Hold On (Delos Series Book 5)

by Lindsay McKenna

  At least he hadn’t lied to her. That was new. Refreshing. Lies fell off men’s lips faster than a bee could gather honey. They took it to an art form at Bagram.

  “Look,” she said coolly, holding the cup between her hands, “we just had a market down the street get bombed yesterday. We could really use more security right now.” Her lips thinned. “But I’ve been around Kabul and Bagram for five years. I know your type. So while I’d love to have you and your rifle around, I really don’t want your attention. Are we clear on that?”

  When his lips turned up into an amused grin, Callie felt her heart lurch in her chest. What was that all about?! Flustered, she didn’t even wait for him to respond, spinning around on her heel and hurrying down the hall. The children at the orphanage needed constant care and attention. And right now, they were receiving a midmorning snack in the kitchen.

  Still, she couldn’t get that lazy, boyish smile of his out of her head. Damn him! This wasn’t the first time she’d been chased down by some soldier from the Army base. But it was the first time one of them showed up where she worked. That was different, and so, apparently, was he.

  As Matt came and stood beside Beau, sipping his coffee, he murmured, “Told you so.”

  Beau shrugged. “First battle may be lost, but not the war,” he said, and went over to help himself to the coffee.

  Callie lost sight of both Matt and Beau. She knew Matt since he and her sister were serious about each other. He’d more than proven his intentions to support the orphanage and had been here when the Taliban had blown up some IEDs in the market a block away. Matt had swung into action, preventing the Taliban from shooting into the orphanage and possibly wounding the terrified children, or hitting one of them. Her sister, a pediatrician, had only been here for a week, and the orphanage had become Grand Central Terminal for little ones and pregnant mothers needing her medical help.

  Now Callie was dead on her feet at the end of every day—and her feet hurt plenty. Noon came and went. They had fifty hungry children to feed, from a few months old to age fourteen. Every day, Callie and her four Afghan widows, plus the director, Maggie, had their hands full.

  At one point, Callie saw Beau Gardner walking around, peering intently into some of the rooms. Their eyes met and Callie growled a low warning in her throat, whirling away. She wanted nothing to do with a man right now, and she hated being chased. This guy was determined to bother her, and she sensed he wasn’t about to quit any time soon.

  Midafternoon, one of her little charges, a young girl of ten, had wandered down the hall, holding her new shoes as she walked barefoot on the cold floor. There was no heating in the orphanage because it cost too much to keep it warm. Charities didn’t usually have that kind of money, anyway.

  Callie hurried down the hall after her as she disappeared into what was known as “the big room” out in front, but when she turned the corner, she came to an abrupt halt, totally unprepared for the sight that awaited her. There was Beau Gardner, his weapon on his back, leaning down and smiling as he spoke in Pashto to the little girl. She was shy, her eyes downcast, her finger in her mouth, but she was allowing Beau to gently coax first one shoe on to her bare foot, and then the other one.

  Callie’s heart swelled as she observed how gentle this man was, his large hands helping the child stand while urging her second shoe onto her foot.

  The little girl smiled shyly as he lowered her foot and released her thin little arm. Callie couldn’t catch what Beau said, but whatever it was, the child reached out and tentatively touched his beard. The look in her eyes made Callie feel a rush of heat into her lower body. Beau was a man, and a complete stranger to this child. And yet he had such charm, and that easygoing smile of his … She saw him kneel so he could give the child his full attention.

  Beau slowly lifted his hand, gently grazing her long, black hair, moving a few uncombed strands across her shoulder. And when he smiled, Callie groaned inwardly. The man was a damned magician! If he could charm that little girl, who was very, very shy, and especially afraid of any man, then Beau was someone to be very wary of. And yet Callie found herself wanting him to smile at her like that. It was an intimate, warm smile. She could literally feel that sunlight energy around him, and she saw the little girl responding to it. So was she!

  Uh-oh, Callie thought. This guy was trouble—big trouble! Turning, Callie quickly left, hoping he hadn’t been aware of her presence. That was all she needed now, an attractive soldier who might tempt her to let her guard down. These guys were nothing but heartache on two feet. She’d learned her lesson years ago and sworn to never, ever get entangled with another military man as long as she lived.

  But Beau Gardner interested her, damn it! Gritting her teeth, Callie headed to the kitchen to help feed the children. “Soldiers” started with an “s,” she reminded herself. And “s” also stood for “stupid,” if she thought for a blinding instant that Beau Gardner was going to be different from the rest of the male pack. She was sick and tired of men seeing her as a sex object and not a human being, especially after she and her sister had performed their belly dances before the entire facility.

  Boy, had that been a miscalculation for someone who wanted to stay out of the spotlight!

  *

  Beau and Matt had just walked around outside the orphanage, and now they moved into the big room. During their conversation, Beau learned that yesterday, during the bombing of the market, two truckloads of Taliban had raced down the street outside the wrought-iron fence, spraying bullets everywhere until Matt had shot the driver of each truck. A day after the bombing he was allowing the children to have their midafternoon nap out in their normal slumber area. The four Afghan widows and Callie were getting all the children to lie down on their soft mats, covering each with a blanket because in late November, it was damned cold.

  Beau watched Callie speak softly to each child, give him or her a smile, snuggle them into their blankets, and make sure that their small pillows were nestled beneath their heads. Callie was maternal, no question, and Beau tried to tear his gaze from her and keep moving down the hall, checking the back doors as well as the windows. He took his security duty as seriously as Matt did. When he’d finished his rounds, he found himself in the office again and set the M4 rifle aside to pour himself a cup of coffee.

  He had his back to the door when he heard a sudden movement and twisted around to look over his shoulder.

  “Oh,” Callie said sharply, “you’re here.”

  He grinned. “I guess I am. Come on in,” he drawled. “I don’t bite. Would you like a cup of coffee?”

  She looked flustered, unsure, licking that full lower lip of hers, sending his imagination on a wild erotic spree. He forced himself to rein it in.

  Callie hesitated, standing in the doorway, torn between her instinct to get to know him and her solid vow never to get involved with a military man, especially here.

  Beau could tell she really wanted that cup of joe. “Come on,” he coaxed. “I promise not to jump you.”

  A slight smile … maybe a grimace … and then she made a decision. “All right,” she murmured, hurrying over. “But I don’t have much time. We have to get the kids’ dinner started in the kitchen.”

  Beau poured her a cup. “Here you go.” He handed it to her, then moved to give her space, because she was obviously wary of him. Standing aside, he sipped his black brew, watching her add cream and sugar to hers. “You gals are busy here all the time,” he noted.

  Pushing some strands of hair off her cheek, she said, “It’s always like this. And with those bombs going off down the block, the kids are scared to death.”

  “I can’t blame ’em,” Beau said. “It’s no way for anyone to live.”

  Callie felt herself losing her edge and immediately drew herself up. Damn it, why did Beau Gardner have to be so appealing? She saw amusement in his gaze and was thankful that at least he wasn’t staring at her like he wanted to strip her clothes off. Instead, he was leaning c
asually against the bookcase behind him, looking completely relaxed.

  “Where do you live?” she asked, unable to hide her curiosity.

  “I come from a no-name place called Black Mountain, West Virginia. Bet you never heard of it,” he teased.

  She shrugged. “No … I haven’t. You seem to have a way with kids; that’s why I asked.”

  “Oh, that little tyke who was carrying her shoes around earlier?”

  “Yes. She just arrived here five days ago,” Callie explained. She shook her head. “She lost her parents, and the village wouldn’t take her in. No one had room for another hungry mouth to feed.”

  Hearing the sadness in her smoky voice, Beau said, “This is a pretty desperate country, and children and widows suffer the most.”

  “True,” she agreed. “So where did you get your touch with kids? Do you have lots of brothers and sisters?”

  This was important to her, and Beau was silently delighted to find a door that she’d opened up to him. “I’ve got two younger brothers, Coy and Jackson. Now they’re in the Marine Corps. And growing up, since I was the oldest son, it was my job to herd them so they’d stay out of trouble.” He offered a wry grin. “And believe me, three boys can get into an awful lot of trouble when they’re young.”

  She smiled a little. “Boys are always hard to raise,” she agreed. “That little girl …”

  “Yes?”

  “She’s been so frightened since coming here. I found her a pair of shoes that would fit and keep putting them on her, but she keeps taking them off. The floors here are cold.”

  “Well,” Beau said, “she’s probably grown up barefoot all her life and isn’t used to shoes just yet.”

  “That’s what I thought, too,” Callie said, frowning. She didn’t want to look into his eyes, didn’t want to feel her body signaling that it was coming back to life, hungry and wanting. As much as he tried to hide it, Callie knew he felt it, too.

  “Well,” she said, moving toward the door, “that was sweet of you to take the time to help her on with her shoes.”

  “She just needed a little TLC, was all,” he said. “Kids and adults are like that, you know?” He pinned her with a knowing look.

  Halting, she stared hard at him. “Sergeant? Do I look like a vagina and boobs on two legs?”

  Shocked, Beau blinked once, recognizing the anger behind her harsh words. “Why … er … no, ma’am. I apologize if I insulted you. I meant—”

  “Oh,” Callie growled, “I know exactly what you meant, Sergeant. Look, I’m not interested!” She turned, disappearing out of the office.

  Phew! She was redheaded for a reason, Beau thought, continuing to sip his coffee. And bold, too. A corner of his mouth hitched upward. He liked her spunk and her fire. He wondered what had happened that had made her so defensive.

  “Well,” Matt said, entering the room, “that went well.”

  Beau gave him a dark look. “You heard?”

  “I’ve got ears like a wolf,” Matt said, walking over to grab a cup of coffee. “I told you: she isn’t going to be easy.”

  Shrugging, Beau said, “That’s okay. Something tells me she’s been real hurt by some military dude. She’s gun-shy, is all.”

  “Oh,” Matt said, grinning, “and you’re going to fix that, right, Gardner?”

  “Well, I have a way with animals and babies. Maybe I can turn on my backwoods charm and get her to trust me.”

  “Really? Does that mean you’re coming here tomorrow?”

  “Sure. Why not?”

  Shaking his head, Matt walked toward the door. “You are a certified glutton for punishment, my friend.”

  “Yeah, well, I’ve survived worse than this,” he called back.

  Matt halted at the door. “You’re fighting a losing battle with Callie.”

  Chuckling, Beau said, “Most likely, but I’d rather be here than anywhere else right now.”

  “You’ve got it bad, brother,” Matt said, then disappeared around the corner.

  “Yeah,” Beau murmured. “I think I do.” He had to admit it—he liked Callie’s spirit. Hell, he liked redheaded women, and there wasn’t anything to dislike about this spunky gal. Now he just had to keep that door open between them, and slowly open it more and more.

  Beau was Delta Force and competitive by nature, but he also knew he couldn’t push Callie into anything. No, this gal was going to lead him on a merry chase. But she wasn’t going anywhere soon, and neither was he. Her time at this orphanage was ongoing until late March of next year. And he sure as hell was going to be around through March himself before going stateside once more.

  All he had to do was spot Callie walking quickly from one room to another, watching that sweet sway of those killer hips of hers, and he was lost in the fog of lust. But it was more than that drawing him helplessly to this maternal, nurturing belly dancer. From what Beau had already glimpsed of her, he was even more determined than ever get her into his arms and into his bed.

  CHAPTER 2

  By the third day at the orphanage, Beau had been pleased to observe that Callie was less grumpy toward him. Between his rounds with Matt inside and outside the orphanage, he’d volunteered to help change diapers at the diaper station. He’d told Maggie, the owner of the orphanage, that he was good with babies and if she wanted, he’d feed them, bathe them, and diaper them.

  Well! She’d jumped at his offer, and he found himself in what they called the “baby room” when he wasn’t on his security walks. And by now, he was used to the rhythm of the busy, overcrowded orphanage.

  Beau was dealing with a three-month-old baby girl as her nine-year-old sister, Aliya, stood nearby, looking on. Aliya watched as he placed the tyke on the soft white blanket spread across the table where diapers were changed. He was busy talking to Aliya in Pashto, drawing her out, making her feel comfortable in his presence as he unpinned the soft cotton diaper from the gurgling baby girl. He smiled down at the little one, her green eyes wide as he gently removed the dirty diaper, dropping it in a nearby bucket of water and bleach. He’d also volunteered to clean dirty diapers and put them in the aging washing machine at the back of the orphanage afterward.

  Callie peeked in through the open door, her attention caught by the low, soft conversation between Beau and nine-year-old Aliya. It seemed impossible that a man of his height and size could move so delicately as he slipped a fresh diaper beneath the baby’s bottom. She had to admit it: just watching him made her heart turn over with emotions she hadn’t felt for a long time.

  Beau was truly a sight, with his height and set of broad shoulders, his Kevlar vest over his long-sleeved blue tee. His jeans fit his body to perfection, and Callie could no longer ignore it. But it was Beau’s low, crooning voice in that Southern drawl of his that mesmerized both her and the baby as he expertly pinned each side of the infant’s diaper into place with safety pins. He made sure her little crocheted booties were snug on each of her waving feet, brushing her black hair aside from her round face with his spare fingers.

  “Are you done?” she now asked, coming into the room. Callie leaned over, giving Aliya a warm hug.

  “Just about,” Beau murmured. He rearranged the baby’s wool pullover. “Cute little thing, isn’t she?” He slid one hand beneath the baby’s tiny neck and the other beneath her buttocks, lifting her up and handing her over to Callie.

  “She’s adorable,” Callie admitted, gently taking the baby. “I’m ready to feed her now.”

  Nodding, Beau said, “She’s all yours. I’ve got these to rinse out.” He grinned, leaning down and picking up the tall plastic bucket filled to the brim with wet diapers.

  Callie laid the baby against her shoulder, patting her back gently. “You’ve done this a time or two, haven’t you?”

  “Told you before,” Beau said, smiling broadly, “I have two younger brothers, and my ma put me to work as soon as I could handle a diaper, clean it, and replace it on them. It wasn’t lost on her that I was good at it.” He
chuckled, moving past her and heading down the hall toward the laundry room.

  Callie frowned, sliding her hand comfortingly along the baby’s back. Ever since she’d snapped at him a few days ago, he’d acted as if she no longer existed. No more hungry looks. No more anything. Yet, Beau had made himself quite indispensable around here, just like Matt Culver. They were good men and brave soldiers, and they cared about this place and the kids. It wasn’t a game to them, although Callie didn’t fool herself. Matt was here because he was attracted to Dara. Her sister was definitely falling for the Delta Force sergeant, too—she could see it.

  And now, Callie couldn’t still her curiosity about Beau Gardner. Any guy who could happily change a diaper got her attention!

  Beau had just finished placing the diapers in the washer when he felt someone enter the laundry room behind him. He turned, seeing Callie standing there, frowning at him, confusion in her expression.

  “What?” he teased. “Got another diaper job for me?” he asked as he straightened, turning on the machine.

  “Are you doing anything tonight after we get back to Bagram?” she surprised him by asking.

  At a momentary loss, Beau said, “No. Why?” He watched her move nervously from one foot to another. He stood there, hands at his sides, holding her clear, green gaze.

  “Would you like to join me for some beer and pizza tonight?”

  Well, hell, you could have knocked him over with a feather! Beau remained serious, trying not to let the surprise show in his face. “Sure, I’d like that. Do you have a favorite place?” There were several pizza joints at Bagram along restaurant row. He opened his hands. “I promise I’ll conduct myself as a gentleman.”

  Callie’s expression subtly changed, and he sensed that she wanted to trust him. And she could; Beau was as good as his word. He knew Callie wasn’t a woman he could hog-tie and carry off to his bed with a few sweet words.