Beyond The Limit Read Free Page A

married, too.”
    â€œOkay,” Morgan conceded, “truce, Son. Your mother and I know the benefits of a solid marriage. We just want you to find that special someone out there and be as happy as we are.”
    â€œAnd as happy as Jason and Cathy,” Laura said in a pleased tone. “You’re so special, Pete. You’re drop-dead handsome. When you played football, you had girls hanging off your arms.”
    â€œMy job keeps me too busy for a social life now,” Pete said, trying not to sound defensive. Getting up, he gathered the empty dessert bowls and spoons. “Being on a construction site 24-7 doesn’t give me any time to go out and woo women like I might want to.”
    â€œYou had Brandy Wilson as a steady in Germany,” his mom said wistfully. “I wish that had worked out. I really liked her, Pete.”
    Wincing inwardly, he took dirty dishes to the sink. “Now, Mom. Brandy just wasn’t the right woman, that’s all.” No woman was, as far as Pete was concerned. He wasn’t lucky in love.
    Laura sighed as she got up. “Maybe you’ll meet a special woman over in Afghanistan. Your father said it would be a big project.”
    â€œMom,” Pete said, turning and leaning against the counter, “construction sites are male dominated by nature. The only women around are usually secretarial assistants, if that. Where I’m going, I’ll probably end up with some guy as my office assistant. In an Islamic culture it is frowned upon for a woman to work outside the home. So I’m expecting mostly men on the site. This plant is going to be built out in the middle of nowhere. There are villages nearby, but women are married and have families.” He shook his head. “So don’t go there, okay? I’ll meet Ms. Right when it’s time.” And Pete knew it wouldn’t be on this project, but didn’t want to dash his parents’ expectations.
    Morgan clapped his hand on Pete’s shoulder. “Don’t mind your mother, Son. She just wants to see you happy.”
    Pete bit back the stab of pain he felt when he thought of his past relationships. None of them had worked out. He tried to analyze why he couldn’t find a woman who was compatible. He wanted someone smart and curious, who was just as adventure oriented as he was. Like his fraternal twin, Kelly whom he idolized. But no woman had the courage, brilliance and chutzpah his twin had. And Pete had given up on ever finding that kind of gutsy freedom-loving woman. Maybe he was being too picky, he decided as he helped his mother rinse the dishes. Well, where he was going there would be little chance of meeting any women. And truth be known, with the enormity of this project and what it meant careerwise, he didn’t want to focus on anything but his work. Finding a girlfriend in Afghanistan would be impossible, and he wasn’t looking, anyway. Women had always meant trouble with a capital T. And he’d been too hurt in the past to want to try again. He seemed to draw women who lied. And that was something he couldn’t stand was a lie. Maybe Kelly was too good of a role model that he’d grown up with. She had an in-your-face, rather blunt personality. Pete had lived with that, went out into life expecting all women were like Kelly. Had he been in for a rude awakening! Pete had found women coy. Their communication with him, confusing at best. No, he had absolutely no expectation of ever finding a plain-spoken woman, that was for sure!

CHAPTER TWO
    A FTER EMERGING FROM a battered, dented green taxi, Pete tried to shake off the fatigue from his fogged brain as he headed for the U.S. government office in Kabul. Except for the mouthwatering odors of curry, coriander, turmeric and onion filling the crisp morning air, the town seemed like the Dodge City of the Middle East. Desert-camouflaged Hummers moved slowly up and down the boulevards, manned by U.S.