Read Online Jayhawk Down by Sharon Calvin - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sharon Calvin
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watching a sailing event taking place halfway across the world.
“I can’t understand why he volunteered to help the Coast Guard. The man just returned from a horrible time in Afghanistan and moved to the middle of nowhere. Obviously he’s not making rational decisions.” Hilary moved her wineglass around the napkin, having taken only one tiny sip since its delivery. She looked at Caitlyn with downturned lips.
Fascinated, Caitlyn stared. Botox had to be behind the lack of frown lines between Hilary’s overplucked brows. Since she was acting so friendly, Caitlyn chanced a question of her own. “Why does he fly? I would think the army would want to protect their doctors from those kinds of risks.”
Hilary fluttered a hand and Caitlyn caught the glitter of a multicarat ring. “Because they’re infinitely obtuse. The man joined right out of college in a fit of rebellion. After he was wounded in Iraq he returned to the States, and his senses, and went to medical school.”
Caitlyn’s stomach auto-rotated to the floor. Stillman had been wounded? How badly? Her frantic imagination almost blocked Hilary’s next line.
“But his reserve status is still as a pilot—they didn’t value him enough to change to medical corps. Fools,” she added and picked up her glass of merlot.
Caitlyn tapped her bottom lip with a long lacquered fingernail. Well, well, well. Wartime experiences probably explained his pursuit of emergency medicine, even his need to volunteer as a flight surgeon.
“Look, I’m sure you worry when your boyfriend does whatever it is the Coast Guard does, but you certainly don’t fret about him dying,” Hilary said, gesturing with her glass.
Caitlyn shook her head as if her hearing had failed. Fret? Boyfriend? “I don’t date Coasties—” She stopped abruptly as realization sank in. And burst out laughing at Hilary’s narrow-minded assumption. Obviously, the woman thought Caitlyn was nothing more than Ryan’s ornament.
Hilary looked confused even as she smiled in a blind response to Caitlyn’s laughter. What the hell. She leaned close to Hilary and spoke softly in her ear. “Sorry, I’m only interested in the army reserve doctor, not a Coastie.”
* * *
Stillman heard Caitlyn’s husky laugh as he approached the corner table where she and Hilary sat. His earlier unease dissolved even as Caitlyn’s sexy voice caused a different kind of tension in his gut. Then he frowned. He couldn’t picture the two women having a damn thing in common. Caitlyn leaned over and said something to Hilary that had his ex jerking back as if stung. He lengthened his stride. Great, he was just in time for the catfight.
Caitlyn stood and spotted him, her smirk turning into a groin-tightening smile with a wicked wink chaser. “Speaking of doctors, or was that sexy devils? Stillman, honey,” she cooed, “Hilary was telling me all about your military career.” She slipped her arm around his waist and plastered her body against his. “I just love a man in uniform.”
Her fluttering eyelashes would have made him laugh except Hilary bounced out of her chair, knocking over her glass of wine. Stillman couldn’t tell if her look of horror was due to the red stain on her dress or Caitlyn’s outrageous conduct.
With a twist of regret he gently disengaged the redhead from his side and gave her a stern look. She crossed her arms under her breasts and lifted them as if on display. He didn’t need her adding fuel to Hilary’s already wacky behavior.
“Ha, ha. Hilary, this is
Lieutenant
Caitlyn Stone. In case she forgot to mention it, she’s a helicopter pilot with the US Coast Guard.”
His ex-wife’s cheeks flushed the color of her spilled wine. “Well, isn’t that convenient for both of you.” She stood with her back rigid and indignation stamped on her face. “Stillman, we need to talk. I realize you probably had other plans for the evening,” she said with a withering glance aimed at Caitlyn, “but I
“I can’t understand why he volunteered to help the Coast Guard. The man just returned from a horrible time in Afghanistan and moved to the middle of nowhere. Obviously he’s not making rational decisions.” Hilary moved her wineglass around the napkin, having taken only one tiny sip since its delivery. She looked at Caitlyn with downturned lips.
Fascinated, Caitlyn stared. Botox had to be behind the lack of frown lines between Hilary’s overplucked brows. Since she was acting so friendly, Caitlyn chanced a question of her own. “Why does he fly? I would think the army would want to protect their doctors from those kinds of risks.”
Hilary fluttered a hand and Caitlyn caught the glitter of a multicarat ring. “Because they’re infinitely obtuse. The man joined right out of college in a fit of rebellion. After he was wounded in Iraq he returned to the States, and his senses, and went to medical school.”
Caitlyn’s stomach auto-rotated to the floor. Stillman had been wounded? How badly? Her frantic imagination almost blocked Hilary’s next line.
“But his reserve status is still as a pilot—they didn’t value him enough to change to medical corps. Fools,” she added and picked up her glass of merlot.
Caitlyn tapped her bottom lip with a long lacquered fingernail. Well, well, well. Wartime experiences probably explained his pursuit of emergency medicine, even his need to volunteer as a flight surgeon.
“Look, I’m sure you worry when your boyfriend does whatever it is the Coast Guard does, but you certainly don’t fret about him dying,” Hilary said, gesturing with her glass.
Caitlyn shook her head as if her hearing had failed. Fret? Boyfriend? “I don’t date Coasties—” She stopped abruptly as realization sank in. And burst out laughing at Hilary’s narrow-minded assumption. Obviously, the woman thought Caitlyn was nothing more than Ryan’s ornament.
Hilary looked confused even as she smiled in a blind response to Caitlyn’s laughter. What the hell. She leaned close to Hilary and spoke softly in her ear. “Sorry, I’m only interested in the army reserve doctor, not a Coastie.”
* * *
Stillman heard Caitlyn’s husky laugh as he approached the corner table where she and Hilary sat. His earlier unease dissolved even as Caitlyn’s sexy voice caused a different kind of tension in his gut. Then he frowned. He couldn’t picture the two women having a damn thing in common. Caitlyn leaned over and said something to Hilary that had his ex jerking back as if stung. He lengthened his stride. Great, he was just in time for the catfight.
Caitlyn stood and spotted him, her smirk turning into a groin-tightening smile with a wicked wink chaser. “Speaking of doctors, or was that sexy devils? Stillman, honey,” she cooed, “Hilary was telling me all about your military career.” She slipped her arm around his waist and plastered her body against his. “I just love a man in uniform.”
Her fluttering eyelashes would have made him laugh except Hilary bounced out of her chair, knocking over her glass of wine. Stillman couldn’t tell if her look of horror was due to the red stain on her dress or Caitlyn’s outrageous conduct.
With a twist of regret he gently disengaged the redhead from his side and gave her a stern look. She crossed her arms under her breasts and lifted them as if on display. He didn’t need her adding fuel to Hilary’s already wacky behavior.
“Ha, ha. Hilary, this is
Lieutenant
Caitlyn Stone. In case she forgot to mention it, she’s a helicopter pilot with the US Coast Guard.”
His ex-wife’s cheeks flushed the color of her spilled wine. “Well, isn’t that convenient for both of you.” She stood with her back rigid and indignation stamped on her face. “Stillman, we need to talk. I realize you probably had other plans for the evening,” she said with a withering glance aimed at Caitlyn, “but I
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