Forget Me Not (Love in the Fleet) (35 page)

“It’s okay. I’m a doctor.”

“Daisy…” Sky cautioned.

“What? You think I’ve never set a broken leg before?”

“On a person?”

“Sky, a leg’s a leg. And a broken bone is a broken bone.”

“Yeah, I know. And a dog’s a dog and a helo’s a helo. Okay, but don’t mess it up so I can’t ever wag my tail again, okay?”

“Not funny.” Daisy indicated Mike’s huge frame. “I’m more concerned with the other pilot. He appears to have a dislocated shoulder and a possible concussion.” They all looked up at the sound of another helicopter approaching.

“That would be your litters,” said the aircrewman to Sky. Then sliding over to minister to Mike he added, “Ma’am. Can you run down to the beach and flag the other helo while I get this cervical collar on Tiny here?”

In only minutes a corpsman and several others arrived with the stretchers and took over checking vitals on Mike. They lifted him onto a litter and, starting with the head restraint, they worked the many straps to secure him snugly.

Daisy returned to Sky’s side, where he sat peacefully against the tree with his eyes closed. She kissed him on the forehead, causing a smile to blossom on his face. Eyes still shut, he said, “I was dreaming an angel came to save me. Did you bring grapes and a harp, honey? Never mind. I’ll settle for a rescue dog.”

Daisy leaned in and kissed him, then laid her cool cheek against his hot one. “It’s all going to be okay, Sky. You’re both going to be fine.”
His eyes nearly swollen shut, she leaned in and kissed his eyelids.

“Tiny’s all set. I’ll radio the helo for pick-up,” said Giles. Then he turned to Sky. “Okay, sir. Time to lift you onto this litter. We’ll get you to the helo and back to the ship.

The corpsman added, “We were sure you guys were in the drink. How the hell did you get to land?”

“Look, this guy is my buddy’s little brother. If I hadn’t brought him back safe and sound, Nick would have found me, dead or alive, and kicked my ass six ways to Sunday.”

“Ma’am?” Mikey had roused and reached out his good arm to Daisy.

She took his hand and rested it back on his chest. “You’re going to be fine, Mike. Just rest. Everything’s going to be okay now.”

“Jesus, Sky… Took a woman and her dog to find us… Sure there aren’t any more like her back home?”

“Hey, step away from the doc, Studley. She’s all mine.”

Daisy stroked Mikey’s hair off his forehead. “Just rest, Mike.”

“Thanks, ma’am. For coming to get us.” He closed his eyes and drifted off.

Daisy held Sky’s hand as the corpsmen carried the litters through the thick brush back to the beach.

Sky smiled up at her. “I want to know how you chewed through the red tape to bring Belle and join the hunt?”

“I went straight to your squadron CO and showed him Belle’s credentials. And…” She waved Jack’s engagement ring at him, “as your
fiancée,
he
listened to me.”

“My fiancée? Is that for real, honey?”

“Well, we might as well get married. I’m sure it’s all over town by now that the
Skylark is off the market. But I do have one condition. You have to promise to talk to—”

“You got it, sweetheart. You want me to visit Sigmund Freud himself, I’m there.” He turned to the hospital corpsman. “Hey, man, book me an appointment with Dr. Freud, would you?”

The petty officer chuckled. “Sir, we don’t have a shrink on board, but I can set you up with our Command Master Chief. By the time he’s done digging in your brain, you’ll be sucking your thumb and calling for your mommy.”

“Okay, book it. I’ll do whatever anybody wants, ’cuz I got a hot date to go shopping with this beautiful woman. Woo-hoo! We’re gonna get us a white picket fence. Come here, baby.” Sky pulled Daisy to him as best he could from the stretcher. His blue eyes locked on hers. He didn’t even care that his were filled with tears. “Thanks for rescuing us, sweetheart.”

Daisy paused, swallowed, and let her tears flow as well. Then she smiled at him with all the love she could muster. “No, Sky, you don’t understand. Thank
you
for rescuing
me
.”

Epilogue

If he puts that crutch down on my tail one more time, I’m moving out. Well, okay, that’s just a threat, but he better watch it. I’d never leave him. I love him forever. But all this trouble started the day he met
her.
There I’d wriggled my feline way into his life and before I knew it he was under her spell. The witch with the stethoscope. Sky and I got along just fine until she came along.

It looked like things were going my way again when she threw us out. But that didn’t last long. Next thing I knew he disappeared. And when he came back, he had that thing on his leg and those infernal crutches. Then before I knew what was happening, we’d moved here. To her house. With
them
. God, I hate dogs. And girl people. Things just haven’t been the same since.

So now it looks like we’re moving in with
her
lock, stock, and litter box. Rumor has it it’s permanent. They’re getting
married
. Makes me want to puke up a hairball. But I guess if I want to keep the Skylark in my life, I’ll have to think about making nice with her. Although what kind of self-respecting cat would ever move in with its vet? Sounds pretty twisted to me. Do you know the kinds of things she subjects me to?

And what was that call to Montana all about? The witch put down the phone and sobbed in Sky’s arms over that one. Apparently somebody in Montana gave their blessing for her to marry him and even offered to come down here and show their approval by giving her away. Hell, if they need somebody to give her away, I’ll do it. I’ll give her to somebody else. Anyway, she cried a lot over that, but I think it was a good cry, because Sky held her and rocked her and kept saying, “See, I told you they’d approve. They love you, Daisy. They want you to be happy.”

So now they’re getting married like next week. Can’t imagine him limping down the aisle with that thing on his leg, but he said he wasn’t taking any chances on the witch changing her mind. Personally, I think they should wait a couple of months. Or years. Or lives. I’ve got eight to spare. Plenty of time to wait for this wedding thing.

It’s almost as if he doesn’t need me lately. Granted he’s been sleeping better since we moved in with her for good. He hardly ever wakes up scared at night anymore. And he seems a lot happier. I just wish he was happy because I was the love of his life. Well, he’s obviously smitten with her and I don’t want to lose him. My lover boy. My Skylark. So maybe if I’m sweet to her, he’ll pay more attention to me like he used to. Okay, I’ll try, but she better not have a shot—or God forbid, a thermometer—hidden behind her back. She’s pretty sneaky that way.

You know it’s kind of funny. He thinks she rescued him. And she thinks he rescued her. And they both think they rescued me. But I got news for everybody. I rescued both of them. If it hadn’t been for me, they never would have met.

After all, they don’t call me a rescue cat for nothing.  

About Heather Ashby

Heather Ashby is a Navy veteran, whose mother was one of the original Navy WAVES in World War II. After leaving the service, Heather taught school and raised a family while accompanying her Navy husband around the United States, Japan, and the Middle East.

In gratitude for her son’s safe return from Afghanistan and Iraq, she now writes military romance novels, donating half her royalties to benefit wounded warriors and their families. She lives in Atlantic Beach, Florida with her retired Naval Engineer husband. Reach Heather at www.heatherashby.com.

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