Kilted Desire Sands of Betrayal

KILTED DESIRE - Sands of Betrayal By A.B.McKINLEY

Smashwords Edition Copyright 2012 A.B.McKINLEY Smashwords Edition, License Notes This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

All characters appearing in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

Acknowledgments “I’d like tae give special thanks tae Kim Haight and Terri Zinchiak fer all their hard work, time and effort in helping making this book possible.” "Also, thanks tae Sue Klepinger and Dana Rodgers fer yer help and suggestions.”

Thank yer tae everyone fer taking the time tae review my book. I truly appreciate it. A.B. McKinley

Book Review - Excerpts “I loved Kilted Desire - Sands of Betrayal… passion that will leave you longing for more. I was floored by the courage and bravery of the hero fighting for what he knew was right and for his steadfast dedication to the one he loved. I would recommend this book to all my friends.” ~Johanna J., OR “…we are emotionally engaged from the very first page and anxiously await what will happen with every turn of the page thereafter. You will be transported into a world of adventure, danger, betrayal, heartfelt romance, love, sadness and violence. I would highly recommend this book to both women and men.” ~Terri Ann Z., CA “Finished it in less than a day - not because it was short…but because I COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN!!...a page turner!! Caught myself gasping… I love books that have a way of bringing me into their world… takes me away from my own reality for a little while. Read it!” Jillian L., IL “I really enjoyed the story… makes you want to visit Scotland and find a man in a kilt… Read it… you won’t be disappointed.” ~Dawn P., MI “Wow!!” ~Cassandra M., PA “…I really enjoyed the scenes set in Scotland, very romantic and sexy. You will find yourself… emotionally involved with the characters… dialogue and descriptive sections was perfect. Great book, more please.” ~Jayne P., CA “If you love men in uniform… lots of action… steamy romance this is the book for you…” ~Cindy J., VA “All I can say is wow !!” ~Pam M., OH “Full of steamy romantic interludes, breathtaking tension, and surprises…a guilty pleasure for romance and adventure lovers alike.” ~Melissa D., VA “…action and adventure for both men and women…great stories. For people who love to read about romance with struggles… how love conquers all.” ~Denise S., NY

“…I was very skeptical about this book. I have a “thing” about men writing romance… I thoroughly enjoyed this story... I definitely will be watching Mr. McKinley closely in the future as I feel he has a great career as an author ahead of him.” ~Kimberly R., NY “Perfect guilty pleasure reading!” ~Stacy W., MS “…smart, passionate and extremely sexy. The book had me guessing throughout… I would recommend Kilted Desire-Sands of Betrayal and would love to read more…” ~JR H., USA “A beautiful mosaic of drama, romance, action and (oh baby) spicy hot sex…” ~Gretchen R., OH “The villains are actually villains…The story is complex…an interesting read. This would definitely be a read by the pool book.” ~Cassanna D., FL “Great book!” ~Celtic891 “The action in Iraq was very scary and very realistic. A.B. McKinley is a new author and I really enjoyed this book…” ~Sue K., IN “A captivating story of love and sacrifice…” ~Dana R., VA “Some authors tell stories, some paint pictures, A.B. McKinley draws us into his world of love, intrigue and betrayal. Right from his first words… you hear Scott’s accent, feel his embrace and sensual kisses… you feel the urgency when the bomb explodes… Honor, Integrity and Charm… describe the main character... a must read for the men too!” ~Kimberly Marie H., CO

Prologue Scott Maclaren had a stubborn streak and when he thought he was doing something for the right reason, it was very rare for him to change his mind. Maybe this had something to do with his military background. Scott was a tall, athletic guy who kept his military buzz-cut since he left his British Army Special Forces unit four years prior due to a terrible injury he suffered on active duty in Afghanistan. He was part of an elite team that completed many secret missions behind enemy lines. They were responsible for infiltrating and eliminating terrorist strongholds and training camps. The Taliban were tough fighters, but more often than not, missions were completed with the team suffering very few or no casualties. They also performed similar missions in Iraq, tackling many insurgents, particularly Al Qaeda fighters. As quickly as they removed the extremists, more groups were formed which made the job very difficult for the soldiers. Afghanistan proved a very different terrain to Iraq with the mountainous regions making things more difficult. One day things went tragically wrong. An RPG (rocket propelled grenade) hit the small plane that was transferring Scott’s unit. The plane crash landed killing many of his friends. Scott survived. Luckily, the few survivors were rescued and airlifted out of the region before the enemy could capture them. The doctors at the military hospital in Kuwait were not sure if Scott would survive as he had suffered many injuries and was in a coma. The most serious injury was his broken back. He came through an operation to fuse the fracture and a metal frame was inserted around his spine to support it. His spinal cord was badly damaged, but not completely severed. There was a chance he would walk again, but the general opinion of the medical staff was that he would not. Scott awoke from the coma several days later. He learned the tragic news that many of his friends were killed. The doctors explained to him why he could not move his legs and the reasons it was unlikely he would ever walk again. He was devastated by the news, but as he lay there, he put all his strength into trying to move his legs and wiggle his toes. Though his brain was telling him he was doing just that, when he looked down towards his feet, there was no movement. He was completely paralyzed below the waist, something he would have to deal with for the rest of his life. Within a few days, he was transferred to a hospital back in the U.K. To be back to the one person he looked forward to seeing and needed the most - his lovely wife. Many thoughts raced through Scott’s mind. Some were comforting, to be home and in the arms of his loving wife. Then there were thoughts of another nature, not so comforting. What if he could never walk again? What if he could never hold his wife and dance together or worse. Oh, the last thought. He was a strong, athletic man. His thoughts went to, what if he would be unable to make love with his wife again? It was the worst time of his life. Scott had always been an active, athletic

person. Growing up in Scotland, he had been involved in sports and played soccer to a high level. He was also a Black Belt kickboxing champion and had been a martial arts instructor before joining the Army. As he lay in his hospital bed, all he could think about were the things he loved that he would no longer be able to do. He had a hard time coming to terms with what happened, but he knew the risks of the job. It was hard for him to stay positive, but most days, he tried to give the nurses a smile. He thought things could not get any worse. Wrong! Things did get worse, much worse. He had been back in the U.K. for a few days. He was now anxious and needed to see his wife, but she had not come by the hospital. There were so many things going through his mind, however, he briefly thought she may not realize he was home yet and asked the doctors to contact her. He had been married to Claire for two years at the time. She was a secretary. He met her in a bar one night when he was on leave in London. She was pretty, but he always knew she could be a little selfish and snobby sometimes. They dated for nearly a year and she led him to believe she was fine with the fact he had to be away at times for his job. He had truly fallen for her. So much so, he proposed, took her hand and said I do and spoken vows that he would love honor and cherish her. He couldn’t believe she still hadn’t visited. Scott would never forget exactly what happened when she eventually came to see him, nearly a week after his return. He remembered their short conversation, word-for-word. When he saw her approaching his bedside, he was excited, smiled and asked her for a hug. She did not oblige, making an excuse of not wanting to hurt him in his present condition. Then, she told him how she had been lonely while he was away and met someone else. As if that wasn’t devastating enough, she continued, telling him she heard from the doctors that he was going to be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life and that was not something she wanted to deal with. She wanted a divorce. He felt numb all over and was unable to talk. What could he have said? Closing his eyes, he tried to breathe and comprehend what was happening. With his eyes still closed, he listened to her heels clicking on the floor as she walked away. For days, he’d been in shock and hardly spoke to anyone, but slowly the shock and disbelief turned to anger. Angry thoughts towards her, and everyone else, even the doctors. How dare they tell him he would not walk again. They did not know him. They did not know what he was capable of. He made himself a promise to walk again, and this promise he definitely intended to keep. He would show all of them. When you tell Scott Maclaren he cannot do something, he will prove you wrong. After nearly three years in various hospitals, and many physical therapy sessions later, he managed to get back on his feet and returned to his hometown of Clydebank, just outside of Glasgow. He would never be able to physically do what he could before, but he was alive and able to walk. He was grateful for that and continued getting stronger every day. He had been given a glimmer of hope about six months after the accident when he saw the big toe on his right foot move. After so much disappointment, he was not sure if it had really happened or if his mind was playing tricks on him, so he did not say anything for a while. A few

minutes later, he attempted to wiggle it again as he looked down nervously to see if the digit had really moved. It moved! He never thought he could be so excited about wiggling a toe! He had shouted to the nurses, unable to contain his enthusiasm. That was just the beginning. Over the next few months, more muscles had slowly started to work again and as soon as they did, he worked with the hospital Physical Therapists on strengthening them. It was a long process, but eventually he was able to prove the doctors wrong. In a way, he was glad they had told him what they did. It had given him the extra motivation to get better, not that he needed any. His divorce was taken care of, too. He had just signed papers sent by her attorney. He wanted it to be over with. She pretty much took everything in the divorce settlement. He didn’t have the energy to fight it at the time. He never saw Claire again after that day at the hospital. Moreover, after what she had done, he did not really care to.

Chapter 1 Scott’s heart was pounding as he fastened his seat belt. The pilot announced the plane was ready for take-off. He believed he was doing the right thing, but someone else wasn’t quite so sure. His girlfriend text messaged him calling him all manner of things for leaving like this. She was not happy and he knew it. “Don’t go, Scott. Please come home,” the last message read before he turned his phone off for the flight. He was stubborn though, and when he decided to do something, not even the girl he adored would change his mind. He knew she would try to talk him out of it. He didn’t say goodbye, but instead he left an email hoping she would not read it until later in the afternoon when she finished teaching her kindergarten class. By then, he would be on his way and doing what he knew was best for both of them. But, things had not gone according to plan. She checked her email during her lunch break, something she didn’t normally do, but today for some reason, she felt compelled. He sent one text message saying he loved her more than anything, not to worry and he would talk to her as soon as he landed in New York. As he anticipated, the messages continued to pour in. Scott’s heart was beating faster. He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. All flights made him nervous after his accident, but this was to be a short one. In a little over an hour, the plane would be landing in New York. When he landed, he would call Katie. He was dreading it because he knew she was upset. He was pretty sure that everything would be fine since she knew how much he loved her and to what lengths he’d go for her to make her happy. He was looking forward to hearing her voice. It always made him smile, whether she was mad at him or not. He had never felt like this about anyone before, having fallen head over heels for Katie within just a few weeks of meeting her. He always told himself that he would never get involved in a serious relationship again after his disastrous marriage, but meeting her changed everything. His thoughts turned to how much he would miss her, and how hard this was going to be. The only thing that kept his mind focused on following through with his plan and his vision of the future was being happy with this beautiful woman he was in love with. Scott gazed out the window. All he could see were fluffy, white clouds. He put on his headphones, reclined his chair and closed his eyes. “That idiot!” she screamed, as she slammed the cell phone down on the leather couch. Once again, Scott did not reply to yet another of the text messages she sent. She took the rest of the afternoon off work after she read his email. She couldn’t concentrate on her students and said she wasn’t feeling well, which was true and went home. Katie Johnson was a typical Midwest ‘girl next door’ type of woman, who was very pretty and knew it. She was usually able to flutter her eyelashes and get most things she wanted. So this was unusual for her, for someone to do something that she did not agree with. She and Scott were a passionate couple, very different in many ways, but when they were

together, sparks would fly. There was definitely electricity between them that neither of them ever felt before. She sat down on her couch and ran her fingers through her long blond hair, pausing to look at her jagged nails regretting that she resorted to her bad habit of biting them. She thought he must have taken off, and would be arriving soon in New York, so she could talk to him then. Katie also knew that her girls would be home from school soon and she needed to calm down. She was an excellent mother and would do anything for her girls. Since their birth she had been pretty much a single parent. Her estranged husband showed little interest in his children and even less since their separation nearly a year ago. Katie met Scott just after their split. The timing was terrible, but the connection was so strong that neither of them could help falling for each other. Her ex-husband was physically and mentally abusive. She lived most of the past twelve years in fear, walking on eggshells, being careful of everything she said or did, trying not to upset him. She knew if it were not for the children, she would have been out of the marriage sooner, but kept convincing herself things would get better one day. They never did. For over a year, Michael had been out of the house and they were legally separated, but their divorce was not yet final and he was doing everything he could to delay it in an attempt to continue controlling her. Most of the time, she would get messages telling her he still loved her and he wanted her back. He used his visitation rights to find ways to talk and harass her. What could she do? He was their father, and had rights. She could not stop him from seeing his girls. She wouldn’t do that anyway, as it was important that the girls have a relationship with their father, even if he was a terrible dad and was using them to see her. One day they would work it out for themselves, or he would change for the better. She doubted the latter would ever happen. Michael was a bully and had made many threatening comments about Scott to Katie. Like most bullies, he liked to pick on those weaker than himself and intimidate others, especially women. He was not a particularly big man, he stood about 5’8”, was overweight and a big talker. He was unaware of Scott’s background and did not know anything about him apart from he was Katie’s new boyfriend and he existed. She always tried to keep the two apart and was afraid of what could happen if they met. She knew what Michael’s temper was like. She also knew what would happen to him if he were foolish enough to try to engage Scott. She really wanted to see him get what was coming to him, but knew that if something happened, the police would be involved and there was the possibility the girls would hate Scott for hurting their dad. Scott completely understood the situation and agreed to do whatever she wanted. Her safety was his biggest concern. After two hours, Katie’s phone started to ring; it was Scott calling from New York. “Hi,” he said, waiting for the outburst. “I can’t believe you left like this.” “I know it was nae ideal, but it was the best way. Yer know there were things I wanted tae do afore I left if I was going tae go. But after I spoke tae them earlier today, they offered me a much better deal if I could leave reet away. They needed

me urgently.” “I need you, too, and we didn’t even agree you were going to do this.” “I know Katie, I’m sorry, but if I do this job, it could give us enough money tae buy the house yer want and set us up fer life. It’s just six months, we’ll be in touch every day and I’ll be able tae come haem fer visits.” She swallowed hard and felt herself getting upset at the realization of what he said. They had been looking at houses the prior weekend. She made it clear that she would love to live in a nice lake-front property. That kind of house was very expensive and if they were going to have a place like that, he needed to get some extra money. Due to his Special Forces military background and an old friend, he was offered a job as a personal security guard in Baghdad. The company was Professional Corporate Protection Services (PCPS). They supplied personal bodyguards for executives whose companies were intent on expanding their businesses. Making money in dangerous parts of the world by getting a foot in the door when that particular country’s economy was at a low point gave them a great possibility of growth. PCPS only hired British or American ex-Special Forces military personnel and charged the companies an extraordinary amount of money for specialized protection of their employees. It was supposed to be a type of intelligence/surveillance job, which would include getting the client safely to and from work every day and providing round-the-clock protection while they were there. Years before he and his unit had performed many missions in the area during and after Baghdad’s fall to coalition troops during OperationEnduring Freedom. He knew his way around the city. According to all reports and the recruiters at PCPS, Baghdad was becoming a safer place. It seemed like easy money, and he wanted it to give the girl of his dreams the house of her dreams. “Just trust me, it will be worth it, I have tae go tae catch my flight tae London, I will call yer when I get there and I’ll be in touch with yer every time I can.” He was to meet with one of the bosses of PCPS in London to collect some paperwork, then fly on to Kuwait and eventually into Baghdad. “Okay, I love you,” she said, reluctantly, feeling guilty that he was doing this so he could afford the type of house that she wanted. “I love yer more,” he replied, before quickly hanging up the phone so she could not object. She did have a tear in her eye, but a smile came to her face when he did this. She could not help it. It was a private joke, arguing about who loved the other more. She sat back down on the couch thinking about the next time she would hear from him. Where would he be? Would he be safe at his final destination in Baghdad? How was she going to get through six months without seeing him? She still could hear the sound of his voice in her head. His accent always made her melt. From the first time they met, it was one of the things that attracted her to him. She loved the way he rolled his r’s and the way he pronounced things in general. Sometimes people couldn’t understand what he was saying. Sometimes just the way he spoke made women want him. Over the last few months he was hit on quite often by American women who were fascinated by his accent. He

didn’t understand it and was always polite when meeting people, but as far as he knew he didn’t do anything to encourage these advances. Katie knew that was the truth. He was a complete gentleman and she never once questioned his faithfulness or devotion to her. Thinking about his accent reminded her of two nights ago, their last intimate night together. His big, strong arms held her close. Gripping her hair at the base of her neck, running his fingers along her face and neck. Whispering, ‘I love yer.’ Biting her ear lobe, she melted from his touch. He lifted her, sitting her up, removing her black, silk teddy, exposing and caressing her breasts, before moving over her. Kissing her neck, her shoulders, moving slowly downwards nibbling and licking her nipples, making them erect. His lips made their way down the length of her curvy body, between her legs, his hands caressing her breasts arousing them, his tongue moved to and around her core. “Mom, what’s for dinner?” she looked up and saw her youngest daughter Sophia looking hungry. Katie got up from the couch and headed to the kitchen, it was time to be a mom. She would have plenty of time to think about Scott later.

Chapter 2 The next morning, Katie awoke early and checked her phone to see if Scott left a message, but there were none. She thought to herself, he would be in touch when he could. She hoped to hear from him before leaving for work, but realized there were things he needed to do in London. It was Friday, a beautiful May morning and the sun was shining brightly. She did not really want to go to work, but at least it was the end of the week and she had the weekend to make sense of things. Katie made herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the breakfast table. The sounds of birds singing and the strong smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the kitchen as she contemplated her mixed feelings of all that transpired the previous day. On the one hand, she was still angry with him for going, but felt special that he would do this for her and her girls. She was fearful of what could happen to him there. She read his ‘goodbye’ email several times the previous evening and he assured her that he had been told Baghdad was becoming a safer place. However, it was still Baghdad, the place she had seen on the news a few times. It did not look safe to her. She really did not know what to think, but kept trying to relax and trust his judgment. After all, if he was right, then she was going to have the big house she’d always wanted and they’d all live there together, Scott, the girls and herself. After the marriage she was in, she had given up on the prospect of her ‘happily ever after’ and now it looked like it was really going to happen. She had found a great man who loved her and would do anything for her. The bonus was that he also loved her girls. How could she stay angry with him? Just as she finished her coffee, two sleepy looking girls appeared in the kitchen still wearing their pajamas. Sophia was nine and a petite girl who loved fashion. Every day she would pick out her own outfits with accessories. It didn’t matter where she was going, whether it was to school or the grocery store, what she was wearing had to match and look good. Madison was eleven and into horses. She went riding at least once a week at a local stable. She recently started taking her sister along with her and Sophia really enjoyed it too. They were both pretty, with long blond hair just like their mother. They got along pretty well with each other most of the time, although like all siblings there was the occasional skirmish. Katie had slowly introduced them to Scott and it had paid off. They both got along with him very well and he enjoyed being around them too. At first, he was nervous about meeting them and how to act, having had no real experience with children. He need not have worried; he seemed to be a natural. Maybe it was because he was still such a big kid himself. Most weekends he found himself playing computer games, riding their four-wheelers or just general horsing around. The three could usually be found doing something fun together. It was a few minutes before 8:00 a.m. The girls left to catch the school bus and Katie was finishing getting herself ready to leave for work. She had about a ten minute drive to the small school where she taught kindergarten. As she was about to walk out of the house, her phone rang. It was Scott.

“Hi baby, how are yer?” he asked. “Hey babe, I’m good. How are you? Where are you? What’s happening?” He interrupted her as he could tell the questions were going to be coming rapidly. “Calm doon, I can only answer one question at a time. I’m fine. I’m in London and I have a meeting here in aboot half an hoor. I will know more later, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be flying into Kuwait later today,” he paused, then continued. “I know yer probably on yer way tae work now, but I will try and call yer again when yer on yer lunch break.” “Yeah, I’m just on my way out of the door. Call me later and let me know what’s going on. If I can’t answer just leave me a message.” “Will do babe. I miss yer already.” “I miss you too. Talk to you later. Love you.” “I love yer more,” he said, then hung up the phone quickly again. “That fu…r,” Katie said aloud. It was a good thing she was not at school. She could not help smiling to herself again as she got into her car. She put on her sunglasses, turned up the radio and headed to work. Katie recently returned to teaching full-time after her break up with Michael. Before then, she had been a substitute teacher and worked occasionally, since her main job was being a mom. She enjoyed teaching, but Michael wouldn’t let her work full time, not even when they struggled for money. It was another way of controlling her. She needed the money now to pay the bills. He hardly paid any child support and there seemed very little she could do about it, even though it was court ordered in their separation and pre-divorce documents. The way Michael perceived it, Scott was Katie’s boyfriend now, so why should he be forced to pay if someone else was reaping all the benefits. He was selfish and angry and would do anything to hurt her, even if it meant doing things that would ultimately hurt his own children. Katie lived in their marital home. Michael took a second mortgage on the house without her knowledge and then refused to pay any mortgage payments since before they split up and the house was now in foreclosure. She discovered it after she kicked him out. Michael was an auto mechanic and yet no bills were paid. Katie suspected it was a drug problem or he was supporting a mistress. Either could have been true, or both. The fact was her house, where her children were growing up was going to be foreclosed on and they would have to find another place to live. At lunchtime, Katie checked her phone and there were no messages yet from Scott. She sat down, took out her sandwich, a bottle of water and placed her phone on the arm of the chair, not wanting to miss the call. This would probably be the last time she would speak to him before he left for the Middle East. She trusted him and his expertise, but could not help but worry that something might happen to him. She promised herself that she would never let any man get this close to her, but within a few weeks of meeting Scott she knew she was starting to fall for him. She had known him for a little less than a year, but could not imagine her life without him. He was just supposed to be a transition guy to help get over her break up, but things had not quite gone to plan. She knew without a doubt that he was the one she was to spend the rest of her life with. Raise her

girls with as well as have more children with. She was in love, the kind of love she never experienced and it was fantastic. The only problem was that he just left for Baghdad for six months. Katie continued to stare at her phone as the minutes went by, willing it to ring, hoping it would, but nothing. Time was up. She put the phone in her purse and headed back to class. Later that afternoon when she finished work, Katie reached for her purse to check her phone. She wanted to check it all afternoon and tried really hard to focus on her class. There was one missed call. He called about ten minutes after her lunch break. She excitedly dialed her voicemail and waited to hear his message. “Hey baby, I’m sorry I missed yer, I really wanted tae talk tae yer afore I left tae explain a few things tae yer aboot what’s going tae happen, but I was on a tight schedule and have tae catch a flight in tae Kuwait at 7:00 p.m.” There was a pause. She was not sure if that was the end of the message, but then she heard him continue. “I’m at Heathrow now and at the gate fer my flight, so I have a couple of minutes tae explain things. Reet… I’m flying in tae Kuwait tonight and will meet a contact there tae give me papers tae get into Iraq. He will also arrange fer a private plane tae take me in tae Baghdad tomorrow. Apparently there are nae many major airlines that use Baghdad International anymore so it’s best tae use small private planes tae get in and oot of there. The guy who runs the operation over there will meet me at the airport and take me tae their office tae give me a rundoon on the city and everything I need tae do. They told me I would be guarding someone who works fer a Japanese business. I think they said it was a large electronics company. Anyway, he will be arriving on Monday and I will have tae collect him from the airport and take him tae the hotel. Then, I stay at the hotel with him tae make sure he’s safe. I’ll tell yer more when I get there. They told me I will get a laptop computer and be supplied with a cell phone that will definitely be able tae call the U.S. so I should be able tae call yer every day. Have tae go now baby, will talk tae yer as soon as I can. Dinnae worry aboot me I promise I will come haem tae yer safely. I love yer and I miss yer. Say hi tae the girls fer me. Bye babe.” “I love you too,” she said. It finally began to sink in that she was not going to see him for a while. She knew it was a just a voice message, but she needed to say what she did. She thought to herself that London was five hours ahead. He had mentioned that to her before. That meant it was just after 8:30 p.m. there and he said his flight was leaving at seven, so his flight had departed, he was in the air and on his way to the Middle East. She played his message again, partly to check the time that he was supposed to be leaving and to hear his voice again. She got into her car to head home. The girls’ bus dropped them off at 4:00 p.m. so she wanted to make sure she was back in time. As she drove home, she realized she needed to tell them that Scott would not be around for a while. She knew they would be disappointed and would not really understand the reasons behind his leaving. She did not say anything the previous day, just in case he decided not to go, although she knew it was highly unlikely he would change his mind. Maybe she would take them out to eat at their favorite

restaurant or maybe to her parent’s house and tell everyone together. She arrived home before the girls’ bus and sat down on the couch with a cup of coffee waiting for them to get home. She decided to turn on her laptop and try to find some information about what Baghdad was like now. However, after just a couple of minutes, she wished differently. She could not find much in the way of positive information so she quickly abandoned her search and checked her email just in case he managed an email before he left. No message, but she knew it was a busy day and he was probably jet lagged too. On a positive note, he left a message on her phone just as promised. In addition, he said he would have a cell phone that was capable of making calls to her when he got there so she knew he would call when he could. The evening went well. Katie took the girls out to eat at a local Japanese restaurant. She and Sophia loved Sushi. Madison was not as keen, but there were plenty of other choices. After the meal, they stopped at her parent’s house so she could talk to them all together. Her parent’s lived about ten minutes away, in the house where she grew up and she enjoyed visiting them. They met Scott a number of times and they all got along very well. Her father was a little cold towards him at first, but she thought that was from being concerned that he may be like Michael. He soon learned that Scott was a true gentleman and welcomed him anytime he came with her to visit. Everyone was surprised at the news and was sad that Scott was not going to be around for a while, but overall she thought they took it well. If she was honest, probably better than she did. Later that night as she lay alone in bed thinking of Scott, she was wishing his strong arms were wrapped around her. She longed to feel his hands on her body, his breath on her neck, and his kiss. Damn! This was going to be a long six months. She pictured him standing in front of her wearing just his kilt. He was proud of his heritage and wore it quite often. This would mortify the girls as people would stare and point. They may have been embarrassed, but Scott found it funny to see people’s reactions. His family’s tartan was mainly blue and green with an occasional red and yellow stripe. She loved to see him in his kilt. It was even better when he took his shirt off and just wore it and nothing else. She envisioned his strong arms and shoulders, toned chest and amazing abs. She imagined digging her long nails into his flesh, enough to leave a mark down the front of him. She knew he loved this and so did she. She pictured herself grabbing his butt with both hands as she licked his stomach. Thinking of his muscular body aroused her. She slowly slid her hand down in between her legs, started to pleasure herself and thought to herself that she wouldn’t be getting the real thing for a while, although he said there was a chance he may be able to come home for short visits occasionally. She hoped so. She knew there was no way she could last six months without feeling him deep inside her. It sent a warm flush through her, just thinking of him. The next morning Sophia woke her mom by deciding to cuddle in bed with her. It was after 10:00 a.m. and it was unusual for any of them to sleep this late. She reached for her phone. She’d slept with it on her pillow and surprisingly, there was a missed call from an unavailable number and a message. It rang at 9:06 a.m., but she did not wake up. She was mad she missed talking to Scott, but

eagerly dialed voicemail anticipating his voice. “Hey baby, if I got the time reet it should be after 9:00 a.m. over there so I’m nae sure why yer nae answering, I cannae believe yer still asleep. Anyway, it’s just after 5 p.m. here. We’re eight hoors ahead of yer. If yer have nae already guessed, I got here safely, I’m at the Baghdad office and will stay here fer the night. They have a wee apartment here so I’m guid. I have tae go over some more details with the boss tomorrow and then I pick up the client on Monday. There is something I have tae tell yer though, and trust me, it came as a huge shock tae me and I really am nae happy aboot it. The client is a woman, an American woman who works fer the company’s office in San Diego. She’s been put in charge of getting the business started over here. I have nae idea really why anyone would want tae come here, especially a woman, and it will make things difficult. If any of these crazy insurgent groups find oot there’s an American woman here, she’s going tae be a prime target tae be kidnapped. They’ll think they will be able tae get a bigger ransom fer her so I’m going tae have tae take extra precautions tae make sure she stays as much a secret as possible. I do have tae stay at the hotel with her, but I have been assured that her company has supplied a two-room suite at a top hotel. So like I said, I’m nae happy aboot it, but I guess there’s nae much I can do now. I will try and call yer again later if yer going tae wake up anytime today, but I am a wee bit tired so will be having an early night. Love yer baby. Hope yer and the girls are well. Bye.” Katie was shocked. What did he mean he was guarding a woman and would be staying in a suite with her? This was totally unexpected. “What the f,” she stopped herself from swearing since Sophia was lying next to her. “What’s wrong, Mom?” “Nothing honey, everything is fine,” she reassured her inquisitive daughter. However, it was not fine. She could not get the thought out of her head that her man would be spending six months in a hotel with another woman. Once again, she felt helpless. There was nothing she could do. He said that this woman would be a prime target for kidnappers, so that made her nervous too. She tried to rationalize things. She would most likely be an older woman executive if she was in charge of running the business, so it would be okay. It would be okay anyway because Scott was devoted to her and could handle himself. As she and Sophia slowly climbed out of bed and headed towards the kitchen, she knew she would learn to deal with the fact that he was working in a dangerous place and doing it for their future. She knew if she was scared, worried or depressed she could not let him know it when they spoke, because if he was worried about her, he would not fully be concentrating on his job. If he was distracted, it could make things more dangerous for him. Everything would be fine, she thought, as she sipped her cup of coffee. It had to be. He promised to come home safely and he always kept his promises.

Chapter 3 10 MONTHS EARLIER It was Saturday, a gorgeous, summer morning in Ashville, Ohio, a small picturesque village about twenty miles south of Columbus. Scott was sitting in his grandparent’s back yard typing on his laptop. It was a beautifully landscaped yard; with an abundance of mature trees and flowering shrubs. The smell of freshly cut grass was in the air. He arrived in the area a few days earlier to spend some time with them, not having seen them for a number of years. His Grandmother was American, born in Rochester, New York, and met his Grandfather in England while World War II raged on. She worked in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps. They married after the war ended and lived in upstate New York until just after their first child, Scott’s mother, was born. Then, before she was even a year old, they moved back to his Grandfather’s hometown in the Scottish Highlands and lived there happily for years after the transatlantic move. Because his Mother was born in the United States, it meant Scott had dual nationality, giving him the option to live in either country without the hassle of applying for visas, which was quite convenient. Scott was still recovering from his accident and trying to decide what he wanted to do next in his life. He was looking into the field of Physical Therapy and felt his background and all he had been through would suit him well if he pursued the idea. He was extremely grateful to the therapists who helped him learn to walk again when it seemed like it was not likely to happen. So he felt it was something he wanted to do. Scott knew there were a few good schools in the area so he decided to take a vacation and spend some time with his grandparent’s while looking into going back to school. While browsing schools on the internet, he decided to place an ad on a local personal’s website. It was not planned, just a spur of the moment thing when he saw the website. He put in a few details about himself, mid-thirties, 6’3”, he used to be in the military and he was Scottish. It took him a few minutes to complete the posting then returned to checking out schools and enjoying the beautiful summer weather. He had never done anything like this and did not give it much thought but decided he would check his email later that evening in case there were any women around his own age that might have responded. His grandparents were usually in bed fairly early and he didn’t know anyone in the area, so the last few nights were a little too quiet. That same afternoon, about forty miles to the north in the small town of Mount Vernon, Katie was also enjoying the weather. Her girls were camping with their grandparent’s for the weekend, something they did a lot each summer and Katie was thrilled with some much needed rest and relaxation. She was outside lying on her lounger, working on a tan and reading a romance book about vampires for a few hours. Every now and again, she would turn on her computer and surf the internet. The night before, a friend of hers was visiting, drinking wine and talking

about various things. Her friend, Jen, tried to convince her that she needed to start dating again now that her marriage was over, but Katie was reluctant. When she pressed about what type of guy she would be interested in, Katie blurted out a few things. She only said this to convince Jen that the type of man she would want would be very hard to find. She told Jen that she would only consider someone who was tall, very tall in fact, very fit, independent, and she wanted him to have an accent. She loved historical romance novels where the hero was British. She wasn’t really ready to start dating and Jen wouldn’t be able to find anyone that matched her criteria so she wouldn’t be able to set her up with anyone. Katie thought herself clever and was quite proud of stalling her friend’s matchmaking plans. Just like Scott, Katie never really looked in the personal ads, but as she was talking the previous night about dating in general, she decided to look at some local posts, just for fun. She was shocked when she saw Scott’s ad. She thought since the post was only made a few hours before, that it must be Jen messing with her. It must be. For a post to appear with just what she had asked for, a Scottish man near Mount Vernon, this must be some kind of set up. Should she call Jen and question her? Or play along? She was not sure what to do, but she was intrigued. What if the ad was real? Katie tried to distract herself by doing housework. No matter what she did, she simply could not get it out of her mind. After an hour, she called Jen and asked outright if she was playing a joke on her. It was not a joke. Katie, convinced that Jen was telling the truth, thought now what should she do? If this ad was real then it must be fate and she should reply. But, she didn’t need personal ads and this was way too soon. Her husband had only been gone for a few weeks. She decided she should sleep on it. If it were genuine, then surely it would be there tomorrow. Later that evening Scott was watching sports at his grandparent’s. They went to bed early again and he was alone watching a baseball game in the living room. It was a nicely furnished comfortable room. The brown patterned wallpaper and the shag carpet wasn’t exactly Scott’s idea of modern décor, but it did have a homey feel, especially with numerous photographs of his parents with him as a small child gracing the walls. He loved all sports and was really getting into watching and learning more about the famous American past time. The Cleveland Indians were playing the Cincinnati Reds and it was a close, exciting game. There was some kind of sport on every day in America, which he thought was great. Back home there were televised soccer games most weekends, but not every day. Having forgotten all about the ad he placed earlier in the day, when the game finished, he headed for bed. Around 2:00 a.m., Katie was still wide awake. She’d laid in bed for a few hours, but just could not sleep. She was restless; her mind was racing. She kept thinking about the words written in the ad. As much as she tried to relax and drift off to sleep, it was not happening. She read a few chapters of her book and watched reality shows that she was not particularly interested in, but no matter what, she could not fall asleep. She knew what she had to do, but still was not 100% sure she should. There was no chance of going to sleep if she did not. After a few more minutes of tossing and turning, she got up and went downstairs to her computer. As she

turned on the laptop, she wondered about the post and this mysterious Scotsman. Would the post still be there? If it was real, what was he doing here? What if it is just some local guy pretending to be Scottish just to hit on women like her who liked the idea of a man with an accent? Her whole body tingled when she saw the ad was still there. She hadn’t missed her chance, but she knew that even if he was real, there was no guarantee that he would even reply. Therefore, she decided that she would have to send a message that would catch his attention and pique his interest in finding out more about her. For what seemed like hours, she sat at her kitchen table typing a message, deleting it and starting again. Then deleting parts of it and changing her mind about what she wanted to say. She breezed through three cups of coffee so she was not going to be sleeping anytime soon. Finally she thought she had it right: Hi, I would like to start by saying, that responding to your post totally freaks me out. I have never responded to a post before because let’s face it there are some really weird people out there. I can’t help but be intrigued by you. You have piqued my curiosity, which is why I’m responding. I have nothing to hide, but I would love to chat with you via email a few times before sending you my picture. I just don’t know if you are for real. About me: I’m 33 years old, 5’6”, 138 lbs., I’m not fat, have curves in all the right places, long blond hair, & blue eyes. I love to curl up and read. I love learning new things. My friends tell me I’m the life of the party and I love nothing more than a man who can make me laugh. The fall is my favorite time of year. I think it must be the crisp air. I do not need a man to take care of me, but it’s just really nice to snuggle up to someone. I am divorced, and have two girls. I will never make any excuses about having my girls. They have made me who I am, and make me laugh every day. If you are interested in chatting, I would love to know more about you. For instance, what brings you to the U.S.? What makes you smile? Thanks, Katie She kept reading it over and over, thinking about what parts she should change. Was it too much about herself? Did it seem too eager? It was nearly 5:00 a.m. and the sunlight was starting to fill her kitchen. Her finger hovered above the enter button. If she pressed it, the message would be sent and there was no way she could get it back. For more than ten minutes, she just sat there bending and straightening her finger until finally she pressed the button. ‘Message Sent’ it said on the computer. It was done, no turning back now. Her heart skipped a few beats. She knew she shouldn’t get too excited. Even if he was real, there could be many other women who were also replying. She had never done anything like this before. This man intrigued her enough to keep her up all night, and she didn’t even know him. There was no chance of sleep now, but knew she needed rest so she headed back upstairs and climbed into bed. Later that morning, Scott awoke and walked into the kitchen to get his morning glass of orange juice. He never was much of a coffee drinker. His

grandparents, having been up for a while, were sitting and talking in the living room. He joined them. His Grandfather talked with him about Scotland, and about how his Grandmother used to love seeing him in his kilt when he was younger. There were still two or three kilts in his closet, but he did not wear them anymore, saying he was too old. Scott brought one of his own kilts with him, but had not worn it yet. He was not sure how people would react to it in Ohio. His grandparents asked him if he wanted to join them for their morning walk around the local park, but Scott declined, saying he’d see them later. He wanted to check out some more school websites on the computer. They left, but made sure he knew that they would be taking him out for lunch when they got back and Scott happily did not object. As he turned on the computer, he remembered the ad he placed the previous day so decided to check his email first, not really expecting any replies. He could not believe it when he saw his inbox - twenty-seven new messages. You have got to be kidding me, he thought to himself. There were three spam messages, but the rest were replies to his post. One woman had replied four times. After her first reply in which she did sound quite nice, she had sent three more messages asking why he had not responded yet. She was deleted. He didn’t want a stalker. He did wonder if he was doing the right thing by placing this ad. He was not quite sure what to make of it, but two more messages were from men asking if he would consider a relationship with another man! He quickly hit delete again and again, the number of new messages was getting smaller. There were a couple of messages from women who sounded nice, but they were in their early twenties, which was way too young for him. He realized that he should probably have put some type of age requirement, but he was new at this. Maybe he should have made it clearer, that he didn’t want any men to respond. He thought by asking for a lady, he was being specific. Obviously some people didn’t read it properly. One by one, the replies were deleted, for many reasons. One lady sounded nice. She was about the right age, but lived in Cleveland, nearly a three hour drive, so that was never going to work. Scott was a little disheartened and ready to admit defeat as he clicked on the last new message. It was from Katie. He started to read, expecting to delete it, but he kept reading. She sounded very nice, was a little younger than he was, sounded intelligent, witty and funny. However, she didn’t mention where she lived. He hoped she was local and decided to send her a reply: Hi Katie, Thanks for your message. I’m with you. This is totally new and very unusual for me, too, but I figured I’d give it a go as I don’t know anyone around here. I agree with you about the pictures. I’d like to chat via email for a wee, bit, too before I’m comfortable sending pictures. I think I already said in my ad, but I’m 37, 6’3”, around 200 lbs., athletic build, very short brown hair, and blue eyes, and am very clean cut. I am here visiting family and checking out schools as I’m looking for a new career after leaving the military. I’m very laid back and easy going and am happy doing most things. I am fine with going out to bars, but am just as happy cuddling up to someone at home.

I’m really looking for someone local to show me around, have some fun and see where it goes. Where do you live? Anyway, I wanted to keep this fairly short for now, but if you want to continue to chat, then send me an email. Thanks, Scott He was happy with his reply. He kept it short and to the point, very friendly and offered her the chance to continue their email chat if she wanted. He decided to remove his post from the website; there were just too many weird people out there. If he got the chance to meet Katie, then fine. If not, he would just carry on as he had been over the previous few days. Katie had fallen back to sleep and it was nearly lunchtime before she rose from bed. As she made her way downstairs, she wondered if he would have read her message yet. She did not even make herself a cup of coffee, unheard of in the Johnson household. Before she did anything, she enjoyed a cup of coffee when she got up. But today, there was something more important to do. Her fingers trembled with anticipation as the computer powered up. There was one new message there, could it be? A huge smile grew on her face as she realized it was from him. Plus, he sounded genuine. She sent him another message telling him where she lived, that she was a teacher, and gave him a little more information, then asked him a few more questions. Now it was time to play the waiting game again. Scott replied later that day and over the next few days, they emailed one another quite a lot, eventually feeling comfortable enough to send a photo. She sent him a photo taken in her kitchen, a close up showing above her shoulders. It was a great picture, which showed off her beautiful face, pretty blue eyes, wonderful smile and her long gorgeous blond hair. When Scott saw the photo, he was amazed at how pretty she was and was a little concerned about sending a photo back in case she did not like what she saw. However, he need not have worried. Katie thought he was cute. He actually sent two pictures, one a recent close up and the other a few years earlier in his military days on a training exercise. After the photo exchange, they decided they should talk on the phone. Katie gave him her cell phone number and asked him to call her later that evening around 9:30 p.m., after the girls went to bed. Scott called at exactly the time she asked Thursday evening. He was always on time, something to do with his military days. They talked for nearly two hours about all kinds of things. She told him his accent was very sexy. He wasn’t used to women being this forward, but was very happy she liked his accent. Katie told him all about her girls, her job and the city they lived in. She held off telling him that she was not divorced yet, just legally separated. She would do that when the time was right. He talked about his military background and what he wanted to do next in his life. He hadn’t mentioned his injury or gone into great detail about his accident. He would do that if they met in person and when he was ready, as it was still a very difficult subject for him to speak about. They talked about meeting

in person Saturday morning at a park near her house. It was a beautiful park full of hiking trails, woods and lakes. She thought they could go for a walk and then maybe go for lunch. Scott was happy with this, and couldn’t wait to meet her. She emailed him directions and they both looked forward to it.

Chapter 4 “You have got to be kidding me,” said Jen. “Don’t worry, I will be fine,” Katie reassured her friend. “But you don’t know this guy! He could be a rapist or murderer, and you’re going to meet him in the woods! You need to wake up.” “It will be fine. Don’t worry. If it makes you feel better, I’ll call you when I meet him and every hour after that.” “You’re damn right you will! I might be making a trip to the park myself to keep an eye on him.” “I don’t think that will be necessary,” Katie laughed. “Call me as soon as you meet. Don’t forget.” “I will. I promise.” “Holy crap… Bye and good luck.” “Bye, and thanks for worrying.” Katie hadn’t mentioned meeting Scott to anyone. She was sure Scott was a nice guy, but wanted to protect herself just in case. She had called Jen after she stepped out of the shower, letting her know just in case. It was around 10:00 a.m., Saturday and she was showered and had made her call. She knew she had plenty of time to do her hair and makeup before leaving. It would only take her five minutes to drive there. The girls’ grandparents took them camping again so there was peace and quiet in the house before her date. She was excited. She had hardly slept and was really optimistic. It was time for some good luck. About the same time, Scott was leaving Ashville. He borrowed his Grandfather’s pick-up, and was heading north, per Katie’s directions. He hadn’t slept well and was excited to meet her. They had gotten along so well over the last few days; he was really looking forward to finally meeting her in person. He looked at his maps and believed the journey should take him about forty-five minutes, so he would arrive right on time. Around 10:50 a.m., Katie arrived in the small parking lot. She chose this particular lot since it was the easiest to find, with a few nice walking trails through the woods, leading to the lake. She loved this park and came often to walk alone or with the girls. She sent Scott a text to see if he was on his way. He replied he had gotten a little lost, but should be there within ten minutes. As time ticked by, Katie was feeling anticipation. It was a beautiful morning. At 11:00 a.m., she decided to get out of her car and lean against it. She wanted him to see her when he pulled in. There were quite a few cars in the parking lot. Within a few minutes Scott arrived. He recognized Katie and pulled into the space next to her, smiling. She waited, a little nervously, as he got out of the truck, and came around to greet her. “Hi Katie, how are yer?” he asked, walking towards her smiling. “I’m good. How are you?” she replied, smiling back at him and noticing how

tall he was.” He hugged her and kissed her on the cheek, thinking to himself how gorgeous she was. Katie suggested they go for a walk down her favorite trail that led to the lake where they could sit on a bench with a fabulous view. They walked through the wooded area chatting and enjoying each other’s company, as neither had been out on a date for a while. After ten minutes, Katie’s cell phone rang. It was Jen. She forgot to call her when Scott arrived. “I’m sorry Scott, my friend is checking to be sure you haven’t murdered me. I’d better take it or she’ll keep calling.” “That’s fine, I totally understand,” Scott replied, laughing. Katie managed to calm her frantic friend and assured her that all was fine. She just forgot to call after they met. She promised to call when their date was over and give her all the details, which seemed to do the trick. Katie felt at ease with Scott as they continued their walk. It was unusual for her to trust anyone so quickly. She hardly knew this man and yet was comfortable talking with him and enjoying every minute. They reached the lake and sat down on the wooden bench. It was a beautiful warm day and the sun was shining brightly. There was a gentle cool breeze blowing in off the lake. Scott was feeling very relaxed, too. They sat there over two hours just talking and laughing. Their conversation was occasionally interrupted by the sound of ducks quacking on the lake. They decided they were hungry and would head somewhere for lunch. As they walked back up the trail towards the cars, Scott reached down and gently took Katie’s hand in his. She didn’t object, but rather liked it. They drove her car to a local burger joint where they ate and chatted some more. When they returned to the park, they decided to go for another walk. Walking hand-in-hand around the nature trail alongside a babbling brook, the running water created a relaxing atmosphere as they continued talking about anything and everything. As 4:00 p.m. approached, Scott decided he should head home. He didn’t want to as he was having such a great time with Katie, but he said he didn’t want to overstay his welcome. He asked if she was free any evening over the next few days so they could go out for dinner. She said yes, but would have to let him know which day so she could find someone to watch the girls. Katie did not want him to leave, but understood it was a first date and they probably should call it a day after five hours. After all, there would be plenty of time to see each other, so there was no need to rush things. Scott walked Katie to her car, thanked her for the day, and told her he could not wait to see her again. She responded with the same. Leaning back against the side of her car, she gazed up at him as he stood towering over her. He looked into her eyes, leaned forward and with one hand placed carefully on the back of her neck, drew her to him and kissed her gently on the lips, he only lingered for a second or two, but it was enough to give her goosebumps and a little shiver. “I’ll call yer later Katie, thanks again fer a great day. I’m really looking forward tae seeing yer again. Yer beautiful and make me smile.” Katie was still a little shocked from the kiss. It had been a while since a kiss gave her goosebumps and made her tingle, and she was not used to getting

compliments. It took her a few seconds to respond and he was walking away when she did. “Thank you, Scott. I had a great time. Yes, call me later. Bye.” He smiled at her as he got into the truck. Scott was happy; it had been a great day. It had been a while since he smiled that much. Maybe he was due some happiness and good luck. He and Katie continued talking and texting every day and arranged to go out again, only this time for dinner on Wednesday. Katie told him of her love for Sushi, but Scott had never tried it. He was not too keen on the idea, but agreed to give it a go. The dinner date went really well and Scott discovered he actually liked Sushi. The idea of a little piece of raw fish never really appealed to him, so it was a pleasant surprise. As Scott and Katie approached her house after dinner, she found herself looking forward to their goodnight kiss. She explained there was a babysitter watching the girls so she could not invite him in and he understood. He stopped his car outside her house and leaned towards her to say goodbye. He put his hand on the side of her neck and kissed her gently on the lips, this time it lasted longer, for a few seconds, and he caressed her neck as their lips came together. Once again, she was left with a tingly feeling all over her body. She wanted him to kiss her again, but was worried in case the girls were still up and looking out of the window. “Guid night, Katie. Thanks again fer a great time.” “Goodnight Scott, I want to see you again soon. Call me tomorrow?” She leaned over, and kissed him on the cheek before getting out of the truck. “Will do, guid night.” He waited to make sure she was safely inside, and then drove home. They both had enjoyed their time together; and the kissing, but both wanted more. He asked her the next day if she could get a babysitter Saturday evening. She told him that the girls would be away camping with her parents, and asked him if he wanted to bring a bottle of wine to her house and watch DVD’s. That sounded pretty good to him, so he agreed. They both were hoping they would be doing much more than just watching movies. Scott arrived at 7:00 p.m., right on time as usual. He was wearing jeans, a white t-shirt and his trademark military issue desert boots. He showered and shaved before setting off and had even added a quick splash of cologne, something he hadn’t done for quite a while. He felt pretty good as he waited for her to answer the door. Katie opened the door to let him in. Once in the door, they greeted each other with a hug and a tender, quick kiss on the lips. “Yer look very pretty,” he said, noticing the intoxicating smell of her perfume. “Thanks! You don’t look so bad yourself,” she replied. He handed her the bottle of white wine he brought with him, and she put it in the refrigerator. She was wearing a pair of denim capris and a black t-shirt with sequins on it. The jeans and shirt were tight fitting, showing the curves of her body extremely well. Her long blond hair normally had a slight wave to it, but today, she straightened it. She was excited, but also a little nervous. Were things moving too fast? It had only been a week, but things just seemed right. He

commented again on how great she looked as they sat down on the couch. She chose a romantic comedy she liked and thought Scott would enjoy it. He put his arm around her and they snuggled up together to watch the movie. Scott loved the feel of her body next to his. About half an hour into the film, he could not restrain himself any longer. His thoughts were no longer on the plot. If he was honest, they never were. The film was not bad, but there was something he wanted to do so much more. He moved his body closer to her. He laid his hand on the side of her face, stroking her cheek as his lips moved close to hers. He looked deep into her eyes and said nothing. Kissing her softly, he moved his hand to the side of her neck and held her waist firmly with the other hand. The electricity surging through their bodies gripped them both and the kisses became longer and more passionate. He moved his mouth from hers to her ear, tracing down her neck, kissing, gently nibbling and tickling it with his tongue. The feel of his breath on her neck drove her wild and sent shivers all over her body. She was aroused and as much as she wanted to make him wait, she knew what was to happen. She could no longer control herself. She stood up, and removed her tshirt exposing the upper half of her gorgeous, tanned body. Her breasts were still covered by a white bra. Scott leaned forward to embrace her, but she wanted control and pushed him back into the couch and climbed on his lap, placing a knee on either side of his thighs. She put a hand on each side of his face and kissed him as she had never kissed any man before. His hands were resting on her back, holding her close to him as they continued their embrace. “It’s about time this came off,” she said, raising his shirt over his head, exposing his muscular upper body. She knew he had a good physique because she felt the muscles in his arms when he held her close. She could see he had two small tattoos, one on each shoulder and as he leaned forward, she saw a large Celtic symbol between his shoulder blades - across the top of his back, which was very sexy. She leaned back a little admiring his chest and stomach muscles. He smiled and gently reached forward, cupping her breasts in his warm, strong hands. “It’s aboot time this came off, too,” he laughed. “It’s only fair,” as he slid her bra straps off her shoulders. She smiled and ran her hands over his chest, scratching him with her long, red, manicured nails. He moaned with pleasure, pulling her to him, passionately kissing her. “We should go upstairs, it’s more comfortable,” Katie said, standing up and sliding her straps back on her shoulders. She took his hand and led him upstairs to her bedroom. They were both shirtless. When they reached the bedroom, Katie closed the drapes and turned on a small lamp. Scott reached for her and pulled her close as they stood by the side of the bed. Kissing her passionately, he unfastened the clasps of her bra again, before tossing it to the floor. He raised his head and looked down at her beautiful body, completely taken with the moment. She had the body of a goddess and he could not hide his excitement. He started to kiss her neck again, holding her tight. This time he did not stop at her neck. He slowly moved lower, savoring every moment, every shiver that raced through her body.

He began to kiss and lick her breasts, teasing and nibbling her nipples. He laid her back onto the bed and unfastened her capris, removing them, leaving her in a small white G-string. He undid the buckle of his belt and started to unbutton his jeans. “Hurry up, mmmmm… I want you,” she said hungrily, as she sat up and helped him pull the button fly apart, revealing a sexy pair of black boxer shorts. Within seconds, they were locked in another steamy kiss; the anticipation of being together was tremendously exciting to them both. “I want yer, Katie,” he said, as he turned her onto her back. “I’m all yours, Scott. Did you bring protection?” He rolled over and grabbed his wallet from his jeans pocket. “Aye,” he replied, smiling. She removed her remaining garments and lay back on the bed watching closely as he dropped his boxer shorts. “Oh my!” Katie exclaimed, as her eyes widened. He’s huge, she thought to herself. “What’s wrong?” He asked, a little confused by her words. She sounded shocked, but seemed like she wanted to do this. “Nothing, come here,” she replied, as she pulled him towards her. He was kissing her again and moving his hands down the length of her body to her core, teasing and tickling. She grabbed him firmly and started stroking him with long, deliberate movements. A slight groan escaped his lips. He longed to feel her all around him. He was hard and very aroused. He could tell, she desperately wanted him inside her. “Oh, Scott, take me now,” she pleaded. He was soon entering her, moving very slow strokes, pushing in a little further with each stoke until he was fully inside her. He started moving slowly, but occasionally quickened the pace depending on her moans of pleasure. Katie had her legs wrapped around him and gripped his back tightly with her hands as he continued to thrust inside her. After a while, she moved on top and sat astride him, fully exposing her breasts which he caressed. She’d never been with a man this big. She could feel him deep within her and was close to orgasm. “Oh yes, don’t stop,” she cried out. He grinned. He had no intention of stopping. Even with her on top, he was still in control. He grabbed her butt and continued to thrust deep inside her, faster and faster. Her moans turned to screams as her whole body shook and pulsed with pleasure. He continued to move inside her, holding her tight. She’d never had a man last this long either, and it felt so good. His movements became more intense and his body began to shake. She knew he was close. She arched her back and put her hands on his chest, once again scratching him with her nails. He moaned and shook as they both came, almost at the same time. She collapsed on top of him. He put his arms around her, holding her close, as she lay on top him, kissing her tenderly on the cheek. “Wow, we have tae do that again,” he said, trying to get his breath back. “Definitely, that was fantastic,” she paused. She was about to ask if he wanted a glass of wine, but didn’t get the chance as he reached for the back of her head

and pulled it towards him. Once again, he looked deep into her eyes and kissed her slowly, first just brushing her lips with his, then lingering longer, turning it into another passionate kiss. His strong hands moved up and down her back massaging her, and then onto her shoulders as he continued the kiss. After a few minutes, his hands moved off her back and he gently moved her to his side. “I think I could stay here forever,” she said, as she smiled at him. “Sounds guid tae me.” “We should open that bottle of wine and come back up here later. What do you think?” “Sounds perfect,” Scott said, and smiled. They both put a few clothes back on. As they were leaving the bedroom, she turned around and looked at him. “In case you didn’t realize, you’re not going home tonight.” He smiled, and followed her down the stairs.

Chapter 5 PRESENT DAY It was Monday morning in Baghdad. Scott was preparing to leave the PCPS office and head to the airport to collect his client. Once he located his charge, he would go directly to the hotel suite her company provided and where he would now be living for the next six months. Scott was finalizing details with his new boss and what he expected of him. Tom Schultz was from Chicago, a former CIA agent, a U.S. Marine in his younger days, and for the last three years, in charge of the operation in Iraq. He was tough, but fair, and ultimately responsible for all guards working for him. He and Scott got along well and gained tremendous mutual respect as they learned of the other’s military careers. Tom told Scott, in no uncertain terms, that when it came to the client, the guard made all decisions regarding safety and security. If there were any problems with his client not following his instructions, he was to call Tom and more-than-likely, the contract to protect them would be terminated. No chances were taken. Clients did as they were told, or they were gone. The country was too dangerous for anyone who did not understand security and Tom wouldn’t endanger his guards just because some ‘suit’ refused to listen to instructions. Tom briefed Scott on current intelligence regarding locations of insurgent activity and recommended various routes with the safest roads for maneuvering through the city. He also reminded Scott of the importance of checking underneath his vehicle before every journey. Crude car bombs were commonplace. Scott was realizing Baghdad was not quite as safe as the recruiters in London tried to portray it to be. During the two days since his arrival, various bomb blasts were heard in the distance as was the sound of machine-gun fire. U.S. troops still maintained a presence in the city and held an official non-combat role. Scott collected all his things including his backpack with his clothes. He was also supplied with a few company t-shirts which were desert camouflage style, an M-16 automatic rifle with a soft carry case, a Beretta semi-automatic pistol, three knives, a pair of binoculars, bullet-proof vests for him and his client, a laptop computer and a cell phone. He spoke to Tom earlier about trying to conceal his client’s identity as he was concerned about the increased risk of a kidnap attempt if the wrong people found out that an American woman was there. Tom agreed and told him whatever he thought was necessary, he should do. Scott was ready to go. He said farewell to Tom and headed out toward the car. The Toyota was a few years old; new enough to be reliable, but old enough not to bring unwanted attention. There were not many new cars on the roads in Baghdad and it was necessary to blend in as much as possible. Scott was apprehensive. This was the first time he ventured out alone in the city since he arrived, but this was his job now. He would have to get used to it. He knew his way around quite well from his military days and the city hadn’t changed much. In the past, he was able to rely on his unit for back-up, but this time he was on his own, and he was going to be

solely responsible for another person’s life. The money was too good to turn down. He would be paid a percentage up front and the remaining balance paid directly into his bank account when his six month contract was fulfilled. The trip to the airport was relatively uneventful. He passed a couple of places where it looked like a roadside bomb was recently detonated. Wreckage and craters were visible, as well as the local police. He arrived at the airport about half an hour before her flight was due to land. Her name was all he and Tom knew, Britney Parnell. No one knew any more about her. He was given information just before he set out from the office. Tom said it was quite normal getting just a name and that was all you needed. A small private plane would be coming in so there would not be too many people on board. She should be fairly easy to spot. She was instructed to wait just inside the airport near the security checkpoint and her guard would meet her there. Scott was thinking about her name, Britney. Like Katie, he was expecting an older businesswoman, but the name threw him. He didn’t know any older women named Britney, which was a relatively new and modern name. Scott made his way into the airport and waited near the security area. He sat down on a very uncomfortable plastic airport chair and waited for her to arrive. About half an hour later, a handful of people came through the security check point, Scott stood up and walked to where they were entering. After a few Middle Eastern men came through and walked past him, a woman appeared pulling a small suitcase on wheels. She was dressed in an all-black pant suit and had long, straight, striking red hair. She was taller than Katie, maybe 5’8” or 5’9” he thought, and was wearing make-up, but not a lot. She was an attractive, classylooking woman and young, maybe late twenties. It must be her; it did not take a rocket scientist to work it out. He thought it was not going to be easy keeping her unnoticed. Scott approached her and introduced himself. She was well-spoken and appeared very self-confident; not at all worried that she just stepped off a plane into a war zone. Scott briefly explained a few things, and instructed her to wait near the main door of the airport while he went to get the car. He assured her it was safer if she waited there with police and security personnel inside the airport since it was about a ten minute walk to get to the car. He would pull the car right up to the door and get out so she could see him. Everything went smoothly and about fifteen minutes later, they were on their way to the hotel. The Baghdad Sheraton was to be their home for the next six months. It was situated inside Baghdad’s supposedly safe Green Zone right along-side the Tigris River. Located near the center of the city, the Green Zone was a heavily fortified area housing government buildings and the majority of top hotels. Entry in and out was controlled by various check points. It was once manned by U.S. troops, but was now the responsibility of the Iraqi army. Although the hotel wore the name ‘Sheraton’ and claimed to be luxury accommodations, Britney would be in for a shock. It was not part of the Sheraton chain anymore and had not been for a number of years. The new owners refused to change the name. “Are you serious?” Britney complained, as they entered the suite. “What’s the matter?” “This is a luxury suite over here?” she questioned him.

“Hey, yer company booked it fer yer. It’s supposed tae be one of the best. There’s nae anything I can do aboot it anyway, I’m just here tae make sure yer stay in one piece. It looks fine tae me.” Britney exhaled loudly and shook her head, then walked into one of the bedrooms. The suite was not that bad. It was far from luxury hotel standards in the U.S., but it was clean and a decent size. Scott thought the last time he was in this city for an extended period of time, he had slept in far worse places. The suite was on the top floor of the hotel. The main room had a couch, table, telephone, refrigerator and a television. There were two bedrooms and a bathroom, also clean, but far from luxurious. All the walls were painted white and very plain. No pictures or decorations of any sort were present. The brown drapes matched the worn carpet and there was a distinct odor in the room which neither of them could identify, not particularly bad, just different! The window in the main room gave Scott a good vantage point of the surrounding area and the parking lot, something that was important. He was not too happy with the location of the hotel as he felt they were trapped by the river on the one side, so if they were under attack and needed to get away there was only one escape route. “This bed is too hard.” Britney was moaning again. Scott sighed, but did not say anything. “So am I allowed to talk to you now?” Britney said, sarcastically, as she reappeared from her bedroom. Scott thought they had only been together for a couple of hours and already she was starting to annoy him. On the way to the hotel, he made her sit in the back seat of the car and told her not to talk to him when he was driving; he needed his full concentration on what he was doing. “Of course yer are. Yer just have tae understand that when I’m driving in this city, I’m nae only watching oot fer other cars, but I’m also looking fer bombs and people with guns, as well as craters in the road and the fact that nae many driving rules are enforced. People just drive where they want tae and they dinnae particularly stay on the side of the road that they are supposed tae. It’s nae easy.” “Okay, I guess I understand. Actually I’m glad I don’t have to drive myself, I thought you were just being a macho jerk, but I really do understand.” Scott felt a little relieved. He was beginning to wonder what he let himself in for, but now she seemed to be more reasonable. “We need tae talk later aboot exactly what I need yer tae do while yer here. It’s quite important we go over some things, having some emergency and contingency plans in place.” “Okay, shoot,” she replied. “Later. Go get yer cases unpacked and have a rest, I know yer must be a wee bit jet-lagged because I was when I got here. We’ll talk later when yer rested up.” “That’s probably a good idea,” she said, walking back towards her bedroom, “I do feel tired, I’ll see you later.” She entered her room and closed the door behind her. Scott looked out the window. All seemed quiet. He hoped every day was quiet like this. He missed Katie and ached to be with her. He missed her touch, her soft kisses and the way she made him smile. Unfortunately, he was not going to see her for a while, so he better get used to it.

He went to his room and started unpacking his backpack, hoping that if he could keep busy the time would go quicker. It was early evening when Britney woke up. She entered the main room and saw Scott looking out of the window with his binoculars. “What are you looking for?” she asked. “Nae anything, just checking oot the view.” Scott did not want to alarm her, but he heard the sound of distant machine-gun fire and was looking to see if he could locate where it was coming from. It was something she would have to get used to though, but not the first day. He would explain everything when they talked. He would try to make her understand just what type of place they were in and what she should expect. “Do yer want tae go doon tae the dinner buffet,” he asked her. “I’m not really hungry,” she said, “I think I’m going to relax and take a bath.” “Okay, well, I’m going doon tae get something tae eat, I’ll bring a couple of plates back tae the room, I’m sure they’ll have some sandwiches or something yer could eat later.” “Sounds good,” she said, as she walked into the bathroom. The hotel food was average at best. It was very bland looking and tasting. This was going to be one of hardest things for them both to deal with. Scott found a few things to eat, but did not stay in the restaurant for long. The hotel did not seem to have many guests, very few people eating, or even around. Even so, he decided it would probably be better to eat in the room every day. He was determined to keep her as much a secret as possible. There were obviously people who would realize she was staying there, including hotel workers and people at her workplace, but the fewer people, the better. It was difficult to know who to trust, so he was going to be extra cautious. After returning from the buffet, it was time to talk, to let her know what to expect and to find out more about her and her business there. They introduced themselves to each other at the airport, but it was brief. Scott sat on the couch and waited for Britney to get dressed after her bath. She appeared wearing grey sweat pants and a white t-shirt. She had nothing on her feet and her red painted toenails reminded him of Katie. She sat down on the couch next to him. “So, first, tell me about you,” she said, taking control of the conversation. “I want to know everything about the man who is going to protect me.” Scott was not expecting this. He thought he was going to be asking the questions and explaining a few things. However, she was right; it was only fair that he give her some details about credentials and his plans to keep her safe. “Well, I served in the S.A.S. fer over ten years.” “What does that mean?” she interrupted. “It stands fer Special Air Service, a Special Forces regiment of the British Army. We completed many missions in Iraq and Afghanistan a few years ago so I know this area quite well, I’m highly trained in the art of warfare, guns, knives, hand-tae-hand combat, etc.” “So, I’m pretty safe as long as I’m with you?” she asked. “Aye, yer do as I tell yer and yer will be fine.” “That’s good. My mom is very worried about me being here. I told her that I’d

have specialist protection, but it didn’t really make her feel any better.” “Yer can tell yer mom yer in guid hands.” “That’s good. Now tell me about this place. What have I got to do to help you?” “First of all, yer must remember tae always trust me, even if yer dinnae understand why. If I tell yer tae do anything, there is going tae be a reason fer it and I will nae always have time tae explain.” “I can do that, go on,” she said. “I know yer nae used tae being in a place like this, but yer going tae have tae get used tae hearing explosions and gunfire. Yer will probably see things when we travel that will upset yer. Roadside bombs are commonplace here. If we pass close by tae where one has recently gone off, then yer will see injured people, probably even dead bodies. It really is nae pleasant, but I’d rather warn yer aboot it than have yer get taken by surprise and be shocked if it happens. There are people here intent on causing trouble. Yer know that. I’m sure yer watch the news. There are groups of people here that would love tae kidnap yer. I’m nae saying this tae scare yer, but yer have tae understand. They would try and get a ransom from your company and these people believe they can get more money fer a woman.” He paused, waiting to see if she was going to respond. “Okay, I understand, so what do we have to do?” Her voice was a little shaky, but she seemed to be coping quite well. “First of all, I want tae hide the fact that yer a woman. I know it will nae be easy, but anytime we travel, I want yer tae wear a baseball cap or a scarf on yer head and try tae tuck yer hair inside it, wear loose fitting jeans or trousers and tennis shoes. And starting tomorrow, anytime we go anywhere, yer wear a bulletproof vest. I know this will nae work if anyone sees yer close up, but if there are any undesirable people who see us from a distance, maybe we can avoid trouble.” “Makes sense, I can do that.” Scott was impressed with her attitude, He thought he was going to have a problem when she was whining and complaining so much earlier, but maybe she was just tired. Now, she seemed to be listening and willing to do as he asked. He was curious about something though and needed to ask. “Yer have tae tell me something. Why? Why are yer here? Yer obviously an intelligent, attractive, young woman. Why would yer want tae come tae a place like this?” She smiled at him, pleased that he complimented her. “I was offered a huge promotion if I would come here and start up the business. They knew I was the best person for the job. My job is very important to me. I’m very good and I love it. Plus, I just got out of a bad relationship and I wanted to get away for a while. It’s all very complicated.” “Okay, none of my business, I just wondered. What is it exactly that yer do?” “I’m in charge of the entire cell phone division back home and that’s the part they want to develop and expand here.” “Reet, sounds important.”

“It is. Another thing is, I like adventure. The whole idea sounded very exciting and challenging and I know there are very few women in the world who could do this or would want to do this so that makes it even more attractive to me.” “Okay, fair enough.” Scott didn’t really get it. He thought she really had no idea just how dangerous this place could be, but it was her life and she was entitled to do whatever she wanted to do. “How about you, why are you here? Aren’t you going to miss your wife?” she countered. “I’m nae married,” said Scott. Looking down at the wedding band on his finger, he knew why she asked the question. “This is a present from my girlfriend. Where we live, anytime I go anywhere without her I seem tae attract the attention of women when I talk. This is just tae let them know I’m nae available, and I kind of like it. He laughed to himself. “I’m here because the money is very guid and I can buy us a nice house when I get haem.” “Ah, I see, British accents are cool, especially Scottish ones,” she said. He laughed again and she smiled at him. She was feeling a little nervous about some of the things he told her, but he did make her feel safe. “How long will the drive take to get to work?” she asked. “It depends on which way we go, the traffic and whether there’s any trouble that day. I would say we could do it in forty minutes, depending on the situation. But, it could take an hour, sometimes longer.” The place they needed to go was in the north of the city. It was a straightforward trip, but Scott knew it was not that simple. He decided he would take a slightly different route each day and leave at varying times just to try to ensure they were not being followed. “I have a lot of work to do and will be doing work on my laptop when we’re in the suite too, but what else can we do here? I know it’s not a place where we’re going to be going out to bars or nightclubs, but is there anything to do?” she asked. “It’s going tae get pretty dull. Yer either going tae be at work or here. We do have internet access, so I guess yer can be on yer laptop or maybe read some books if yer like doing that, but apart from that, nae anything.” It was the reply she expected. They both knew that it was going to be a long six months, but they each had personal reasons for being there. Later that night after Britney went to sleep, Scott called Katie. She knew he was picking up his client today and she would have many, many questions for him. “Hey babe,” he said, when she answered. “Hi baby, how are you? How did your day go?” “Nae too bad. We’re both at the hotel now, nae problems, we’re both fine.” “So is she pretty?” Wow, that did not take her long, he thought. “She’s an attractive, young woman, but yer know I only have eyes fer yer.” “Good answer, so tell me about her.” Katie was intrigued. She wanted to know more about the woman who was going to be living with her man for the next six

months. “Her name is Britney, late 20’s maybe, very posh, slim, pretty, long red hair. I thought she was going tae be a reet pain in the arse fer a while, but we had a talk and she does nae seem too bad. I think it will be fine.” “So what has she already done to annoy you?” she giggled, inquisitively. “She was just doing a lot of moaning when we got tae the hotel. I think she expected a wee bit more luxury than she got. I get the impression this lass is nae used tae roughing it.” Katie laughed. “The hotel isn’t that bad, is it?” “Nae, it’s fine. It’s a decent size and it’s clean, but it’s nae five-star if yer know what I mean.” She laughed again. She was expecting this woman to be older, but she was not worried. She tried to remember why he was there and what he was doing for them. She trusted him. “It sounds like you’re going to have your hands full. You’ve left behind one princess and now you’ve got another.” Scott smiled and laughed, he really liked it when she made him laugh. “I miss yer baby, I can’t talk fer long tonight though because I’ve had a long day and I’m tired.” “Okay, go and get some sleep. Call me tomorrow.” “Will do, gorgeous, I love yer. Guid night.” “Night baby, sleep well. Love you more.” This time, it was her turn to hang up the phone before he could object. He smiled as he lay down. I’ll give you this one, he thought as he closed his eyes.

Chapter 6 It was Friday evening in Baghdad, and Scott and Britney had just arrived back at the suite. He wanted to take a shower, and she was going to lie down for a short time. She was thinking about dressing down and trying not to look feminine. This was hard for her. She knew she was a beautiful, shapely woman, but she understood why it was necessary. She was also adventurous, and very intelligent. She completed her Master’s Degree in Business Management by the age of 22, and moved directly into an executive position for an electronics company. She was well aware that she had received the position because her parents were close friends with the CEO, but she didn’t care. She wanted “that” job. She was the only child of very wealthy parents and had grown up very privileged. She grew up living in a beachfront house in an exclusive area of San Diego. Everything she wanted, she was given, and was very used to that. After having received many promotions, she became the Sales and Marketing Director for the entire North American cell line division before reaching 28. She had been romantically involved with one of the company’s, vice-presidents. He was married and their affair recently was made public. It had become messy, and she was asked to take the Baghdad position largely because she was the ideal person but also, to get her out of the limelight until things settled down. The company didn’t want to lose a valuable employee and this was an ideal situation. She needed to get away for a while, since she knew her lover’s wife and things were uncomfortable. Plus, she enjoyed a challenge. Some years back, she wanted to join the Army, but her parents talked her out of it. These days, she thought it was probably a good thing. Some of the things she had seen over the last few days made her realize that she was not cut out for that kind of life. Her time thinking and relaxing was interrupted by the sound of an explosion. She jumped up and ran out of her room to see if Scott had heard it. “Scott, did you hear that?” she asked, trying to stay calm as she knocked on the bathroom door. “Hang on, I’ll be reet oot.” A few seconds later, the door opened and he appeared wearing only a towel wrapped around his midsection. Water was still dripping down his chest, flowing over his stomach, and eventually disappearing beneath the towel. “What’s wrong?” “An explosion! I think it was close this time,” her voice trembled. “I did nae hear anything, but I’ll have a look oot the window. Go tae yer room fer now and get under yer bed just in case.” She moved quickly and crawled under the bed. Scott grabbed the binoculars and looked out the window; he did not think it was anything. If it was close enough to cause them any concern, he would have felt and heard it. He saw smoke rising in the distance, on the other side of the river, maybe two or three miles away. There did not seem to be anything happening now or any imminent trouble, so he headed towards her room. He knocked on the door and opened it

slightly. “There’s nae anything tae worry aboot, looks like it was a minor blast a few miles away and on the other side of the river. Yer can come oot now.” She crawled out from underneath the bed, looking a little embarrassed. “It’s fine. Yer did the reet thing by telling me and hiding under yer bed. There’s nae need fer us tae take any chances.” “Okay, thanks.” She stared at his chest. Wearing only a towel his torso glistened, still moist from the shower. She smiled. He made her feel safe. She knew, about Katie, but seeing him standing here with his upper body exposed made her forget about the explosion and she was having thoughts about him that she shouldn’t be having. For the last few days, she was thinking differently about him. She liked the idea of him protecting her. Truth be told, it turned her on. Now, seeing him without his shirt on made her decide to take it a step further. She decided she would do a little flirting and see how he reacted. “I’m going tae get dressed now and try tae get in touch with Katie,” he said, as he turned around and walked toward his room. “Okay,” she replied, as she stood up and followed him. “Scott,” she called, as he was about to enter his room. “Thanks again, and sorry, I will get used to the noises… and I really like your tattoos.” She was genuinely sorry and did think she eventually would not panic every time she heard a bang. But, she also wanted another look at his body. “Thanks, I think, and nae problem, that’s what I’m here fer.” He closed the door behind him and got dressed. Scott thought the first couple of weeks went quite well. Each trip, they drove a slightly different route to her office and left at different times. There were no real problems, although the remnants of a previous day’s roadside bomb or other visible carnage was becoming more and more common. He would tell Britney to lie down on the back seat when they were driving by, so she did not see anything too graphic or be spotted by anyone who might do them harm. There was quite a bit of gunfire and the occasional explosion like the one she heard, but nothing too close. As far as he was concerned, at no point up till now were they in any immediate danger. They had not seen much evidence of the U.S. military presence in the city. Scott knew they were there, but the troops were still targets, so any patrols they conducted were few and far between. It was going quite well, and Britney was well aware of plans and directions to follow in the event of an emergency. He did regular perimeter checks of the hotel and her office building and everything so far had been fine. In addition, he notified the PCPS office every time they set out on a journey and again when they reached their destination. Everything that could be done to keep them safe, was being done. He lay down, thinking about taking a nap. He wanted to talk to Katie, but she was eight hours behind and would be at work. If he napped for a couple of hours, he could give her a call around midnight when she would be home. He missed her. He missed the times he would lie on his back and she would snuggle up to him and lay her head on his chest. Taking naps just wasn’t the same without her. Instead of going to sleep, he decided to turn on his laptop and check out some pictures she had emailed to him over the last few months. For an hour or so, he scrolled through

old emails, reading them repeatedly, looking at her pictures and wishing she were there. He wanted to touch her, feel her soft warm body against his skin. He missed her touch, wanted to hold her, to be deep... He thought he probably should take another shower, and a cold one at that. Maybe it was better to try to sleep for a while, and then he could talk to her later. He walked into the main room to get a bottle of water and have another look out the main window. Britney was laying on the couch reading. Having taken a shower, she was wearing a pair of grey shorts and a tight fitting white t-shirt with a pink heart on the front. Her hair was still wet and she was lying with her legs crossed. Her shorts were very short, revealing a great deal of her long legs. “I’m going tae take a nap. If anything bothers yer, just wake me, it’s nae a problem.” She looked up from her book and smiled at him as she ran her fingers through her damp hair. “Okay, I’m not going to stay up long. Just going to read another chapter, then I’m going to bed.” Scott checked the window one last time. Everything seemed quiet, so he went to nap. “Guid night.” “Night Scott,” she replied. She wanted him to look at her in the same way that she looked at him earlier. He did not even seem to notice she changed her clothes or that she was flirting with him. She was disappointed. Either he wasn’t the slightest bit interested or he was a great actor. She wondered if he noticed her looking at him earlier. She really wasn’t sure, but in her mind, it was just harmless flirting. She would find out if he was interested in her. If he was, great. If he wasn’t, and she decided she wanted him to be, then she’d make him. She’d always been able to make men want her and she knew if she really turned on her charm and he was like all the others, he wouldn’t be able to resist her. A few thousand miles away Katie was at work. Her week had gone quite well. She heard from Scott almost every day. They were both trying to make the best out of the situation and to be strong for each other. It was just over two weeks, she thought, as she taught her class. He usually called her in the afternoon when she finished school and later on at night just before she went to bed. She knew the cell service in Baghdad was not always reliable so if she didn’t hear from him, she was not to worry. He told her that he always checked in with his office before and after any journey. If they did not hear from him when he was expected to check-in, she was his emergency contact and they would let her know if there was a problem. So she knew that no news or not hearing from him meant nothing was wrong. It was difficult, but she was beginning to come to terms with it. Just as Katie was getting in her car to drive home her cell phone rang. The unavailable number usually meant it was Scott. She answered, excited to hear his voice. “Hey baby, how are yer?” “I’m good, how are you doing?” she asked, as she began to leave the school

parking lot. “I’m okay. It seems tae be going pretty well reet now, I miss yer, I want a hug.” “Awww, I want a hug too. How were your journeys today?” “Nae too bad, we got a wee bit held up at a check point coming back into the Green Zone, but other than that…” Katie heard what sounded like an explosion in the background as Scott was talking, and then silence. The phone was dead. She was frantic as she continued driving home, hoping her phone would ring again. Scott moved quickly to the window to see what was happening. The explosion was loud and so close, the hotel shook. He lost cell service and hoped Katie had not heard the explosion. Britney woke up and wasn’t sure if she was dreaming, as she stumbled out of her bedroom. “Get back in yer room and under the bed,” Scott quickly instructed her. As he looked out the window, he saw where the blast had occurred, and for the first time it was on their side of the river. He thought it was most likely a misplaced mortar shell and it landed on the riverbank just a few hundred yards from the hotel’s parking lot. He grabbed the binoculars. It was dark outside, but they were equipped with a night vision setting. He scanned the riverbanks and buildings on the other side of the river to see if he could see any activity or sign of anyone firing mortar rounds, but there was nothing. This blast was the closest so far, but it appeared to be just a one off wayward round that probably was not even meant to land anywhere near them. Scott waited patiently by the window for a few minutes, scanning for anything at all that would suggest there would be further trouble, but there was nothing. After a while, he went to Britney’s room. “It’s okay, yer can come oot now.” “What happened?” she said, rubbing her eyes. “Just a stray shell landed on the riverbank. Nae need tae worry. I doot if it was meant fer us. Just try and go back tae sleep.” “I’m not sure if I’ll be able to right away,” she replied. She was awake enough now to try to take advantage of the situation. “Will you come and sit with me for a while?” she continued. Scott had no idea of her newly found feelings for him. He was completely oblivious. “Aye, but only fer a few minutes, I was on the phone with Katie when the shell landed and we lost the connection, so I have tae call her back or she’ll be worrying.” “Do you have service now?” she asked, trying to appear concerned about Katie. “Nae, nae anything at all, but as soon as I get a signal, I’ll call her.” “Okay, please come sit on the bed. I know I’ll feel better about going to sleep if I know you’re here.” Scott sat down at the foot of the bed. The light in her bedroom was off, but the door was ajar so light from the main room was coming in. “Thank you,” she said, wanting him to look at her, knowing there was enough light for him to see her, but he continued to look at his phone. She had undone

the top two buttons of her black-silk pajama top and moved the sheets downward to intentionally expose her cleavage. “Thank you, I really appreciate this,” she said, again wanting him to turn his head. “Nae problem, just try and sleep,” he replied, momentarily glancing towards her, but not taking notice of what she wanted him to see. She rolled her eyes and turned over, pulling the sheet back over her. It was unlike her to give up so easily, but she was tired and he was preoccupied. She thought there was plenty of time to make him notice her. “I’ve got a signal back, so I’m going tae call Katie. Yer should be fine now, but I’ll just be next door if anything happens,” he said, as he left the room, still looking at his phone. Katie arrived home and was sitting on her couch waiting to hear what was happening. The girls got home and she sent them to tidy their bedrooms. She was trying hard not to worry, but her heart was racing and she was finding it difficult to concentrate on anything else. When her phone rang, she answered in an instant. “Hello,” she said frantically. “That was quick, baby.” “What happened? I heard a bang and then you were gone. I’ve been so worried. I didn’t know what happened.” “I’m sorry, there was a minor blast. It was just a wee shell that landed by the river, but it did seem tae knock oot the cell fer a while.” “So you’re okay?” she asked, feeling relieved, but still sounding scared. “I’m fine, it was nae big deal, nae anything tae worry aboot at all.” “How close was it?” Scott wondered if he should tell her the truth or tell her it was further away than it actually was. He wasn’t sure, but he promised to tell her the truth about everything that happened there, and he always kept his word. “It was a few hundred yards from the hotel parking lot, but it was just a single stray shell, more than likely a mortar. Nae shells like that are going tae cause us any problems. We’re way up on the top floor of the hotel. Dinnae worry, baby.” “Okay, I will try not to. It was just hard hearing the bang and then losing you, I didn’t know what to think.” “I’m sorry. There was nae signal fer a while, I called yer back as soon as I could.” “I know you did.” Her voice was beginning to sound calmer. “So what are yer and the girls doing this weekend?” he asked, trying to get her to think about something else. “We’re going camping with my parents. I’ll have my phone, so you can call whenever you like.” “Sounds like fun! Hope yer have a guid time. Are yer leaving tonight or in the morning?” “In the morning.” “Reet, well, I should try tae sleep, I’ll call yer in a few hoors before yer go tae

bed.” “Okay babe, I have to go and make the girls dinner anyway. Talk to you later.” “Night baby, love yer”. “I love you too. Sleep well.” Katie placed her cell on the coffee table and went to the kitchen, trying to decide what to make for dinner. She was very relieved, but the noise she heard on the phone freaked her out a little. She’d never been around any type of explosion or heard gunfire, apart from on TV, so this made her nervous. It did not seem to bother Scott. He talked to her as if nothing happened. He was used to things like this, from his prior military days. It was going to be difficult, but for him, she would to do her best to be strong.

Chapter 7 A month had passed since Scott and Britney arrived in Iraq. Her work was going very well and everything was progressing nicely. Her plan to seduce Scott was not going as well. No matter what she did, he showed no interest in her. The more he failed to notice her, the more she wanted him. She would need to try harder and find another way. There were many more violent incidents in the city, including numerous roadside bombs and insurgent attacks. They had still managed to avoid any real trouble. Within the last week, they drove by a couple of car bomb incidents, and one evening there was a large gunfight just across the river from the hotel. Aside from that, things were still relatively calm. Back in Ohio, Katie and the girls were enjoying their summer vacation. They had no big plans to go away anywhere, but were going to get away for a few day trips. Katie and Scott kept in touch almost every day. Aside from missing each other terribly, both were coping quite well with the situation. It was Wednesday, and another scorching, hot day in Baghdad. It was a little after 5:00 p.m., the temperature finally started to drop, and it was down to about 120 degrees now. Scott made his call to the PCPS office to inform them they were about to leave. Britney was finishing her last few projects for the day and preparing to leave for the hotel. There was a couch and television in a small rec room where Scott would spend most of his day, while she was working (although he hardly even watched TV because he didn’t understand the local channels). He spent most of his day on his laptop or talking with other PCPS security guards around the city, gathering information on potential trouble spots and the buzz around the city, always working out the best way to and from the hotel. As he walked down the hallway towards her office, a huge explosion rocked the building. Scott was knocked off balance, but managed to stay on his feet. The sound of shattering glass accompanied the sound of the blast. Scott raced to Britney’s office. She was under her desk, unhurt, but was visibly shaken. The windows in her office were not broken, although, elsewhere in the building, windows were blown out. He reached out and took her hand, helped her get her bullet-proof vest on and quickly led her out of the office and towards the exit. Scott stopped at the main door and assessed the situation. He knew this was not a small shell. It was more than likely a rocket, but it did not hit the building. Instead, it landed in the road nearby and the force of the blast had damaged numerous buildings all around. There didn’t seem to be any more rockets at the time and from where he was, the car appeared untouched by the blast. “We need tae get oot of here quickly. When we get tae the car, lay doon in the back and stay doon, until I tell yer.” She nodded, Scott gripped her hand tightly and led her across the parking lot towards the car. With several fires burning, the thick, black smoke was starting to spread everywhere. There were many screams heard and a lot of people were

shouting things in Arabic. Many people were badly hurt. It bothered him to leave those desperately in need of help, but as much as Scott wanted to help, it was Britney who was his responsibility. He must get her out of the area and out of imminent danger. That was his job. It really bothered Scott to leave all those people in desperate need of help. The smell of burning metal hit them as they made their way across the parking lot; the quickly spreading smoke burned their mouths and throats as they inhaled. Luckily, they didn’t have far to go. Once inside the car, she did as she was told and lay down on the back seat as he began to drive away. This was the first time Scott hadn’t checked under the car before he started it. He was in a rush as they pulled onto the street, but that was no excuse. He was more than angry with himself. This time they got lucky, there was no car bomb. There was a large crowd forming already and the sirens were getting closer. There were many people hurt, and possibly still in the building they had been in, but his job and priority was to get Britney away from the danger. He drove away slowly, avoiding the crowds and a huge crater in the road. When they were about half a mile away, they passed several police cars and an ambulance driving in the opposite direction. He presumed they were heading to the scene. Britney was quiet and scared, but had done everything he instructed. “Try nae tae worry, but, stay lying doon fer now. It’s going tae be fine,” Scott reassured her. “Okay,” she replied, trying to hide her fear. It was going to be a long return trip to the hotel. Scott had started out heading opposite of the direction they needed to go to avoid the crowds and the crater. This was an unfamiliar area and he searched to find his way back onto a road he knew. Scott checked his compass to verify his sense of direction and knew they were heading the right way. About twenty minutes went by before he was on a road he recognized and calculated they were about ten miles from the hotel. “I think we’ll be back tae the hotel in aboot half an hoor. How are yer doing back there?” She was badly shaken, so he was trying to make her feel calm and more secure. “I’m okay, I think.” She was still nervous. But she was feeling better. Scott glanced at her in the mirror and was glad she looked a little calmer. “What the …!” Scott cursed under his breath, as the car slowed down. “I dinnae believe this,” he said, steering towards the side of the road. “What’s wrong?” squeaked a scared voice from the back seat. “We’ve lost all power. We have plenty of gas so that’s nae the problem.” The car came to a complete stand still at the side of the road. It was not a good place to break down. He was going have to start the car quickly or get someone to come and get them. It was not good for anyone to be stranded in this city! Let alone a couple of westerners, especially when one was a woman. “Stay lying doon. I’m going tae check the engine,” he said. She did not say a word as Scott closed the door behind him. A few minutes later, he got back in the car and tried it again. The engine turned, but did not fire.

It was as if they were out of gas, but he knew that wasn’t it. He looked underneath the car to see if the gas tank had sprung a leak. It was fine and to confirm it, he opened the gas cap and rocked the car. There was plenty. He could hear the gas sloshing inside. He knew it must be the fuel pump. There was nothing he could do to get it started, so he needed to call the office for help. He reached for his cell phone, but it was not there. He got back inside the car, and checked the floor around the driver’s seat. He hadn’t dropped it, while he was driving. “What’s wrong?” asked Britney. “I’m pretty sure the fuel pump’s gone. I’m looking, but cannae find my phone tae call fer help.” “Do you want to use mine?” she asked. “Aye, we need tae call fer help fast. The longer we sit here the more danger we’re in.” “Oh, shit! I left it charging in my office.” She looked at him apologetically and her face started to lose color. He quickly checked again around the driver’s seat before deciding he must have dropped it when the blast shook the building. He remembered carrying it as he left the rec room after he called the office to let them know they were leaving. After the blast, he rushed to get to Britney and didn’t remember putting it back in his pocket. He must have dropped it then. “It’s nae yer fault. We left in such a rush after the explosion. I dropped my phone too. It’s my fault. But, we can worry aboot that later. First thing we have tae do, is get oot of here. It’s too dangerous tae nae get moving.” “Whatever you say. Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it,” she said. Britney was scared and shaking, but trusted Scott. “We’ll just head tae the hotel on foot. I know the way, but we’ll take back roads. We dinnae want the wrong people tae see us. It will be dark in an hoor, so we’ll be fine.” The road was on the outskirts of the city. They moved across sandy wasteland before getting to the back streets of the city. It was hot and they only had one bottle of water. Even in an hour, when it was dark, the temperature would only drop into the 90’s. It was going to be an uncomfortable walk back, but there was no alternative. “Stay close tae me. Do exactly as I tell yer and I’ll get yer back safely. I got yer into this mess and I’ll get yer oot of it.” “I’ll do whatever you say, and Scott, it’s not your fault.” Scott was very angry with himself. She did not blame him for the situation, but it was his responsibility. She followed closely behind him, as they moved towards the center of the city. About two hours later at the PCPS office, Tom was informed that Scott’s call was overdue. He started to get concerned when he tried Scott’s phone and there was no response. He had heard reports of the rocket hitting the street where Britney worked, and was getting worried. He set out with Dan, another security guard, to see what they could find. When they arrived, the street was quiet. There were no signs of the earlier commotion. The crater had been cordoned off and

there was no one at the office building. It seemed to be empty and was locked. Many of the first floor windows were boarded up. Tom was still waiting for news of Scott checking in. They went to the hotel next to see if Scott and Britney might have returned, but were informed by the hotel staff, they did not think Scott and Britney had returned. Tom went up to their room and knocked on the door, but there was no answer. Having no other choice, Tom and Dan returned to the office to organize a search party. As far as he could figure out, they had left Britney’s office after Scott had called them saying they were leaving. When the men got back to the PCPS office, Tom stayed in case Scott headed there. Dan left the office and went in search of possible routes to see if he could find Scott’s car. Around 11:00 p.m., Tom received a call from Dan, telling Tom he had found Scott’s car abandoned on the side of the road. He told Tom the car did not appear damaged and there were no possessions left in the car. They concluded the car must have broken down. If it was a kidnapping or an attack of any sort, there would be signs of a struggle. Both men agreed on the car trouble theory. Scott and Britney were probably making their way to the hotel on foot. The hotel was much closer than her office or the PCPS office. So, that was where they would be heading. It was about eight miles and they would travel through some very dangerous areas, going slowly because of the very hot temperatures. Tom knew that with Scott’s background, he would guide her quietly and cautiously in the shadows. They would move through the alleys and small back streets, to avoid being seen. He was confident that Scott and Britney would turn up soon at the hotel. Since they found his car with no apparent damage, Tom knew that his new guard would turn up safe. But he also knew if Scott didn’t turn up soon, he must call Katie. Scott was very specific when he and Tom discussed this. If anything happened, someone was to contact Katie as soon as possible. Tom was torn. He didn’t want to worry her any more than she already was with him being there. But she did have a right to know what was happening with Scott. Reluctantly, he looked up Scott’s emergency contact information and dialed Katie’s number. “Hello,” she answered, expecting to hear Scott’s accent on the other end of the phone. “Hi, is this Katie Johnson?” Tom asked, trying to sound cheerful. “Yes, this is Katie. Who is this?” “Hi, Katie. My name is Tom Schultz. I am Scott’s boss in Baghdad. I do not want to alarm you, but I did promise Scott I would keep you informed if he went missing or if anything happened. We are pretty sure that he is fine…” “Oh, my god! What is it? What’s happened?” she interrupted. “Katie, we really don’t think there’s a problem or that Scott’s been harmed in any way. We are quite confident that he’s okay. We just have not been able to reach him on his phone.” “What is going on? Please, tell me he’s okay.” She was starting to panic and sounded very scared. “Katie, I know it is hard, but please try not to worry. We know that Scott’s car broke down earlier and we presume the battery died on his phone. He called in a

few hours ago to let us know he was leaving Britney’s office. And since we didn’t hear from him again upon returning to the hotel, we went looking for him. We found his car a few miles from the hotel. There were no signs of an attack on the vehicle. We can only presume that when the car broke down, he decided they should make their way back to the hotel on foot,” Tom said, trying to give her all the facts and sound reassuring. “Tom, did you try calling her phone? This doesn’t make any sense. Both of their phones couldn’t have died. How long have they been missing? How far is the hotel from where you found the car?” she asked rapidly. She was worried and was trying to absorb all that Tom was saying. She was scared and it wasn’t making any sense to her. “We’ve tried calling Britney’s phone and only get her voicemail. The call we did receive from Scott was about seven hours ago. When we found the car, it was only about eight miles from the hotel. I know what you’re thinking. It wouldn’t take seven hours to walk eight miles. But you have to understand that when Scott called in, he was still at her office. They may not have left right away. So it could have been more than an hour later when they abandoned the car. As for the time to get to the hotel from where the car was left, it is not a direct walk. Scott is very experienced. He knows this city, what it is like and where to avoid. He will move slowly and carefully through back streets and alleys. He won’t take any chances. I have another guard out searching for them now, but that is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. I know this may sound like a crazy thing to say, Katie, but try not to worry. I’m sure he’s fine. I promise, I’ll call you the minute I find out any news.” “I am glad you called Tom, but I’m not going to stop worrying until I hear from Scott. I’ll stop worrying when I hear his voice and he tells me he’s safe.” “Okay, Katie. I understand. I’ll call you as soon as I hear anything. Take care.” “Thanks Tom. Bye.” Katie was sitting in her backyard enjoying the sun when she received Tom’s call. The girls were jumping and laughing on their trampoline. They’d been bouncing the entire time Katie was talking. She was thankful they hadn’t heard her conversation. She was worried. She desperately wanted to do something, anything, but, there was nothing she could do, but wait for news. It was well after midnight in Baghdad. Scott and Britney were cautiously making their way to the hotel. They had been winding through various alleys and remote side streets, the last few hours. They were exhausted, hot and uncomfortable. Scott kept her beside him at all times. He was being extra cautious. He was very worried that a local might notice she was a woman and there might be a problem. Scott always carried his guns and knives with him, just in case. But, so far, he was glad he hadn’t had to use them. Scott and Britney had hidden for a while in the shade, under a bridge. They started moving again when it got dark. Scott wanted to approach a number of locals to use their phone when they passed them, but was reluctant. Most of the local people were friendly, but he just wasn’t sure who he could trust. They avoided making eye contact with the locals and kept walking. With a mile still to go to reach the hotel, Scott was

confident they were heading in the right direction to get back safely. It was not a good area. It was mainly a Shiite suburb, very poor and people lived in terrible conditions. Every day the neighborhoods witnessed terrible violence between rival Sunni and Shiite groups. As they reached the corner of another long alley, Scott turned to Britney. “How are yer holding up?” “I’m okay. I just want a shower and to go to bed,” she replied, wearily. “Aye. I know. We’re nae too far away now. Just be strong, Britney, yer doing great.” “Thanks. How long do you think it will take to get back?” “I think we’ll back in the room within half an hoor or so.” “Sounds good,” she said, with relief. “Ssshhhhhh,” said Scott, putting his hand quickly over her mouth. He could hear footsteps. People were heading towards them, down the small street. They would need to pass by whoever it was to get to the next alley. Male Iraqi voices drew closer. There were a number of them approaching. They were arguing about something. He pushed her into a narrow doorway and motioned for her to get down. He kneeled down and crouched in front of her. Due to the darkness, they were pretty well hidden. If the men decided to turn down the alley, there was a chance they could be seen. From his position, Scott could see five men walking down the street. They were still arguing and he could see, at least two of them had guns. It wasn’t that unusual in this city, so it didn’t necessarily mean there would be any trouble. But, he drew his pistol just in case. They were so close to getting back to the hotel. He really did not want to get into a skirmish now. Scott could feel Britney shaking, as his body leaned against hers, to ensure her not being seen. Her heart was beating very fast and her hands were trembling. “Just stay quiet and calm,” he whispered, reassuredly. The men arrived at the entrance of the alley. They stood there a while talking. It appeared they may be saying goodbye to one of the group. They were maybe fifteen yards away from where Scott and Britney were tucked back in the shadows. Within a couple of minutes, the remaining four men decided to walk down the street. The last one started to turn down their alley and was walking towards them. He walked right past them, without even noticing there was anyone there. After a minute or so, when Scott was sure the man was gone, he stood up and without a word, motioned for Britney to follow him. They moved quickly across the street and into another dark alley on the opposite side. Twenty minutes later, they could see their hotel. They were nearly there. With each step closer to the hotel, the relief on Britney’s face became very noticeable, Scott was relieved too, and was starting to breathe a little easier. But, he knew he was going to have to call his office from the phone in the hotel room. Even with a safe outcome, he was unsure how Tom would react to their adventure. He also realized he was going to have to call Katie. They were out of touch and missing a long time. He figured that Tom had probably told her by now that he was missing. He knew she would be frantic and worried. He hated the thought of her feeling this way. There were no other guests in the hotel’s lobby and the man behind the desk

recognized them. Although he did not speak or understand English, he was always polite and friendly enough to both of them over the last few weeks. The man smiled and waved as they went by. They entered the elevator and the door closed behind them. “Told yer we’d be fine,” he said, smiling and relieved to have her safe at the hotel. “Yes, you did, I trusted you, Scott,” she said, sounding exhausted. She was bending over, placing her hands on her knees. “Just a few more steps and we’ll be in the room so yer can get some sleep. Britney, yer did great.” “Thanks. I need to sleep,” she replied, standing up straight and putting her hands on her hips. As the elevator door opened, she sighed and tilted her head to one side holding out her hand to him. Scott smiled at her, grabbed her hand and led her down the corridor to the room. Once inside, she turned to him and wrapped her arms around him giving him a huge hug. She nestled her head into his chest and pushed her body into his, gripping him tightly. This took him by surprise! He didn’t reciprocate the hug the way she was hugging him. He gave her a comforting hug and just patted her on the back. He could feel her heartbeat had slowed down considerably. Her body now seemed to be relaxed. The shaking and general nervousness was gone. He tried to chalk up her actions to being relieved and being back safe and in the room. But to her, it was more. She felt safe in his arms. She wanted to feel him wrap his arms around her. “Thank you for protecting me, Scott,” she said, looking up at him. “Nae problem, it’s my job, Now go get some sleep,” he said, pulling away from her. She reluctantly released her grip. Britney walked wearily to the fridge to get some water. As much as she wanted to hold on and continue the hug, as well as take it further, she knew she was way too tired. She also knew she didn’t look her best after their adventure and would want to look the part when she finally had him. “I really need a shower, but I’m too tired. I’ll take one when I wake up. Goodnight.” “I have tae make a couple of calls, but I’ll be going tae bed soon too. Night.” Scott grabbed a bottle of water and drank more than half of it. He sat down on the couch and dialed Tom’s number, completely, unsure of the reaction he would get. “Hey, Tom, it’s Scott.” “Where are you? What happened?” “We’re safe and back at the hotel. It’s been a long day,” he said, as he stretched out on the couch. “I’m glad to hear you’re okay. Tell me the details.” “Just as we were aboot tae leave, a rocket exploded in the street ootside the office. It caused a lot of damage. I rushed tae Britney’s office, worried there could be another explosion. She was unhurt and I knew with the intensity of the blast, I needed tae get her oot of there quickly. I must have dropped my phone when I

ran to her office. On the way back tae the hotel, the car broke doon. I know where it is, so we can get it tomorrow. We had nae way tae contact yer, so we walked back tae the hotel. I waited fer cover of darkness and used a lot of back streets and alleys tae avoid contact with anyone.” “That’s pretty much what we suspected and we already found the car. What happened to Britney’s phone?” “She thinks it’s still on her desk charging. We left so fast, I did nae think aboot it and I had nae idea I’d dropped mine.” “Right. It all makes sense, Scott. I can completely understand how the phone situation happened and the car breaking down was just bad luck. It’s just typical that it would happen when you didn’t have a phone.” “Aye. That’s fer sure.” “Did you have any trouble while you were on foot?” “Nae. We moved slowly, and tried tae make sure as few people as possible saw us.” “Excellent. You did everything by the book. Plus, you got her back safely. You did a good job, Scott.” Wow, Scott thought, he was pretty sure he had done the right thing, but it was good to hear praise from his boss. “Thanks, Tom. What do we do aboot the car? And did yer call Katie and let her know what happened?” “Don’t worry about the car. I’ll take care of it. I will get another car to you later. And yes, I did call Katie. I tried to let her know that we thought you were fine, but I don’t think I was very convincing. She sounded worried, so call her as quickly as you can.” “Will do, Tom. Thanks.” “Make sure you get some rest and well done. I’m glad you’re on our team.” “Thanks again, Bye Tom.” Scott dialed Katie’s number. He was calling from the hotel phone. Any international calls would show up on Britney’s company bill, so it would have to be a quick call, but he knew he must call her before he went to sleep. “Hello,” she answered, sounding very nervous. “Hi, baby. I’m so sorry yer were worried, but I’m fine.” “Are you okay? What happened?” Scott could tell she was starting to cry a little, when she heard his voice, but could sense she was trying to hold it together. “I’m fine baby. Just a wee bit of car and phone trouble so had tae take a long walk. I cannae talk fer long as this is the hotel phone. Hopefully, I’ll get my cell back tomorrow and I can explain everything then.” “What happened to the car?” “It just broke doon. I think it was the fuel pump and we had no cell phones tae call anyone. It was nae big deal. We’re both fine.” “I’m so glad you’re okay. I was so scared.” “I’m sorry, I really am. Baby, I do have tae go now, but I’ll call yer tomorrow and we’ll talk properly. I love yer.”

“Call me as soon as you can. I love you too.” “Guid night, Katie.” “Sleep well.” Scott went into his room. He was upset Katie had gone through this. He was determined that it would never happen again.

Chapter 8 Later that morning, it was Britney who was up first, which was unusual. They were both very tired from the previous days’ frightening adventure, so they slept in quite late. There was nothing they could do until they obtained another car, so there was no rush. As Scott appeared from his room, she was leaving the bathroom after taking her ‘much-needed’ shower. “Morning, Scott.” “Morning. How are yer feeling today?” “I’m good. I feel much better now having slept and taking a shower.” “That’s guid. I’ll be hitting the shower soon, too.” She walked over to the couch and sat down. She was wearing grey shorts, a t-shirt and a towel wrapped around her hair. Scott walked across the room and sat next to her on the couch. “Britney, I was thinking last night before I went tae sleep. Have yer any plans tae take a break from here? Maybe head haem fer a long weekend or something like that. We’ve been here fer a month and I think we both really need a break from this place occasionally.” “I agree. I was actually just thinking about maybe taking a long weekend, but I don’t want to fly all the way home. I spent some time in Dubai a few years ago with my parent’s. I really loved it. I’m going to look into spending a few days there in a luxury hotel.” “Sounds guid. I think it will be guid fer us both tae get away. Let me know if yer manage tae book anything. Then, I can try tae make some arrangements too.” “If I find something, would you like to join me in Dubai for a few days? My treat.” Scott was shocked. He thought she understood why he was asking. He wanted to go home to see Katie. “That’s very generous of yer, but I miss Katie. So, any chances I have tae get away, I’ll be going back tae see her.” “Why don’t you ask her to fly here and we could all go together. I’d like to meet her.” He did not know how to respond. Why did she want to spend time with them both? Surely, she must realize he wanted to be alone with Katie. “I will ask her. But, I doubt if she will want tae leave the girls. Thanks fer the offer, though.” “Okay. Well, see what she says and let me know.” “Aye, will do,” Scott said, as he stood up and walked into the bathroom to shower. When Scott finished, he returned to the main room and looked out the window. He spotted two men walking across the parking lot and was pretty sure one of them was Tom. He headed downstairs to meet him. Britney was still lounging on the couch looking up luxury hotels in Dubai on her laptop. After a few

minutes, Scott returned with the keys for the new car. It was another Toyota, about the same age as the one that let them down yesterday. Surely it was a freak incident. They could not be that unlucky again. It was just after 1:00 p.m. and Scott asked if she wanted to go to work for a few hours. She said she did, so they both got ready. It was about a forty minute journey from the hotel to the office parking lot. It was a quiet and drama-free drive. It was fairly quiet in the street. But the previous days’ violence was very evident, with the huge crater in the road. Scott walked Britney to her office. Sure enough, her phone was sitting on her desk, still charging. He left her to get on with her work and moved into the corridor that led to the rec room, where he was sure he must have dropped his phone. He scanned the floor as walked, but it was not there. When he entered the rec room, his phone was lying on the coffee table. Someone must have found it lying on the floor and put it there. He started to wonder who would have done this, but quickly realized there were more important things to worry about. All that mattered was he located it. He knew it was very early back in the States, but he wanted to talk to Katie. “Hello,” said a sleepy voice. “Hey, babe. I’m sorry fer waking yer up, but I wanted tae talk tae yer,” Scott said softly. “It’s okay, you didn’t wake me,” she said, still sounding of a deep sleep.” He laughed. He knew she was lying, so he did not feel bad for waking her up. “What are you laughing at?” she asked, starting to liven up a little. “Yer funny! I know I just woke yer up, but I have some guid news and wanted tae call yer reet away.” “Okay, you got me. What’s the news?” “I spoke tae Britney earlier aboot her taking a few days off, and she seemed pretty keen tae do it. So if she does arrange something, then I can come haem fer a few days.” “That would be great. When will you know?” “Hopefully, later today. She did ask if we wanted tae go with her tae some posh resort in Dubai and I said I’d ask yer, but tae be honest, I dinnae really know what tae think aboot that. I just want tae spend time with yer alone. I miss yer, babe.” “Did she ask you to go on your own?” “Aye, she did at first, but I said if I was having any time off, then I’d be coming tae see yer. Then she said we should all go. I did make an excuse aboot yer nae wanting tae leave the girls. She was trying tae be polite, but I think she’ll just go on her own. Even when I told her yer would probably nae want tae come here, she still wanted me tae ask yer.” “I just want you to come home, even if it’s only a few days. I really don’t like her asking you to go with her. I know it’s not your fault. I’m just a little insecure right now.” “Yer know I’d never have gone. I love yer Katie, I just want tae come and see yer. I’ll keep asking her if she’s booked a trip. As soon as she does, I’ll book my flights tae come haem tae be with yer. I cannae wait tae hold yer.”

He was doing his best to reassure her. He knew how difficult this must be. If he was in her position, he would be worried too. He knew what it was like to lose the one person in your life to another. He would never give her any reason to doubt him or his love. “I can’t wait to see you,” she said, sounding excited. “Me too, babe and I’m sorry aboot yesterday. We have another car now and found our phones.” “Yeah, what happened with your phones?” She’d be thinking about that for hours, before she went to sleep. “There was a rocket attack on the street here at her office. We left in such a big hurry. Her phone was charging and I dropped mine in the rush. I just found mine and called yer.” “How close was the rocket? Was anybody hurt?” “I dinnae want tae worry yer anymore than yer already are, but I did promise yer tae always tell yer the truth. The rocket landed only a few hundred yards away and broke many windows in this building. There are a couple of other buildings that were a wee bit closer and do have much more damage. And aye, there were people hurt, but we are fine.” “Oh wow, I don’t like this.” “It’s okay. Please try nae tae worry baby. I’ll be fine, I promise yer. I know what I’m doing.” “I know you do, but it’s hard.” “Just try tae concentrate on that. I may be coming haem soon fer a visit. That’s what I’m trying tae think aboot and it makes me smile. I cannae wait tae hold yer, Katie.” “Me too. I’m excited.” Katie replied. “Call me as soon as you know for sure.” “Will do. Try tae go back tae sleep fer a while. Hopefully, I’ll have some guid news later.” “Okay babe, I love you.” “Love yer too. Bye, gorgeous.” Scott was trying to focus, but the thought of going home and seeing Katie was just too appealing. He returned to Britney’s office and explained that Katie couldn’t come to Dubai, and she should plan to go on her own. He asked her to let him know when she had her hotel details. He would then make arrangements with his office, to get her on a flight out of Baghdad. She seemed disappointed. He couldn’t figure out why she was hoping Katie would come over and meet her. Scott knew Britney needed a break. She continued through the day to look for a luxury hotel. Later that night, back at the hotel, everything was arranged to spend a long weekend in Dubai in a manner to which she was accustomed. It was the same hotel she stayed at a few years earlier, with her parent’s. She was very excited. She would leave the following Thursday evening, and be back in Baghdad Monday evening. So in a week she’d have a break in five-star comfort. Scott arranged his flight to coincide with Britney’s out of Baghdad and would accompany her to Kuwait, where she would catch a short flight to Dubai. He would leave Kuwait for London, and then catch a flight to Columbus via New

York. It was a long trip and he’d have less than two days with Katie. That didn’t matter; he needed to see her. He hadn’t considered how much he would miss her when he took this assignment. He finalized everything and was looking forward to hearing her reaction when he gave her the news. The next few days went very quickly. Katie was excited to have Scott coming home and was going to pick him up from the airport. He was excited too, but knew he was going to be exhausted after his journey. He knew he would have to make the trip again two days later, but he wouldn’t change it for anything. Not even his fear of flying would keep him from making the journey into her arms. Their last week before leaving Baghdad went smoothly. Tom arranged for a guard to take them to the airport and they arrived without incident. The short flight to Kuwait was uneventful. Scott made sure Britney boarded her flight to Dubai safely before checking in for his flight to London. She was no longer his responsibility. Scott was thankful for a few days away. The stress of being responsible for someone’s life every minute of every day was beginning to take a toll on him. He really needed the mental and physical break. He slept during the flight to London, but shortly after landing; he was in the air again, this time heading across the Atlantic. Once again, white knuckled, but the flight went smoothly. Soon he was amongst the hustle and bustle of New York’s JFK airport trying to find his gate for the next leg of his trip home. It was Friday afternoon and he was thinking about the last time he was at JFK. He had been a little down knowing that he was leaving Katie, the woman he loved. This flight was completely different. The excitement was amazing. He was so tired, but in less than two hours, he would once again hold her in his arms. He tried not to think about how in two days, his emotions would be totally different. He knew if he let these thoughts consume him, his trip and their time spent together, would be spoiled. There was no way Scott was going to let that happen. Soon, he was in the air again. Only for Katie, would he take this many flights, he thought. His long journey to be with her, had nearly reached its destination. With only his backpack, he smiled thinking he didn’t have to wait for luggage. Scott was visualizing walking through the arrivals where she’d be waiting for him and she was going to get the biggest hug ever. It was overcast when he arrived. It was hot and humid and there was a chance of thunderstorms. Katie had taken the girls to her parents’ house since she wanted an evening alone with Scott. She hadn’t told anyone he was coming home. She and Scott planned to get the girls from her parents’ home the next day and surprise them. As she parked her car and walked towards the arrivals part of the terminal, the anticipation was bubbling up inside of her. She checked the arrival’s board to see if the plane was on time. It had just landed. In a few minutes she’d be with him. She kept looking at her watch. It was very busy where she was standing. There were many flights that had just landed in the last half hour, and lots of people were passing by her. She knew she’d see him easily as he was very tall. When she finally spotted him, she was going to run to him and kiss him. After only about five minutes she recognized a familiar figure. She moved

towards him smiling. He canvassed the crowd and when he saw her, he smiled and moved faster. As they drew closer, he opened his arms invitingly; she ran to him and flung her body into him. “Hey baby. It’s great tae see yer,” he said, as his arms wrapped tightly around her. He was not going to let go. He was going to make this moment last. “I can’t believe you’re here,” she said, looking up and smiling at him. He didn’t say a word, but just leaned forward and kissed her, holding her tightly to his body. Their lips pressed passionately. “As much as I want tae hold yer, forever, let’s get oot of here. I want yer all tae myself,” he said, as he loosened his grip on her. “Sounds like a good idea,” she replied, taking his hand. An hour later, they arrived at her house. Scott decided he would take a quick shower and take her out for dinner. He needed to freshen up and change, after traveling so long. Scott was exhausted, but he’d been dreaming of this night for the last month and he was going to make every minute of it something special. It would have to last both of them until the next time he could get away. He had no idea when that would be. This weekend would need to last. Katie had made reservations at the Sushi restaurant, where they had dinner the first week they met. She surprised him by changing into a blue-patterned summer dress. She bought it especially for their night and wore it with a pair of black high-heels. When he saw her, he couldn’t believe how gorgeous she looked. She took his breath away. He was dressed in khakis, a blue and white Polo shirt and was grinning from ear to ear. He truly thought he was underdressed compared to what she was wearing. The conversation through dinner consisted mainly answering questions about Iraq. He realized it was important for her to ask about things that concerned her. He did his best to answer and alleviate any fears she had. She asked many questions about Britney. They both tried to figure out her motive for asking them to join her in Dubai. Katie kept her thoughts and suspicions to herself. They went home early. She could see Scott was very tired. She had plans for him at home, which were much more interesting than dinner. When they finished their meal, they were on their way. As soon as they walked inside her house and the door was shut, she pushed him up against the wall and quickly took off his shirt. She raked her nails into his skin from his shoulders to his nipples. She had wanted to do this earlier, but, she knew he’d been traveling for such a long time, and wanted to get cleaned up, so she had restrained herself. “Wow! I should come haem more often,” he said, as he let her pin him against the wall. “Yes, you should!” she replied as she moved her hands to the back of his neck and pulled his head down to kiss him. She pushed her body even harder against him. As their tongues met, she lifted one of her legs and wrapped it around him. He reached an arm tightly around her back and held her raised thigh with the other hand, tenderly tickling and caressing it. After a few kisses, he lifted her off the floor and she wrapped her legs around him. He carried her to the couch and

gently laid her down. “I’ve waited a long time fer this moment with yer,” he whispered, nibbling on her ear lobe and kissing her neck. “Me too, Scott. Mmm… take me now.” Scott moved from the couch onto his knees between her legs. He raised her dress and gently touched her, sending warm shivers through her body. He could feel how aroused she was and wasted no time removing her panties. As she lay back on the couch, he moved lower to kiss her hips, lingering long enough that her back arched wanting his kisses to move lower. His tongue danced upon her skin, tracing a path to where he longed to be. He caressed the inside of her thighs. His fingers were leading her to mounting passion and intense pleasure. Scott was thinking how much he missed this and how he loved making her tremble with ecstasy. It was totally turning him on. He continued teasing her with his tongue. He loved listening to the way she moaned when something excited her and so he drove her to greater heights of passion. “Right there! Oh, don’t stop,” she cried out. He knew she was close. He laughed to himself; he had no intention of stopping. He was very aroused and wanted to be inside her. Her soft moans mounted into deep breathy moans of pleasure. He took his other hand and found his way up, inside her dress and bra and tenderly pinched her nipple. This pushed her over the edge. She was screaming, her entire body tensed up as he brought her to a place only he could take her. The waves he built within her were still surging through her body, a never ending electrical current she couldn’t stop. He loved seeing her like this. A few minutes later, she pushed his head back and sat up before removing her dress and bra, leaving her in just her sexy black heels. He smiled as he took off his khakis. She reached over, pulled down his boxer shorts, took him in her hand, and slowly began to stroke him. He was still standing and she was sitting on the couch. Within moments, she moved to her knees, her hands still caressing him. Her lips were moving from his stomach and hips down to his inner thighs. When she glanced up at him and touched him with her tongue, then wrapped her mouth around him, he moaned and said something Scottish under his breath. She could feel he was getting close. “I want tae be inside yer,” he said, as he lifted her onto the couch. “I’m all yours,” she whispered, as she lay back. He moved over her and slowly slid inside her. He supported himself by holding the arm and back of the couch as he slowly moved deep inside her. He didn’t have a free hand to caress her as he wanted, but it felt too good to stop. He moved his face close to hers, locking their lips in another passionate kiss, and his thrusts became more intense. Her hands were free so she ran them down his chest and stomach, while looking deep into his eyes. This made him even more excited. And it wasn’t long before he was on the brink. “It’s your turn, baby, do it,” she whispered, in his ear. He thrust harder and deeper still, letting out a loud moan of pleasure, before collapsing on top her. “Damn, I’ve missed yer,” he said, as he smiled lovingly at her. She laughed, as she held the back of his head, pulled him to her and kissed

him, again. “Oh, trust me, I missed you more.” “Nae chance, but I’m nae gonna argue with yer, with only a few hoors afore I have tae go back.” “I know, but we’ll make the most of it. Let’s go to the bedroom, though I have a feeling you won’t be awake too long.” “Aye. I am a wee bit tired, but I will stay awake as long as I can so I can spend more time with yer.” They were both smiling, as they grabbed their clothes and made their way up the stairs. Within half an hour he was sound asleep. He was exhausted. She stayed awake for a while watching him sleep, before snuggling up to him and drifting off herself. They woke up about the same time Saturday morning, and Scott definitely felt better. As they ate breakfast, they planned what they were going to do with the rest of their time together. They surprised the girls and her parent’s, later that day, by taking them out to lunch. Then, they treated the girls to a movie. Everyone was thrilled to see Scott and he was so very happy to be home. That night they stayed in. Watching a movie before the girls had to go to bed. They decided on more intimate things later on. Sunday morning, Katie told Scott her great news. A court date had been set to finalize her divorce. It was the first week of August. They both had been anxiously waiting to hear this for a long time. He hugged her. They were both so happy with the news. The remainder of their time together flew by and before they knew it, Sunday afternoon was upon them. They were on their way back to Columbus to say goodbye. It was a very difficult and emotional drive for both of them. At least this time they would get the chance to say goodbye properly. She parked the car and they walked into the airport together. He reached for her hand and raised it to his lips. He was determined to wait until the very last moment, before he would have to go through security and leave her, but the time was upon them. “I have tae go baby. I dinnae want tae, but if I stay any longer I’m going tae miss my flight,” he said, as he continued to hug her and kissed her on the cheek gently. “I know,” she replied, with tears in her eyes. She had been crying as she was driving. He desperately tried to make her laugh, so she didn’t think about it so much, but, now the tears were streaming. “Dinnae worry Katie, I’m going tae come back haem tae yer safely. This is fer us, our future. It is what yer dreamed of. I cannae wait tae have our life together. We can do this. It is nae fer that long. Please Katie, smile fer me. I really think Britney will want tae take another break in a few weeks. So we’ll see each other soon.” “I hope so, I really do. I miss you already and you haven’t gone yet,” she said, trying to smile and kissing him again. “Be strong babe. I love yer. I’ll talk tae yer soon.” “I love you too. Bye.”

He kissed her one last time before he turned and walked towards security. He hated leaving her, but it was time to go. As he cleared security and looked back, he could see she was still crying. He hated this, but he was so glad he’d come back to see her. He knew they could do this. It was not that long. They waved to each other, as he disappeared and headed towards his gate.

Chapter 9 Scott arrived in Kuwait just in time to catch the flight back to Baghdad with Britney. She was waiting at the airport and soon they were back in the air making the short flight into Iraq. Within an hour of landing, they were again, safe back in their hotel suite. Both of their weekend breaks went far too quickly. Scott was exhausted as he sat quietly on the couch. “So, did yer enjoy yer luxury weekend?” he asked her, as she joined him on the couch. “Yes. I had a lot of fun. How about you?” “Aye, it was great tae see Katie. It was a very long journey fer just two days, but it was worth it.” “I bet it was. You must be very tired.” “Aye, I am. I’ll be going tae bed soon and I’m nae going tae get up early in the morning, so we won’t be going tae yer office until later tomorrow.” “That’s fine with me,” she replied, smiling at him. “Guid, I need tae sleep. I’ll see yer in the morning,” he said, as he stood up and went to his room. “Night,” she replied. Scott was so tired. He knew it wouldn’t be long before he was asleep, although there was something on his mind. The security guard who had driven them back from the airport said Tom needed to talk to him and Scott should call him as soon as possible. He knew he desperately needed to sleep now. But he planned on calling Tom when he woke up. Britney was in a very good mood after her weekend. She thoroughly enjoyed the nice food, alcohol, sunbathing, as well as reading and swimming at the hotel’s pool. She’d also taken advantage of the hotel’s spa and indulged in a massage, facial and a manicure. She was sorry Scott hadn’t joined her for the weekend. After seeing how tired he was traveling to the States for only a couple of days, maybe next time she wanted a break he would accompany her. She was pretty sure he wouldn’t fly all the way to the U.S. again, so she’d make sure and plan another break soon. Surely, he would rather come and spend time with her, in a luxury hotel, than stay in Baghdad on his own. She decided it was time for her to step-up the flirting to see what would happen. Scott awoke, feeling refreshed after a nice long sleep. Britney was still asleep, so he called Tom to find out what he wanted to talk with him about. “Hi Tom. It’s Scott. How are yer?” “Hi Scott. How was your break?” “It was guid, I got yer message tae call yer.” “Yes, it’s quite important. Over the last week or so, we’ve noticed an increase in insurgent attacks. There have been car bombs, suicide bomb attacks and even

a Katyusha rocket actually fired at a hotel in the Green Zone on Saturday. It didn’t hit the hotel, but landed quite close and caused serious damage. We also have reports that a Korean businessman has been kidnapped from another hotel in the Green Zone, with no word of any ransom demand yet. I’ve placed all guards on high alert. I need you to be extra careful and extra vigilant.” “Okay. I thought it was too quiet here. Have yer any idea why there’s been an increase in the violence?” “Not really, it seems to happen in phases. You know, there are lots of different groups in the area intent on trouble and causing instability. Some of it is just religious differences. You know how it is, since they’ve held elections. It’s a Shiite political party that won, so the Sunni groups are trying to cause trouble to prove that the Shiites are not fit to lead the country. Plus, there are some Al Qaeda groups that still want to attack U.S. troops as well as any westerner.” “Aye. I’ll be extra careful.” “Good! If you hear or see anything, please share it with me and the other guards, and we’ll try and keep a step ahead of the situation. Be safe Scott. Bye.” “Will do. Thanks Tom. Bye.” Scott was a realist. He knew these things could happen over here, so he would be even more careful. He would increase his perimeter checks of the hotel and her office, and just keep a general look out for any type of suspicious behavior. It looked like the fairly easy ride was over, at least for the time being, but he realized it was never going to last the full six months. He was going to have to concentrate much more to keep them both safe. He had to. He promised Katie that he would return home safely and he fully intended to keep his promise to her. Over the next few weeks, each day Scott noticed an increase in violent attacks. When they traveled, they saw some kind of blast or witnessed the results of a recent explosion. They were now accustomed to hearing blasts throughout the night, and the sound of gun battles, seemed to get closer to the hotel every day. Scott continued to vary the times they left the hotel and their return, taking different routes every day. They had managed to keep out of direct trouble, even though some things were traumatic for Britney to see. One day, a car traveling just a few hundred yards in front of them was the prime target of an IED and exploded in their full view. Scott took evasive action to get her away from the incident as soon as possible, but what she saw, still affected her. So far, they seemed to be lucky. Not all of the guards who worked for PCPS had the same good fortune; they had been targeted and attacked. There were guards who felt it was not worth it and left their positions, because it was getting far too dangerous. That was why most companies, like this, did not pay their guards much in advance. The guards only got the big payout after they completed their contracts. Scott always thought this was fair. He would love to get paid weekly or monthly to send money back to Katie, but he fully understood why they were paid this way. Even though more attacks increased his workload, he still managed to talk to Katie almost every day. He did not give her too many details about the additional attacks. He hated to think of her being worried all the time. He told her he was

working hard and taking extra precautions to keep them safe. It was a Friday evening, in the middle of July when Scott and Britney arrived back at the hotel. She was in a mischievous mood after a relatively quiet day and decided tonight was the night she was going to seduce him. He seemed to have absolutely no idea she was flirting with him, but after tonight she was determined he would know. As she was taking a shower, Scott’s phone rang. It was Tom. “Scott, I have received a number of reports of hotel attacks this evening, not far from you. One of the hotels was fired upon by masked gunmen, and there were several people killed. At the other hotel, they actually burst in and kidnapped two Canadians. We have no idea if it’s the same group, but more than likely they’re linked in some way.” “Thanks fer the heads up, Tom. It’s all quiet here at the moment, but I’m ready if anything happens.” “Good! I know the police are doing what they can, but you know they can’t or won’t do much. None of them have any real training in this kind of thing. If you come under attack, call me and I’ll get back-up to you.” “Will do, Tom. Thanks fer the warning.” So this is it, Scott thought, kidnapping and masked gunmen attacking a hotel not too far away. Tonight, he may be forced to fire his gun for the first time since arriving. He moved to the window and looked out with his binoculars, looking for the first hint of trouble. He hoped that nothing would come of the news, but if it did, he was ready. Britney was finishing her shower and about to put her plan into action with no knowledge of the phone call Scott had just received. She entered the main room wearing just a towel around her middle; it was barely covering everything it needed to. She was hoping he would be sitting on the couch so she could walk in front of him, but he was looking out of the window. He did not turn around as she walked out. She could have easily made it to her room, but she wanted him to see her without making it too obvious. She walked back to the bathroom door and closed it again, pushing it harder to make noise. He still did not turn around, so she changed her plan a little, sighing loudly and coughing but still nothing. “What are you looking at?” she questioned, somewhat irritated. “I’m just checking things oot, there’s nae problem,” he stated, without turning around. Now she was getting frustrated. “You must be looking at something,” she said, as she moved closer to him wanting him to turn around. It was dark outside. Their hotel had no security and Scott was going to keep a look out. If a group of armed men turned up, there would be problems. He could hear Britney talking, but he was not really paying any attention to what she was saying. “Would you mind putting some lotion on my back?” she asked, as she put one hand on his shoulder. Scott did not reply. He heard what she said, but he was really not taking any notice. A car had just pulled up at the front of the hotel and he was watching it, just in case.

After a minute or so, she walked to her room. She would try again when he wasn’t so preoccupied. She knew he was looking at something in particular, and if it was something to do with security, she would be wise to let him stick with it. She lay on her bed still wearing just a towel and thought about her next move. A few minutes later, Scott knocked on her door. “Come in,” she said, thinking this may be her chance. “I’ve got tae keep a look oot fer a while. I received a call from Tom aboot trouble in the area. So stay in yer room tonight and I’ll take care of things.” She quickly got up off the bed and walked towards him. He was looking at her now, and she intended to make the most of it. “So what’s happened? Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked, as she moved closer to him. The white towel was exposing a lot of cleavage and showed off her long, shapely legs. There was no way he could not see her now, she thought. He did look at her body, but he was not sure why she was just wearing a towel. She had not done that before. “Everything will be fine. There was just a wee bit of trouble at a hotel nae far away, so I’m keeping a look oot just in case. And nae, there’s nae anything yer can do apart from stay in yer room and keep oot of the way. That way I know yer safe.” “Okay,” she said, walking away from him towards the small chest of drawers in her room. She walked, swinging her hips very provocatively and when she got to the chest she bent over to open the top drawer, knowing he would get a great view. She turned around hoping to see his face staring at her, but he was gone. She walked to the door to see where he had gone and he was already by the window looking at the streets with his binoculars again. Her little show went completely unnoticed. Now she was really pissed. Every time he didn’t notice her, it made her want him more. Maybe it was time to stop being subtle, maybe it was time to just grab him and kiss him. She went back to her bed and lay down, plotting her next move. It was after 1:00 a.m. when Scott went to sleep. He slept on the floor by the window in the main room with his binoculars and guns right by his side in case he was stirred by any noise. But, all was quiet. He awoke after a few hours just as it was starting to get light out and took a shower. Later that morning, he called Tom to see if there had been any more trouble the previous night and the news wasn’t good. Three more hotels were attacked, all inside the Green Zone. There were numerous casualties and more kidnappings. It wasn’t the news Scott wanted to hear. This was obviously a coordinated attack and there were no signs of it stopping in the near future. He knew things were going to get tough and with little or no help from the local police force, it was going to be difficult. Due to the last couple of days’ events, he decided it was probably best not to venture to Britney’s office. Besides, it was Saturday and they usually only stayed for a few hours on the weekends. She did some work on her laptop, but apart from that, they both had a pretty quiet, restful day. Scott was in regular contact with Tom and other guards, trying to obtain information. As the day wore on, there

were more reports of attacks in the city. The police found the body of the Korean businessman, kidnapped a few weeks back. The whole city was fearful due to the recent spate of attacks. Scott briefly explained the reasons they weren’t going into work and that he was being extra vigilant due to the potential kidnap threat. This scared Britney enough to put her seduction plan on hold and let him fully concentrate on what he was doing. Later that night, after she turned in, Scott was still scanning the local streets with his binoculars keeping a look out for trouble. At around midnight, he saw a car pull onto the parking lot. He was pretty sure it was the same car that pulled up last night and had left without anyone getting out. After a few minutes, it drove away again, just like the night before. Scott couldn’t see into the car, as he was too high up and the angle didn’t allow him to see who was inside or what they were doing. Like the previous night, he sat with his pillow on one side of him to lean against. He had all his guns on the other side. He intended to sleep by the window, to keep watch. About fifteen minutes later, the same car pulled back into the parking lot. Scott watched it closely as it pulled to the front of the hotel. Four masked men, all carrying machine guns, leapt out of the car and ran into the hotel lobby firing wildly as they entered. Scott jumped up, grabbed his guns and ran towards Britney’s room. She was wide awake after hearing the horrible sound of machine gunfire inside the hotel. She met him at the door shaking and asking what was happening. Scott pushed her back into the room and pulled the mattress off the side of her bed nearest to the door so it leaned against the bed frame. “Get under yer bed now and stay behind the mattress. Dinnae open yer door and stay here until I get back.” “Okay, be careful,” she said nervously. Scott took the safety off his M16 and holstered his pistol. He moved out of the suite to where the elevator and stairs came up to their floor. He crouched down, just around the corner. There was the door for another set of stairs at the other end of the hallway, and he could see that too. If anyone was to come up to their floor, he would have a surprise for them. The sound of gunfire got louder and louder. It sounded like the invaders were rampaging through the hotel one floor at a time. He wasn’t sure if they were looking for anybody in particular or just intent on causing panic and destruction in general. As he heard the screams of people below, he wanted to go down to the other floors to help, but if he did, he could miss someone coming up. And if they came up the other set of stairs, that would mean Britney would be in danger, so he had stayed where he was. He quickly called Tom as he waited. “Tom we’re under attack at the hotel. If yer have any back-up, or if yer can get hold of the police, then do it. I saw four masked men come in tae the hotel, all with automatic weapons and they’re shooting up the place.” “Okay, I’m on it. Are you under direct fire?” “Nae, it sounds like they’re on the lower floors and working their way up. I really want tae go doon and start shooting these bastards, but I know I cannae leave her alone.” “I know it’s frustrating. Just hang in there and we’ll try and get some help sent

to you. Do whatever you need to.” “Aye, I will.” “Good luck, Scott.” The gunfire and screaming was getting louder. Then Scott heard a noise behind him. Someone was opening the door of the room closest to the elevator. He turned and pointed his gun as an Iraqi man peered out of the room. He looked petrified as he saw Scott and froze in his doorway. Scott motioned at him to get back inside his room. He was pretty sure this local wasn’t a terrorist. Scott had seen him around the hotel a couple of times before and he hadn’t seemed to cause any problems. The man went back inside and closed the door. A few seconds later the elevator bell rang and the door began to open. Scott squeezed the trigger on his weapon and waited for his target, but the elevator was empty and the gunfire seemed to be getting quieter, as if they were leaving. Scott rushed back to the suite and looked out the window to witness the car speeding away. The whole incident was over in just a few minutes. He rushed to Britney’s room to make sure she was alright. “Hey, I think it’s over. Are yer okay?” Britney was crying. She heard the gunfire getting louder and could hear what was happening on the floors below. “I’m okay,” she replied, looking out around the side of the mattress. “Guid, I want yer tae stay here fer a while. I’m going tae go doonstairs and try tae find oot what happened. I want to make sure there are nae terrorists left in the hotel. Do yer have yer phone?” “Okay, I will stay here. Yes, I have my cell phone.” “Reet, I’m going tae give yer Katie’s number. Can yer please call her and let her know we’re fine. I spoke tae Tom briefly and he may have called her and told her what was happening. I’m nae going tae have time to call fer a while, I’m pretty sure there’s going tae be lots tae do doonstairs.” “No problem. I really want to call my mom, but I’ll call her as soon as I’m finished,” she said, trying to compose herself. “Thanks, yer are doing great. Well done.” Scott quickly scribbled down the number before leaving the suite and heading toward the stairs. He was going to assess the incident and try to help anyone that needed assistance. He knew the scene was not going to be pretty. There were four of them firing continuously for about five minutes. At the very least, there was going to be an awful lot of damage and at the worst, there was going to be many people dead. He was still unsure if there was a motive behind this attack, if anyone was kidnapped or if they were looking for someone in particular. He would find out soon. Scott took a deep breath as he descended the stairs into the devastating scene below.

Chapter 10 It was nearly 6:00 a.m. when Scott returned to the suite. He wanted to ensure there were no terrorists left in the hotel. He helped the staff clean up and was assisting the injured into their ambulances. He discovered there were three fatalities; two were hotel staff and the other a guest. He was not surprised that all were killed by gun shots and there was absolutely no logical reason for the event. None of the people killed could have been legitimate targets for any politically motivated group. It just appeared to be a typical, cowardly terrorist attack and anyone unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time paid the ultimate price. There were many injured, but according to the hotel’s records and talking with guests, there did not appear to be anyone kidnapped. The police showed up and spent a couple of hours asking questions, but they couldn’t do much when the attack was of a terrorist nature. This was extremely frustrating and difficult for Scott, since he would have liked to have handled it at the time. Tom showed up at the hotel with one of his guards about twenty minutes after everything was over. He was pleased to see Scott was fine. Tom felt sorry for the terror the dead and injured had gone through. He had seen this many times and it was something he would never get used to. But his main concern was for his guard’s thoughts and feelings. How was Scott doing and feeling? His numbers were getting low and he could not afford to lose anyone else. They talked briefly and when he knew Scott was okay, he left for the night. He trusted Scott had it under control. Britney was fast asleep when Scott returned to the room. He poked his head in her room to check on her. He really wanted to know if she managed to speak with Katie. She was still lying hidden underneath her bed and the mattress was still standing on its side for protection. Scott thought about lifting her and putting her back into bed properly, but he decided to not wake her and try to get some sleep. He realized he would not fall into a deep sleep after what he had seen. He doubted if he could even sleep at all. The adrenaline was still surging through his body. A couple of hours later, he heard Britney moving around in the other room, so he got up to check on her. As he opened his door, she was just coming out of hers. “Morning, how are yer doing?” he asked, sounding concerned. “Scared. I can’t believe I fell asleep before you came back. What happened?” “I did nae get back until six. It’s guid yer got some sleep. It was late and there was a lot tae do.” “Was anyone hurt?” “Aye. It was very sad. There were three people killed and many injured.” “Oh, no. Why?” “There’s honestly nae point tae any terrorist attack. They’re all just cowards. Yer just have tae let it go. If yer keep thinking aboot what just happened, it will eat yer up inside.”

“That’s just horrible. I don’t know what to say.” “There’s nae anything yer can say. That’s what this place is like. We’ve been lucky. Our first couple of months here were quiet ones. Britney, yer have tae expect this if yer stay in a place like this fer an extended period of time.” “I suppose so,” she said, quietly. Scott could tell she was very upset. They had witnessed all sorts of attacks before and fairly close, but this was different. It was in their hotel. People were murdered in the same building where they lived! He was hoping she may reconsider what the hell she was doing here. Maybe this attack would knock some sense into her. This was no place for an American woman. “Did yer manage to get hold of Katie?” “No, I didn’t. I couldn’t get any service on my phone. I’m, sorry.” “It’s fine and thank yer fer trying. I’ll try her later. I really need tae attempt getting a wee bit of sleep now. I’m exhausted.” “Okay. I’m still a little tired, but I think I’m going to take a shower.” “Reet. Wake me if anything happens or if anything bothers yer.” “I will, Scott. Get some rest and thanks for looking after me, again.” “Aye, nae problem. Oh, and by the way, in case yer had nae realized, we will nae be going tae work again today. If things calm doon, we may try tae go tomorrow.” “Yeah, I figured as much. See you later and sleep well.” After Scott disappeared into his room, Britney took her shower. Last night’s incident had made her really nervous, but she had no intention of quitting now. She wanted to see it through to the end. In this respect, she and Scott were very much alike. Plus, she was more than confident that Scott would keep her safe. She was betting her life on it. After she finished showering, she did some work on her laptop and browsed the internet, waiting for him to wake up. Over the last few days, she had been thinking that it was time to get away again, for another long weekend. She perused new luxury hotels in Dubai. She enjoyed it there and wanted to go back, but to a different resort this time. It was nearly 4:00 p.m. and Scott was still not up and moving around. If he was this tired and still sleeping, she did not want to wake him up. He had hardly slept over the last couple of nights. She would let him rest. Britney was bored. She called her mother earlier and told her all about her job and how things were going. She liked to call every week or so and give her an update on her progress here in Baghdad. She didn’t mention details of what happened, the night before at the hotel. She knew her mom would be scared to death. She was hoping that there wouldn’t be any reports on the news regarding the increasing number of hotel attacks. In a flash, her thoughts turned to whether or not she should call Katie. Scott gave her the number! He usually called her every day unless the cell phones were not working. She thought, maybe Katie would be getting worried by now, if she hadn’t heard from him. She truly, did not care how worried Katie was. But she knew she could use that as an excuse if Scott got mad at her for calling. She reached for the piece of paper Scott wrote Katie’s number on, hesitated only for a moment and dialed the number. “Hello,” said an excited voice, fully, expecting to hear Scott reply.

“Hi. Is this Katie?” “Yes. Who is this?” Katie replied, a little surprised by the female voice. She was awake, but was still in bed. “This is Britney Parnell. You don’t know me Katie, but your boyfriend, Scott, is my bodyguard in Iraq. How are you today?” “Is Scott okay? Why isn’t he calling me?” “Scott’s fine, Katie. There was some trouble in our hotel last night and he just got back to the room and since there was no cell phone signal, he went to sleep for a while. He was up most of the night making sure I stayed safe. He did ask me to call you and let you know he was fine and for you not to worry.” “What sort of trouble?” Katie was wary. She didn’t know this woman, but some of the things Scott had told her and just something about her, made it very difficult to trust her. “There was a terrorist attack on our hotel. Some maniacs came in shooting, but we’re fine. I’m sure Scott will give you all the details and explain things to you later. He just wanted me to let you know he was fine and he also didn’t want you to worry, since he hadn’t called you.” “Thank you Britney. I appreciate your calling.” “You’re welcome, Katie. I really like him. He’s done a lot for me and makes me feel very safe over here. I just want you to know I appreciate the sacrifice both of you have made.” “He is very good at his job, I’m glad he makes you feel safe. It must be very hard for you over there.” “Yes, it is. He’s a great guy, too. You’re very lucky to have him.” “I know he’s a great guy. He’s very special to me and I do feel very lucky that he is in my life. My daughter’s feel the same.” Katie was continuing with the conversation and trying to be nice, but, everything Britney was saying was confirming her suspicions that she had a thing for her man. “Did you enjoy your weekend when Scott came home a few weeks ago?” Britney continued. “We did. We had a great time. I heard you went to a nice, fancy desert resort.” “I did! I went to Dubai. It was great. You should have come over. I did ask him to ask you.” “Yes, he mentioned it. It was nice of you to offer, but I can’t go half way around the world and leave my kids.” “Yeah, I understand. He was exhausted when he got back; he looked really tired for over a week. It was a long way to go for two days.” Katie thought, how could she possibly understand? She hasn’t got any kids. And why is she saying that Scott was tired when he got back. She already knew he was, because he’d told her. “Yes, I know he was tired. He told me the trip was hard, but he loves me and that’s the kind of guy he is. He wouldn’t mind being tired, to come and see me,” Katie said. She wanted to make Britney understand just how deeply Scott’s feelings were for her. “Yeah, he would never complain. Like I said, you’re one lucky lady to have a

guy like that. He’s a complete gentleman.” “Yes, he is.” Katie was starting to get annoyed now. “I’m thinking about going away again for another weekend soon. Are you going to make him fly all the way back again?” “I don’t make him do anything; no one makes Scott do anything. If he wants to come, then I’d love to see him. Scott makes up his own mind.” Now Katie understood why she was telling her that he was tired when he came back last time. She wanted to go on another weekend trip and she wanted Scott to go with her. “That’s good. You two sound like you have a great relationship.” “We do. Hey, I have to go now. My daughters have just woken up and I need to get some breakfast for them. Thanks for calling and telling me about the attack, and please tell Scott to call me later.” “Okay, bye Katie.” “Bye.” Katie was furious. Who the hell did this bitch think she was? Calling her and saying all these things about her man? She knew Scott had nothing to do with this woman’s motives. She was looking forward to hearing from him later and letting him know a few things about this woman he was protecting. The girls were not up yet; it was just an excuse because she wanted to get off the phone. However, she did get up and go downstairs to make breakfast. It was an hour later when Scott woke up. He was surprised he had slept that long. Britney told him she called Katie to let her know that he was okay. He’d been asleep for so long and she didn’t want her to worry. Scott believed her and did not give the subject any thought as he disappeared into the bathroom to freshen up. When he finished he sat down on the couch next to Britney. “I dinnae usually sleep that long. What have yer been up tae?” “I did some work and then started to check out some hotels in Dubai again. I’m thinking about taking another break from this place, soon.” “That’s probably a guid idea, with everything from last night. When are yer thinking aboot going?” “Either next weekend or the weekend after. It’s been a few weeks since we had a break. Would you like to come with me this time?” “Nae. That type of place is nae fer me.” “Really? Why not? Surely you’re not going to go all the way back to the States again for only two days.” “Aye, I might. I just want tae see Katie. I miss her… I do have another idea though, but it depends on which weekend yer decide tae go.” “What difference does it make?” “Well it’s her birthday on the 12th of August. So if yer go nae next weekend, but the weekend after, then I can arrange a special birthday surprise fer her.” “You should ask her to come across to Dubai. You have to believe me, it would make a great birthday present.” “Nae. I appreciate it, but I have something else in mind.” “What is it?”

“I cannae tell yer, it’s a surprise. But, please let me know when yer make yer mind up fer sure which weekend yer going, so I can make plans.” “So, what’s it worth? What do I get if I choose to go on the weekend that suits your surprise, birthday plans?” “I’d be very grateful. I’ll owe yer a favor, anything yer want.” “Sounds interesting. Anything?” “Aye.” Britney’s mind was working overtime. She knew he was a man of his word. Maybe she should do this, and make him pay her back the way she wanted. “I’ll see what I can do.” “Great, thanks.” Scott said. He still had no idea that her plans for him were anything other than friendly. Later that night Britney’s hotel details were all arranged for her mid-August long weekend break. She passed the details onto Scott and he arranged for the flights out of Baghdad. He’d also booked his own flights and set everything in motion for his surprise for Katie. He’d been working on part of the surprise for a while. He had initially planned to do it at Christmas, but things changed. Due to his absence, he just felt the time was right, now. At around midnight, after Britney headed to bed, he sat on the couch in the main room and called Katie. He wasn’t that tired. He’d only been up for a few hours, and was looking forward to talking to her. “Hello.” “Hey, gorgeous, how are yer?” “I’m good, baby. I hear you had some trouble last night. What happened?” she said, holding her anger about Britney back, not wanting to vent on him. “Aye, it was horrible. It was a terrorist attack on our hotel, with cowardly idiots shooting innocent people.” “Oh my, Scott. She didn’t tell me that.” “Aye, there were three people killed and lots injured. They never got up tae our floor, but I was ready and waiting, if necessary.” “I can’t believe this. Will you come home, please?” “Yer know I can’t. I have tae finish the contract tae get the money fer our new haem. I saw how much yer loved it. Plus, yer know I dinnae quit anything.” “You are so stubborn and I don’t care about the money. I just want you.” “Aye Katie I know. I want yer too. But, we need money tae live and this is what I do. Just trust me, everything will be fine.” “I do trust you, but hearing things like this, just scares me so much.” “I’m sorry. I promised tae tell yer aboot what happens here, but it’s difficult fer me tae do, as I know it will upset yer.” “I know. I’m glad you tell me. Oh, and by the way… that girl over there has a crush on you.” “Nae, dinnae be silly.” “I know you don’t notice these things, but trust me she wants you. So just be careful, please.” “Okay, will do, but I really think yer making a mistake.”

“I’m not trying to fight with you. I just know what women are like. I know you are true to me, so I am not worried or mad at you. I just want you to watch and be aware.” “Okay, I believe yer. But, I just have nae noticed it. I’m glad yer know yer have nae anything tae worry aboot. I love yer, Katie.” “I know.” “Hey, I do have some guid news. Britney’s going away again fer another long weekend tae Dubai. Nae next weekend, but the weekend after, so keep that weekend free, from Thursday through tae Monday.” “That’s great! Are you coming here?” “Nae, it’s a surprise, just keep it free. I’ll tell yer more as we get closer tae the date.” “I’m not going to Dubai with you and her.” “Come on, yer should know me a wee bit better than that.” “Okay, sorry. I’m just still a little shocked at hearing her talk about you that way, earlier.” “Just trust me. Yer surprise will be worth it and it will make yer forget aboot everything else.” “I love you. I can’t wait to see you.” “I love yer, too, Katie. Try nae tae worry aboot anything and keep looking forward tae yer surprise.” “I’m looking forward to it already.” “Guid, yer should be. I’m going tae go tae bed, but I will talk tae yer soon.” “Night baby, stay safe. I love you.” “Love yer more.” He quickly hung up the phone. He hadn’t done that for a while. She smiled. She’d been mad all day although not at him. Somehow he always made everything seem better. She knew the surprise would have something to do with her birthday. But, she had no idea what it was. It was exciting though. First she would see him, then find out what he was going to do. It was going to be a long two weeks, but she knew she was going to see him again soon, and that would keep her going.

Chapter 11 As the time grew closer to her birthday weekend, Katie grew more and more anxious to see Scott. Her divorce was now final and for the first time in ages, she felt free. Scott had promised the day before she was due to leave, he would send e-tickets for her flight. She knew he’d have to send them to her soon. Where she was flying to meet him couldn’t be a complete surprise as she would have to board the plane! But, what they’d be doing when she got there, would be. It was Wednesday morning, before her big weekend and Scott told her during their conversation, that he was about to send her an email with her e-tickets. When she hung up, she hurried and turned on her computer to find out where she was going. She had no idea and was so excited. She clicked on the email revealing her tickets and itinerary. “Oh, my god! I can’t believe it,” she said, not being able to look away from her destination. The tickets were to Glasgow, Scotland. She wanted to hug him, right now. She’d always wanted to go to Scotland, even before she’d met Scott. He knew she’d never even been out of the United States. She was beyond excited! Katie quickly ran to the bookshelf and grabbed her big Scottish travel guide book. She gasped as she looked through the breathtaking, stunning pictures. The landscapes and architecture were so different from anything she’d ever seen and there were castles too, lots of them. She would be stepping into the past. The bonus was she would be there with Scott. The icing on the cake was that she was going to visit his homeland. She hurried to start packing. The violence had not slowed or calmed down in Baghdad at all. It was getting much worse every day. Scott was under a lot of pressure to make sure Britney was safe. Each day they encountered more incidents on the roads. Every type of bomb and rocket landed closer to their hotel and there was a rash of suicide bombings aimed at Green Zone check points. Everything was far from ideal. Still, they managed to avoid any direct trouble and both remained physically unhurt. Scott was thankful he still hadn’t needed to fire a single shot. Scott and Britney both looked forward to their weekend break. Scott had planned the journey for Thursday evening. He made plans, the same as the last trip out of Iraq. Scott would accompany Britney to Kuwait and make sure she safely boarded her flight to Dubai before catching his flight to London. This time, he’d only have the short one-hour trip up to Glasgow instead of the grueling transatlantic venture. He would arrive in Glasgow early Friday morning and get the rest of Katie’s surprise ready before he met her at the airport early that afternoon. Everything was going smoothly. Britney arrived safely in Dubai, Katie was making her way across the Atlantic and Scott was in Glasgow putting his special birthday plan into place. At lunchtime, Scott drove into the airport parking lot. He rented a car when he arrived earlier in the morning. He needed to rent a car since he’d sold his own car a few months before when things started to get serious with Katie and he knew

he’d be staying in the U.S. He had left his car at a friend’s house, who had taken care of all the details for the over the internet sale. Scott planned to show Katie around a few of his favorite local sights that afternoon, before going to their hotel. He didn’t make a lot of plans for later. He knew she’d be tired after her long flight. They would be leaving tomorrow for the real place where he wanted to surprise her. While Scott sat in the arrivals area, all he could think about was what Katie’s reaction would be to the surprise he planned for her. He was confident she was going to be very surprised and happy. She would smile that beautiful smile that he loved so much. As Katie departed the plane and was walking to customs, she couldn’t hide her excitement. It was slightly cloudy outside, but it wasn’t raining. Scott had told her many times that Scotland wasn’t as warm as Ohio. Most airports were pretty much the same, but hearing so many people talking with the same accent as Scott made her grin. In fact, she couldn’t stop smiling! She was also smiling because she knew Scott would tease her about needing a suitcase for a two-day trip. She couldn’t do what he did when he came back to the States and just bring a backpack onto the plane. She couldn’t wait to see him and enjoy some of his country with him. It was going to be the best birthday ever, she thought, as she grabbed her case from the carousel. As she walked through the customs area, she panicked. She had packed some very sexy, racy underwear that she’d bought especially for this trip. What if they went through her suitcase and pulled those out for everyone to see. Luckily, she and her bag were not chosen for inspection and she strolled through without incident, pulling her purple suitcase behind her. She made her way to the area where Scott was waiting. She was almost with him. She was wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and a purple zip-up hooded sweatshirt. Scott warned her about the weather and always joked that there were about three sunny days a year. As she exited customs, Katie didn’t see Scott in the waiting area. She spotted a vacant seat where she could sit and wait, and was about to head towards it when a pair of hands grabbed her waist from behind. She was startled, but a recognizable kiss was placed gently on the side of her neck. “Hi, gorgeous! Welcome tae Scotland.” She turned around and wrapped her arms around him, before kissing him. “Hello. It’s great to see you.” “Great tae see yer too, baby. How was yer flight?” “It was good. I’m a little tired, but so excited.” He smiled and grabbed her suitcase. He reached to hold her hand and looked into deeply into her eyes. “Let’s get oot of here. I have a lot tae show yer.” Before long they were driving in Glasgow traffic. Katie was fascinated with everything; the cars were different, much smaller. No sign of any pickup trucks, even the big semi-rigs looked different. They drove on the opposite side of the road and there was even a difference in the traffic lights. Her beautiful face beamed, eyes sparkled and she looked continuously at all the things around her. Scott smiled.

“What do yer think?” “It’s so different. I thought the traffic in Columbus was bad, but this is crazy. I’m glad I’m not driving.” “Aye, I know, I dinnae like the traffic. We’ll be oot of the city soon.” “Where are we heading?” “I’m going tae quickly show yer my haem toon then we’re going tae go across tae Edinburgh so yer can see the sights and we’ll stay in a hotel there tonight. It will nae take long tae get there, I know yer tired.” “Sounds great, I can’t wait.” It didn’t take them long to see the sights of Clydebank; it was a fairly small town. Scott showed her the street and house where he grew up, his school and a few other places that gave her more insight about his childhood. They visited the cemetery where his parents are resting, side-by-side. Just after Scott joined the Army, they had been killed in a road accident by a drunk driver. He was devastated and it took him a long time to come to terms with the loss. He rarely spoke about it, because it wasn’t a subject he really liked to talk much about, even after so many years. Scott’s younger sister was a very strong believer in peace and a member of many anti-war movements. She took their parents’ deaths very hard too. When Scott joined the Army, she refused to speak to him, not even at their parents’ funeral. Many times he tried to restore their relationship and tried to contact her over the years, to no avail. Eventually he admitted defeat. It was very hard on him as she was his only family member left. His grandparents in Ohio had died a few months after he’d started seeing Katie. His Grandmother first then his Grandfather followed within a few weeks. Scott believed he died from a broken heart, missing his beloved wife. He took their passing very hard too. Scott was quiet. They placed flowers on his parents’ graves and then continued their journey to Edinburgh. “Thank you for showing me your hometown and for letting me come with you to your parents’ graves,” she said. She could see he was visibly upset. “Nae problem. I just want yer tae see as much as yer can while yer here.” “Are you okay?” “Aye, I’m fine. It just upsets me a wee bit going there, especially that yer and my parent’s never got tae meet.” “I understand, I love you,” she said, as she rested her hand on his leg. “I’m fine. Now, let’s just concentrate on making this weekend very special. This is tae be yer weekend. I know it’s been stressful fer yer, especially now, with me working away,” he said, as he took hold of her hand. “Thank you, Scott, for all of this,” she said, sweetly. “Yer welcome, babe. We’ll be in Edinburgh in an hoor or so and we can check in tae our hotel. Then if yer up tae it, we can go oot tae dinner and I can show yer around, tonight.” “Oh, I’ll be up to it! Don’t worry.” They both smiled. As he continued to drive, she enjoyed her wondrous surroundings. Later that afternoon, they checked in to the hotel and decided to have a short

rest and freshen up before they headed out for the evening in Edinburgh. As they drove into the city, Katie was amazed at the architecture and general feel of the city. She wanted to get out and explore. They took a quick lay down in the room, holding each other and rested a while. Katie was excited to get out and look around the city. She jumped out of bed to take a shower. The shower cubicle was very nice and the massaging power-shower was heaven on her shoulders which were still stiff from her long flight. She allowed the water to cascade over her as she washed her long hair and soaped up her body. She was deep in thought and excited about how much fun it was going to be exploring Edinburgh. After rinsing off the soap, she reached for the handle to turn the water off. A strong pair of arms wrapped around her. This was the second time he’d surprised her from behind, in one day. She hadn’t heard him walk into the bathroom or step into the shower. He stood behind her and caressed her breasts as he softly kissed her neck. It excited them both. He drew her closer to his body, as the water continued to flow over them. He pressed hard against her knowing she loved being held tight. He felt her try to reach her hand back to touch him, but he hadn’t released his grip. Scott smiled as she quickly gave up. She stretched her arms up, arching her back a little. He knew she was enjoying and had submitted to his touch. He enjoyed exploring and caressing every inch of her body and her soft moans and reactions told him she did too. As the hot water continued to cascade over her breasts. His hands continued to caress and excite her, his body still pressed hard against her. He knew she could feel how aroused he was against her lower back. His hands played with her breasts. Taking turns teasing her nipples, making them erect. His right hand then moved lower, exploring and awakening all her senses. As her back arched and her hands braced against the shower wall, he knew she was getting close. He held her tightly and could feel pleasure building within her. When she would try to turn in his arms, he just held her tighter. As he moved his hands and fingers more sensually, he kissed and nibbled the side of her neck. It turned him on even more when she attempted to break free from his embrace. It only made him want to excite her even further. Within seconds of trying to turn towards him, her breathing became rapid. All at once, her screams of pleasure could probably be heard on the other floors of their hotel. Right now, in this moment he knew she had no control. Just as her waves of pleasure were lessening, he made sure he drew her closer and brought her to another orgasm. Scott moved his hands, wrapped his arms around to her breasts and pressed deep inside her. He took hold of her hips and began to thrust. She put her hands forward, resting them again on the shower wall as he continued to move deeper inside of her. “What do you think, baby? Do yer like this?” he asked, nibbling some more on her neck. He was getting very excited. “Oh, yeah! Don’t stop!” she said, thinking this was the ultimate excitement. They had never done anything in the shower before. Every time they were together, the intimate side always seemed to get steamier. He wasn’t stopping, but continued to move further within her, his hand

lowered to touch her as they made love. He was too far beyond aroused. When he could no longer wait, he moaned loudly with pleasure. His lips found their way back to her neck. He pulled her body to rest upon his as their bodies lowered to the floor of the cubicle, kissing each other while the water fell over them. “Damn, baby! I missed yer.” “I missed you too.” she said smiling, as they slowly got up and stepped out of the shower. “Yer ready tae go eat and see Edinburgh?” he asked, as he wrapped a towel around her. “Definitely! Oh, and I wouldn’t mind doing that again, later,” she said, winking at him, as they walked hand-in-hand out of the bathroom, both now wrapped in towels. “Aye. I think yer could probably persuade me.” He smiled, pleased that he had thought of it. They quickly got dressed and headed out into a pleasant, Edinburgh evening. The weather was, so far, kind to them. It had been a little cloudy most of the day, but as the afternoon wore on, the sun emerged from behind the clouds. It was dry and in the 60’s. They couldn’t have asked for much more than that, for an evening in Scotland. Scott took her to the Royal Mile, the main attraction in the oldest part of the city. The buildings themselves are hundreds of years old and have been converted into quaint shops, bars, restaurants and museums. Katie gasped when she first saw the area; she had never seen anything like it before. She snapped pictures with a small camera she brought with her. The architecture fascinated her. There was nothing remotely similar back home. The entire experience was unbelievable. Edinburgh Castle loomed at the end of Royal Mile and she asked many questions about it. The castle was the most remarkable thing she’d ever seen and she desperately wanted to have a look around inside. Scott relished seeing her like this. So excited, so animated! He was only too happy to show her everything she wanted to see and enjoyed being her personal tour guide. After all, she’d shown him around Ohio the previous year, so now it was his turn. He thought they should go to dinner first and do more exploring later. They went to a traditional Scottish restaurant, near the castle. Scott tried to tempt her into trying haggis, but she graciously declined. He asked if he could order for her and she was happy to accept, as long as he avoided the haggis! The restaurant was not only classy, but terribly romantic and they enjoyed their meal by candlelight. They began with smoked salmon and lobster roulade, which was delicious, followed by fillet of Scottish beef, potatoes and vegetables for the main course. For their desert, they enjoyed a traditional Dundee cake with custard accompanied by sampling a selection of local delights from the Whisky Bar. It was a fantastic, romantic meal and they were both pleasantly full when they left for Edinburgh Castle. Katie was back in her element as she explored the castle and continued to snap photographs. She wanted to show the girls all that she had seen. It was getting late and they were both exhausted from their flights. Plus, the samplings from the Whisky Bar weren’t helping, as they battled to stay awake. Reluctantly, Katie agreed it was probably best if they went back to the hotel. She didn’t want

to leave. She had decided she wanted to live in the castle. The moment they stepped back into their room, it was all they could do to get their clothes off before they fell into bed. It wasn’t particularly late, just shy of midnight, but the jet-lag and traveling was taking its toll. Scott lay on his back and she snuggled up and rested her head on his chest. He kissed her and reached over her and turned off the light. “Guid night, gorgeous. I hope yer enjoyed yer first day in Scotland.” “Goodnight, babe. I sure did! Thank you so much for my surprise, it was great. I’ll never forget it.” Scott laughed and hugged her tightly. “That was nae yer surprise. Tomorrow is yer birthday. That’s when yer get yer surprise.” “Oh, wow, there’s more? How can you top this?” she looked at him questioning. “Just yer wait and see. Trust me, it will be better than today.” “I love you. How did I ever live without you?” “Nae idea,” he replied, and laughed again. She was laughing, too. She was so happy. She couldn’t remember ever feeling this happy before. “I really want tae make love tae yer again, baby, but I’m so tired, I’m scared I’ll fall asleep on yer and offend yer. So it’s probably best we just go tae sleep. Och, I never thought I’d ever say that.” Now she was really laughing. It was a mixture of being so happy, the whisky and him being so funny. She kissed him and snuggled up again with her head nuzzled into his chest. “Goodnight, Scott. I love you.” “Love yer, too, babe. Guid night.”

Chapter 12 Scott awoke the next morning just after 7:00 a.m. and jumped in the shower. It was not as interesting as the last shower! With a quick shave, he decided he would get dressed pretty soon. Katie was still asleep. He sat on the side of the bed next to her for a long while and just watched her sleep. He loved to look at her. He thought she looked like an angel, so beautiful and peaceful lying there. He gently stroked her hair and the side of her face, knowing they would need to leave at a reasonable time. He would not be able to let her sleep too much longer. He touched her hair, moving it from her face to wake her, but that didn’t work. She was fast asleep. After a few minutes, with no luck, he got dressed and went down to the restaurant to see what was on the menu for their breakfast. He thought it would be nice to surprise her with breakfast in bed for her birthday. A few minutes later, he came back with coffee and a large tray graced with fruit, cereals and pastries. Katie was still sleeping; she didn’t even wake up when he came into the room or set the tray down next to her. The previous day’s flight and adventures had worn her out. Scott knew he was going to have to wake her if they were going to stay on schedule for the day. He stroked the side of her face again and ran his fingers through her hair, talking to her softly. “Katie. Katie, wake up.” She stretched and turned over, but was not completely awake. “Come on, birthday girl. It’s time tae wake up,” Scott continued. “What time is it?” she said, in a sleepy voice, as she rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms above her head. “It’s well after eight. We need tae leave fairly soon, so yer have tae get up and get ready.” “Okay,” she groaned, as she stretched again. “Happy birthday, my beautiful princess,” he said, as he presented her with morning coffee and breakfast tray of pastries and fruit. “Awww, thank you,” she replied. Smelling the coffee, she started to feel more awake. “Yer welcome. How are yer feeling?” “I’m good. So where are we going today?” “We’re going tae head up into the highlands, so yer can see how beautiful this country is. I have nae been up that way fer a while myself, so I’m looking forward tae it.” “Sounds great, I can’t wait. So what’s my surprise?” she said, trying to trick him into answering her, although she knew he wouldn’t. “I think yer already know that I’m nae going tae tell yer that, but nice try.” “Hey, you can’t blame a girl for trying.” “How’s yer birthday breakfast?” he asked, laughing at her attempt. “It’s wonderful. So when do I need to be ready to leave?” “I’d like tae be oot of the hotel and on the road in the next half hoor or so, but dinnae rush yer food. We’ll be guid.”

“Okay, it won’t take me long to get ready.” Within forty minutes or so, they were heading out of Edinburgh. Katie was still enjoying the diverse view and continued to snap pictures, even from the moving car. As they moved further north, the lowlands and cities gave way to the highland terrain and small towns. The weather was a little overcast, but showed signs it would brighten up as they climbed into the highlands. The sun broke through the clouds giving the dramatic scenery a sun kissed glow. “This country is so beautiful. I can’t believe I’m actually here with you for my birthday. Thank you so much,” she said to him as he turned a corner, giving them another magnificent view. “Yer welcome, baby. I’m glad yer having a guid birthday.” “Oh, this is the best birthday ever.” “It’s only going tae get better. I can promise yer going tae love it.” “This day is already special. What more could I want than being with the man I love in such a stunning place?” Scott smiled, He knew it was going to get a lot better, or at least he hoped it was. He still didn’t know for sure how she’d react to his birthday surprise, but there was no reason not to think she would love it. They stopped for a late lunch at a small rustic restaurant in a tiny town deep in the highlands. They ate outside on a deck that afforded breathtaking views of the surrounding glen and a crystal clear stream that ran right by the restaurant. The sun had come out and the day was turning into one of the summer’s finest days. The temperature was only in the high 60’s, but that was good for this part of the highlands. It was as if Scott had ordered the sun and temperature for her birthday. When they sat down at their table, Katie was again snapping shots of all around her. They both decided on the smoked salmon and salad for lunch and they sat enjoying each other’s company and the view. Before long, it was time to venture further. “How are yer doing?” Scott asked her, as they got back into the car. “Fine, why?” “Well, where we’re going now is where yer surprise is. I dinnae want yer tae get any clues. So, would yer mind reclining yer seat and letting me blindfold yer fer a while so yer dinnae see anything. I promise yer will nae miss any scenery as we have tae come back doon this way tomorrow. So yer will see anything yer miss today. It should only take an hoor or so.” “I can do that. I was feeling a little tired, so it may not be a bad idea if I try to take a little nap.” “That sounds perfect. Thanks fer playing along babe. It will make things even more special if yer completely surprised.” Katie was very intrigued. Every time she thought she’d already been given her surprise, he said there was more to come. She knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep, but she was happy to play along with his plan, since he’d put so much thought and time into it. She reclined her seat and Scott helped her wrap one of her scarves around her eyes. She closed her eyes, lay back and relaxed as he drove the car towards their next destination.

An hour later, the car stopped and Scott rested his hand on her shoulder. “Are yer awake?” “Yes. I’m just relaxing. Scott, can I look yet?” “Nae, nae yet. I have tae get oot of the car and get something. I will only be five or ten minutes. Yer perfectly safe here. Nae one can see yer, so please just stay where yer are fer a few more minutes.” “Okay, I will. I trust you.” “Thanks, baby. Yer being a really guid sport. I’ll be back in a few.” A few minutes later, Katie heard the car door open. “Reet, I’m back. Are yer still doing okay?” “Yes, I’m fine. I’m actually very relaxed and very excited.” “Great. We have a wee bit further tae go, but we have tae go on foot now. Will yer promise tae keep yer eyes closed or should we leave the blindfold on?” “I’ll keep my eyes closed, but I don’t want to fall.” “I’ll nae let yer fall. I’ll guide yer and I promise I will nae let anything happen tae yer.” “Okay, I know you won’t.” “We have tae go doon quite a lot of steps and then up a few too, but yer know I’ll look after yer.” “I promise. I won’t look until you tell me.” Scott took her hand and led her slowly away from the car and down what seemed like hundreds of steps. When the downward steps ended, they walked for a few minutes on flat ground before climbing more steps. All the time Katie could hear voices, mostly Scottish, but foreign ones, too. She could also hear the sound of water and was pretty sure they were by the coast or by a lake. There were birds making a lot of noise too, but it still seemed very peaceful. She did feel silly walking with her eyes closed and was worried about what the people who could see her were thinking. She gripped Scott’s hand tightly and pulled him close to her. “Are we nearly there?” “Will be aboot one minute, baby, then yer can open yer eyes.” “Okay, the suspense is nearly over then.” “Aye it is. Just a few more steps.” “Great, I can’t wait! This is so exciting!” Scott stopped her and positioned her facing a certain way. Then he stood behind her and held her. “Okay baby, yer can open yer eyes now.” She opened her eyes gradually and the view took her breath away. They were standing in part of a medieval castle that over-looked another part of the castle which, in turn looked over a beautiful loch. There were a few small boats on the water and the hills that surrounded the loch were covered with beautiful, purple heather. “This is Loch Ness. We’re standing in the remains of Urquhart Castle looking oot over one of the most beautiful parts of the Loch. What do yer think?” “It’s amazing! I don’t know what to say.” “How aboot say yes,” he said, as he stepped in front of her, took her left hand

and placed a diamond ring on her finger. He had changed into his kilt and traditional Scottish dress and was now kneeling in front her, smiling. “Katie, will yer make me happiest man in the world and be my wife?” She couldn’t speak for a few seconds; she was in complete shock and was so happy. She thought earlier that this day couldn’t get any better, but it had. “Oh my God, yes, of course, yes, yes, yes, yes!” she said, as she burst into tears. By now, there was a small crowd of onlookers and they all started to cheer and clap. Katie blushed a little, but she was so happy at that moment, it didn’t matter. Scott stood up and kissed her, a long lingering kiss, and when it was over he spun her around again so she could look out over the Loch. He stood behind her, wrapped his arms around and held her tight, enjoying the view together. “Are yer going tae look at yer ring?” “It doesn’t matter. It could be a ring top from a can of soda for all I care,” she said, as the tears continued to stream down her face. “I wish I’d known that afore. That would have been a lot less expensive.” She laughed, trying to stop the tears from falling, but that wasn’t going to happen for a while. She looked at her ring. It was a two-carat, princess-cut diamond in a white gold, antique-setting, with a thick-band setting which contained over a carat of smaller diamonds. It was a beautiful ring for a beautiful occasion. Several onlookers approached them and offered their congratulations, as they continued to look out over the Loch. Scott was still standing behind her with his arms wrapped tightly around her. He had his love in his arms and was not about to let go. Eventually, when she stopped crying and reapplied a little makeup, she asked someone if they’d mind taking a few photos, so they would have pictures to remember the day. Of course they were happy to oblige. Katie was excited to have the memories captured forever. Plus, it was one more thing to show the girls and her parents when she got home. “I take it yer happy, baby.” “Oh, you have no idea how happy I am. I still can’t believe how amazing this whole weekend has been.” “I get the feeling I’m going tae get lucky tonight,” he said, with a big smile on his face. “Oh, you can count on it! I think I am the lucky one.” She said. She didn’t want to go. Since it was such a special time, Scott agreed and they stayed a little longer. Sooner or later they would have to leave. He had booked a hotel which overlooked the Loch and it was a half hour drive from the castle. As they climbed the steep steps back to the parking lot, she saw the path she walked down earlier. It was beautiful. Even the view from the parking lot was stunning! From where they parked, you could see the entire castle. But, actually standing inside the castle when he proposed to her was so special, she would never forget it as long as she lived. Soon they were back in the car and driving down another beautiful road to the hotel. “I don’t think I can stand much more excitement this weekend,” she said to him, as they were driving. “We can just relax tonight at the hotel. It has a restaurant there, so we dinnae

have tae go anywhere. We can just enjoy a quiet evening fer yer birthday.” “Sounds perfect.” “Aye, it does, we’ll be there soon. It should nae take any longer than aboot half an hoor. It’s nae too far away.” Sure enough, in just a little over half an hour, they pulled into the parking lot of the luxury hotel on the banks of Loch Ness. It was a beautiful, old, traditional building, the perfect location for the end of a perfect day. Flowers and champagne were waiting for Katie in the room for her birthday. The room was elegant, with a four-poster bed and a working fireplace. It had an overall warm, romantic feel to it. After freshening up and getting changed, they went down to the dining room to enjoy their engagement dinner. They both thought the surf ‘n’ turf was a fitting meal for such a special occasion. They realized they both had enjoyed every moment together and would always remember this wonderful day. The hotel put the finishing touches on the meal and brought a birthday cake to the table. Katie and Scott appreciated the gesture and it was quickly eaten. All they really wanted was to be alone and enjoy each other. When they arrived back in their room, they went out on the balcony with their glasses of champagne to share the amazing view that overlooked the Loch. “I’m nae used tae getting guid food like we’ve eaten this weekend.” “Nor me. It’s been amazing, although I admit I probably get better food than you do over in Iraq.” “Aye, fer sure yer do. All I get tae eat is soggy pasta and sandwiches. They do have meat available at the hotel, but I dinnae trust the look of it. I could never tell what animal it was supposed tae come from.” She laughed at his humor, but she felt sorry for his predicament. The only good thing about their situation was his contract was a bit more than half over. In a little less than three months, he’d be coming home. “Here’s tae us, to an amazing day, yer birthday and the future,” he said, as he tipped his glass towards her. She touched her glass to his and smiled before taking a sip. The sun was lowering on the horizon and it was beginning to get a little chilly. They decided to step inside and get warm together. “Now, it’s my turn to give you a surprise,” she whispered, in his ear. “Really? That sounds interesting.” “Take your clothes off and lay on the bed. I will be back in a few minutes,” she said, in a very authoritative manner, as she took her suitcase into the bathroom. He’d never known her to sound like this. He smiled. He kind of liked it. He did as she asked and stripped down to his boxer shorts and lay on the bed. He turned off the main light just leaving a small lamp on. A few minutes later, the bathroom door opened and Katie stepped out. Scott couldn’t believe his eyes! She looked so sexy, it was unbelievable. She was wearing thigh-high, blackleather boots with high-platform stiletto heels; they must have been six inches high. Plus, a matching black leather thong and bra set which didn’t leave much to the imagination. She was carrying something in one hand, but he couldn’t make it out. He didn’t care what it was, he was so excited. He couldn’t take his eyes off her! Her hair was tied up into a high ponytail. He thought she looked amazing!

Katie walked very slowly and provocatively across the room towards him. He was getting very excited just watching her walk towards him. He couldn’t wait to touch her. “You like?” she asked him, with a sexy smile. “Aye, I like it very much,” was the reply. He was very turned on. She could see he was very excited. He sat up and moved towards her. “Baby, come here,” he said, with a wolfish grin. “No, lie down!” she said sternly. Scott didn’t take any notice; he wanted to touch her and moved towards her. She took what appeared to be a small riding crop and swatted him across the leg. “Lie down! This is my night for you. You don’t touch me unless I tell you.” This was so unlike her and was very arousing. He did as he was told, this time, and lay back on the bed. She moved to the bed and climbed over him, straddling him and rubbed her hands over his chest and arms. “Put your arms over your head.” He obliged and when his arms were above his head, she moved forward and leaned on one of his arms. He wondered what she was doing at first, but soon realized she had secured his wrist to the bedpost with a strap she had hidden in her hand. “Wow, this is hot.” “Quiet,” she replied, as she moved to his other arm and did the same. Now for a change, he was totally at her mercy and he liked it. She removed his boxer shorts, leaving him totally naked. “Now you’re all mine and it’s my turn to pleasure you,” she said, raking her long nails all over his body. “Yer can do anything yer want. Baby, I want yer so bad reet now.” “What do you really want?” “I want tae kiss yer doon there and make yer happy?” “Mmmm, how badly do you want it?” she said, as she wrapped her hand around him tightly and started to stroke him slowly. He groaned with pleasure and struggled, but there was nothing he could do to get free. He was tied down and tied down good. He wasn’t going anywhere. Truth was he kind of liked it. “I want tae make yer feel guid.” She stood up and removed her thong. She gave him quite the show, which only excited him more. She moved to where his lips and tongue could work their magic. She knew while she had been stroking him, he would not last long, and she wanted to satisfy him at the same time. She turned herself around completely facing his body and started to stroke him again. At first she was moving slowly and very intentionally. She then stroked him more intensely and a bit faster, while he continued to tease her with his tongue. From the sounds he was making, she knew he was enjoying himself pleasuring her and from the way his body was reacting, she knew that he was enjoying what she was doing to him. After a few minutes his body began to shake and she knew he was experiencing an intense, amazing orgasm. Even through his excitement, he didn’t stop; he kept teasing

and kissing her until she was ready to explode. She knew he really wanted to grab her and pull her closer to him, but he couldn’t. It didn’t take long before she was experiencing an incredible orgasm of her own. When her body finally collapsed in ecstasy, she untied him and they lay together in the afterglow hugging. “Did you like that?” she asked, as she unzipped her boots. “Aye, it was amazing. It really was.” “I’m glad you liked it. I thought it was really hot too.” “It was. I cannae remember ever being that turned on.” “Good, that was the plan,” she said as she smiled at him, while they snuggled back together in bed. “Aye, definitely that was fantastic, the perfect end tae a perfect day. Thank yer fer my surprise.” “Thank you, too. Today has been perfect, my best birthday ever.” They were both very tired. Scott leaned over and turned off the lamp, then lay on his back. She assumed her normal position snuggling up next to him with her head on his chest. “Guid night, Katie, sleep well. I love yer.” “Goodnight, babe. I love you too.”

Chapter 13 It was Katie who woke up first Sunday morning, smiling, and couldn’t stop looking at her ring. It was beautiful! She was so happy. It was the happiest she’d been in a long time. She hated the thought they would be saying goodbye again. It would be even harder than the last time. She kept telling herself the next three months would go quickly, and then they would be together forever. Even though she was sad to be saying goodbye, she just kept thinking that she was so happy! Her mind filled with all that had happened and especially the ring on her finger. Katie didn’t know what time they needed to check out of the hotel, but knew her flight was at 3:00 p.m. Because she was blindfolded, she wasn’t sure how far the drive was to the airport, but laughed and thought she probably had enough time, to take a quick bath, while Scott continued to sleep. Warm and relaxed, her thoughts drifted to her wonderful birthday surprises. Just as she decided to step out of the tub, Scott awakened and walked into the room. “Morning, gorgeous. How are yer?” he asked, smiling. “I’m good, baby. Did you have a good sleep?” “Aye, I did. Yer should have woken me. I’d have liked tae take a bath with yer.” She smiled at him. She knew he was serious. “I wouldn’t have kicked you out of my bath.” He laughed and winked at her. “Are yer hungry?” “Yes, a little. What time do we have to leave today?” “We should probably leave here by 10:00. It could take aboot three hoors or so tae get doon tae Glasgow. I’ll need tae check what time yer flight is today.” “Mine is at 3:00. What time is yours?” “4:30. I knew yer flight left afore mine. So, we will need tae be oot by 10:00 at the latest, fer sure then.” “Okay, then we have a couple of hours to spare. Scott, is there anything you want to do while we are still here?” “I dinnae care, babe. Was there anything yer still wanted tae do. Yer the tourist. We could go fer a nice breakfast somewhere if yer want tae. What would yer like tae do?” “I saw a sign yesterday for the Loch Ness Visitor Center. Could we get a quick breakfast and then maybe look around the Visitor Center for an hour?” “Of course. Whatever yer want tae do, is fine with me.” “Oh, that’s great. I’m glad we’ll have time. I’ll hurry and get ready.” “I’m going tae take a quick shower. How aboot yer head doonstairs and see what yer can find tae bring up fer breakfast. Then we can get going as soon I am oot.” “That’s even a better idea. I’ll be back with breakfast. Enjoy your shower.” “Aye, I will, but nae as much as I would if yer were coming in with me,” he said, with a cheeky smile.

They didn’t have a lot of time, so, they ate a quick breakfast in their room, checked out of the hotel and drove to the Loch Ness Visitor Center. Scott and Katie walked around the visitor’s center, Katie picking up brochures to show the girls, before they got back in the car and headed south to Glasgow. Katie insisted they stop at Urquhart Castle. She needed to see it once again. They pulled into the parking lot so she could have one last look at the place where Scott had proposed to her. They didn’t have time to walk down to the castle, so they enjoyed the spectacular view from the parking lot. Scott laughed, because Katie again got out the camera and snapped another couple of photos. All too soon, they were in the car heading to the airport. Katie enjoyed all the scenery, especially what she had missed the previous day by being blindfolded. She started to get quiet and Scott noticed a slight quake in her voice when she spoke. The closer they got to the airport, the sadder she became. “I can’t believe we have to say goodbye again.” “I know Katie, but we’re a little more than halfway through it now. It will nae be much longer, we can do it.” “I know it won’t. I just miss you so much, and I know that girl has a crush on you.” She said the last part very intently. She shouldn’t have been jealous but Britney had been on her mind all weekend. She just hadn’t wanted to spoil things. She felt it was okay to bring her up now, since she was depressed anyway. “I think yer wrong, but even if it was true, I am nae interested in Britney. Yer know that. Yer the only one I’m interested in.” “Scott, I know how you feel about me, and you know I trust you! I just don’t trust her.” “If yer trust me, then what are yer so worried aboot? Plus, I dinnae think she’s as bad as yer think she is. Besides, she’s just a spoiled rich girl who’s used tae getting her own way. She’s used tae always getting everything she wants.” “Yeah, I think that’s the whole problem. I think she is used to getting exactly what she wants and she wants you. You haven’t ever seen anything? She has never done or said anything?” “Actually, she did hug me once, now that I think aboot it. It was the day our car broke doon and we had tae walk fer hoors, back tae the hotel. We were exhausted when we got back. Just after we got back in tae the room was when she hugged me. But I think she was just tired and relieved that she was safe. I know she was very scared and tired. It was nae anything I even thought aboot at the time.” “You never mentioned anything about that before.” “I was nae trying tae keep anything from yer. I just didn’t give it a second thought after it happened. Katie, I’m sorry I forgot tae tell yer, but I promise I am nae interested in her. Yer must know that by now, especially after this weekend. Yer the only one I want. I love yer.” “I know. I’m just down at the moment about a lot of things. And besides, I know I have to say goodbye to you again, after such an amazing weekend. It is just very difficult.” “It is hard fer me too, baby. It kills me having tae say guid bye again tae yer. What else are yer feeling doon aboot?”

“All the same things. The money problems and I’m still hardly receiving any child support. And I guess I should tell you, I’m not sure how much longer we’ll be able to stay in the house before it goes into foreclosure. My attorney thinks we’ll be fine for a few more months, but it’s still a lot to deal with.” “Yer do have a lot of stress aboot lots of things at the moment. But try nae tae worry too much aboot the house or money reet now. As soon as I’m finished, yer know I’ll be getting a guid paycheck and we’ll buy that house yer wanted so bad.” Scott had some savings but he was not a rich man and if he wanted to buy the nice house she loved, he needed to take the Baghdad job. He had wanted to enter a career in physical therapy. But, after he met Katie, his plans changed. Getting the house was important to her. She wanted a place for them to start fresh. Soon, it was all going to happen. Scott had given Katie money to help with some of her bills and other expenses over the last few months. He had thought it was more help than it obviously was. She had always seemed somewhat reluctant to take it. He hoped now, maybe it would be different, since he had proposed. “Scott, I know you’ll look after the girls and me. I have no doubt about that. The money just worries me and losing the house. All I know is, I have to do anything to stay in it, until you get back. I just sometimes feel like you are taking on all my problems and that doesn’t seem fair to you.” “There’s nae such thing as yer problems anymore, baby. They’re our problems now. Yer should know that by now. I love yer.” “I love you, too. Aww, Scott, you always say the right things.” “Aye, that’s my job. Now, let’s just enjoy our last wee bit of time together. What do yer say? Smile fer me?” “Okay, I will.” On the drive back, he drove a slightly different route to Glasgow, this time along the shores of Loch Lomond. Scott’s alternate route presented much more dramatic scenery. Since they were slightly ahead of schedule, he parked the car and they took a short stroll. They walked quietly, hand-in-hand by the banks of the famous Loch. Like Loch Ness, the hills that surrounded the water were awash with beautiful purple heather, which created stunning views. As romantic as it was, there was only time for a short stop. Soon, they were back on the road and approaching the airport. The traffic started to build up as they entered the city. It was Sunday, so it wasn’t too bad, but still more than back home. After such a beautiful time at the loch, they once again found themselves in the devastating, but familiar position of saying goodbye and leaving each other’s arms again. When the last call for Katie’s flight was announced over the airports PA system, it was again time to kiss good-bye. “Be strong baby. We will nae be apart much longer. Yer know I love yer.” “I know. I’m going to miss you so much.” “I’ll miss yer, too. Yer do have tae go now, though,” he said, as he hugged her tightly and gave her one last, long, sensual kiss. “Yer know I’ll be in touch as soon as I can. Have a safe trip haem, Katie. I love yer.” “I love you, too. Please stay safe and call me when you can. Bye, babe, and

thank you again.” “Yer welcome, baby. I cannae wait tae have yer in my arms again. Take care of yerself.” An hour later, Scott was on his way back to Baghdad to complete the job that he signed up for. He was already missing Katie terribly. Saying goodbye was by far the hardest part of these short visits, but it was worth it to see her. All the scheduled flight times worked out well again. He met Britney in Kuwait on Monday morning and together they took the last leg of their journeys, back to Baghdad. Britney asked him many times on the flight what his big surprise for Katie was, but he was tired and wanted to rest on the short flight back to Iraq. When they arrived at the airport, they were met by another guard, and driven to their hotel. Britney asked him again, several times during the drive, what his big surprise was. Scott was busy talking to the other guard and he said nothing to her during the drive about his trip. He needed to know about the security situation over the previous few days; and to know what was happening throughout the city. The news was not good. Things were not any better, not that he expected them to be. In fact, it was worse. Al Qaeda had made an announcement that their group would be targeting non-Muslims in the country. That was not any ‘different-tonormal’ Scott thought, but it was unusual for them to make a formal announcement about it. He knew he was going to be on high alert for the next three months. “So when are you going to tell me about what you did for Katie’s birthday?” Britney asked, as they walked into the suite. “It was a nice romantic visit together in Scotland, saw the sights, ate some guid food and enjoyed each other’s company. Oh… and I asked her tae marry me.” “Really? Wow, well, congratulations. I would presume she said yes.” “Aye, she did and thank yer. How was yer luxury hotel?” “It was great! I actually enjoyed this resort much more than the other one. I brought a couple of really good bottles of wine and a bottle of champagne back. Maybe we should open the champagne to celebrate your good news.” “Nae, I will nae drink while I’m here. I have tae stay sharp and alert tae keep yer safe, but please, yer go ahead.” “Hmmm, maybe one day I’ll persuade you if we have a quiet day. You do owe me, remember? You did say… anything.” She was already thinking. “Aye, yer got me there. We’ll see,” he replied. He was determined to stay focused, but maybe he might have a small glass with her one day. He knew she was not going to give up or forget about the favor he said he would do for her. But, he didn’t have time to worry about little things like that. His engagement didn’t change Britney’s plans in the least. She still wanted to seduce him and the fact that he was engaged didn’t worry her a bit. She was no stranger to anyone involved or married. In fact, the last two men she was with were married. Over her weekend in Dubai, she spoke with a work friend in California. There were rumors that the company may abandon plans to develop their business interests in Iraq, due to the recent events. She was not sure how

true this was, and planned to find out more information. As far as Britney was concerned, setting up the business here was going very well, but she knew it was possible that she could be pulled out of the country before her assignment was complete. Because of that, if she was going to seduce her handsome bodyguard, she’d have to do it soon. Later that evening, after Britney turned in, Scott called Katie. “Hey, baby. How was yer flight haem?” “It was good. How was yours?” “Fine. We’re back at the hotel now. What did everyone think of yer ring and yer hundreds of photos?” he laughed. “They thought my ring was gorgeous and I ran right out and got the pictures printed! Both the girls and my parent’s loved them.” “How have yer been today? Still a wee bit tired from yer flight?” “Yes a little, but not too bad. I just wish you were here.” “I wish I was there too. I miss yer already.” “I miss you too, Scott. My dad said, he saw on the news over the weekend, there were threats made against non-Muslims in Iraq.” “Aye. I was told that by the other guard when I got back. It is very unusual fer them tae announce it through the media. But it’s nae really anything too unusual, or tae be more concerned, since we’re under threat from these groups every day anyway.” “Okay, I just wanted to tell you in case you hadn’t heard about it. Scott, I’m scared.” “I know yer are baby, but yer know I will nae quit anything. I’ll be here until the end and I’ll come haem tae yer safely in November, in time fer the holidays.” “You’re so stubborn.” “I’m very tired and need tae sleep now, I love yer, babe. I’ll call yer tomorrow. Guid night, gorgeous.” “Goodnight, sleep well. I love you too.” As he lay in bed and tried to sleep, he realized how much he missed her and how much he didn’t want to be in Baghdad anymore. He’d never quit anything in his life so that wasn’t the issue. He just wanted to be with the woman he loved. He wanted to make sure he kept his promise to Katie and get back safely when his contract was over. He felt he was going to be extremely busy, keeping both Britney and himself safe. He hoped that would make the time go quicker.

Chapter 14 The first few days in Baghdad seemed to go smoothly with no real trouble on the way to or from Britney’s work. She concentrated on her job after she arrived back in Iraq. Scott doubted this quiet, trouble-free spell would last long, but he was determined to make the most of it while it did. It was Thursday evening, when they arrived back at the hotel. “So, Scott. It’s been quiet the last couple of days. Are you going to have that drink with me tonight?” she asked, as they walked through the door. “It has been quiet, yer reet. Britney, yer have been here long enough by now, yer never know what’s going tae happen in a place like this. Or when! So I’m nae going tae take any chances.” “Spoilsport... Come on, just one drink, please. I don’t want to open a bottle just for me.” “We’ll see.” “Great. I’m going to take a shower. Let me know your answer in a little while and I’ll open a bottle.” “Aye, okay.” Scott was not too worried. Even if he did agree to a small drink it would not be a problem. He was not a big drinker, but could handle a glass of wine. He sat on the couch and checked his laptop for any emails from Katie and any news that regarded local incidents. It seemed to be quiet and nothing arrived from Katie so he started a note to her. Half an hour later, Britney emerged from the bathroom. Her hair was wet and she wore only a towel around the middle of her body. Scott glanced at her as she walked to her room. She noticed his look and smiled at him. He hadn’t noticed her smile and returned to his computer. A few minutes later, she called to him from her room. “Scott, would you come here for a minute, please?” He obliged and entered her room. She was sitting on the edge of her bed applying lotion to her legs and still wearing only the towel. “What’s up?” “Remember that favor you owe me?” “Aye.” “I got sunburned over the weekend and really need some lotion on my back. Would you mind, please? I can’t reach.” Scott was flustered. It seemed harmless enough. If she really was burned, he knew she couldn’t reach her own back to put lotion on and there was nobody else to do it. But, what would Katie think? He thought she would definitely not like him touching another woman, especially considering what Katie thought of Britney. He was a man who was calm under enemy fire, but was now completely flustered and panic stricken because a woman asked him to rub lotion on her back. “Well, will you do it?” she asked again, holding out the lotion bottle towards him.

“I’m nae sure aboot this. It does nae seem reet.” “What doesn’t seem right? It’s just lotion. I won’t tell Katie, I promise.” “It’s nae that. I just dinnae think I should be touching another woman, even if it is only tae put lotion on yer. Plus, Katie and I dinnae keep secrets from each other.” “Oh, my gosh! It will take you one minute. I just can’t reach my back. Come on Scott, help me,” she said, as she rolled onto her stomach and moved the towel down, which exposed even more of her back. Scott grabbed the bottle and squirted a little lotion into his hand and started to rub it in on her back. She felt his hands on her body and it excited her. She wanted him to continue to touch her. She knew he would feel the warmth from the sun on her back and knew he believed her about the sunburn. She had planned this well. He had rubbed for a couple minutes then capped the lotion. She suddenly thought, had he stopped? The lotion was all rubbed into her skin, and Scott thought she appeared red. So maybe she told the truth. He placed the lotion on the night stand as he stood up. “There yer go, all done,” he said. “Thanks,” she said, as she turned over onto her side and exposed her breasts to him. She planned this move and pretended for Scott’s benefit that it was an accident. She quickly tried to cover herself. She succeeded with him seeing exactly what she wanted him to see. Scott was very embarrassed and left her room. He sat back on the couch and started typing on his laptop again. A few minutes later, she walked out of her room in very short shorts and a tight fitting white t-shirt. She held a very tall glass of wine in her hand. The way she acted, it appeared it was not her first glass. He had started an email to Katie earlier and finished it up after he had left Britney’s room. “Would you like to join me in a glass of wine?” “Nae. I’m guid, thanks.” “Come on, you said you would.” “I said, we’ll see,” he stated. “What’s wrong?” “Nae anything. Yer made me very uncomfortable in yer room.” “How? Didn’t you like my body?” “Yer know how. And yer know, I’m with Katie and we’re very happy together. Yer made me uncomfortable.” “Do you find me attractive then?” “Like I said, I’m with Katie.” She put her hand on the inside of his thigh. “She’s not here, Scott. She doesn’t have to know. Come on, let’s have some fun.” “Nae, that’s nae something I’d ever do,” he said, as he removed her hand from his leg. “Scott, it is okay to admit you want me.” “I dinnae want yer, Britney. I’m here tae look after yer and make sure yer stay

safe. That is all.” “Are you sure about that, Scott? I could make you very happy.” “Just go tae bed. Yer had too much tae drink,” he said, as he stood up, went to his room, and closed the door behind him. “Damn,” Scott thought, “Katie was right.” He kept telling her that it was her imagination, but he completely misread the situation. He decided he would talk to Britney in the morning. He would let her know if anything like that happened again, he would ensure Tom arranged for another guard to be assigned to her. He wasn’t going to do anything that jeopardized his relationship with Katie, ever! The following morning Scott had long since been up when Britney came out of her room. He was interested to see if she’d have anything to say to him. Before either of them had a chance to say anything, Scott’s phone rang. “Scott, this is Tom.” “Hi, Tom.” “Listen, we need your help. One of my guards just called me. He’s been attacked. They ambushed his car and he’s on foot with his client and under fire from a militant group. Can you bring Britney to our office? We can have someone watch her here and then we can go and find them. I have another guard bringing his client here, so there’ll be three of us to help out. “We’re on our way, Tom.” Scott hung up the phone and turned to Britney. “Yer need tae get ready tae leave. Now! There’s an emergency. Yer have two minutes.” “Okay. I need to get dressed.” Within minutes, they were driving to the PCPS office. “So what happened?” she asked, from the back seat. “A guard is under attack. I was asked tae go help oot. I’m taking yer tae my office so someone can keep yer safe there.” “Can’t I come with you? I’m not sure I’d feel safe with anyone else.” “Nae chance. It’s too dangerous and yer will be safe at the office.” “Okay. Be careful, Scott.” He pulled up in front of the building, they hurried out of the car and into the office. Tom waited just inside with the other guard. The businessman he guarded was to wait there with Britney. Tom brought in another guard to watch them. Despite the protests, there was not much Britney could do. They wasted no time and the three were quickly on their way. Scott had met Dan the other guard, before and spoke with him frequently on the phone, sharing information. He was a former U.S. Marine. He and Scott respected one another and got along quite well. “So, what happened, Tom?” Scott asked. “One of my newer guards must have taken a wrong turn. He ended up in the Sadr City district. It’s a Sunni stronghold and a breeding ground for terrorists. He called to say his car was targeted and shot up pretty bad. He took off on foot with his client, an American businessman. The last time I spoke with him, they were being chased and shot at. He managed to give me his location, so hopefully we can get there in time to help him.” “Okay. I’m nae too familiar with that area,” said Scott.

“None of us are. I don’t know what he was doing there. Only thing I can think of is he got lost. The most important thing is getting them out of there.” When they got closer to the last known coordinates, Tom tried to call Bill; to obtain his exact location. If the three men could find them, maybe there was a place they could jump into the car as they drove by. That would be ideal. After Tom talked with Bill, he discovered they were trapped in a back alley and under heavy fire. The client was unhurt, but was hysterical and he believed in shock. Tom knew they needed to leave the car and go on foot which almost certainly meant being involved in a firefight. Within half a mile or so, from where they believed the guard called, they parked the car. Tom arranged a meeting place and time, in case they got separated. Prepared as well as they could be, they set off towards the trouble. They moved in the direction of a considerable amount of gunfire. Tom was on the phone with Bill again to get an updated position on him. It sounded like they were completely trapped, but not totally surrounded, so if they calculated correctly, they could reach them. It was imperative that they hasten their pace and get them out of there as soon as possible. Insurgents could flood the area and completely out-number them at any time. Plus, an unattended car in that neighborhood would not go unnoticed for long either. They needed to act quickly. The men moved silently, navigating through the maze of back alleys until they found their colleague. Tom located Bill with the information he supplied him. They moved quickly down the alley towards him. Bill was shot in the lower leg, it was just a flesh wound, but it slowed him down. His client was unharmed, but scared stiff and in shock. As usual, it was an extremely hot day and both were suffering from heat exhaustion. They had taken cover behind a low wall and Bill occasionally fired off a few rounds to keep the insurgents occupied. Scott and Dan took positions behind a wall and returned fire. This shocked the bad guys. They thought they had outnumbered and trapped their quarry, but now the odds were a little more even. Tom helped Bill limp back down the alley, towards the car. Scott signaled Dan to escort the scared client out of there. The big, burly Texan obliged and took the businessman, dragging him by the arm as they followed closely behind Tom. Scott stayed in place to lay down cover fire. When his colleagues were far enough out of imminent danger, Scott fired a few more rounds and backed slowly down the alley. He fired until he reached the next corner. With less than half a mile to the car, it was slow going as Bill’s leg prevented him from moving too fast. Scott was still bringing up the rear as they drew closer to the vehicle. The small group of militants fired automatic weapons and followed closely behind them. Scott kept them back and picked them off when they presented themselves as targets. When they arrived at the car, they found they were lucky. No one tampered with it and it hadn’t attracted any unwanted attention, so they were good to go. Tom helped Bill into the car. Soon, Dan arrived, virtually carrying the dazed man. Bullets had started to rain down where Scott was. The commotion attracted more militants, exactly the scenario they wanted to avoid as it would leave them heavily outnumbered. Scott knew he must get out of there quickly or he was going to be in more trouble. If they had to leave without him, he’d have no chance. He needed to make his move and now!

He was less than a hundred yards from the car and Tom started the engine and was ready to go. He blasted them with additional rounds of fire from his M16 and quickly made his move towards the vehicle. Literally, seconds after he moved from his position, the exact spot he stood was hit by a grenade. Scott felt its heat on the back of his neck, but he didn’t stop or turn around. He didn’t have time. Within seconds, he dove into the car and Tom raced out of the area. They were not out of the woods yet. It was almost certain that they would be seen by their pursuers and followed. Scott and Dan readied their weapons. After a few minutes, they realized they finally were in the clear and started to relax. Tom called the office and informed them they were all safe, that they successfully extracted the missing men and were headed to the hospital as both men needed treatment. Bill was losing a lot of blood and his client; who had still not spoken; was going to need to be checked out as well. Scott talked to him reassuring him everything was fine, but he hadn’t responded. He felt bad for the guy. He wasn’t a soldier. He was definitely not used to this kind of thing. From what Tom and Bill said, it sounded like he arrived a few days ago and Scott was pretty sure he would be headed home soon. Scott was jealous. He wanted to go home to his new family. Later, after they dropped Bill and his client off at the hospital, the others returned to the PCPS office. Tom would return later to the hospital to sort everything out, but right now he needed to reunite his guards with their clients. When they arrived inside, Tom thanked Scott and Dan for their help. He shook their hands and everyone continued with their business. Within minutes, Britney and Scott were in the car and on their way back to the hotel. “So what happened?” she asked. “It was nae anything really. Just a wee bit of trouble, but it’s all fine now.” “I’m not stupid. What really happened?” “I never said yer were. A guard was attacked and we had tae go rescue him! It’s nae big deal and it’s over now.” “Yeah, I’m sure there’s more to this story than you’re going to tell me, but I suppose there’s not much I can do.” “There’s nae anything fer yer tae worry aboot.” “Okay.” “I’m heading back tae the hotel fer a rest. I’m thinking we probably will nae go in tae work today, unless yer really need tae fer a couple of hoors.” “No, it’s fine. I can do a little work on the laptop and can catch up tomorrow.” “Okay, guid.” When they walked back into the suite, Scott turned to Britney. “I’m going tae take a quick lie doon. Yer have work tae do, but I do need tae talk tae yer later.” “Okay. I think I know what you’re going to say.” “Aye, I’m sure yer do. Get on with yer work and I’ll see yer later,” he said, as he went inside his room and shut the door. A couple of hours later, Scott stepped out of his room, walked to the couch and sat down next to Britney. She was working on her computer. As he sat down, she finished what she was doing and turned towards him.

“So, what was all that aboot last night?” he asked her. “I don’t know what to say. I think I had too much to drink.” “Aye. I’ll give yer that. But, yer had nae been drinking earlier in the evening when yer asked me put lotion on yer back.” “Okay, you got me. I like you and I wanted you to notice me.” “But yer know I’m with Katie.” “Yes, I do, I’m sorry. I’m attracted to you and I’m just lonely at the moment. I just thought we could have some fun and see where it might lead.” “I love Katie. We’re getting married, I could nae do that tae her.” “If you were single, do you think you might want me?” “I cannae answer that, Britney. I’m nae single.” “She’ll never know Scott. Let’s just see how it goes. I want you and I know you want me.” “Sorry, but I would know.” “Just tell me. What is it you see in her? I’ve seen the pictures you have of her, so I know she’s pretty, but I’m pretty too. What is it exactly about her that you love so much?” “Nae sure how tae explain. I guess yer just know when yer meet the reet person. It will happen fer yer one day, too.” “I doubt it.” “It will, but listen, this is important. I’m happy tae keep looking after yer and I need tae finish this job here tae collect my money. But, if anything like last night ever happens again, I’ll have tae talk tae Tom aboot getting another guard assigned tae take care of yer. Do yer understand?” “Yes, I understand. I just don’t see why we can’t at least have some fun. It is pretty boring here.” “I know, but there’s some things I cannae do. I do like yer, but I would never do that.” “Okay. I’m going to get on with some more work in my room.” “Reet. See yer later.” As she walked into her room, her mind was still scheming. She was thinking about how to change his mind. She thought all she needed was for him to be with her once and he’d see how good it could be. She heard and understood everything he said, but she was sure she could still have him. Surely, even he could have a moment of weakness and when he did, she would be ready to take advantage. It wasn’t over yet.

Chapter 15 It was mid-September and Scott kept very busy with additional security checks. As each day progressed, the news in the city became worse every day. There were increased numbers of kidnappings and assassinations of Westerners, local politicians and police officers. Everyone living within the confines of Baghdad was on edge. Scott felt stressed. He checked and rechecked, performed extra security checks, intelligence work and nightly surveillance. He felt on edge. A feeling he was completely, unaccustomed to. The last few days he felt a presence. He believed they were being followed and it concerned him. He made a few sharp turns hiding them from sight and managed to lose the car that tailed them, on both occasions. The uncertainty of not knowing if they were truly being followed ate away at him. He mentioned nothing about it to Britney. As the month progressed, the violence increased. They continued to witness more roadside bombs and other violent incidents every day. The sound of gunfire and explosions were heard every night. It was something that surprised them, but had become part of every day or night life. Britney’s project for work was coming along very well and her company said they were pleased with her progress. She had been focused on her job and had not bothered or pursued Scott lately. It was just a front. When alone, she would smile at how clever she was, at the seductive methods and schemes to get him into her bed and have what she really wanted. Britney still wanted Scott. Back in Ohio, Katie and the girls’ summer break of camping and having fun came to an end. They all returned to school and their everyday routine. Katie loved her summer with the girls and also loved the chance to be with her students again. Late, Friday afternoon, Scott and Britney were at her office. He performed all the security checks, had spoken to other guards and detailed which route to use back to the hotel. He walked into her office to ask how much longer she would be working. “About an hour,” she responded. Scott knew he needed gas and the tank was a little lower than usual. This city was not a good place to run out. He told her he would fill it up and come right back to collect her. The station was five minutes away. He checked the car before he stepped in and drove off. When he arrived, he was shocked. The station was deserted! It was evident it had been attacked. Windows were boarded up from what seemed to be heavy gun fire or a small explosion. Bullet holes peppered the walls and most of the pumps. This kind of thing happened so often, it had not been reported. From the looks of it, the attack was a few days ago. He knew there was nothing he could do. He did not get out of his car, but continued to drive further to find another station. He knew Britney would be ready to leave soon and was unguarded at her office.

He found himself in unfamiliar territory, miles away from the known area. As he looked for a place to turn around, he heard what seemed to be a popping sound coming from the back of the car. He turned around to locate the origin, just as the back windshield shattered. “Shit,” he thought, the sound was gunfire! He could see a guy leaning out of the window of the car directly behind, shooting at him. Scott floored the gas pedal and tried to outrun his attackers, still heading into an area he did not know. It was going to be tricky. He turned down small streets, making quick sharp turns, but he could not lose them and they were still firing at him. He realized it would be a struggle to lose them if he could not fire back… and, he was low on gas. He spotted an alleyway. It was a good position to stop the car and give him some cover. Scott spun the car around at the entrance to the alley, coming to a complete standstill. Grabbing his gun, he jumped out of his car and started to fire at the car and men that were firing at him. He shot out the front tires and front windshield; the oncoming car came to an abrupt stop. He didn’t believe he hit them. Four well-armed, masked men, all with silenced, automatic-weapons got out and took-up positions behind their car. As they continued firing at him, Scott knew he was outnumbered. His car was being shot up badly. He decided it was time to make a move. He shot a few rounds to force them to take cover, and backed down the alley. It was hot and the bright sun was making him squint. There were sounds of people shouting in the distance and the smell of burning rubber was strong. As he moved away, he tried to work out if they were the ones he felt had been watching him, or maybe a new bunch targeted him when he was looking around at the shot up gas station. He dismissed his thoughts. The most important thing right now was that Britney was on her own and he needed to get back. She’d have expected him by now and she’d panic. Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to make a phone call as he was being followed too closely and being shot at. He turned the next corner and crouched down, waiting to see if they still followed him down the last alley. Soon, he got his answer. Two men came running down the alley towards him. Scott set his sights and squeezed the trigger, twice, taking them both down. The other two stopped, looked and retreated. They began to look for cover to continue their assault, he didn’t have time nor did he want to get involved in this. He needed to get back to Britney’s office, so he moved quickly through the network of alleyways. There were many kids that played in the alleys. He felt terrible that he had to shoot. He hated it! He just wanted to get out of there. After he rested for a minute, when he thought he was out of immediate danger, he reached for his phone. “Yer have tae be kidding me!” It must have fallen out of his pocket again! He couldn’t believe it, but he couldn’t risk going back towards his car. He knew he must try to get back quickly; he couldn’t be that far away, maybe two or three miles. He knew that he’d recognize something soon and would find his way. Scott had been gone for an hour now and Britney was worried. She knew something went wrong and remembered the emergency plans Scott drilled into her. She called Tom and told him what happened. He told her he was on the way and about forty-five minutes later, he arrived at her office. “Still no sign of him?” Tom asked, as Britney approached. “No. Scott hasn’t called yet. The gas station is only a few minutes away.

Something must have happened.” “Britney, show me where the gas station is.” They left the office and took Tom’s car, arriving at the gas station within just a couple of minutes, it was destroyed. Tom got out briefly having a look around. “Well, he certainly didn’t get gas here. This place has been like this for a while. Has he been anywhere else around here to get gas that you know of?” “No. I don’t think so. This is the only place we ever got gas around here.” “He must have gone to look for another station. I suppose he could have run out of gas if he didn’t find one in time, but surely he would have called,” Tom said, getting back into the car. “I suppose so.” “We’ll drive down this road for a couple of miles. Hopefully, we will find him. If not, I’ll take you back to your hotel and we’ll start a search.” “I want to help search.” “That’s very nice of you, but I feel a lot more comfortable with you safe in the hotel. Besides, it is one less person for us to look after.” She was not happy, but did not argue. There was no point. Nothing she could say would make any man like Tom realize that she could be useful. They found no sign of Scott’s car. Tom turned around and drove Britney back to the hotel and stayed to organize a search party. About the time Tom and Britney arrived at the hotel, Scott struck up a conversation with a local group of men near a café. He never interacted with the locals; it was easier to blend in. But, today, he needed help. This particular group of people seemed friendly and willing to help. They did not speak much English and his knowledge of their language was limited. He seemed to somehow relay that he needed to use a phone that could call America. One of the locals said he knew someone who had a cell phone that you could call America on and he went to find him. Scott was wary, but desperate and they seemed to have good intentions. He made them understand he was willing to barter in exchange for the use of their phone and they were very excited. He needed to call Katie because he did not know Tom’s or Britney’s number off the top of his head. All of his information was in his cell phone, another reason he was so angry he had dropped it again. He would have to call Katie and ask her to get a message to Tom. He did not want to do it this way, but there was no other choice. A few minutes later, the local man came back with a big, older man. He kept saying that his phone called America. Scott offered to trade one of his knives to make a quick call and the man agreed. “Hello,” answered Katie, sounding happy. “Katie, listen tae me! This is important! I only have a minute. If yer can, get a pen and write some information doon.” “Okay, I have one here. What’s wrong, Scott?” “Katie, I got ambushed and I’m oot on foot, but I’m fine. Dinnae worry aboot me. I need yer tae call Tom and let him know that he needs tae send someone tae Britney’s office tae get her. I lost my phone with all my numbers on it and all I knew was yer number. I’m borrowing a local guy’s phone and he’s going tae want

it back pretty soon. Tell Tom that I’m going tae make my way back to her office, but I dinnae how long I’ll be, as there are people following me. As I said, I’m sorry fer doing this tae yer and I really am fine, I’ll talk tae yer later. I love yer.” Katie didn’t get the chance to say anything back. She was writing as fast as he was talking and as he was saying the last few words, she could hear many foreign voices in the background and they sounded angry. She was scared, but he said not to worry, that he was okay and that she needed to call Tom. Scott gave her his number for emergency purposes so she called him immediately. “Hello.” “Hi, is this Tom?” “Yes. Who’s this?” “Tom. This is Katie Johnson.” “Katie, I was about to call you. I’m here with Britney at the hotel. We are concerned about Scott, and…,” he was interrupted. “Tom, he just called me. He was ambushed and doesn’t have his phone. He said he was borrowing a local man’s phone, he was on foot and he wanted you to send someone to Britney’s office to get her, but I suppose you already have her if you’re there at the hotel with her. He also said he was fine and he was going to head back to her office, but didn’t know how long it would take because there were people after him.” “Oh, Katie, that’s great news! We know he’s okay then. I’ll get someone back up to that area to look for him and even if they don’t find him. I’ll make sure there’s someone there to meet him when he gets back to Britney’s office.” “Thanks, Tom. Please keep in touch and keep me updated.” “I will, Katie. Same with you, please call me if you hear from him again. Thank you, bye.” Tom turned to Britney who had come to stand next to him after hearing him talking to Katie. “He’s okay. He was attacked, but it sounds like he’s trying to get back to your office.” “That’s a relief. How did he call Katie?” “He borrowed a local person’s phone. Scott will tell us what happened, when we find him.” “Are you going back?” “Yes. I have to go. I don’t have any guards to spare tonight.” “Can I come with you?” “I don’t like it, but you’re going to have to. Come on, let’s go find him.” It took forty minutes for them to get back to her office. It was after 9:00 p.m. and dark. There was no sign of Scott yet, so they went inside the building and waited in her office. “I really want to go out and look for him, but I can’t leave you and I have nobody free to watch you,” Tom said, to her as she sat down. “I’m a big girl.” “Not here, you’re not! You need a babysitter, just like everyone else, who doesn’t know what they’re doing.”

Britney found his attitude quite patronizing. He was not at all like Scott. “I just want him to be safe,” she said. “Me too, but even if I went and looked for him, he would be impossible to find. He will make his way through the shadows for cover. Finding Scott right now, would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. He is a highly-trained Special Forces soldier. If Scott Maclaren does not want to be found, he will not be found. Trust me, Britney he knows what he’s doing. He will turn up soon.” “I hope you’re right.” About twenty minutes later, Britney was startled by a tapping sound on her window. It was Scott. He arrived at the office building, saw that her light was on, looked through the window and saw her and Tom. He moved quickly to the main door, pulled it open and met them in just inside the lobby. “I’m glad you’re okay,” said Britney, as she hugged him. “I’m fine. Did Katie call yer, Tom? I managed tae call her and asked her tae tell yer what happened.” “She did. I had already picked up Britney when Katie called me. It was good we knew where you were heading, though. Britney was already with me when she called.” “Scott, I remembered what you told me when I first got here. If we ever got split up and something didn’t seem right, I was to call Tom,” Britney said. “That’s guid. I’m glad yer okay. I was worried aboot yer being on yer own.” “So, what happened, Scott?” asked Tom. “I went tae get gas, but our normal station was completely destroyed so I searched fer another one. A car with a number of masked men started shooting at me. They blew oot my back window and hit the car several times. They used silencers, Tom. I did nae realize they were shooting at me, until the car was hit a few times. I tried but could nae lose them. I bailed oot of the car, took cover and shot back. I hit two of them. As soon as I got the opportunity, I left the area. But, the others followed fer a while. I managed tae finally lose them in the back streets. When it was safe, I tried tae call yer, and realized I’d lost my phone. It must have fallen oot of my pocket when I jumped oot of the car or when I was running doon the street, taking cover and returning fire. I dinnae know. I managed tae talk some locals into using their phone. Katie’s number was the only one I could remember.” “Do you remember exactly where the car is? We’ll can try and retrieve it tomorrow,” said Tom. “Aye, I think so.” “Good. Well Scott, you’ve had a busy night. So, let’s get you back to your hotel and we’ll take care of all the other things tomorrow.” “I need a better place tae keep my phone. My pockets are just nae cutting it.” Scott and Tom both laughed. “Yes, you do, but everything worked out okay. You did everything right again! You trained your client well. In the thick of it, you got a message to us about where you were ultimately heading. There’s not much you can do about being attacked by a car full of armed men. So, we lost another car, but that’s pretty normal for this city. I’m really glad you’re on our side, Scott.”

“Thanks, Tom.” “I’m pretty sure Britney’s a big fan of yours too. She was very worried about you. I think you’ve made a good impression,” Tom said, as he smiled at Scott. “Aye. We get along fine, most of the time that is.” he said, with emphasis and a smile. Britney was a little embarrassed. She didn’t realize it was obvious that she liked Scott, but she didn’t really care. Half an hour later, Tom dropped them back at the hotel. He would return in the morning, so he and Scott could locate the abandoned, shot-up car. Scott was very tired and moved slowly as he and Britney made their way back to the suite. “How are you feeling?” she asked, as they entered the room. “I’m okay. Just a wee bit tired. I think I’ll just have some water and then go tae bed.” “Scott, go ahead and sit down. I’ll get you some water.” He sat down on the couch and stretched out. It had been a long, eventful night and he was tired and aching. Britney brought him a bottle of water and sat beside him. “You look like you’re in pain. Where are you hurting?” “I’m aching all over. I’ll be fine, though. I just need a wee bit of water and some guid sleep.” “Is there anything I can do to help?” “Nae, it’s fine, I’m just tired.” “You look so tense,” she almost whispered, when she noticed Scott’s eyes were almost shut. She leaned closer and started to massage his shoulders. He moved forward and she knew he intended to stand up. This was her chance! She was aware he wanted her to stop, but, it must have felt good; he hadn’t gotten up or moved her hands. Maybe, this is what he needed. She relished the thought that she found his moment of weakness. She moved her body closer to his. His head tipped slightly forward, her hands moved from his shoulders up and alongside his neck. As her fingers pressed deep into his muscles, she felt him relax under her touch. “Thanks fer that. It did help,” he said, as he abruptly stood up and walked away. He knew that he should have stopped her straight away and felt guilty. She would get the wrong impression. He was exhausted, but that was not an excuse in his eyes. “Where are you going? I’m not done. I have really strong hands and I can help you relax. I can finish...” “I know yer have strong hands. Yer did a guid job. I appreciate it, but I should really go tae bed now and call Katie.” “Let me give you a real massage all over. You can use my phone to call Katie.” “Nae, it’s fine. I’ll use the room phone. It will be a quick call tae tell her I’m okay.” “What are you scared of, Scott? I just want you to feel better. I realize it’s been a hard night.” “I’m nae scared. I just dinnae want tae encourage yer or lead yer on,” he

stated, as he dialed Katie’s number. “Hello,” Katie answered nervously. “Hey, baby. Just letting yer know I’m fine and back at the hotel. I dinnae have my phone back yet, so I’m using the hotel phone. I cannae talk fer long, so, I will explain everything tomorrow. “You scared me again! But I’m just glad you’re okay. How are you feeling?” “I’m pretty tired. It was a long night.” “I bet it was. Tell me everything when you can.” “I will. But, reet now, I need tae go tae sleep. I love yer.” “Love you too. Goodnight and sleep well.” Scott put the phone down and looked at Britney who was sulking. “I’m going tae bed now. See yer tomorrow.” “You’re sure you don’t want me to give you a massage? Scott, you do need it. Believe me, I know. Your shoulders are very tight.” “Aye, I’m sure. I dinnae doubt fer a minute that it would feel guid, but it would nae be the reet thing tae do. Just try and get some sleep and I’ll see yer tomorrow.” “Okay, then. Goodnight.” She was disappointed. Her hands were on his shoulders and she knew he was enjoying it. If only he’d have stayed sitting there a little longer. She’d have relaxed him and moved on to other areas. It was a start.

Chapter 16 The following day, Scott and Tom returned to the scene. There was no trace of the abandoned car, or his phone. Scott easily located the area where he left it, but everyone agreed it was most likely stolen. He was now on his third car and supplied with yet another cell phone. The continuing troubles in Baghdad were getting worse. Recent reports stated that violence in the city was the worst in over five years. It was October, only six weeks to go on his contract and Scott would be going home for good. Of late, Britney was working hard and wasn’t giving him too much trouble, although she was still biding her time for just the right moment. She knew time was running out and was determined that she was going to try at least once more. Scott was under a lot of pressure to keep her safe. He was still concerned that people were watching them and that they were being followed from time-totime and targeted. He found himself double and triple-checking everything, as well as second-guessing himself when it came to making decisions. This was unlike Scott. Late Tuesday evening, after having finished another hotel perimeter check, he sat down on the couch next to Britney. “Do yer fancy going away fer another weekend? I know I could do with a break afore we finish up the last few weeks.” “Maybe. Would you like to join me? We could go to Dubai or anywhere else in the region you’d like to go,” she replied, not missing a chance to try again. “Nae. I really need tae go haem tae Katie fer a while, tae recharge and be fresh fer the final stretch.” “It’s too far to go for just a weekend, Scott. You were exhausted when you came back before. If you want a real, true break, and some relaxation, let me take you to a nice resort for a few days. I would like to say thank you for keeping me safe.” “Nae, thanks. I just need tae get away and tae see Katie.” “I wasn’t planning on going away again, but if you come with me, I will.” “It’s okay. Dinnae worry aboot it. It was just an idea.” Scott said, as he retreated to his room. He didn’t want to get into an argument or worse, agree to go somewhere with her. He would talk to Tom tomorrow and see if it was possible to get away for a few days. The following day, Scott spoke with Tom. He explained that Britney didn’t have plans for a break and he needed to get away for a while. Tom understood the pressures of the job. He offered to personally look after Britney for a few days if Scott wanted to go. Scott called Katie right away. They both were excited and looked forward to him coming home. On the other hand, Britney didn’t take the news well, at all. “What do you mean, Tom is going to stay with me?” she said when he told her later that night that he was heading home and gave her the rest of the details.

“Aye. Tom will come here and stay with yer. Nae anything will be different fer yer. Yer will be just as safe as yer are now. Nae anything different at all.” “It will be different. I can’t believe this. I don’t like him! Scott, you are the one who makes me feel safe,” she protested. “Yer will be fine with Tom. He’s the boss. He knows this place better than anyone.” “I don’t like it,” she continued, to complain. “What’s the problem?” “He’s not you! I just won’t be comfortable with him.” “Sorry, but yer going tae have tae deal with it. I need a break tae make sure I’m fully focused tae finish up the last few weeks. Yer have tae understand, it’s in yer best interest fer me tae be fresh and rested. I need a break!” “I do understand that you need to get away. I just think there is a better way. You know what I think. So, when are you leaving?” “Next Thursday,” he stated, very matter-of-factly. “Okay,” she said, as she stormed to her room. She did think about taking her own trip after she failed to persuade Scott to change his mind. But, she eventually decided to stay. Thursday evening came and Tom arrived at the hotel. Scott thanked him and left for his long weekend break. This time he drove himself to the airport due to the increasing shortage of security guards. Friday evening, Scott stepped off the plane in Columbus. He looked forward to the feel of Katie nestled in his arms. It had been too long. His heart jumped and he smiled when he saw her. He opened his arms wide to hug her. “Hey, gorgeous! I missed yer.” “Hi babe, I missed you, too,” she replied. It had been nearly two months since their trip to Scotland and his romantic proposal. “I just really needed tae hold yer fer a while,” he said, with a tired, weak smile. He continued, “With all that is going on back in Iraq reet now, it feels guid tae get away. It has become very stressful keeping ahead of things. I am physically and mentally exhausted. Some guid sleep and holding yer is all I need tae keep me sharp, tae fulfill the rest of my contract. Then, I will be haem with yer and the girls.” Scott said, as they made their way through the airport. “You look so tired and I can tell you need rest. Scott, we don’t need to do anything, all weekend. You know, some of the things you’ve told me have really freaked me out. I will be so glad when it’s over. Promise, you’re never doing anything like this again.” “Aye. I know. I’m finished with this kind of life. I dinnae want tae do it anymore. I just want peace and quiet from now on.” “That suits me fine,” she said smiling. Later that night, they just relaxed at her house. She hadn’t planned anything! He was so quiet and tired. For the first time, Katie noticed he actually looked physically drained and stressed. He appeared to have lost a lot of weight and he just didn’t look his normal self. She was worried about him, but knew there was nothing she could do to stop him from going back. He was stubborn and wouldn’t

quit anything. He would not be back again until he completed his contract. They sat on the couch watching TV, arms wrapped around each other, just enjoying being quiet together. She asked him about the recent troubles in Baghdad. “Is there anything you want to talk about? I know you told me you were involved in a gunfight and had hit a couple of them. Scott, you were shot at! I know that can’t be easy.” “Aye. It’s nae easy, but I dinnae have any choice,” he said quietly. “I know, babe. Do you want to talk about it?” “Nae. I’m fine. I just need tae be quiet and tae be away from there fer a while. I need tae be able tae sleep withoot worrying aboot something blowing up or someone coming after us. I cannae ever remember feeling this tired.” “You just take it easy this weekend. We don’t have to do anything! Just rest and get as much sleep as you can.” “Aye. That sounds guid. I dinnae think I could do much this weekend. I’m just glad I’m here with yer and need tae get some guid rest.” “Where else would you be? Oh, let me guess. Britney asked you to go away with her again, didn’t she?” “Aye. She did, but she knows by now I would nae go anywhere with her.” “She just doesn’t give up! I know you don’t believe me, Scott, but I know she has a thing for you.” “Aye. I know. I believe yer.” “You do? What happened that changed your mind?” “Just some of the things she said recently. It’s nae big deal. I made sure she knew I was nae interested.” “So, what happened?” “Nae anything, babe. It’s fine. Can we just leave it? I’m really tired.” “Okay, sorry. Just get some rest and you can tell me about it tomorrow.” Within minutes, he was fast asleep on the couch. It wasn’t even 10:00 p.m., but he was completely out. She grabbed a blanket and lay down on the couch with him pulling the blanket over the both of them. She wasn’t tired, so she continued to watch TV for a while until she fell asleep. Scott woke up Saturday morning to the smell and sound of sizzling bacon. He was a little dazed and confused as to why he was waking up on the couch, but he’d slept for over ten hours! He rubbed his eyes and realized he’d fallen asleep while watching TV. He got up and walked towards the sound of bacon as it crackled in the pan. “Morning baby,” he said. He grabbed Katie from behind as she stood in front of the stove, kissing her on the cheek.” “Good morning. You slept well,” she replied. “I did. I actually feel pretty guid. That’s the first time fer a while I’ve slept that long and been relaxed when I woke up.” “That’s good. I could tell you needed it.” “Aye. I did. Did yer go tae sleep upstairs?” “No. I slept with you on the couch. I was right next to you all night. I only woke up about half an hour ago and thought I’d make you a real breakfast.” “Awww, yer guid tae me, and breakfast smells great.”

“Sit down and relax. It will be ready soon.” Soon Scott was enjoying the first homemade breakfast he’d had in a long time. While they ate, they talked about what to do later in the day. Scott wasn’t feeling up to doing too much. This weekend was really all about him getting his batteries recharged and spending some time with Katie. Without being able to make any kind of decision as to what to do, they decided to play it by ear. Later, after they cleaned the kitchen up and then showered, they collected the girls from their grandparent’s and took them to the local mall. They looked around the shops for a while then decided they would go to the theater and see a movie, followed by, dinner out. They went to the girls’ favorite restaurant, which they all enjoyed. Scott was getting tired, so they went back home and watched DVD’s. Each of the girls picked out a movie and they all settled down together on the couch. This suited Scott just fine; he was too tired to do much and was happy the evening involved not doing much. Later after the girls went to bed, Katie looked seductively at Scott and sat down next to him. “So, you’ve managed to stay awake longer than you did last night. How are you feeling?” “Aye. I guess I have. I suppose I did pass oot a wee bit early last night. I’m nae feeling too bad, babe.” “I think we should make sure we go upstairs tonight, before… you fall asleep! I’ve got a few ideas to wear you out and help you sleep better.” “I like the sound of that,” he said, smirking. “Good! Come on, let’s go upstairs.” They climbed the stairs and entered her bedroom. Scott was exhausted, but he wanted to hold her close and be intimate with her so bad. Even as tired as he was, he thought that soon, he would be falling asleep with her every night. With this picture in his head, he smiled. He was lost in thought, when Katie pushed his tired body down on to the bed. He snapped back from his daydreams and smiled even more. “Just relax. Tonight is all about you. You don’t have to do anything. I’m going to do all the work.” “If yer insist,” he said, with a cheeky grin. She climbed on top of him and started to undress him. Anytime he tried to help, she smacked his hand and reminded him she wasn’t going to let him do a thing. She would do it all. It didn’t take her long to get him completely naked. She sat astride him, still fully clothed, then started to remove her clothes, slowly and seductively, teasing him as she exposed a little of herself at a time. It was driving him wild! Soon, every article of her clothing was tossed haphazardly to the floor and they were engaged in a passionate kiss. She positioned herself so that he would be able to slip easily inside of her. He didn’t waste any time doing just that. She slowly lowered herself to draw him deeper within her and rested her hands on his chest. He reached up and sensually caressed her breasts. Scott smiled as he sat up slightly to and nibble and lick her nipples. He moved his hands to the lower part of her back, gripping her tightly. She was on top and in control, but he could still thrust further inside her. She arched her back and looked deep into his eyes.

“I love you, Scott Maclaren.” “I love yer too. Yer so sexy.” “Are you getting close, baby?” “Och aye. This feels so guid. I hate tae say it, but it will nae be long.” “Do it Scott, mmm…give it to me.” Her words and voice turned him on tremendously, especially when she talked like this while looking deeply into his eyes. He normally liked to wait, but he knew she was determined that it was his night. She continued grinding her hips and touching his chest and nipples. She kissed him and talked sexy and seductively until his body shook in ecstasy. She lay down on top of him and kissed him passionately, their bodies still locked together. “Was that good?” “Aye, it always is baby. Yer know that.” “I wish you didn’t have to leave tomorrow.” “Me either, but this is the last time I will need tae go. In a month I’ll be haem fer guid, buy the haem yer always wanted and we can have a real celebration.” “I know. I’m trying not to think about it. I get too excited.” “I really am done with this kind of life. I guess I wanted tae prove tae myself I could still do it after my military career was cut short. I know now, I dinnae want tae do it anymore,” he said, yawning and struggling to keep his eyes open. “It doesn’t matter if you want to or not. I wouldn’t let you do anything like this ever again. You’re a family man now. We need you. And I can see you’re about to fall asleep.” “I’m fine,” he said, yawning again. She laughed. “You’re not fine. You are sleepy and going to be asleep inside five minutes.” “Aye. Maybe, sorry.” “Just sleep, Scott. I’m glad you can get some rest.” “Thanks, I love yer.” “I love you more. Goodnight,” she said, as she snuggled up next to him. Early, Sunday morning, Scott played video games with the girls while Katie made breakfast. They all enjoyed hanging out and their laughter filled the room. Later in the day, they dropped the girls off at Katie’s parents’ house, so she could drive Scott to Columbus. It was time for the dreaded airport goodbye, but they both knew this would be the last time. Somehow, it didn’t seem quite as bad. More than halfway to the airport, Katie received a call that seemed to upset her. She remained quiet after the call and didn’t say anything about it to Scott. She parked the car in the lot and they quickly and quietly made their way to the departure area. They were late getting to the airport due to traffic and would have little time to say goodbye, properly. Scott noticed Katie was still visibly upset from her conversation and was getting concerned about her lack of saying anything. This was not like her. If something bothered her, she spoke her mind. “So, what was the call that upset yer so much?” “Oh, it was nothing. It was just a friend.” “It could nae have been nae anything if it upset yer, but if yer dinnae want tae

talk aboot it then it’s fine.” “It’s frustrating. I have a couple of friends, who just don’t seem to happy for me.” “Why would they nae want yer tae be happy?” “I don’t know. They think you should never have gone and left me on my own. They think you should be helping me out more. They just don’t understand.” “Nice friends. Some people just cannae mind their own business.” “Yes, unfortunately, I like to keep some things private. So they jump to the wrong conclusions and it bothers me sometimes.” “Dinnae worry aboot it baby. Like I said, some people just have nae anything better tae do than tae stick their nose into other people’s business.” Scott was angry, but he didn’t blame her for not wanting to share every detail about their private life. It was wrong that people were telling her that he should be doing more for her, when they didn’t know a damn thing! It was not as if he was away on vacation, he thought. He hugged and held Katie as they counted down the minutes until he had to leave. “So, are you going to tell me how you realized Britney had a crush on you?” she questioned. “After yer mentioned it tae me, I was more aware and started looking for signs. Some of the things she said made me realize yer were reet.” “What did she say?” she said, sounding annoyed. “Just that she liked me. She asked me tae have a glass of wine with her.” “That bitch. I knew it.” “It’s fine Katie. Calm doon. I handled it. It was nae big deal.” “No! I won’t calm down! You’re going back to a hotel suite with her and she wants you. I don’t trust her!” “It does nae matter whether yer trust her. All that matters, is that yer trust me.” “I do, but I hate that bitch! I knew it all along and you didn’t believe me!” “Katie, it’s fine. Yer have nae anything tae worry aboot. From the moment I met yer, all I ever wanted was tae be with yer. She’s nae that bad.” “Don’t you dare stick up for her! What she’s done is wrong! She knows you’re engaged and she tells you she likes you. You did tell her you were engaged, right?” “Of course, I did. That was the first thing I said tae her when I got back after we were in Scotland.” “And what did she say?” “She said congratulations.” “Yeah, as if she really meant that, but you fell for it. Soon after that, she’s asking you to have a drink with her in your hotel suite!” “Katie, yer taking this all wrong. Nae anything happened. It does nae matter. I am with yer! Don’t spoil our last few minutes together.” “No, it’s wrong. She’s a bitch and she deserves to be slapped.” “I have tae leave in a minute. Do yer want tae keep acting like this, or do yer want tae hug me and say guid bye.” Scott was annoyed and getting a little angry. He was tired and not happy about what she told him about her friends. Plus, she was now being irrational and

unreasonable. “Acting like this?” Katie replied angrily, and continued, “How do you think I will act when some little slut tells my man that she likes him?” “Katie, I have tae go. Can I have a hug?” They hugged, but she acted cold towards him. She knew it wasn’t his fault, but it made her angry. The call from her friend upset her! His leaving was never fun. All-in-all, she was having a bad day. They parted without the normal loving emotion. As she walked back to her car, she regretted everything and vowed to make things right when she spoke to him. As he sat down in his seat, Scott wished he would have made more of an effort to leave on better terms. After take-off, he pondered over the afternoon’s events. Everything would be okay, he thought. He hoped! He would make a call from New York or London and they could talk through it.

Chapter 17 The Columbus to La Guardia flight was delayed slightly and upon arriving in the New York area, needed to circle a few times before it finally landed. By the time Scott arrived, he literally ran to catch his onward flight to London. He barely made his connection and did not have enough time to call Katie. The entire, long flight across the Atlantic, he thought about what he would say to her. It bothered him that he had not mentioned that he put lotion on Britney’s back or when she massaged his shoulders. He knew that was wrong and he felt terrible about it, but after her reaction, he felt it was probably best he had not mentioned it this trip back. He felt badly that she was at home with no one to rely on. She worried alone about the girls, the house, her friends, his safety and now, Britney! He just didn’t want to upset her any more than she already was. He had a two-hour layover at Heathrow. As-soon-as he disembarked and cleared security, he called Katie. There was no answer. He realized she was probably in bed, so he didn’t try her again. He would call her when he got back to Iraq and they’d sort things out. He didn’t want to leave a voice mail. He knew what would be discussed, needed to be done properly in person. Katie was asleep when Scott called. She was upset and went to bed early. He hadn’t called her and was angry with herself that she let him leave like that. She was distraught when he didn’t call from New York and had no way of knowing that his flight was late and he didn’t have time to call. When she woke up, there was a missed call on her phone. She was glad that he’d called her, but upset that he hadn’t left a message. Scott arrived in Baghdad, Monday evening. As he walked through the airport building, he tried to call Katie again. He had desperately wanted to talk with her for hours and was now growing frustrated. Once again, his call went unanswered. Bad timing, he thought. He knew she was at work, but it didn’t make him feel any better. He wanted to get the matter straightened out, as soon as possible. He didn’t like leaving for the Middle East the way they had left it. As he left the terminal, he walked toward the main parking lot. It was not particularly busy, but there were a few people milling about. As he approached the parking area where he left his car, he had an uneasy feeling, as though, someone was following him. He turned slightly and sure enough, there were two men, maybe twenty yards behind him. He had no idea how long they’d been there. His concentration was on what he would say to Katie. He made a couple turns down random rows of cars and glanced over his shoulder to see if his suspicions were correct. The men still followed behind him. Scott was vulnerable. He didn’t have any weapons on him because he’d just flown in. His guns were locked in his car. As he approached his vehicle, the men dropped back a little further behind him, but they were still there. He was not sure what they were doing. If they wanted to shoot him, surely they could have done that by now. He decided the best thing to do would be to get in the car and get out of there

immediately. He moved quickly over the last few yards, unlocked the door, climbed in to his vehicle and turned the key. Later that evening at the hotel, Britney and Tom sat and waited. They expected Scott back hours ago. They tried his cell phone many times without any answer. Their weekend together went reasonably well with no major problems, but there was a definite personality clash between them. Tom needed to get back to his office and check on a few things. He knew Britney really wanted Scott back too, because she liked him. Just after 10:00 p.m., Tom called the airline to see if his flight had arrived and if it was on time. Scott’s plane landed on time and he was on the passenger list. Their records showed he had boarded the flight. Tom thought there was no way it would have taken him this long to get back to the hotel. He told Britney she needed to get ready to go to the airport. He wanted to find out any information they might have on his whereabouts. When they reached the airport, an increased number of police cars were present and Iraqi army vehicles were on hand. Definitely more than normal, Tom thought. A large area of one of the parking lots was cordoned off and they were not allowing anyone in. Tom parked the car and reluctantly took Britney with him. He located the local Police Chief to find out what had happened. As they moved closer to the area, Tom saw a partially burnt-out car and it looked familiar. He didn’t want to think it, but he was pretty sure it was Scott’s. Tom’s grasp of the local language wasn’t perfect, but he had lived in Baghdad long enough to have learned a fair amount. He quickly struck up a conversation with the Police Chief, who he’d spoken to before. Britney didn’t understand any of the language and stood next to Tom, while the two men spoke. She was uncomfortable; it was a sticky, hot night, much the same as every other night. It had a different feel tonight and reminded her of the night they walked back to the hotel, when the car broke down. As she stood there waiting, she heard the engine noise of small planes nearby and the sound of sirens in the distance. There was still a strong burnt smell in the air. That smell, mixed with the smell of aviation fuel did not leave a pleasant taste in her mouth. After a couple of minutes, the Police Chief pointed out the car to Tom and they moved towards it. Tom motioned to Britney to follow them. “That’s Scott’s car, isn’t it?” Tom asked her. “Oh my god. Yes, I think it is,” she said, as her voice trailed off. With difficulty, the police chief opened the burned driver’s door. Tom saw Scott’s backpack sitting on the front passenger seat, as well as his guns that remained partially hidden underneath the same seat. It appeared that Scott may have reached for them as he turned the key in the ignition. The driver’s seat and dashboard were badly burned and broken glass was everywhere. He allowed Tom to take Scott’s possessions as the two men moved away from the car, still talking. “What’s going on, Tom? What’s he saying?” Britney demanded, grabbing hold of Tom’s arm. “I’m trying to find out! Just be patient. He wasn’t the first one here. When he

arrived, Scott had already been taken away by ambulance.” “An ambulance! He lived through this? So, he is alive?” Britney asked, scared and panicking. She was shocked. The realization that Scott was the victim of a car bomb attack was starting to hit her. She was trembling. “That’s what I’m trying to find out. He’s making a call now to obtain more information for me and find out where Scott was taken.” The two men continued to talk. The Police Chief spoke to numerous police officers, making inquiries, obtaining pertinent information, as well as making calls to anyone who might have specifics about Scott. After ten minutes, Tom turned to speak with Britney. “Okay, listen. They believe he’s alive. They have given me the name of the hospital where he was taken. They said the device didn’t detonate correctly. It was a crudely-made car bomb, designed to kill. If it had gone off as it was designed, he would be dead. I don’t know how bad he is, but he was unconscious when they put him in the ambulance. I’m going to leave you with another guard and his client, at their hotel. I don’t normally do this, but this is an emergency. Then, I’m going to the hospital, to see what else I can find out.” “I am coming with you. I need to know how he is.” “No, you are not. Britney, I don’t have time to argue with you. I need to leave you in a safe place and get going. Alone! I will let you know how he is and any details I find out,” Tom said, firmly. He did not have time to debate this with her. He had a man down and needed to find out what condition he was in. While Tom was driving her to the other guard’s hotel, she continued to try and persuade him to allow her come to the hospital to check on Scott. “So tell me, how is coming to the hospital more dangerous than coming to the airport with you?” she asked. She thought it was a good point. “Just drop it Britney! It’s been a very rough night and it could yet turn out to be a very tragic night. I will not argue with you. Right now, you have no say in this, do you understand? You will stay with the other guard.” “I just need to know he’s okay, Tom. This is a nightmare.” “I know, and I am sorry. Please, just do as you’re told. Let me do my job and maybe say a prayer.” Tom softened. He realized she was afraid. All she had witnessed to this point was never truly real… until tonight. “Okay, but please let me know as soon as you know anything,” her voice quaked, as she leaned back in the seat. “I will.” He glanced in the rear view mirror and could see she was on the verge of tears. “What about Katie? Are you going to call her?” she asked, innocently. “Yes. I have to, but I need to try and find out more information before I contact the poor girl.” “Do you want me to call her to let her know what happened? I would be happy to. I have her number and we have spoken before.” “I will have to think about that. I didn’t know you had ever spoken with her.” He seemed a little puzzled. “Oh, yeah, we had a nice chat a few weeks ago,” Britney told him. “Well, we’ll see. But, I still need to find out more details about what condition

he is in. Britney, I do need to be the first one who speaks with her. You do understand that, right?” “Of course,” she replied. An hour later, Britney was dropped off with another guard and Tom approached the hospital. He was anxious to find out what was going on. This was the worst part of his job, the part he dreaded the most. Having one of his men badly hurt was something he hated to see. He tried to stay positive as he entered the hospital. He knew all too well from the look of the car, the news may not be good. The Al Nafees Hospital was centrally located and was one of the closest hospitals to the airport, so that’s why he’d been taken here. It wasn’t the most modern facility nor did it have the best equipment, but it was a hospital. Tom walked to the main desk and inquired about Scott. He was told to wait in the lounge area and a doctor would see him soon. It was not long when Tom was surprised to see another Western looking man approach the main desk. He appeared to be a doctor. He was a tall, Caucasian man with short blond hair. He spoke with the receptionist for quite a while before he approached Tom. “Hello, my name is Dr. Hamilton. I believe you are here about Mr. Maclaren,” he said, in an American accent. “Yes, I am. My name is Tom Schultz. How is he?” Tom asked, still surprised he was talking to an American doctor. “I’m afraid he’s in critical condition at the moment. Tom, are you a family member?” “No, I’m Scott’s boss and friend. He’s over here on business. I still need to contact his family back in the States, but thought we should talk first.” “Okay. So I guess you’re the person I’m going to be talking with for now. Please, come with me,” he said, as he walked towards the corridor. “How bad is he, Doc?” Tom asked, while they walked. “He’s critical, and in a coma, but, he is breathing on his own which is encouraging. He suffered a major head trauma and I suspect he has a fractured skull, but I cannot say at this time. There is a huge amount of swelling at the moment. As soon as the swelling goes down, I will try to get an x-ray done to confirm the fracture. I would love to do a CAT scan or MRI, but we don’t have the equipment here at this hospital.” “Okay, so is that the worst of it? What about the rest of his injuries? How badly is he burned?” “We took a number of x-rays when Scott first came in, but there was no point trying to take any pictures of his head due to the swelling. His other injuries are mainly down the left side. There are fractures to his lower tibia, his radius, two ribs and his clavicle. As for his burns, it’s not as bad as I would have thought, given what I was told happened to him. He only has first-degree burns. Once again to areas down his left side, I don’t foresee the burns being a major problem. In fact, I don’t see any of the fractures being a major issue. There are a lot of lacerations over his face and neck due to flying glass, but really, the only thing I’m concerned about is his brain injury.” “Okay, let me see if I got it all. He has a major head trauma, a broken leg, wrist, ribs, collar bone and a possible skull fracture, right? And his burns are not

that bad. Do you think we should try to get him moved to a facility with better equipment to check out his head?” “You are correct, the breaks and burns are not anything to be concerned about. But, I would advise against him being moved at the moment due to the severity of his head injury. I think we need to keep him very still for a while for the swelling to subside. But, then again, it’s your call,” Dr. Hamilton said, as he gestured for Tom to follow him into the small room where Scott lay motionless in bed. It was a very basic room with white walls and an antiseptic aroma was quite noticeable. “Damn, he looks in a bad way,” Tom said quietly, as he looked at Scott. His head was bandaged and looked huge. There was a cast on his wrist and lower leg. A considerable amount of his left side had been bandaged due to the burns and his face seemed to be cut up pretty badly. “Yes, he is in critical condition. We have taken care of everything we can, for right now…” “So, what’s your opinion, Doc? I have to call his fiancé, so what should I tell her?” “That we’ve done everything we can and all we can do now is wait. She is welcome to call me if she wants to. I am sure she will have many questions and I can try and answer them for her. I’m not bound by any confidentiality laws over here, which is why I’m able to discuss Scott’s condition with you. I would be happy to speak with her or you any time.” “Okay. Thank you, Dr. Hamilton. It might be good for her to speak with you as well. Tell me, Doctor, what are you doing here?” “I wondered how long it would take for you to ask that. I saw the look on your face when you saw me. I volunteer my services and work for the International Red Cross Organization. I have been here about a year now.” “Wow! I’ve been over here a few years, but at least I’m getting paid. I don’t know how you do it.” “Personal reasons. There was nothing to keep me in America. Plus, I am fed up with the medical system back home. It was all about money, not patient care and a patient’s well-being.” “Good for you. So, when do you think he might come out of the coma?” He was very concerned now that he had seen what Scott looked like. “There’s no medical way to tell, Tom. But, if we are to hope to have a positive outcome, then I’d expect to see some sort of movement or general signs of life from him within the next 48 hours.” “Okay. Is there anything I can do for him?” “Not much, really, apart from visiting him and talking to him. Get any familiar voices around him to talk to him. Hopefully, we can get him to come out of this coma soon.” “Right. I’m going to go now. I have to call his fiancé and let her know what has happened. She’s going to want to speak to you, though. May I take your number for her?” “Absolutely! Tell her she can me call anytime.”

He wrote his number on a piece of paper and handed it to Tom. The two men shook hands and parted ways. Dr. Hamilton had given Scott’s personal belongings earlier to Tom. His keys, wallet and passport were in his pockets when he was brought in. He thought they were safer with Tom, rather than keeping them at the hospital. It was after 2:00 a.m. as Tom drove back to pick up Britney. He called to let her know all the details. She was upset, but glad Scott was alive and told Tom she wanted to visit him. Tom agreed to take her later after they had gotten some sleep since the doctor did say any familiar voices might help. They went back to the hotel suite and Tom convinced Britney to go get some sleep. He knew it would be a difficult phone call to Katie and he didn’t want anyone else around when he made it. He sat waiting on the couch to be sure Britney went to sleep and pondered what he was going to say to Katie. It was early evening in Ohio. Katie was cleaning up after dinner. She was trying to stay busy and keep her mind off all the things that had transpired. She was extremely upset about what had happened when Scott left and she was getting worried. With each missed call on her phone, she wondered why he didn’t leave her a message and why he hadn’t called her again. No matter what she did, it stayed in the forefront of her mind. He may have thought she ignored his calls and gave up, but then again, she knew that he would not do that. It was just a silly fight. She checked her phone to make sure it was still on. She was sure he would try again soon. A few minutes after she finished washing the dishes, she sat down and helped Sophia with some math homework when her phone rang. “Hello,” she answered, with relief in her voice. “Hello Katie, this is Tom Schultz.” “Hello Tom. Where is Scott? Is everything okay?” she asked. The tone of her voice turned from relief to one of concern. “I’m sorry, Katie. I have some bad news.” “Oh, my god, what’s wrong?” “Scott was the victim of a car bomb attack. He’s in hospital in a coma. I’m so sorry.” “Nooooooo!” she screamed. She dropped the phone and collapsed to the floor. Tears streamed down her face. “What is it Mom?” said Sophia. She crouched down, trying to help her mother, before running to get her sister. “Katie….Katie, are you there?” Tom asked. He heard her sobbing and tried to get a response. He hung up the phone after a few minutes. “Mom, what’s wrong?” said Madison, who desperately tried to help her mother. Katie continued to cry. She scared her daughters. She wouldn’t answer them and refused to get up off the floor. Madison quickly called her grandma. Within a few minutes, Katie’s parent’s arrived and managed to get Katie off the floor and onto the couch, but she still hadn’t spoken. She was in shock. Her father took the girls out while her mother stayed and tried to get her to tell her what happened.

Eventually, Katie told her mother that Scott was blown up by a car bomb. When her mother asked her for the details, she said she didn’t know any. She said that after she heard Tom say Scott was the victim of a car bomb, her brain just shut down and she didn’t hear anything else. Tom tried to call back a few times, but there was no answer. He kept trying and finally, Katie picked up the phone and handed it to her mom. “Hello,” she answered. “Hello, Katie?” Tom asked. “No. This is her mother. This is a not a good time. She can’t talk right now. Who is this?” “This is Tom Schultz in Baghdad. I’m afraid I just gave Katie some bad news about Scott. I’m glad you are there with her.” “Yes, I’m here. She said he was blown up by a car bomb, but that’s all she said. What else can you tell us? Was he killed?” “No. He is alive. I didn’t get the chance to tell her everything. He is hurt very badly and is in a coma, but he does have a chance. I spoke with his doctor and he said they’ve done all they can, for right now. It’s now just a waiting game.” “Thank you for calling back. I’ll let her know. I can’t get her to talk at the moment. She is very upset, but maybe this news will give her some hope.” “She has my number. You or she can call me any time you want. Also, the doctor said she could call him too. He’s an American doctor, so she doesn’t have to worry about understanding the language. I have his number if you want it.” “Yes, that would be good. I’ll take it.” Katie’s mother wrote the number down and thanked Tom again for getting back in touch. She put the cell phone down and looked closely into Katie’s eyes, holding her shoulders. “He’s alive, Katie! He’s in a coma, but he’s alive! I even have a number for his doctor. You can call and speak directly with him to get the details. Now, you must pull yourself together. He’s going to need you.” “He’s alive? Really? How bad is he hurt?” she questioned, clinging to the glimmer of hope. When she’d heard Tom say “sorry” and that Scott was the victim of a car bomb, she assumed he was dead and everything after that was a blur. “He’s in a coma, but Tom said he has a chance. Katie, you need to talk to his doctor, now, to find out more details. Here’s the number. Come on, you can do this,” she said, as she handed Katie the piece of paper. “Dr. Hamilton, that doesn’t sound like a local doctor.” Katie said, as she dialed. “Tom said he is an American doctor. Maybe he’s in a military hospital or something.” Katie’s hands shook as the phone rang. “This is Dr. Hamilton.” “Hello, Dr. Hamilton. My name is Katie Johnson. Tom Schultz gave me your number. He just called and told me my fiancé is injured from a car bomb and that you are his doctor.” “Hello, Katie. I presume we are talking about Mr. Maclaren.” “Yes, Scott. How is he?” Katie asked, nervously awaiting his response.

“I’m not sure how much information Mr. Schultz gave you.” “All I know is, he was hurt by a car bomb and he’s in a coma.” Katie was trying her best to stay calm. She was shaking terribly and her voice was breaking up. Her mom held her hand tightly while she spoke with the doctor. “Yes. That is correct. He is currently in a coma and has suffered a major head trauma and a probable skull fracture. As with any brain injury there’s a lot of swelling at the moment. We will know more when the swelling in his brain goes down. He also has fractures to his lower tibia, his radius, two ribs and his clavicle. We have a cast on the limb fractures, but the ribs and collarbone will have to heal on their own. He also has first degree burns to many areas on the left side of his body. Considering what happened to him, the burns don’t appear to be too bad. As I told Tom, we’ve treated and bandaged the affected burned areas and I don’t see any problems or long-term scarring from them. There are numerous cuts and lacerations to his face and neck from flying glass, but again, we’ve treated those as well, and those will not cause any further problems. The major injury right now, that concerns me, is his brain injury.” “I can’t believe this is happening. Is he going to wake up? I have to come and be with him. So what do you think about his brain injury? In your opinion, Dr. Hamilton, do you think he’ll be okay?” she was confused, in shock and not able to sort out all the information she was handed. “I honestly can’t answer that, Katie. There is one very positive thing right now. He is breathing on his own and that is a good thing at this point. We don’t have him on any type of life support or anything, but with brain injuries like this, we just don’t know. For now, we have done all we can. Katie, I don’t want to mislead you. He is in critical condition. We are looking at about a 50/50 recovery rate right at the moment. I would like to see some form of movement or signs of brain activity in the next couple of days for me to be more optimistic about his outcome.” “What can I do, Dr. Hamilton?” “Like I mentioned earlier to Mr. Schultz, all we can do now is wait and hope he comes out of the coma. I did tell him that it could be beneficial for Scott to hear familiar voices to try and draw him back to consciousness. We’re just going to have to be patient and hope the swelling starts to go down, soon. We have very limited resources here! I don’t have any way to do a CAT scan or an MRI, so I must wait for the swelling to subside before I can see anything on an x-ray. I can tell you, he would be much better off in a more modern facility, but I believe it would be extremely dangerous to move him at this time.” “This is terrible. I wish we could just transfer him here, but I don’t want to if you think it would be dangerous to move him.” “I believe that’s the case at the moment, but it’s still very early. Hopefully, we’ll see some encouraging signs soon.” “Okay, thank you,” she said, as silent tears rolled down her face. She wanted to be with him and decided she would call Tom to find out how she could get there. “Katie, rest assured, I will call you if there is any change in his condition and please, feel free to call me anytime you like. My apartment is on the hospital grounds, so I’m never far away. I work most days and I am here at least twelve

hour shifts.” “Thank you, Dr. Hamilton. I really appreciate everything.” “You are welcome, Katie. Take care.” Katie turned to her mother who wrapped her arms around Katie and allowed her to cry on her shoulder. In one phone call, her life had fallen apart. They had counted the days until being together forever. They were to start their lives together and now it might not happen. She might have already lost him. What made it even worse was that she let him leave for the Middle East on bad terms. If Scott never woke up, his last moments with her were terrible! She treated him so coldly. The tears continued to fall. She had never felt such pain in her heart before. This was by far the worst moment of her life.

Chapter 18 It was just before noon the following morning when Tom and Britney left the hotel and headed for the hospital. They had not turned in until nearly 6:00 a.m., so they were tired, but wanted to check on Scott. As they drove to the hospital Tom’s phone rang. “Hello.” “Hello, Tom. This is Katie Johnson,” she said rapidly, with tension in her voice. “Katie, how are you doing? Have you been able to sleep yet?” “No, I can’t sleep, Tom. My mom is staying here with me, but I can’t relax.” “Have you or your mom spoken with Dr. Hamilton?” “Yes, I spoke to him. He was very nice and he explained all the details of Scott’s condition.” “That’s good. He seemed like a good guy when I met him. I believe he will keep us informed about what’s happening with Scott.” “Yes, he told me the same thing.” “We’re on our way to the hospital now to see if there’s any change. I’ll call after our visit and give you an update.” “Thanks, Tom. Oh, and what did you mean by we’re on the way to the hospital?” she questioned. She believed she knew exactly who else would be going. “Britney and I are on our way to the hospital. She is very worried about Scott and the Doc said it could help to have familiar voices in the room with him.” Katie hated the idea of her being there when Tom visited him. It was Britney that caused the trouble between them and made them part on bad terms. But, she remembered the doctor saying familiar voices could help, so she tried to let it go for now. “Okay, Tom. I’m just glad there’s going to be someone there with him until I can get there.” “What do you mean until you can get here?” “That’s why I called you, Tom. I want to come to Baghdad and see Scott. What do I need to do to get there?” “Katie, that is not a good idea. It is very complicated just to get here. Plus, you would need protection and I am low on guards at the moment. You would have to have protection! Katie, to be perfectly honest, Scott would be very angry if you came here. You know he would do anything to keep you safe and away from a place like this. He would not be happy if you were in danger.” “But Tom, don’t you understand why I need to be there?” “Of course I do Katie, but let’s give it a little time and see what happens. You never know, he could wake up later today.” “I have to do something, Tom! This is killing me just sitting here.” “I completely understand. I can’t imagine how hard this is for you, but please just give it some time before you do something like fly over here. It’s way too

dangerous.” “I don’t care about the danger, Tom. I have to see him.” “Can I talk to her, Tom?” said Britney, from the back seat. “Britney wants to talk to you, Katie. Is that okay?” He was hesitant to interrupt their conversation, when she was set on coming over to be with Scott. “Sure,” she paused; Katie didn’t really want to speak with her. But, she knew Britney was going to see Scott in the hospital. Until Katie could work out a way to be with him, she was a link to him. Katie needed to somehow let him know she was thinking of him, especially now, after their fight. “I’m so sorry, Katie. How are you doing?” Britney asked. She actually sounded genuine. “I’m doing okay, considering,” she said plainly. “Is there anything I can do for you?” “Yes, actually there is. When you get to the hospital, you can tell Scott how much I love him. Please tell him I miss him and that he needs to wake up and come home.” “I can do that. Is it okay if I hold his hand when I talk to him?” What a bitch, Katie thought. Even now, she’s trying to get her hands on him. “Yes, Britney, I suppose that would be fine, until I can get there. He would then know there are people with him.” “Okay, I’ll do that.” “Can I speak to Tom again, please?” Katie asked. “Oh, sure. Take care, Katie. Talk to you soon,” she said, as she handed the phone back to Tom. “Hello, Katie.” “Tom, will you do me a big favor? Please make sure she’s not left in the room alone with Scott. I just don’t trust her.” “Okay,” Tom replied. He wasn’t really sure why she asked him to do this and he certainly wasn’t going to ask, with Britney sitting behind him. “Do you know anything more about what happened? Tom, why on earth was he attacked?” “I don’t know, Katie. The police are looking into the incident, but I doubt they’ll ever find out who is responsible. It could have been random. But, more likely he was probably targeted because he is a Westerner and they watched where he parked his car. I just don’t understand why he didn’t see the device. I know he always performed checks before he started a car. I’ve seen this type of bomb before and there was no way he could have missed it.” “Okay, Tom. I really should go now,” she said, breaking into tears again. She knew he would have been distracted because of their fight. She felt physically sick. In her mind, she was responsible for his coma, just as if she’d placed the bomb there herself. “Katie, I’ll call you back as soon as we get an update from the hospital,” Tom said, hearing her sobbing in the background. “Okay. Thanks, Tom,” she managed to say as the tears continued to fall. When they arrived at the hospital there was no sign of Dr. Hamilton. A nurse

showed them into Scott’s room where they sat and waited. Tom warned Britney that he looked very bad, but she could never have been fully prepared for quite how bad. She struggled to hold back the tears and pulled up a chair to the side of his bed. She reached for and held onto his hand, talking softly to him. She hoped he would wake up now. They directed their conversation to Scott for almost an hour. Britney wished that maybe something they said would get through to him. Dr. Hamilton walked into the room and said hello to Tom and Britney, then read over Scott’s chart. “Any news, Doc?” asked Tom. “No change at the moment. All of his vital signs seem strong, but no reports yet of any movement.” “Okay,” said Tom and Britney, almost simultaneously. “How long have you both been here?” asked the doctor. “Just over an hour,” said Tom. “Since you’ve been here have you noticed any movement, maybe an eyelid flickering or a finger moving?” “I haven’t. What about you? You were holding his hand,” Tom said to Britney. “I didn’t notice anything at all. I’m sorry,” she said, looking sadly at the doctor. “It’s fine. It’s still very early. You need to understand that his body, especially his brain, has suffered a major trauma, so at the moment they have shut down. Hopefully, we will start to see some form of recovery soon.” “How optimistic are you really, Dr. Hamilton?” asked Britney. “I’m sorry we haven’t been formally introduced. You’re not Katie, are you?” he asked. “No, I am not Katie. My name is Britney Parnell. Scott is my bodyguard over here, so I’ve gotten quite close to him.” “Okay Britney. Like I told Tom and Katie, with this kind of brain injury it is very hard to say what might happen. At the moment, I’m on the fence, but I’d like to see some movement or signs of life from him showing that he’s fighting, within the next 48 hours or so.” “So it would help, when we’re here, if we talked to him and watched for any little signs, like his fingers moving?” she asked. “Yes, that would be great. I don’t have enough staff for someone to sit and watch him all day. I have nurses checking in every two hours or so, but having someone here at other times watching for signs would be very helpful.” “I would be happy to stay, Tom, if you need to go. I can work on my laptop tonight at the hotel to catch up. I’ll still need to go into the office. But I do think he will wake up soon,” Britney said optimistically. “No, I can’t leave you here alone. We will stay for a while and we can come back as often as time allows.” “Okay,” she said disappointed. “Well, I need to go and check on other patients. If you aren’t here when I get back, I’ll call you and let you know if there has been any change,” said the doctor, as he walked towards the door. “Thanks, Doc,” said Tom. “Yes, thank you Dr. Hamilton,” Britney added.

They stayed for another hour, but there was no change in Scott’s condition and it was time to leave for the hotel. Tom had many guards he needed to check on and other work to do and Britney needed to catch up on some work on her laptop. Later that evening, at the hotel, the mood was somber. They sat quietly, each lost in their own thoughts. Tom checked in with his people and Britney completed a number of papers for work while they both prayed to hear some positive news from the hospital, soon. The suite was very quiet. Both were startled when Tom’s phone started to ring. “Hello.” “Hi, Tom, it’s Katie. Is there any news yet?” “No, not yet, Katie. Nothing has changed through the night or while we were at the hospital today. We spoke with Dr. Hamilton and he said we need to be patient. I did try to call you when we were leaving Scott’s room, but there was no answer. I figured you may have fallen asleep.” “I actually did fall asleep for a few hours, although I am exhausted and don’t feel like I’ve slept at all.” “It’s understandable. Britney and I have been back at the hotel for about three hours now and we haven’t heard anything from the Doc yet. He said he’d be making rounds until 11:00 p.m. though, so you could call him if you like, to find out the latest news.” “Okay, that’s a good idea, Tom. I just wanted to check with you first.” “Tom, can I talk to her again? It’s important,” Britney interrupted. “Britney says she needs to talk to you, Katie.” “Okay, put her on.” “Katie I have an idea. Can you make a recording of you talking to Scott on your computer and email it to me? I could take my laptop in to the hospital and leave it playing by Scott’s bedside so he can hear your voice when we’re not there.” Katie was pleasantly surprised. This was a great idea and she was annoyed for not thinking of it herself. “That’s a good idea! I’ll get started right away. Thanks, Britney, I appreciate you thinking of it.” “No problem, Katie. He’s kept me safe since I’ve been here and I just want to help.” “Tell Tom I’ll call him after I speak to Dr. Hamilton. Bye, and thanks again for the great idea.” “I’ll tell him Katie, bye.” Katie sat down with her mom and dialed Scott’s doctor. “Dr. Hamilton,” he answered. “Hi, Dr. Hamilton. This is Katie Johnson. I called to ask if there is any news about Scott.” “Hello, Katie. There’s no change as of yet. I’m so sorry, but I must cut this

short, I really need to get going. We have a lot of emergency admissions. A number of car bombs, I’m afraid.” “Oh my, I am so sorry! I will let you go. I hate to have bothered you.” “It’s not a problem, Katie. As I told you, you can call me anytime. I do have to go now, but everything we can do right now, is being done, I have checked on him a couple times today and the nurses check in on him regularly. I will call you if anything changes.” “Thanks, Dr. Hamilton. Bye.” “Bye, Katie.” “What did he say?” her mom asked. “There’s no change today. He said there were a lot of emergencies at the hospital today and he couldn’t talk. More car bombs! Seriously… what’s wrong with those people over there?” she asked. Her mother wrapped her arms around her and hugged her. “He’s going to be okay, honey. He’s a fighter. He will pull through.” “You don’t know that, mom.” “You’re right. I don’t know that for sure, but it’s what I think.” Katie said nothing. She wanted to erase the last twenty-four hours from her mind and life. If her thoughts disappeared, maybe the reality of it would too. Katie called in to work and explained what had happened to Scott. Her boss told her to take as much time as she needed. She told him she appreciated it and she would keep him informed. When she hung up, she wanted to call her girls. She missed them. They had gone to stay with her dad after the news, while her mom stayed at Katie’s house. The conversation with them was short, but it was good for Katie to talk to them. A week passed and there was still no real change in Scott’s condition. Katie touched base with the doctor every day. Every time she called, she was disappointed. He informed her that he was able to x-ray Scott’s head and it confirmed a fractured skull. He told her Scott still showed no sign of movement at all. She still wanted Tom to help her get her trip to Baghdad arranged, but he vehemently declined. He said that Scott would not be happy if she risked her personal safety. She knew he would want her safe and protected from that place, but her heart still ached to be by his side. Tom and Britney visited Scott every day, sometimes twice. Britney, as promised, left her laptop at the hospital and played the recording that Katie made for him. The doctor said he would have liked to see some positive signs within the first couple of days, but it hadn’t happened yet. He still tried to be optimistic since Scott was still breathing without assistance. But, he was becoming more concerned. The longer Scott remained in the coma, the slimmer his chances for recovery became. It was Tuesday evening in Baghdad, Tuesday afternoon in Ohio, when Katie’s phone rang.

“Hello,” she said anxiously. “Hello Katie, this is Dr. Hamilton.” “Hi! Is there any news?” “Katie, we’ve had a couple of developments I wanted to tell you about.” “Okay, I’m listening.” “First of all, a nurse reported that Scott’s finger moved this afternoon. Apparently, it only happened once, but it was a definite movement. This doesn’t mean it was the first time it happened, but it is the first time it’s been witnessed. So that’s a good sign. The other thing is, and this is not good news, over the last twenty-four hours his blood pressure and heart rate have dropped. This is not necessarily a critical sign, but, since they have stayed pretty constant for the last few days, it is something that will be closely watched.” “Okay, that’s good news he moved his finger. Okay… that’s good. So, what could the drop in blood pressure mean?” “It could be many things, and it doesn’t necessarily mean anything bad. I don’t want to speculate, but it’s something we will be watching closely.” “Okay. I am at a loss and don’t really know what to think, but I’m going to try and stay positive because, he moved!” “Yes, do stay positive. We are optimistic here. Anyway, that is all I have for now. I did say I would let you know if anything happened. And this is some encouraging news. ” “Thanks, Dr. Hamilton.” Katie felt a little better after she heard Scott’s finger moved, although she was concerned about the other news. The doctor said that he was encouraged by his slight movement, but he would be monitored for the other. It was the first day she’d received positive news, and for the first time felt excited that he may be okay. Her raised spirits then crashed over the next few days. The doctor reported to Katie that Scott’s blood pressure and heart rate continued to drop. One piece of good news was Britney said she saw and felt his hand move while she was holding it. Dr. Hamilton informed Katie he was no longer as optimistic as he was initially. He warned her that even if he did wake up now, he may have suffered significant memory loss as well as some permanent brain damage. Katie continued to make recordings every day and sent them to Britney, who played them for Scott on her computer. Tom and Britney stopped in at least once a day, but it reached the point where everyone was beginning to lose hope. Katie refused to let go. Each time the doctor or Tom hinted that things might not turn out well, she quickly informed them she wanted to stay positive. She planned a life with him and he was going to come home to her just like he had promised. She never doubted it, there was no other option and she continued to have faith. Even Katie’s mom was getting to the point where she tried to convince her daughter to face that fact that what she wanted, may not happen. Katie would not accept that. It was now early November and the afternoon seemed colder than normal. Scott had remained in a coma for over two weeks. Katie needed positive news

today. She cleaned her house for about the fourth time. She had to keep busy! Her weight had dropped considerably. Her parents were worried and hated to see her like this. They insisted she see a doctor, but she refused to go. As she scrubbed the kitchen floor, she heard her phone ring and reached for it. It was Dr. Hamilton. “Katie, I’m so sorry. I have some bad news.” “I don’t want to hear it,” she replied, still refusing to accept anything negative. “I know you don’t, but I have to tell you what has happened. Scott’s heart rate and blood pressure have dropped to dangerously low levels. We’re going to try and administer some drugs to stimulate his heart rate. Katie, you need to accept the fact that his body has started to shut down. We’ll continue to do everything we can, but you need to prepare yourself for the worst. Do you have any family members with you there for support?” Katie said nothing. All that was left to do was break down and cry. Her whole body trembled. Her legs gave way as she crumbled to the kitchen floor. “Are you there, Katie?” the doctor asked. “Yes, I have to go now. Thanks for calling,” she managed to say, as she tried to fight back the tears. The realization of everything that had happened began to sink in. She dreaded the thought that she would never see him again. She doubted a flight could get her there in time to say goodbye. Her mother stepped out of her room upstairs and walked halfway down when she heard Katie crying. She walked into the kitchen just in time to see Katie lose consciousness.

Chapter 19 Katie awoke in the hospital. She had only fainted, but her mom called an ambulance and she was taken to the hospital. She was in the emergency room and they had already run a number of tests. She needed to eat and rest to regain her strength. As she slowly regained total consciousness, she recalled every word of Dr. Hamilton’s phone call. She remembered his voice, then his words and how helpless she felt. Her mother asked what he had said, and she now relayed the horrible news to her mother who sat by her bedside. “I’m so sorry, Katie. Honey, I’ll help you get through this.” “I’m not sure I want to, mom.” “Don’t say that, Katie. Scott wouldn’t want you to talk like this. What about your girls? You know, Scott always says they come first.” “I know. I’m sorry.” Their conversation was interrupted by a nurse who came to check on Katie. She said they planned to keep her overnight for observation. Katie didn’t want to stay, but knew she needed the rest. She expected another call from Dr. Hamilton and feared the next call would be the one that would change her life forever. She hadn’t waited long when the phone rang. She looked at her mother, and trembled as she reached for the phone. “Hello,” she said nervously. “Hello, Katie, this is Dr. Hamilton.” Something was not right, Katie thought to herself. He sounded excited. “Katie, I have some amazing news,” he continued. “What is it?” she said, as she sat up. “The nurse was about to administer a drug when she saw Scott’s hand move, then his eyes flickered and he tried to roll over. The last recording you sent played from his nightstand. She believes he reacted to what you recorded. His heart rate and blood pressure have started to stabilize too.” “Oh my god,” she said softly. She smiled and felt relieved for any good news right now. “Let me be clear. The nurse didn’t administer the drugs that would have increased his heart rate. This happened just before she began. She played the recording again and he definitely reacted to your voice.” “I can’t believe it.” She started to cry, this time happy tears. “Katie, it does not mean he is out of the woods yet. He is still in critical condition, but this is a huge development. I have to go now, but I will keep in touch.” “Thank you so much, Dr. Hamilton,” she said, with a smile in her voice. “What did he say, Katie?” her mother asked excitedly. “He reacted to my voice, moved his hands and eyes and his heart rate and blood pressure started to go back up,” she said, as she continued to cry. Now there was a huge smile on her face. It was the first time her mom had seen her smile for a while and she started to cry, too.

“He’s going to be okay, Mom! I just know it. I know that he’s fighting now.” “I hope you’re right, honey, I really do. This is great news.” Over the next few days, the doctor continued to update Katie on Scott’s progress. His blood pressure and heart rate returned to near normal and he continued to react to the sound of her voice. Tom and Britney witnessed movement, too, when they visited and passed this information on to Katie. But as yet, he still hadn’t woken up, and it was now, over three weeks. The movements were getting more pronounced and longer and now it looked like he was just asleep and dreaming, rather than being in a coma. Dr. Hamilton told Katie that he expected Scott to wake up at any time and when he did it, would be important for them to have something familiar for him to see. He explained that Scott could be extremely confused and would not know where he was. Photos of Katie were put by the side of his bed and the recordings continued to be played. What they did not want was for him to wake up and be scared and confused. The doctor wanted him surrounded with familiar things. He wanted him to stay calm when he woke up so they could explain what had happened, since he may not remember. He didn’t want him to try to get up and be injured more severely. It was a cold Wednesday, November morning in Ohio when Katie received the most important call from the doctor. He said that Scott woke up and, saw the nurse in his room, seemed startled and tried to sit up. He accidentally pulled the catheter and IV out when he moved so quickly. He was very confused and hadn’t initially recognized her photo. He was awake for only a minute before falling back to sleep. The doctor assured her that his reaction to her picture was nothing to worry about and when Scott woke up again, he would try and be there to explain things to him and to see what he remembered. Katie was a little worried that he hadn’t recognized her and was worried that he may not remember her at all. But, she was so glad that he regained consciousness that the other just didn’t seem all that important right now! Later that night, Katie received another call from the doctor. “Hi Katie, it is Dr. Hamilton. How are you doing?” “I’m good. Has Scott woken up again?” “Yes, Katie. He was awake for about half an hour. He’s still a little confused, but he does remember some things.” “Does he remember me?” “I’m pretty sure he does. It took a while, but I tried to explain to him what happened, that he was safe and in the hospital. I told him to keep looking at the photo and tell me who it was. As I mentioned before, it took a while and he stared at your picture for a few minutes, but eventually he smiled and said Katie.” “Oh, Dr. Hamilton, that’s great! I’m so happy! What else does he remember?” “He remembers being in Baghdad for work and recognizes Tom and Britney, too, or at least he said he did. But, he didn’t remember anything about what happened prior to when he was attacked.” “Okay, the first part is great! But his not remembering that day, is that something we should be worried about?”

“It is actually very good, Katie, and I’m not saying that’s all he can’t remember. He was only awake for a short time, so we didn’t talk much. It would be very normal for him to not remember anything in the lead up to a traumatic event. But, it’s quite possible there will be other things that he won’t remember or will be confused about, too. He remained in a coma for a long period of time. It’s important we don’t try and push him too much and take things slowly.” “Absolutely! I’m just happy he’s alive and by the sound of it, he’s going to get better. Doctor, you have no idea how ecstatic I feel right now.” “I think I can guess.” “What about his other injuries, Dr. Hamilton? How are they progressing?” “The swelling in his head has gone down considerably. We will need to get him transferred to a better facility when he’s well enough to travel so they can do a CAT scan to completely check things out. The cast on his wrist will be removed in a week or so, the cast on his leg maybe a week after that. The burns on his left side and the lacerations on his face have been healing nicely, too.” “This is great. I know it is probably too early to say, but do you have any idea when he could come home?” “I don’t yet, Katie, but I won’t keep him here any longer than I need to.” “Okay, that’s good. One more thing, when may I talk with him? When do you think he will be up to it?” “Again, I can’t give you an exact time or date. We’ll see how he is the next time he wakes up and how long he stays awake. I don’t see that you talking to him will be a problem, if he’s up to it. We will see, but maybe some time over the next couple of days.” “That is great! Thank you, Dr. Hamilton.” “You’re welcome, Katie, I’ll be in touch.” Katie was thrilled! This was the best news she could possibly have received. Things improved with just a call. She felt good again. She arranged for the girls to come home and she wanted to go back to work. She was happy and decided to get things back to normal, plus, she was going to be able to talk to Scott. Tom and Britney received the news about Scott, too, from the doctor and Katie. They visited him the next day and hoped they would find him awake. With the increased violence in the city, they stayed only about an hour and he was asleep the whole time they were there. The nurse told them earlier that morning, he was awake briefly, but it was best not to wake him. Britney was particularly disappointed. She really wanted to talk to him, but was happy that he seemed to be getting better. Tom brought Scott a new cell phone. He knew at some point, he would want to call Katie. The phone that was in his pocket when he was injured was destroyed. Tom smiled as he set the phone down by Scott. He was glad his guard and friend had survived and that all he had lost was another phone. The following day, back in Ohio, Katie answered her phone. It was Dr. Hamilton. “Hi, Katie! Are you ready to talk to Scott, today?” “Oh my, of course! I’ve been waiting for this for so long. How is he doing

today?” “He’s doing okay. He just woke up, but he doesn’t stay awake for very long at a time just yet, so try and keep it short.” “Okay I will keep it short, I promise. Is he there now?” she asked. She was so excited to talk with him. “No, I’m in my office. Scott said he was going to call you, but he realized he didn’t remember the number. I came back to my office to get it for him and thought I’d let you know he was about to call.” “But my number should be in his phone.” “Tom said he’d brought him a new phone because the other one was damaged in the blast.” “Oh, okay. I didn’t think about that. Yes, please give him the number and tell him I’m ready and waiting anxiously to talk with him.” “Katie, give me a couple minutes to get back to his room and please call me after you speak with him to let me know what you think. You are the one person who knows him best, so you’ll be able to let me know how he seems.” “Okay, I will. Thank you, Dr. Hamilton.” Katie smiled from ear to ear. She had come so close to the losing the man she loved and now she was going to get the chance to talk to him again. It was something she believed was never going to happen. She waited, stared at her phone and willed it to ring. Her pulse raced and she felt like a small child on Christmas Eve. Then it happened. Her phone started to ring. “Hello,” she said, excitedly. “Hey baby, how are yer?” “Oh, my god, Scott!!! I can’t believe I’m talking to you,” she said, bursting into tears. “Dinnae cry, baby.” “How are you feeling?” Katie asked, as she wiped away her tears and tried to compose herself. “I’m a wee bit tired and in pain, but I think I’m okay.” “I can’t believe this. I thought I’d lost you.” “Nae, yer will never lose me.” “I was so scared! I can never go through this again. When you’re well enough to come home, I’m never letting you out of my sight again.” “The doctor said I could come haem tomorrow.” “No, he didn’t babe. I think you’re getting confused.” “Aye, he did. He told me earlier,” Scott said, convinced he was telling the truth. “Okay. I’ll talk to him later, but I think you’ll be there for a while yet. It’s okay, don’t worry about it.” “Actually, maybe he dinnae say that. I’m nae sure reet now. My head seems very cloudy at the moment.” “Don’t worry, Scott. That’s perfectly normal. You’ve had a bad head injury and you’ve been in a coma for weeks. You’re going to be little confused and things are going to seem cloudy for a while.” “Aye, I suppose so. I have a really bad headache.”

“I’m sure you do. Why don’t you ask the doctor to give you some pain medication? He’s really nice. He’s been talking to me since you were brought in.” “Aye, okay.” “Do you remember anything about what happened yet?” “Nae really. I remember being in the car and a flash of light, but reet now that’s all.” “Do you remember that you were at the airport?” “Nae.” “You’d just gotten back to Baghdad after coming home to see me. Do you remember that?” “I think I remember coming tae see yer. But I dinnae remember anything aboot the journey back and I definitely dinnae remember anything aboot being at the airport.” “Just try and be patient and don’t worry about it. The rest of your memory will come back. Do you remember us getting engaged?” “Aye, I do.” “Where did we get engaged?” “By the side of Loch Ness.” “That’s great, Scott! Do you remember what we did when you last came home?” “I dinnae think we did much. I just remember watching movies.” “That’s right. You’re doing great.” “Aye, my head’s hurting. I want tae sleep.” “Okay, baby, that’s fine. Close your eyes and get some rest. I’m so glad I got to talk to you.” “I’ll talk tae yer later.” “I love you! Glad you’re getting better. I can’t wait for you to come home, I miss you so much.” “Love yer, too. Bye.” “Bye, Scott.” Katie was delighted at how their talk went. She was concerned that he hadn’t remembered things about them. His memory seemed pretty good, apart from the build-up to his attack, which the doctor said was normal. She dialed the doctor’s number to tell him about their conversation. She was so excited to tell him how well she believed Scott’s memory was. “Dr. Hamilton, it’s Katie.” “Hi Katie. How did it go?” “It was great! I couldn’t believe I was talking to him again. He did complain of a headache, and said his head was cloudy, but he seemed to remember things about us. He said you’d told him he could go home tomorrow, so that concerned me a little. He seemed to get a little upset when I said I thought he was getting confused, but overall I think it went very well.” “No, I didn’t tell him he could go home tomorrow,” he said, and laughed a little. “Yes, I know he was getting confused.” “He may have dreamed it, or maybe just thought about it and convinced

himself it happened. It is nothing to worry about. It is very normal for this kind of injury.” “Okay, he told me he was tired and needed to sleep. Can you get him something for the headache?” “Yes, I’ll go check on him now and if he’s still awake, I’ll get him something for the pain. If he is not awake now, I’ll make sure he gets some when he wakes up.” “Thanks, Dr. Hamilton, and thank you for all you’ve done for him. Please tell him he can call me anytime he wants.” “You’re welcome, Katie, and I’ll tell him that. Make sure you keep me updated on how you think he’s sounding any time you speak to him.” “I will and thank you again. Goodbye.” “Take care, Katie.” Katie was so happy! She didn’t waste any time before she called her parent’s and the girls to let them know she spoke with Scott! They were thrilled at the news. She tried to keep the full extent of Scott’s injuries from the girls. They were aware he had been injured and was in the hospital. She was grateful she could tell them that she spoke with Scott and he was getting better. After she got off the phone with her parents and the girls, she called Tom and told him the good news. She even asked to speak to Britney and passed on the exciting news to her. If everything had originally gone as he planned, Scott would have been home by now. It was the middle of November and the holidays were just around the corner. She doubted he would make it home for the holidays now, but all that really mattered to Katie was that he was alive, getting better every day and would eventually be back home.

Chapter 20 Over the next few weeks, Scott slowly improved and started to get his strength back. All his casts were now removed. While some injuries took more time, most of his deep cuts and burns had already healed. He was up and out of bed, putting weight onto his broken leg. He desperately tried to build up its’ strength so he could travel the long journey home. The swelling in his brain subsided and his head felt much clearer, but he occasionally still suffered from bad headaches. When Scott’s condition stabilized, Tom arranged for him to be transferred to a private clinic in Kuwait, so a CAT scan could be done. Only after having the scan would they would be able to give him the all clear before he headed back home. Britney and Tom visited almost every day to say hello and check on Scott’s progress. Britney said goodbye, just before Thanksgiving, when she happily returned home to California. She had completed her assignment in Baghdad and earned the promotion she was promised. Now that Scott had regained some of his strength, he and Katie talked every day. His memory was fine, apart from what happened just prior to the explosion. Scott was concerned about having no memory of the airport, the trip back to Baghdad and the immediate lead-up to the car bomb attack. Dr. Hamilton reassured him that it was perfectly normal. It was the middle of December and Scott anxiously awaited word that he could be transferred to the hospital in Kuwait. He was feeling good and just wanted to get the CAT scan over with so he could go home and back to his life. He wanted to be home in time for Christmas. He did not have to wait long. Later that day, Tom entered his room and told him it was all arranged. He would fly out the next day. Dr. Hamilton did all the final check-ups he needed to get Scott released and onward to Kuwait. Scott was excited, but he knew he may have to spend a couple of days in the other hospital. He had also thought a lot about his return flight home. He would need time to rest in between his longer flights back to the U.S. He smiled. He was headed out of here, on his way home to Katie. He had waited long enough, he needed to call and tell her the fantastic news. “Hey baby, how are yer?” “I’m good, Scott. How are you today?” “Very guid! I start my journey haem tomorrow.” The screams coming from the other end of the phone caused Scott to stop speaking for a few seconds. “Steady on, yer giving me a headache,” he continued, laughing. “I’m sorry! I’m just so excited to see you.” “It’s okay, I’m just teasing yer. I have tae go tae Kuwait first tae get a CAT scan done and if I get the all-clear, then I can arrange tae fly back.” “That’s great news. What did Dr. Hamilton say? Does he think there will be

any problems?” “Nae, I dinnae think so and I feel guid, too. I dinnae feel like there’s anything wrong. My head does nae feel cloudy like it did a few weeks ago.” “But you’re still getting headaches, right?” “Aye. I get some. They do get pretty bad sometimes, but the doctor said it was normal tae get headaches fer a while after getting a bang on the head like the one I got. So it’s nae necessarily a problem.” “I’m just so excited. I can’t stop smiling.” “That’s guid. I like it when yer smile.” “Is someone taking you to the airport tomorrow? You’re not going to go on your own are you?” “Dinnae worry, baby. Tom is coming tae pick me up and he said he’ll stay with me until my flight leaves. He arranged fer someone from the company tae pick me up from the airport in Kuwait City and drive me tae the hospital.” “That’s good. I don’t want you on your own.” “I’m nae a baby. I can look after myself yer know.” He laughed at how she was treating him. “I know you’re not a baby. I just want you to be safe and whether you like it or not, you suffered a terrible injury and you’re still recovering and weak.” “I’m fine.” “When you get the all-clear from the hospital in Kuwait, then I’ll believe you’re fine.” “I feel guid, Katie. So, yer dinnae need tae worry.” “No, actually, when you are released from the hospital in Kuwait and I have you back home with me, then I will believe you’re fine.” “Yer make me laugh. I’ll be back with yer again, soon.” “I know. It’s great.” “How are we going tae celebrate?” “However you like. What would you like to do?” “Yer know what I’d like tae do.” “Oh Scott, you are definitely feeling better! I don’t think you’re going to be disappointed.” “I cannae wait tae get yer in my arms.” “Me, either.” “Well, I have tae go and try tae sleep. It seems that I have a big day tomorrow. I’ll call yer when I can.” “Okay Scott, goodnight. Love you.” “Love yer more.” “Yup, he’s definitely better,” she said, quietly to herself. The next day, Tom picked up Scott from the hospital. Scott said goodbye and thanked Dr. Hamilton for everything he had done for him. As he walked out the front doors, it was the first time he’d been outside for quite a while! The sun was shining so brightly, he had to cover his eyes. During the trip through the depressed streets of Baghdad, Scott was happier than he’d been in a long time because, that he was seeing this city, in person, for the last time! He still had no

memory of what happened the last time he was at the airport, so he didn’t feel apprehensive or nervous at all. At least, no more so than any other flight he made in his time there. He was just happy to be on his way home and elated about his upcoming reunion with Katie. In just a short time, he and Tom arrived at the airport and his flight was ready to be boarded. “It was a pleasure to have worked with you, Scott.” “Aye, yer too, Tom. Thank yer, fer everything yer did when I got hurt.” “No problem. I always look after my men, especially the ones who become my friends. I’m sorry to see you go, Scott.” “It was a real honor tae have met yer. I did like working with yer Tom, but I’m nae sorry tae be going haem.” “I know. I saw pictures of Katie when you were in the hospital. I don’t blame you for wanting to get back home to her. You’ve talked a lot about her and I know how much she means to you.” “Aye, she’s very special. I need tae be with her.” “If you ever change your mind or need to work again, I’d be honored to have you as part of my team.” “I appreciate that Tom, but I really dinnae think that will ever happen. I’m pretty sure my time doing this kind of work is over.” “I understand, but you never know.” “Aye. That’s reet, yer never know what’s going tae happen.” “Goodbye, Scott. All the best to you and your new family.” “Thanks Tom, guid luck with everything.” Scott jumped on the short flight to Kuwait. He was met by the PCPS representative Tom had arranged, who drove him to the hospital. He checked in and was taken to his room. He was then subjected to a battery of tests before he was allowed to rest. This modern facility was a world apart from what he recently experienced in Baghdad. But it did not really matter to him; he did not plan on staying long. His CAT scan was scheduled for the next morning. He called Katie to let her know he arrived safely and that the time was set for his scan. The following day, the CAT scan was done and Scott waited patiently in his room for the results. After what seemed like forever, the doctor informed him that everything appeared to be fine. There was still some minor swelling of his brain, but nothing the doctor was concerned about. He did recommend that Scott have a follow-up scan in another six weeks. Scott was excited and arranged his homebound flights. He also called Tom to let him know that everything was okay and he would be headed home tomorrow. Then he called Katie. “Hello.” “Guess who’s coming haem tae see yer.” “Everything was okay then?” she replied. “Aye, the results came back fine. The doctor did say there was some swelling on my brain, but he dinnae think it would be a problem.” “So, what else did he say?” “That I should have another CAT scan in six weeks or so just tae be sure, but there is nae problem with me flying haem. I do have tae be careful aboot nae

having any more bangs on the head and I have tae get a lot of rest.” “That’s great! Don’t worry about getting rest or having any more bangs on the head. You’re not doing anything when you get back. When are you coming?” “I leave first thing in the morning. Tom arranged fer me tae be picked up from here and taken tae the airport, so dinnae worry, I’m still nae going tae be alone.” “That’s good and are you going to stay a night in London to break the long flights up a little?” “Aye, I thought that was a guid idea. I did get tired on the flight doon from Baghdad tae here and it was only just over an hoor.” “So you arrive here on the twentieth?” “Aye, I get into Columbus at aboot 6:00 p.m. I’ll send yer the flight details if yer feel like coming tae collect me.” “Oh, you know I’ll be there.” “I thought yer might say that.” “Of course, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I can’t wait to see you.” “I cannae wait tae see yer too, baby. I guess I should get some rest for my big day of travel tomorrow.” “Okay babe, get some rest, I’ll talk to you soon.” “Love yer baby, I will see yer soon.” “I can’t wait! I love you too, bye.” Katie couldn’t stop smiling. The day she looked forward to for so long was finally the “day after tomorrow!” She was overwhelmed with tears of joy. He was out of Iraq and on his way home. He was safe, finally! She wasted no time in calling her parent’s and telling them the good news. The girls were delighted that Scott was on his way home. The next morning, Scott began his journey home. The long flight from Kuwait to London took a lot out of him. By the time he arrived in England, he was very tired. He was glad he arranged to stay a night in an airport hotel before he continued home. Scott had never been a person who would admit to weakness of any kind, but he knew he wouldn’t have been able to have ventured further. He checked into the hotel, planned to go get some food along with Christmas presents for Katie and the girls. But that never happened! As soon as he got in his hotel room and laid down on the bed, he fell deeply asleep and did not wake up until early the next morning. He knew he needed the sleep. He slept for nearly twelve hours and awoke very refreshed. He ate a hearty breakfast at his hotel, which really hit the spot, after all the hospital food he had eaten. Feeling satisfied and full, he called a taxi and headed for the airport. As he walked to his gate, he briefly looked in a few stores before boarding his flight. Soon he watched London fade behind and knew he was truly on his way home! Not long after they took off, and even with twelve hours of sleep, it did not take long before Scott was nodding off again. He changed planes in New York, and the flight to Columbus was on time. He was quickly back in the air and happy how few people were on board. While stretching across the empty row of seats, gazing out the small window at the clouds below, he thought about everything

that happened over the last seven months. As he got closer to seeing Katie, the more excited he became. This was the shortest flight he had to make, but it seemed to take longer than any of the others. Eventually, after what seemed like a lifetime, the plane touched down in Ohio. He was finally home! He was going to be back with the girl of his dreams and they would spend the rest of their lives together. They would buy her dream home and get married. Life was good, he thought, as he stepped off the plane.

Chapter 21 It was not just Katie who anxiously waited for Scott as he made his way through the airport. The girls were there and excited, too. As he walked toward them, Katie and the girls ran into his open arms. All three hugged him at the same time! It was a very emotional reunion. Katie cried while the girls continued to hug him. Every one of them had a smile on their face at his being home. “Dinnae cry, baby! I’m haem safely, just as I promised yer.” “I know, Scott. I just can’t believe it! I thought I’d lost you. I really did.” “I’m here now. It’s all over.” “I know. It’s just not sinking in yet.” She looked at him with such disbelief. “I’m here, baby. Look at me! My arms, I’m holding yer. It’s real! It’s really happening.” “I know. Oh, Scott, you are really here. It’s so fantastic.” She continued to cry. “How are yer girls doing? Have yer been taking guid care of yer mom?” They both smiled and nodded, as all four made their way out of the airport. Scott reached down and took Katie’s hand in his. He had waited a long time for this moment. Snow covered the ground and it was well below freezing outside. It was quite a shock to Scott! He had been in the desert for so long, he had forgotten how cold the winters could get in Ohio! He just smiled. The weather was such a little thing. All that mattered was he was home. Katie was prepared for Christmas. She was determined to make it a very special time for everyone, especially with Scott’s homecoming. She had shopped for all her Christmas gifts and wanted to make sure the girls would be happy when they opened their gifts, Christmas morning. She had already picked up her holiday groceries, had baked and prepared lots of goodies for the big day. Since his return home, Scott rested most of the time. His activities were restricted and he was under doctor’s orders not to overdo things. He truly did not have the energy to do much anyway, and even if he had, Katie wouldn’t have allowed it. Scott ventured out only once, when they all went to the mall one evening. They split up for a while so he could buy some gifts for his ladies. Katie’s parent’s came by the day after Scott arrived home to visit. They all planned to spend Christmas day together at her parents’ house. Christmas morning arrived and the girls were up bright and early. They were excited and opened their gifts quickly. It was a difficult year for them, too, and Katie made sure they had some special treats. Both girls received i-Pods as well as many other gifts and sat quietly investigating all of their new things. Katie bought Scott a watch and she received diamond earrings from him. They had a great time together as they opened each other’s numerous gifts before they drove to her parents’ for lunch. The plan was to spend the entire afternoon with them. The girls would be leaving that evening. It was Michael’s visitation and they decided that he would pick them up from her parent’s house and keep them for a few days so he could spend New Year’s Eve with them. He would bring them

back home to her on New Year’s Day. They relaxed all afternoon, eating, drinking and playing games until it was time for the girls to leave. Michael arrived on time and waited in his car until the girls walked out to meet him. He helped them lift their suitcases into the trunk of his car, got them settled in the back seat and drove away. The girls didn’t really want to go with him. They never did. He didn’t spend much time with them when he did have them. Katie explained to the girls that it was the right thing to do. Their time with their dad was special too. This was not what she really believed, however. She hated letting them go with him. It was difficult as she watched them drive away. But, she knew Michael could make things difficult in a number of ways for her if she refused to let him take them. Later that night, Scott and Katie returned home. It was the first time since his return that they were alone. They sat down together on the couch. It was nice to feel relaxed. After watching a movie, they talked about the house situation. Scott’s money was sent and cleared his bank account so they could finally start shopping for houses. Katie fired up her laptop and, sitting side by side on the couch, looked at real estate listings on the internet for a while. They picked out a few possibilities and bookmarked the sites for later consideration. When their eyes tired of looking at the small computer screen, they watched a little TV before going upstairs to bed. “I still can’t believe you’re here,” she said to him, as she walked towards the bathroom to put on the Christmas negligee Scott bought for her. She waited to go in while they spoke. “I know babe, me either. I cannae believe it’s taken this long tae get some time tae ourselves,” he replied, winking at her. “I know. The girls have been very clingy after everything that happened. I was in a very bad way when you were in a coma and very often one or both of them would come in here and sleep with me, when they were here.” “I cannae imagine how difficult it was. I’m sorry yer had tae go through it and what do yer mean, when they were here?” “Oh, you didn’t know. They went to stay with my dad for a while. My mom stayed here with me. I wasn’t coping very well with the thought of losing you and didn’t want them to see me like that.” “Sorry, I had nae idea.” “It’s okay. I’m obviously fine now you’re home and they’re getting settled again. I just didn’t want them walking in here in the middle of the night and catching us doing something. Plus, we’ve both been pretty tired anyway.” “Aye, it’s fine. Tae be honest I’ve been exhausted. It does nae take much tae tire me oot anymore. But, I’m slowly getting my strength back,” he said smiling, as he climbed in to bed. “I’m glad you’re getting your strength back,” she replied, as she entered the bathroom. “I’ll be right out,” she said over her shoulder. Katie stepped out of the bathroom, wearing the silky negligee. She started to say something to him, but realized he had fallen asleep. She stood by the side of

the bed, looking at him. She smiled, knowing he was safe and home. She lifted the covers and moved her body close to his. As she rested her head upon his chest, she could hear him quietly laughing. He wasn’t really asleep! Scott raised himself up on an elbow and looked deeply into her eyes. “Yer look beautiful, Katie,” he said softly, as he kissed her tenderly, leaving her no time to respond that he had feigned sleep. He placed a hand on either side of her face as he continued kissing her, then moved to her neck which sent shivers through her body. He smiled at her reaction to just his lips on her neck. His tongue lingered and moved slowly to her shoulders, then to her breasts. He cupped them with his hands and gently nibbled on them. Her hands held his head. She willed him to stay right where he was while her fingers made their way to the back of his neck. He raised his eyes to look at her face and she was looking longingly back at him. Scott moved his hands to her hips, holding them firmly as he pulled her body firmly to his chest. He had missed the way her skin felt next to his. He loved playing and sensually teasing her. His tongue moved between her breasts and traced a path to her stomach. His hands massaged her hips, slowly raising and lowering them with every move of his warm lips and tongue. “Oh, Scott, I’ve missed this,” her words trailing off. He smiled and continued to move lower. He had thought about this moment for a long time while lying in the hospital. He raised her hips slightly as his head moved lower still and his lips brushed against her, kissing her, teasing her. He knew exactly what excited her, quickly stimulating and arousing her senses. He darted his tongue deeper within her. Her body tensed up and he felt her waves of pleasure. “Baby, I want tae be inside yer,” he whispered to her. He didn’t wait for an answer. Scott raised himself above her and eased himself deep within her. She wrapped her legs around him and lay back as he caressed her breasts and began to thrust. He stroked deeply within her and she knew he was close. She smiled that he had lasted this long. Within just a few minutes of their reuniting, his feverish kisses and passionate movements brought her to the brink again and when she knew he could wait no longer, his body shuddered, he arched his back and let out a loud moan as they climaxed together. His body melted into hers. Katie looked deep into his eyes, smiled and ran her hands softly over his chest. She pulled his face to hers and he kissed her again, passionately. “I love you, Scott. Did you miss me?” she asked. “I love yer, too, and aye, but yer already knew that.” “Yes, I did. I missed you too! We don’t ever need to worry about that again, do we?” “Nae, never again, babe.” Scott lifted his body off her and they once again resumed their familiar position. Her head gently rested on his chest and they snuggled up close to each other. It didn’t take long for them both to fall fast asleep. It had been a long day. The days that followed Christmas went by quickly. They relaxed and just

enjoyed being with each other again. He followed the doctor’s orders and took it easy. They went for a few romantic walks in the snow and visited the mall when the snow was too deep to walk outside. Most days, they just stayed inside and snuggled together, watching movies or checking out real estate listings on the computer. It was New Year’s Eve. The following day would start the New Year, a new beginning. They weren’t planning on going out. Instead, they were going to have a quiet, peaceful night in. They had settled in to watch a movie when Katie’s phone rang. “Hello.” “Hi, Katie. This is Britney. I’m just calling to see how you both are. I presume Scott’s home now.” “Yes, he’s home now. We’re both doing fine.” “That’s good. Is he there, now?” “Yes.” “May I talk to him for a moment?” “Uh, sure,” she said, handing the phone to Scott. “It’s Britney,” Katie said to him. She sat back and smiled as she watched him reluctantly take the phone. “Hey, Britney. How are yer?” “I’m good, Scott. How are you feeling?” “I’m fine. We’re just sitting doon watching a movie.” “Oh, then I won’t keep you. I just wanted to check on you to make sure you were okay and thank you for always keeping me safe. You do know that you can call me anytime? I’d like to stay in touch with you.” “Aye, thanks fer checking and yer welcome. I have tae go now Britney the movie’s starting. Have a great New Year.” “You, too, Scott. Talk to you soon.” Scott put the phone down and turned to Katie. “Yer did that on purpose tae make me uncomfortable, didn’t yer?” he asked, with a smile on his face. “Maybe. She was pretty great when you were hurt, but I still don’t trust her. I’m glad she’s a couple thousand miles away.” “Aye, me, too. It’s fine.” “I know it is. I’m not sure I want her to keep contacting us though.” “That’s fine with me, but let’s nae worry aboot her. I dinnae want tae spoil our night.” “Okay. I bought a bottle of champagne for New Year’s Eve. Do you want a glass?” “Aye. Sounds guid.” They continued watching TV, snuggled together on the couch, sipping their champagne well into the evening. Katie began getting strange text messages from Michael on her phone. She knew he would have interrogated the girls as to what she was doing. That is just

what he did. She hoped he would just concentrate on making the girls happy for a change. Katie knew he must be drinking. She was worried about the girls, but they both had cell phones, so if there were any problems, they could call her. All was quiet for a while so she presumed all was okay. As midnight approached, Katie decided to send the girls a text to wish them a Happy New Year. The drunken messages she received from their father concerned her and she wanted to know that everything was okay before the New Year rolled in. Within a couple of minutes, she received a text back from both of them saying “Happy New Year” and “I love you”. Katie smiled and relaxed. Their father had finally let them enjoy their night. Katie and Scott were content to enjoy their quiet evening together, close and intimate after so long being apart. They toasted their future and shared a steamy, passionate kiss as the clock struck midnight and the New Year arrived. “Happy New Year, Scott!” “Happy New Year. Yer know, Katie, it’s going tae be a great year. It’s nice tae be holding yer in my arms again,” he smiled. “I like that, too. What do you want in the New Year?” she asked, smiling. “Nae anything but yer! Together, forever now, baby, and that suits me just fine.” “… and the story continues.” Kilted Desire, Book Two (available late 2012)