Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Synopsis
Glossary of Military Terms Used
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Epilogue
Zone of Action
Other Books
Acknowledgements
About the Author
HITTING THE SILK
CAREER SOLDIER, BOOK 3
TAWDRA KANDLE
Hitting the Silk: Career Soldier, Book 3
Copyright © 2017 by Tawdra Kandle
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Cover by Meg Murrey
Formatting by Champagne Formats
Once upon a time, Delia Rollins was an Army wife, until the unthinkable happened. Now as a young widow and school teacher, she’s vigilant about protecting her heart. Her number one rule for the future? No more military men in her life. She can’t handle the risk.
Army captain Shaw Kincaid is addicted to taking risks. He lives to challenge himself, whether it’s in physical training or in pushing the safety envelope. But when he meets Delia, he realizes winning her heart might be his most daunting task ever.
No matter how hard Delia works to push Shaw away, she can’t deny the intense chemistry between them . . . or how much she’s growing to actually like him. And for Shaw, the more time he spends with the irresistible Delia, the deeper he falls for her.
For the danger ranger and the gun-shy widow, love may be the riskiest—and the sweetest—leap they ever take.
Glossary of Military Terms Used
BDU: Battle Dress Uniform, more commonly known as fatigues. This is the uniform worn by most soldiers on duty. These are made of a heavy camouflage cotton, either in dark green (jungle fatigues) or lighter sand colors (desert fatigues).
BOQ: Bachelor Officer Quarters, where unmarried officers can live. Officers also have the option to live off-post, in their own rented or owned home. While on temporary duty, officers are assigned quarters in the BOQ at their temporary post.
PT: Physical Training, which is a set of morning exercises required of all soldiers.
TDY: Temporary Duty, wherein a soldier is temporarily assigned to a post other than his/her permanent assignment. Temporary duty might be assigned for a short course, for training, or for a limited-time duty of another sort.
PCS: Permanent Change of Station, where a soldier and his/her family move from one permanent assignment to another. This usually takes places every 3-4 years, depending on the branch of service or other circumstances.
Dress Blues: the uniform worn by Army officers and enlisted men on more formal occasions.
Air Assault School: In Fort Campbell, Kentucky, the United States Army Air Assault School qualifies soldiers to conduct air mobile and air assault helicopter operations, to include aircraft orientation, sling-load operations, proper rappelling techniques and fast-rope techniques.
MP: Military police
Dedication
To all of the wonderful teachers in my life, especially my kids, Devyn and Greg, and my sister-in-law Kelly, who make it all look so easy, even when I know it is not.
And most especially to those family members in the military who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Your courage is never forgotten.
Chapter One
Shaw
I moved cautiously, careful to make as little noise as possible. Stealth was important in this kind of mission. I needed to maintain as much of the element of surprise as I could. It wasn’t easy when each footfall of my heavy boots seemed to echo against the walls, but hey, I was a professional. An Airborne Ranger. I’d been in tighter spots than this, and fuck if I was going to screw it up.
“SHAW!”
The body that rushed at me was like a heat-seeking missile. It came at full-speed, striking my legs just above the knees and nearly knocking me over in its enthusiasm. I might’ve been more than a little pissed if said body hadn’t been attached to a blond head and huge blue eyes that were currently looking up at me with full-on hero worship adoration while his small hands clung to my BDU pants.
“Little man!” If we’d been at his house, I would’ve swooped down and swung Colin around, making him screech in pretend fear before I wrapped him in a big old Uncle Shaw bear hug. But we were here, in public, at the dude’s school, so out of respect for his reputation, instead I extended one of my fists.
The kid bumped it, his face glowing, and I thought with a pang in my heart how much my buddy Jeff was missing. I didn’t know how he could stand to be away from his kid, let alone from his wife. It was a good reminder for me, too, about why I’d committed to stay single and unattached as long as I was in the Army. I couldn’t imagine going off on deployments, leaving behind the woman I loved and any rug rats that happened to come along. It would tear me up.
“Thanks for coming today, Shaw. I told the guys about you, and they’re all, like, excited to meet you.”
I grinned. Little man sounded just like a miniature version of his dad and me and all our buddies, and I liked it. The joy in the kid’s eyes made me glad I’d volunteered for this particular duty. And I might not have even gotten to be here if I hadn’t run into Sandra, Colin’s mom, at the commissary last week.
I’d been doing my normal skim-by shopping, picking up the few things I kept in my mini-fridge in the BOQ. I ate my meals at the Officers Mess, but I liked to have a small jug of milk in my room, as well as some nuts, yogurts and other stuff that kept me from delving into the crap that came out of vending machines or through the windows of drive-thrus. I’d been happy to see Sandra and Colin, since I’d been meaning to check in with them anyway.
Sandra had been her normal perky, upbeat self. While I stuck to my conviction about families not being an asset to a committed soldier, if a guy had to have a wife, Sandra was the perfect type. I’d never seen her boo-hooing when Jeff took off, and she kept the stiffest upper lip I’d ever seen. The woman was strong, and it was one of the reasons I’d had no compunction about promising Jeff I’d keep my eye on both his wife and his boy while he was overseas. I’d known that Sandra wouldn’t be calling me in the middle of the night unless the shit had really hit the fan.
But while Jeff’s wife had been smiling and cheerful in the canned food aisle that day, I’d noticed that Colin wore a frown. Nothing I said brought him around—not my usual teasing or silly questions—and finally, I’d looked at his mom with a raised eyebrow.
Sandra had sighed and answered me in a low voice. “Oh, don’t worry about him. He’s sad panda right now because they have this deal at school next week—it’s called Lunch with a Loved One—and he’s bummed that Jeff won’t be there to eat with him. I offered to go, but he said I’m always the o
ne who goes in for those things. Of course, he’s right.” She shrugged. “But I guess his friends have their dads coming in, and he feels like the only one who won’t.”
I’d thought for about a half a second. “I’ll do it. I’ll go eat lunch with little man.”
Sandra had tilted her head at me. “Seriously? You know you don’t have to do that, Shaw. He’ll get over this.”
“Nah, I want to do it.” And I wasn’t lying. This was the least I could do for Jeff, who I’d known since officer basic. “Send me the details, okay? I’ll talk to the colonel tomorrow, but I know she’ll be cool with it. It’s community building and all that.”
That was how I’d ended up here, at Parker Elementary, standing in line for the cafeteria with a bunch of second grade boys.
“Colin, there you are. I was looking all over for you. You and your guest are at my table.”
I turned around to see who was talking to little man, and my heart stopped.
Okay, I knew that wasn’t physiologically possible. I knew that a heart couldn’t stop without the unpleasant side effect of me dropping dead, but it definitely skipped a beat, thanks to the woman standing just behind us.
She wasn’t that tall, but she wasn’t short, either; the top of her head was just about shoulder-level to me, I’d guess. Her hair was deep red, and it fell in a silky sheet down her back. Her eyes were huge and the most vivid green I’d ever seen on someone not wearing those special tinted contacts. Sure, it was possible that she was wearing those, but I didn’t think so. On her, the color seemed natural, not fake.
Being a guy, of course I checked out her body. It was tough to get a good read on her rack, because her shirt was kind of drapey. She wasn’t built like a centerfold, that was for sure, but I didn’t care about that. Her waist was nipped in, accented by the wide band of her short, flouncy skirt. What really made me stare, though, were her legs: they were long and shapely, ending in high heels that made them look even hotter. I had a sudden but very clear image in my head of how those legs would look wrapped around my waist, the heels still on her feet . . .
Suddenly, I realized she was talking—talking to me, in fact—and that if I didn’t pay attention, she was going to assume I was an idiot. Forcing myself to jerk my gaze from her legs to her mouth, I smiled.
“Sorry.” I held a hand by my ear. “It’s a little loud in here. Can you repeat that?”
Her eyes narrowed as though she was totally on to me and my pervy ways, and maybe she was. “I said, I’m Mrs. Rollins. I’m on the committee for Lunch with a Loved One, and you and Colin are sitting at my table.” She held out one slim hand. “Thanks so much for coming today. I know Colin appreciates it, and we do, too.”
Disappointment zinged through me. Fuck. She’d clearly said Mrs., hadn’t she, and not the less definitive Ms? She was married. I snuck a quick glance down at her left hand, but there was no ring there. Hmmm. Maybe I’d misheard her, or maybe she was divorced.
And why the hell should it matter to me? So she was a hot chick. It wasn’t like I didn’t see plenty of others on a daily basis—or at least a weekly basis. I didn’t lack for company or dates, even with my strict no-strings policy. My buddies and I hit the bars, or even better, we drove up to Richmond to the clubs. I preferred that particular venue for meeting women, because the city girls tended to be more career-oriented and open to one-night hook-ups. The last thing they wanted was to get tangled up with a guy who moved every two or three years.
Still, something about this teacher intrigued me. I wanted to know more. Reaching over Colin’s head, I took the hand she’d offer me, closing my much-larger fingers over hers. I felt a buzz of pleasure at her touch, and I wondered if she did, too, because she frowned, leaning back a little, as though she’d gotten an electric shock.
“Thanks for letting me come.” I released her hand and brought both of mine behind my back, going to parade rest out of habit. “I’m Shaw Kincaid.”
Her eyes flickered to my name tape, sewn onto my BDU blouse, and then to the rank insignia. “Colin’s been talking about you, Captain Kincaid.” Her smile got just a little bit warmer, a little less removed when she talked about little man, I realized. “I’ll look forward to chatting with you at lunch. Once you two have your trays filled, you can join us at the table at the back of the cafeteria, over to the right.” She motioned behind me.
“See you there.” My eyes followed the scrumptious Mrs. Rollins as she turned and threaded her way between the various students and tables. The skirt she wore wasn’t too short—it didn’t scream unprofessional or skanky—but it also wasn’t boring. I wasn’t positive, but I was willing to bet that the cotton covered a nicely-rounded ass. I could almost feel it under my hands.
“Shaw, guess what? Lunch today is pizza. It’s our favorite, right?” Colin was fairly writhing with excitement.
I ruffled his hair and grinned. “It sure is, my man. How many slices do you think you can eat today?”
He screwed up his face and wrinkled his forehead, thinking. “Five?”
“Dude.” I raised one skeptical eyebrow. “Seriously? You’re like, three feet tall. Where are you going to put five pieces of pizza?”
“I’m a growing boy.” Colin patted his small stomach. “My mom says that all the time. She says I eat her out of house and home, and maybe I’m putting it in my hollow leg.”
I could just hear Sandra teasing the boy like that, and it made me laugh. “I just bet. Okay, let’s compromise. I’ll get five pieces of pizza, and whatever you can’t eat, I will. Does that work?”
He shrugged. “Sure, but aren’t you going to be hungry when I eat them all?”
I wagged my head. “Guess that’s just a chance I’ll have to take.”
We shuffled along through the cafeteria line, and I piled pizza onto the tray. The lunch lady stared at me with wide eyes when she saw how much food we’d selected.
I pointed down at little man. “It was his idea. He promised he could eat this many. I’m just along for the ride.” I gave her a wink.
She tossed back her head and laughed. “Good luck, hon. Hope you got a big appetite!”
I chuckled as I pulled out my wallet to pay. “Hey, you never know. I might be back up here at the end of the lunch hour, begging you to toss me some scraps because my buddy here didn’t leave even one piece for me.”
“Tell you what. I’ll hold you a green salad, just in case.” She handed me my change, patting my hand.
“Thanks.” Picking up the tray, I checked behind me to make sure Colin was following and began making my way to the table where Mrs. Sizzle was waiting, along with two other students and two adults, a woman who was probably a mom and an older man whom I guessed was a visiting grandpa.
“Oh, good.” Mrs. Rollins pointed to the remaining empty seats. “This is Colin Garlock, who’s in second grade, and his friend, Captain Kincaid.”
The other grown-ups murmured greetings, while the two kids ignored me. The little girl, an adorable angel with jet-black hair and a heart-shaped face, waved at Colin. He returned the gesture and then grabbed a plate from the tray and began chowing down.
The teacher grinned at him before she glanced back at me. “Captain Kincaid, this is Mrs. Sorbrooke and her son, Jared, and Mr. DeLeon and his granddaughter Keira. She’s in Colin’s grade. Jared’s in first grade.”
I nodded at the introductions. “Please call me Shaw. Nice to meet you all.”
“Same here.” Mr. DeLeon extended his hand. “Thank you for your service to our country. I appreciate it.”
I felt that same mix of pride and guilt I always did when people thanked me. “Not necessary, sir, but I appreciate it. I love what I do, so it doesn’t feel like much of a job. More like getting to be a big kid and play all the time.”
“Still, some of what you do must be dangerous, isn’t it?” Mrs. Sorbrooke took a sip of her juice box. “It’s not fun all the time.”
I shrugged. “The only part I don’t enjoy is the paperwork.
I have to say, I spend too much time behind a desk now. I’m always ready to go out in the field, whenever they let me. I was deployed for a few months this summer on joint exercises overseas, and it was like being in camp again. I got to do some jumps and lead a company on a three-day hike in the mountains. That’s what I really love.”
“Jumps?” The older man cocked his head. “Now you wouldn’t be talking about jumping out of a perfectly good airplane, would you?”
“Hey, you got me.” I spread my hands, grinning. “I went to airborne school when I was still in college, and I’ve been addicted to it ever since. You ever been?”
Mr. DeLeon chortled. “Not me! I have enough getting on the airplane without being nervous, let alone diving out of it.”
“Shaw jumps with a parachute,” Colin announced around a huge bite of pizza. “He goes up in the airplane, and they open up the door and then he jumps. They never have to push him.”
“Thanks for the build-up, little man.” I gave his shoulder a gentle punch. “But remember your manners, okay? There are ladies at the table, and you shouldn’t talk with your mouth full, anyway. You going to save any of that pizza for me?”
He pushed one plate toward me without missing a beat. I folded the slice in half, hesitating before taking a bite. I’d noticed that Mrs. Rollins seemed a little uncomfortable with the topic of conversation, and I wasn’t sure why. Maybe she didn’t want me to be a glory hog and make this lunch all about me, or maybe she was one of the many locals who didn’t think too highly of the military. We’d had some increasing tensions lately between the soldiers and the townies. Whatever the reason, changing the subject was a good idea.
“Have you lived here long, Mrs. Sherbrooke?” I turned my attention to the woman. “In Petersburg, I mean.”
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