torn countries to save people—some lined up for execution, others trapped with no way to get home.”

“The next time you go to one of those countries, let me know, and I’ll go with you.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. “Are you out of your mind?” I blurted out. “I would never want you to go to oneof those places. Damn it—I didn’t mean it like that. I just don’t want you to get hurt. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you.”

“Okay,” she said, her voice calm but distant. “Call me when you’re back. I need to catch up with the others. Bye.”

“Bye,” I said, the word heavy on my tongue. I hung up and stared at the phone, feeling like an idiot.What the hell is wrong with me?I thought. I’d practically insulted her, forgetting she’d been to those countries—she’d fought in those war zones.

The realization hit hard. Without thinking, I called her back. It rang six times before someone answered.

“Hi, I’m sorry,” I said quickly. “I know you’ve been to those countries. Can you forgive me for being a jerk?”

A familiar voice answered, laughter in his tone. “I’m not sure if she’ll forgive you,” Kash Walker said, “but I’ll ask her for you.”

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