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“… Not just the Zoomies,” Selkirk announced – and Austin frowned heavily. “And congrats, you two.”
They had an audience that was actively eavesdropping.
Giselle smiled ruefully and caressed Austin’s cheek where he sat glaring over his shoulder at the man driving.
“Selkirk, can you pretend you aren’t listening, buddy? The next time I have to dig shrapnel out of you or give you an IV, it might be a very dull needle…” she taunted, knowing that wouldn’t be the case but enjoyed threatening the lively guy that she had helped a few times in the past.
“I see and hear nothing… but the road, Beck, ah… what’s your new last name, Doc?” Selkirk said playfully.
“Calder,” she smiled proudly at Austin, smoothing her thumb over his frowning lips, drawing his attention once more almost immediately. “I’m going to need to re-stencil everything or get new name badges embroidered.”
“Leave it,” Austin leaned forward, whispering in her ear with a hushed voice. “We aren’t staying long enough for it to be an issue. We’ll just file the paperwork but as for everything else? As slow as stuff takes to get here or get processed… I wouldn’t worry.”
“I’m proud of us… and I want people to know.”
“I do too – and if we were staying, I’d say to change it. Five months is nothing in the grand scheme of things.”
“True…”
“Now, if he’s done listening,” Austin said bluntly, glancing over his shoulder again, “We don’t have long before we end up back on base.”
Giselle immediately reached for him as he pulled her close, their helmets banged noisily together causing them to chuckle softly as the truck hit a pothole in the road. It was hard to kiss her husband because they kept getting jostled and bumped…
That kiss turned out to be them laughing softly, their lips touching occasionally, and their teeth bumping once.
She touched his face, cradling his cheek in her palm.
“I love you so much,” she smiled tearfully as the truck slowed down, alerting them that they were arriving at the checkpoint gates. “Don’t forget that and keep your chin up, okay?”
Austin nodded silently, his throat working as he looked at her.
“Dinner and drinks tomorrow night?”
“I might try to run tonight if I can get away…”
“Why don’t you rest, relax, take a minute for yourself,” she encouraged. “You barely slept on the plane and we both know it.”
“I’ve barely slept the last three days cause my wife is insatiable,” he teased tenderly and heard a gagging sound over his shoulder. “… And you aren’t listening, remember?!”
“You’re welcome for the ride… zoomie,” Selkirk grunted under his breath, causing Austin and Giselle to share a look as they rolled their eyes. “This is our stop.”
“I love you… and I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” she said quickly, trying not to cry or tear up in this moment as she met his turbulent eyes. “It’s gonna be fine and will be just like we are dating again.”
“I love you, too – and always will,” he whispered, kissing her softly before getting to his feet on the truck and yanking off his protective gear that he’d borrowed. “Moonlight and magic tomorrow night, babe… or at least until the speakers interrupt us talking along the fence line.”
“I can’t wait,” she smiled tearfully, trying to hide how hard it was to watch him store his helmet and vest, before climbing out of the truck. “I love you,” she called out in a rush.
“I love you too,” Austin replied, just before the drape hid him from her sights as the truck lurched forward again, driving her onto the Army installation after letting him off at the gates. It always amused her that the two bases were shaped in almost opposing images of each other – like two inverted L’s.
The entrances were exceedingly close for deliveries or making it easily defensible if necessary. There was a long runway on the Air Force side – and on the Army’s mirror image? It was actually a series of parking lots, munitions depots, and storage lockers covered with scrim to hide it from anything flying overhead. The barracks were in the same locations and the running paths were almost identical.
The truck rolled forward, before coming to a stop.
“Last stop… King’s Beach,” Selkirk called out, laughing.
They both knew Ghazni was no beach. The corner of the base off in the distance was dubbed ‘King’s Beach’ because of a former soldier who orchestrated an impromptu ‘beach’ date with a civilian, before marrying her and going back home to take a job in Washington D.C.
Getting up from her seat, she yanked off the helmet and bulletproof vest in the warmth that seemed to permeate everything… even during the winter. The nights were cold, but during the day? It was awfully dry, warm, and arid – no matter the month. The summers were sweltering, but in January, it could still be a very tepid fifty degrees with the occasional spike… and the sand?
