step yet. He was a little nervous about it himself. A quick glance at his watch told him that Kaylee should be at school by now, so he typed a quick message to her.
GABE: Good morning, Sara. Hope your day is going well. Hey, wanted to see if you were interested in trying FaceTime. Thought it would be kind of cool to hear each other. We can do the phone call only—or video if you’re OK with it. Completely up to you, no pressure.
After he hit Send, he sat on pins and needles waiting for her response. When he saw the little bubbles indicating she was typing, he held his breath. How in the hell is it that I can remain totally calm while fighting a war, yet turn into a basket case over asking a woman to chat? To hell with the guys finding out, he was embarrassed enough at himself without anyone else making fun of him.
SARA: Wow, I’d love that. Give me five minutes, though. I literally rolled out of bed and took my niece to school. I’m not sure I even took the time to brush my hair. Someone kept me up late last night . . .
You’d think he’d won the lottery, as excited as he was at her agreement. Wait, she hadn’t indicated which one she wanted to do.
GABE: I’m sure you look beautiful, regardless. Just let me know when you’re ready. No rush. I know I sprung this on you suddenly. Oh, are we doing a phone call or video? Need to know before I make the connection.
SARA: I’m at home alone, so it doesn’t matter to me. Do you have privacy to video chat? If so, I’d love to see you.
Was it too late to back out? Gabe wondered uneasily. It had been his idea, but now he was on the verge of panicking. He never really gave his appearance any thought. He knew he was in good shape, thanks to years of running and strength training. Being physically fit made deployments easier to handle. And even though his bedroom was far from a revolving door, he’d never found it difficult to find a woman when he longed for female companionship. The opposite had been mostly the case. Yet he couldn’t help being uneasy. He’d come to look forward to talking to Sara every day. What if FaceTiming changed everything? Rationally he knew that he’d adjust and life would go on, but he didn’t want that. Before he could obsess any longer, she was back.
SARA: OK, ready when you are, Gabe.
He blocked out everything and focused on the task at hand. He always worked better that way. Overthinking wasn’t wise in his line of work. It would drive you crazy. All too soon, his iPad was waiting for her to answer. And then there she was. Like a punch to the gut, he knew he’d have been better off had she been a dude. Because the woman smiling shyly while waving a hand was more dangerous to him than anything he’d ever faced. This time his heart was on the line, and he feared that the beauty before him might be the one thing against which he had no defense.
* * *
• • •
Am I drooling? Dear God he’s so freaking hot. Sara was very much afraid she looked and sounded like an idiot. But since the moment Gabe had asked her to FaceTime, she’d been more rattled than she could ever recall being. And seeing the handsome man on her iPad screen did nothing at all to help her relax. Maybe she was biased, but he reminded her of a mix between Taylor Kinney and Bradley Cooper. His hair was much shorter, but those eyes. Something about them was so unusual, and his tanned face seemed to make them almost glow. Down, girl. Oh shit, what did he say? From his expectant look, it was obvious he was waiting for a reply. “Er . . . could you repeat that? I think our connection lapsed for a second.” She mentally patted herself on the back for that brilliant excuse. He might think she was an airhead, but at least she hadn’t been forced to admit she was ogling him. “I said that you look just like your picture. I asked if I am what you were imagining. Well, if you’ve given it any thought.” Was he blushing? Surely not. Must be the lighting.