“Then where have you been?” Gail asked. “I’ve missed you.”

“It’s just been crazy around here. I haven’t been out of the aircraft for more than a few hours at a time in a couple of days.” Jett knew the excuse was feeble, but part of her didn’t want to say no. And she could hardly tell Gail she didn’t trust herself around her.

“I know. Whatever’s going on, it’s heating up. The casualty count is higher than I can ever remember it.”

Jett felt a surge of relief, glad that Gail had accepted her excuse.

She’d learned fairly early in life that on those rare occasions when she connected with someone, she connected on every level. When she let herself care about a woman, she wanted her, and more often than not that got her into trouble. So now she stopped it before it even started.

Since she was incapable of doing things by degrees, she chose not to let any relationship go too far. Fortunately military life, especially for a lesbian, wasn’t conducive to anything long-term or even short-term serious.

But things had already gone too far with Gail. Somehow, Gail had gotten past her normal defenses, and now Jett was powerless to keep her out. Just the same, she didn’t think she could offer Gail the kind of close physical contact that came naturally to Gail. Not without wanting, needing, to share everything. And there were a million reasons why that was a bad idea. No, the best course was to just stay away from her.

“I’m not going to let you get away, you know,” Gail whispered, shifting almost imperceptibly until their shoulders touched. “I never got a chance to finish with you the other night.”

Arousal punched through Jett, and if she hadn’t been sitting, she might have doubled over. She took a shaky breath, praying for the strength to resist.

“Hey, Cap! Jett!”

At the sound of her name, Jett stopped walking and stared around her in confusion. Where she expected to see an endless stretch of desert sand, she saw lush grass and thick leafy trees. The bright sun was hot but carried no hint of deadly intent. The morning was beautiful. Linda waved to her from the front seat of a dark blue convertible that idled at the curb, its top down and all the windows open.

“Do you need a ride?” Linda asked.

“No, thanks,” Jett said, still reeling from the too-fresh memories.

She hadn’t been this bad since she’d first left the service. Now she could barely keep the images at bay even when awake, and she couldn’t figure out what was triggering them. Linda regarded her expectantly, and she wondered if she’d actually answered out loud. She repeated, “No, thanks. I don’t live that far away. Just up on Lincoln Drive.”

“I’m going that way. I don’t live that far, either, but I’m glad I’m not walking after the night we had. I’ve just got to stop and pick up my daughter for a dentist appointment. She’s right on the way.” Linda waited a few seconds. “Come on, get in. It’s a beautiful morning for a ride.”

Jett was about to refuse again and then realized she didn’t really want to. She didn’t want be left alone with the recurring images of those barren, arid months when nothing was truly as it seemed except the certainty that no one could outrun death. She walked over to the car, braced her hands on the frame, and vaulted the door into the passenger seat.

“Thanks,” Jett said. “A ride would be nice.”

Linda gave her an appreciative glance before pulling away from the curb. “Nice move.”

Jett frowned. “Sorry?”

“That little show of muscle getting into the car.”

“I didn’t realize that sort of thing qualified as a move,” Jett said with a laugh.

“You’re kidding.” Linda raised an eyebrow. “You fly a helicopter and you haven’t figured out that girls love macho studs?”

“Can’t say as I have.” Jett tilted her head back and watched the clouds skim by overhead. The wind rushing by the car and the streaming clouds made her feel as if she were flying. Pleasantly relaxed, she answered without thinking. “Probably because I don’t qualify as either

macho or studly.”

“Where exactly did you grow up?” Linda signaled and turned left. “Somewhere the women were blind, obviously.”

Ordinarily Jett would have been on edge with the direction of the conversation, but Linda wasn’t saying anything Jett hadn’t heard her say in one form or another to every other member of the team. Linda was easy to be around. She played at flirting, but Jett had the clear sense it was all in fun. The undercurrent of heat was missing. “On a farm where the nearest girl my age was twenty miles away and engaged by the time she was fifteen. And she wasn’t all that unusual.”

Linda groaned. “No baby dykes?”

“If there were, we didn’t recognize each other.”

“Well, I’m here to tell you, we girls love handsome girls like you who handle big equipment with finesse.”

Jett laughed. “I never realized my aircraft would be so useful.”

“Oh yeah, that helicopter is so sexy.”

Tristan’s voice came back to her, along with the image of the mesmerizing light in her eyes when she said, You make me wish I were a helicopter. A wave of longing broke over Jett and for a second she was breathless. Then she pictured Tristan in the car with the redhead who seemed very very glad to see Tristan. Tristan obviously had her pick of women, and probably said something similar to all of them. She definitely wasn’t saying no to what the redhead was offering.

“The next time we’re headed into a thunderstorm,” Jett said, forcing a smile, “I’ll try sweet-talking my aircraft if things get bumpy.”

“Never underestimate the power of sex appeal, Captain.”

“I wasn’t a captain.”

“What were you?”

“Chief Warrant Officer.”

“Oh, I like that.” Linda gave Jett a sultry look. “Chief.”

Jett groaned and Linda laughed.

“I’ll just be a minute.” Linda slowed and stopped on the shoulder in front of a wide expanse of immaculately groomed grass where several groups of youths in various uniforms ran up and down the field.

“Take your time. I’m good.”

Jett closed her eyes, determined not to think about Tristan or Gail or feelings she couldn’t understand and didn’t want. When the car rocked a little bit and a female voice very close to her ear murmured, “Hi. Who are you?” she opened her eyes. A blonde bent over her, her arms folded on the top of the door, her mouth inches from Jett’s. The position afforded Jett an unimpeded view down the blonde’s scoop-necked top, making it abundantly clear that she wore nothing underneath the tight white ribbed cotton. Her breasts were full and pale and, if the hint of pink was any indication, rose-tipped.

“Jett McNally,” Jett said, straightening in her seat and glancing toward the field. Linda was on the far side, her hand on the shoulder of a young child, talking to another adult. “I’m a friend of Linda’s.”

“Oh, goody. I was afraid for a moment you might be taken.” The blonde extended her hand, leaning even further into the passenger seat. Her breast brushed Jett’s shoulder. “I’m Mandy. I’m available.”

“Nice to meet you.” Jett shook her hand and couldn’t help but smile. Mandy’s eyes danced with unabashed invitation. The total lack of subterfuge was oddly appealing.

“So you work at the hospital?” When Jett nodded, Mandy snaked her fingers up Jett’s bare arm and underneath the sleeve of her tight black T-shirt. “I like this new look. So much better than those ugly green scrub shirts.”

“I don’t wear scrubs. I’m a pilot,” Jett replied, shivering involuntarily as Mandy played her nails over her biceps.

“Ooh. Really?” Mandy’s mouth curved into a smile, as if she had just tasted something particularly delicious. “That’s very interesting. What else can you drive?”

“Almost anything.” Jett hadn’t sought anyone out for pleasure in a very long time, and her body was telling her loud and clear the absence had been noted. Her unwanted dreams of Gail were becoming more and more frequent, and whether she welcomed it or not, her need spiraled higher every day. She was going to have to do something soon, and this woman, a very attractive ruby-lipped, full-bodied, ripe and luscious woman, was offering.

As if reading her mind, Mandy slowly trailed the tip of her tongue over the surface of her lower lip. “I’m volunteering to navigate.”

Linda pulled open the driver’s door and pushed the bucket seat forward so a young girl could climb into the backseat. “Hi, Mandy. Out hunting?”

Mandy slowly danced her fingertips up the side of Jett’s neck and ran them sensuously through Jett’s hair. “Not anymore.”

“Jett, this is Kim,” Linda said as she helped the child with her seat belt. “Jett’s a friend of Mommy’s from work, honey.”

“Hi,” Jett said, turning in her seat to greet the child.

The little girl responded with a shy smile as Linda started the car.

Mandy still clung to Jett’s arm, and Jett eased away as much as she could in the cramped quarters. “Nice meeting you, Mandy.”

“Don’t say good-bye.” Mandy stepped an inch or two away from the car. “Say you’ll call me.” She rattled off a telephone number. “I’m sure anyone who can fly an airplane—”

“Helicopter,” Jett interjected.

“Even better. A helicopter.” Mandy drew out the word with a breathy sigh. “I’m sure you can remember seven little numbers.”

Linda eased the car forward. “Bye, Mandy.”

“I am invited Saturday, aren’t I?” Mandy called.

“Of course,” Linda called back, pulling out into the street and accelerating. She glanced at Jett. “So that’s Mandy. She owns one of the local gyms and volunteers at the rec center in the summer.”

“Uh-huh.” Jett suspected there was quite a lot more to Mandy than Linda was saying, although she didn’t get the sense that Linda actively disliked her. Their interaction had a teasing, mock-challenging quality to it.