Page 91 of Lacey's Fight

Since snow and home were noncompatible she would have to settle for about a million cold baths until the heat that seemed to have seeped into her every pore finally dissipated.

Right this second she’d settle for just a cold drink.

Anything to wipe away the feel of sweat clinging to her overheated skin.

“Here.”

Turning from the window, she saw Ben had slipped into the seat beside her and was holding out a bottle of her favorite raspberry juice. She could tell it was cold because she could see the condensation dotted on the glass bottle.

Automatically, she reached out to take it before hesitating and pulling her hand back so it rested in her lap. While she couldn’t say she was angry at Ben exactly—okay maybe a little about the cold harsh way he’d dismissed her in the hospital in England—she was hurt.

It was okay for him not to be ready to move on after the traumatic way he’d lost his wife.

It was even okay for him never to be ready.

Hypocrisy at its finest would be blaming him for not being able to move on when she struggled to move on from her own trauma a lot more than she allowed people to realize.

When she wasn’t feeling so exhausted and emotionally raw, they would talk and she would assure him that there were no hard feelings. Maybe one day they could even be friends if he decided to stop shutting everybody out. For whatever reason—guilt likely—he had come to New Zealand to find her, and she respected that, liked it even though she was trying not to.

Getting any more attached to Ben was a one way ticket to getting her heart broken.

Right now, she needed to focus on herself, on getting in a better place, then when she was ready she and Ben could talk and then she’d be free and clear to move forward with her life.

Ben didn’t say anything, and his face was a blank mask so she couldn’t get a read on why he’d brought her a drink, or why he’d come to New Zealand, or why he’d sat beside her hospital bed the entire two days she’d been there.

“It’s just a drink, sunflower, not a marriage proposal.”

The joke—lame though it might be—coming out of her serious SEALs’ mouth—okay, not her SEAL but still—was too much.

Not wanting to be rude, she took the drink, enjoyed the way cool seeped into her palm from the bottle, and stood. “I can’t do this now,” she mumbled as she scooted past and into the aisle.

The plane was large enough that the Delta Team had kept to the front, giving her space when she’d immediately headed to the very back row. Now she smiled at the guys—who had once again dropped everything for her team—and chose a seat next to Coach.

She liked Coach, the man had been there for Ivory after her ordeal last January, and then for Pearl when she’d been shot in April, and now here he was again. What wasn’t to like about a man who had been so supportive of her sisters, taking the time not just to save their lives but to make sure they were okay, offer care and compassion?

“You know you guys could make a full-time job out of rescuing Artemis Team lately,” she joked as she plopped down beside him and opened the bottle of raspberry juice Ben had given her. That first sip was heaven. Even though she was rehydrated and had avoided organ damage, the ordeal had shaken her up, taken a toll on her already struggling body, and the cool liquid sliding down her throat was exactly what she needed.

“You should talk to him,” Coach said without preamble.

Lacey arched a brow. “You team Ben?”

“Nah, I’m team Lacey. Army all the way.”

That made her laugh. “I was never in the army, and you know it.”

“But you would have chosen army over navy any day.” He made a face as he said navy making her laugh again.

“You know I’m a water baby. I hate to disappoint you, but I think I would have gone with the navy,” she teased.

“Get out.”

His straight face combined with the twinkle in his hazel eyes made her laugh once again and it felt so good. “In case you didn’t realize we’re in a plane. I can’t get out.”

“I’m sure Eagle has parachutes on board. And since we’re currently flying over the ocean, and you call yourself a water baby, I’m sure you wouldn’t mind the landing.”

“I like the water, never said I liked the ocean.” She shuddered and was only half playing.

“Then it’s a good thing you have the SEAL on board to help you out if you get into trouble.”

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