Remember Jamie Baker (Jamie Baker #3)(112)

Major Wilks stood there watching me for a long moment. Something about my answer had really made the wheels in his head start spinning. When I cocked an eyebrow at him, he pursed his lips. “Am I to assume, then,” he asked slowly, “that you don’t plan to stay?”

Ah. So that was his problem. I slumped a little in Ryan’s grasp. I knew this conversation would come up again, and I wasn’t looking forward to it. “You assume correctly, Major.”

He stiffened, grinding his teeth—probably in an attempt to hold his tongue. “I’ve got a lot of healing to do, Major. I’ve been through a lot. I need some time to recover, to spend time with my family and friends whom I’ve been missing from for six months. I’d like to go back to college, live a little, and grow up some before I commit my life in any one direction. Plus, I think I need to get to know the fiancé I can’t remember, yet still agreed to marry, a little better before he makes me officially tie the knot.”

Ryan flashed me a wolfish grin. “What do you want to know? I’ll give you a week.”

I snorted. “Nice try, Goldilocks. I may have agreed to it, but I’m seeing a very long engagement in our future.”

Ever the optimist—or egotist, depending on how you look at it—Ryan smirked. “Challenge accepted, Sunshine.”

I rolled my eyes and shrugged at Major Wilks. “Sorry. But like I said before, I’ll leave you with my number. You’ve earned my respect, Major Wilks, and even more than that, my trust. I may not be an official ACE, but maybe I could be more of an on-call backup? If you ever find yourself in a jam, let me know.”

Major Wilks, though clearly unhappy, nodded in agreement. “We’ll take what we can get. You did really well, Angel. You’re one hell of a damn fine soldier.”

I grinned again. “Thank you, sir.”

Major Wilks turned his frown on Ryan next. “I already know your answer, but you know I have to say it: We’d love you to stay.”

Ryan squeezed me tight and flashed the major a wide, toothy smile. “Oh, I would, Major, but it sounds like the wifey needs me elsewhere.”

I choked on some spit, causing everyone in the room to laugh. “You did not just call me wifey.”

Ryan ignored me and winked at Major Wilks. “She’s been through a lot recently, you know? But maybe we’ll come back after college. I have to get a job somewhere, right? I’d never considered the military, but I’ve liked my time here. Jamie doesn’t have to join, but I’ve got no problems taking orders.” He shot me a pointed look. “Clearly, since I’m in love with the world’s bossiest woman.”

“What? I am not bossy!” At the collective of snorts and snickers around the room, I groaned. “Whatever. It’s not the worst flaw to have.”

The guys all cracked up, and Major Wilks held out his hand to Ryan. “We’ll save your spot, Romeo. You just make sure you take good care of our Angel.”

That earned the major another Jamie Baker Eye Roll. The action was practically becoming a trademark.

It was at this break in the conversation that Dr. Haggerty shooed everyone out of the infirmary, insisting she check me over one last time before allowing me to leave. I was all for it because it meant the return of real clothing.

After receiving the stamp of approval from the doctor, I got dressed and went in search of my team. Dr. Haggerty said they were in the cafeteria and decided to walk down with me since it was dinnertime anyway.

I could smell my surprise before we reached the cafeteria, but I was still shocked by the roar of applause that met me when I entered the room. The mess hall was packed with soldiers, and they were all giving me a standing ovation.

Ryan greeted me with a proud smile and a quick kiss. At my questioning look, he chuckled. “You saved a lot of people, Sunshine.”

I blinked at the crowd again, awareness donning on me. “These are the soldiers we freed from the nanobots?”

Ryan nodded. “And the team that helped us get them out. We had to recruit nearly everyone stationed here that had the right skill set for the mission since we needed the man power and they are the only soldiers who know about the ACE division. They’re all anxious to go home to their families, but they insisted on waiting until you woke up. They wanted to say thank you.”

“And as a token of our appreciation,” Major Wilks interrupted, coming up to us with a huge smile, “we figured we’d spare you the cafeteria sludge and had the party catered by the best restaurant in Colorado Springs.”

I grinned back at him as if I were a little kid and he was my favorite grandpa. “I knew I liked you. Thank you, Major.”

After hours of overeating and mingling with grateful soldiers, I was ready for some peace and quiet. Like, fifty years of peace and quiet. The entire ACE team escorted us to the airport in Colorado Springs, where Ryan and I were putting my parents and Becky on a plane back to Sacramento.

As we stood on the curb, my parents and Beck gave Ryan and me hugs. “You sure you don’t want to come?”

“Sorry.” I winced, remembering my first—and last—experience with air travel. “I think I need to leave the flying to Superman.”

“But you’ll come home, right?” Mom asked.

I hugged her again. “Of course. I think I’m going to take Ryan to the desert house for a few days. I just need to decompress a little, you know? But we’ll be home for Sunday dinner. Promise. And invite Ryan’s parents.”