Thunder Running Read Free Page A

I’m gone.”
    She blinked. “Combat pay?”
    â€œYou read it in the paper,” he accused, confidence bolstered by landing on what he was sure could be the only explanation for this high-spirited woman to go to all this trouble to find his sorry ass. “You saw the obituary for Alpha Company’s medic, knew the 13th Infantry would need someone from another company to replace him mid-tour and you figured I’d raise my hand. Well, I’ve got news for you, girl, I’ve still got a month left before I deploy so if you were hoping to catch me off-guard at the last minute, you failed.”
    A Fourth of July parade’s worth of emotions marched across Tara’s face. Surprise, bewilderment, contemplation, annoyance, then back to tight fury. She reached him in five scurrying strides and got in three hard swats on his arm before he managed to pivot out of range.
    â€œWhat the hell kind of a fool volunteers to go back to the warzone he just left?” she demanded, homegrown Arkansas accent thicker than ever. “Have you got a death wish? Or are you that crazy that six months of peace and prosperity has already given you an itchy trigger finger?”
    â€œPretty much,” he replied honestly.
    â€œLord, give me strength,” Tara muttered, swiping her palm over her eyes. When she met his eyes again hers were hard with resolve. “It’s not ideal, but a month is better than a week. We’ll make it work.”
    â€œMake what work?”
    â€œThis marriage, Chance. Maybe you’re in the habit of swearing wedding vows you have no intention to keep, but I’m not. I don’t want your combat pay or your car or whatever other raggedy-ass belongings you consider assets. I came here to give this relationship a shot, and I’m not leaving until I’m convinced one way or the other.”
    On impulse Chance opened his mouth to protest, then closed it without a word.
    Tara Lambert had roared back into his life unannounced, unanticipated, full of demands and accusations, riding a motive about as plausible as a dragon. He had four weeks to go before shipping back out to the sandbox and she wanted to spend them getting to know each other, trying to transform their wild wedding weekend into an actual, real-life marriage. Impossible. Ridiculous. The dumbest thing he’d heard in a long time, and a career in the military meant he heard a lot of dumb shit.
    But he didn’t hate the idea. In fact he was mildly flattered that she’d worked so hard to reconnect with him, and was willing to give up so much to see if their two-night stand could be something more.
    And she looked so good. Even scowling and rigid, she was the prettiest woman ever to give him the time of day.
    Nothing about you has changed since you left her in that hotel , his conscience reminded him sternly. You’re still a violence-hungry freak who can only sit still when he’s sighting in a gun. You’ll never stop leaving her. She’ll say goodbye at civilian airports, in hangars full of soldiers, at the side of your flag-draped coffin. You’ll destroy her, and if you reckon you won’t you’re an even bigger fool than she thinks.
    Chance set his back teeth. He deserved this. He left her in that hotel room like a coward—now he had to face the consequences. Now she’d come back to remind him exactly what he was missing, exactly what he couldn’t hold on to. Then it would be her turn to leave.
    He shoved his hands in his pockets. “All right, then. I’ll lean inside to tell Carl I’m leaving, then you can show me where you’re parked.”
    Her eyes widened with hope. Inwardly he cringed.
    â€œWhat are we doing?”
    â€œExactly what you came for, sugar. We’re going home.”
    â€œThis is it?”
    â€œWhat were you expecting, a ten-bedroom mansion with two staircases? I’m a soldier, not a CEO.”
    â€œI guess I had