Strategic Engagement (Wingmen Warriors 5)

Daniel stepped in front of Mary Elise and the boys, between them and the anger pulsing quietly from the commander. "I didn't expect to see you back from your TDY to England for two more days, sir."

At least he'd hoped not when he'd pushed this mission through in the commander's absence.

"No doubt," Quade answered, his low growl riding wind that didn't dare disturb his close-cropped dark hair. "Lucky I was able to cut it short and meet you on the flight line."

Daniel shot a pointed look toward the bedraggled children then back to his commander. "I'll be in your office first thing tomorrow morning after I settle them in."

"Yes, you will, Captain." Quade nodded to Mary Elise. "Welcome back to the States, ma'am." Spinning on his heel, he slid away as silently as he'd approached.

Mary Elise drew up shoulder to shoulder. Austin stirred, yawning, stuffing a fist against his eye.

"Crap," Daniel mumbled under his breath

Mary Elise cocked her head to the side. "Problem?"

There'd been a time when he'd shared everything with Mary Elise. Her insights had kept his wings level on more than one occasion. But opening that door to the past would invite a host of other issues better left alone when he needed objectivity to figure out what the hell was chugging through that brain of hers. "Normal red tape. No big deal."

He should be covered, thanks to Spike's CIA connections. Daniel shrugged off what couldn't be dealt with until the next day. He'd take the fall in a heartbeat if Quade started gunning for anyone else on the crew.

Daniel tapped Trey on the shoulder and pointed to the ambulance. "You ready to get checked out so we can head home?"

Trey jammed his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "Doesn't matter. Just wanna go to bed."

More concerns. Where would he put everyone in his condo? A small condo with only one bed—a big bed that he could too well envision sharing with Mary Elise.

A headache started behind his right eye, like a tiny hammer rapping with irritating persistence. "Not much longer and we'll hit the road. You'll be in b— Uh, you'll be tucked in before you can say Hershey's chocolate."

Austin pulled his thumb out of his mouth. "Crap."

Daniel screeched to a halt. "What?"

Trey smirked. "I think he heard you say it."

"Thanks. I figured that."

Mary Elise tapped Austin's mouth. "What's wrong, hon?"

"Got no jammies. Want my sailboat jammies. Crap." His thumb popped back in his mouth.

Daniel flinched over the curse, but couldn't bring himself to reprimand his brother. Poor kid had lost his parents and everything familiar in the span of a couple of weeks. "You can both wear my T-shirts. I have one with an airplane on it, just for you, pal."

"Mary 'Lise got no jammies, neither."

An image he did not need, thank you very much. "She can borrow a T-shirt, too."

Another image no less tormenting than the last splayed across his mind in a tangle of long red hair and even longer legs. In his bed.

"And a toof brush and shampoo?"

Daniel blinked back to the present and Austin's latest question. "We'll buy some."

"For Mary 'Lise, too?"

Already he could see, smell her shampoo in his shower. The little hammer picked up speed and force in his head, pounding in time with each thud of his boots across cement. "You bet."

"And toof paste? Bubble-gum kind."

"Yes," he promised, rushing to add before the three-year-old question machine could preempt him, "for Mary Elise, too."