Page 36 of Infatuation

He blinked at his commander.

“Uh, yes, sir.”

“I understand what it’s like to lose someone. I was in Fallujah as you know. So…it was bad. But, you have to work through it. Go see a doctor, get some meds.”

Fuck. What a great time to figure out that pushing Shannon away was what had left him screwed up. The mission had been painful, losing his friend bad. It was the worst. Or he thought. Now that he didn’t have Shannon, he didn’t think straight. He couldn’t even work through his emotions.

“Permission to be excused, sir.”

Markinson stopped in mid sentence and looked up at him.

“I was talking here, McKade.”

“I understand. I just figured out what I needed to fix something.”

He continued to study Kade. “Okay, but just know I need you one hundred percent by the end of four weeks.”

Kade nodded. “Oh, and I need to take off a week.”

“What? Another one?” he asked, almost shouting.

“I just figured out what I needed.”

“And it takes you a week to fix it?”

“No. It will take me a week to persuade her to take me back.”

Understanding filled the commander’s eyes. “You got it. Good luck.”

With more purpose than he’d felt in months, he walked out of the office and walked down the hall. Mal stepped out of the locker room.

“Look, Kade, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have picked that fight with you. Did Markinson bust your ass?”

“No.” He started toward the door. “Can you take me to the airport?”

“Wait. What?”

Kade hurried down the stairs and ignored the chill in the air and pain in his knee. Now that he knew what he wanted to do, where he wanted to be, he needed to get to Shannon now.

“I’m flying to New Orleans.”

“Why?”

“To get on my knees and beg.”

“Shannon isn’t there.”

He stopped in his tracks and looked up at Mal. “Where is she?”

“Hawaii. She left a couple days ago to spend some time with Jocelyn.”

He huffed out a breath. “Okay, I need to move some money around, and then I’m flying to Hawaii.”

Mal shook his head. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

“Yeah, dammit.” He started walking again. “I’m going to get my woman.”

twelve

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