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“You know what you are asking, right?”
“I’m hoping it would be someone that could email from their personal email, keeping our secret, and just be a polite friend to listen. Look, I’ll be blunt…”
“Don’t let me stop you now,” Captain Logan chuckled, his form not moving in the slightest. He was still standing there defensively with his arms crossed.
“Everyone has heard the rumors of your ‘Romeo Squad’,” Reaper began bluntly. “I’m not looking to lose an expert pilot, nor can you afford to keep losing seasoned troops…”
“Watch it there,Zoomie…” Logan growled hotly.
“My point exactly,” Reaper interrupted. “This guy is a good kid. He’s lonely, lost, and needs a friend. I would rather Sparky have a buddy that he finds out is here ‘next door’ someday… than to have him spiral down or start sinking into a broken system that we both know needs work. He’s struggling with the separation and just needs a friend.”
“He needs a counselor or therapist.”
“Can’t a friend be both?”
“It could beneitherand do more harm than good.”
“That’s where we both come in,” Reaper countered. “I think if you have someone in mind, then I could drag him out here so we can have a chit-chat about nothing… and you can meet the kid. I don’t want this to backfire for your service member - or mine.”
“You want me to screen your guy? Seriously?”
“Don’t you?”
“Would you let him email and talk to your sister?” the captain’s eyebrow rose mockingly as he met his cool gaze.
“I don’t have a sister,” he retorted flatly.
“You know what I mean, Zoomie…”
“It’s ‘Reaper’ or ‘Merrick’…Captain,” Reaper stressed and hesitated. “I would not be very comfortable with another man emailing my wife, but if I had a sister or cousin? I would approve of Sparky befriending them, if that is what you are getting at.”
“Fair enough. That’s all the screening I need,” Logan said, smirking. “Give me a week and let me see what I can do. Any hints at his personality, likes, interests? I mean, if you are in for a penny, buddy? You are in for a pound now… or however the saying goes.”
“Ah… he likes planes?” Reaper offered, suddenly feeling very unsure that he was the right person to be describing Sparky.
“You don’t say…?” Logan drawled. “Is he easy-going? Friendly? Sci-fi nerd? Book lover? A foodie? Can you give me anything at all?”
“When the kid got here, he was always smiling, lively, playing around and vivacious. His call sign is Sparky for a reason, because he’s a live wire and full of energy… and we need that back.”
“I understand,” Captain Logan said solemnly and hesitated. “Does Colonel Reilly know about this meeting?”
“Again, may I be frank?”
“Hasn’t stopped you yet...”
“The man would rather see me bleed than know I was trying to help one of the guys – and if Reilly knew I was out here, talking to you? I would be running my butt off from here to China and back again. If I sneeze or look at him the wrong way? I have to run laps and can do nothing right according to him. So, does he know I’m out here? Heck no…”
“Yet you came anyhow?”
“My team is my family, sir. I think you can understand my motivation behind this request.”
“You’re okay, Reaper… you know that?” Captain Logan smiled – and finally relaxed his stance. “Let me see what I can do.”
“Thank you, sir,” Reaper acknowledged – and smirked. “And I’m more than okay. I’m going to be Reilly’s replacement one of these days and I’ll take care of my family like they deserve.”
“Ambitious, too… I see,” Logan muttered, walking off and shaking his head before Reaper could say anything else.
CHAPTER2
