Oath of Honor

supervisor at Methodist Hospital, who was usually able to chat when

her patients were all asleep.

Hey, you busy?

Got a minute. Why are you awake so late?

New post. Can’t shut off my head.

Not like you. Something wrong?

Nah. Not really. How’s everyone?

We’re good. Miss you. You’re going to make it home for

Christmas?

not looking good miss you too

will mail leftovers 

can’t wait 

Gotta go. Call—call me. Don’t stress. Love you.

Her sister had provided enough diversion that she’d been able to

fall asleep. But as she rode the elevator down to the lobby, her thoughts

returned to Evyn. She looked forward to seeing her. Spending time

with Evyn was exhilarating—in one moment Evyn was a highly trained

professional, demanding and a little arrogant, in the next personable,

funny, a little flirtatious. Wes never knew what to expect, and she

always knew what to expect. She planned everything and lived by her

plans. She’d just discovered uncertainty was damned exciting.

Right now, though, she’d settle for boring routine over a new test

of her fitness for her post, but what she’d like and what she got were

• 128 •

Oath Of hOnOr

often different. She pushed through the revolving door and stepped out

onto the sidewalk at precisely 0600. Ten seconds later, a black SUV

pulled up and the rear door swung open. Wes walked over and saw

Evyn in the back beside Gary. “Morning.”

“Morning,” Evyn said.

“Hi, Doc,” Gary echoed.

Wes settled down across from Evyn and the vehicle pulled away.

Evyn pointed to the newspaper in her lap. “Want a section?”

Wes smiled and slid an e-reader from her pocket. “I took your

advice and picked this up yesterday at one of the bookstores.”

“Smart.”

“What? Taking your advice or getting the reader?”

Evyn laughed. “Both.”

Gary’s gaze flicked back and forth between them, a glint of

curiosity in his warm brown eyes. Wes opened the reader and selected

the Washington Post app she’d downloaded the evening before.

Skimming through the sections with a flick of her fingertip, she asked,

“Where we going?”

“Kitty Hawk, North Carolina,” Evyn replied, surprising Wes with

an answer.

“That’s a long ride.” Wes tried to remember what was in Kitty

Hawk besides a nearby Coast Guard station.

“We’re not driving the entire way.” Evyn folded the newspaper

vertically, as if she was going to read it in sections like a subway rider.

“What’s in Kitty Hawk?” Wes asked.

“Ocean,” Evyn said.

Gary laughed.

“I didn’t bring a suit.”

“That’s okay. The water’s pretty warm this time of year.”

“It’s December,” Wes pointed out.

“Believe it or not, water temperatures average over sixty degrees

in December in that area. Something about the Gulf Stream.” Evyn

looked up from her newspaper, her eyes dancing. “You’re a sailor.

You’re not afraid of a little water, are you?”

“Just because I’m in the navy doesn’t mean I enjoy being cold

and wet.”

“I promise we won’t let you drown, or freeze.”

• 129 •

RADCLYfFE

“I feel so much better. What are we doing?”

“Water block.” Evyn went back to her newspaper.

“I gathered it had something to do with water. I don’t suppose you

could be any more specific?”

Evyn smiled above the newspaper. She was enjoying this, the power

play, and Wes was too, even though Evyn wasn’t playing by the rules

Wes was used to. She followed the commands of others and expected

her own orders to be obeyed without question. She understood and

accepted the reasons why. The military was a huge organization whose

effectiveness was dependent upon coordinated action and instantaneous

response, a hierarchy that could only function if orders were immutable.

Otherwise, chaos reigned, missions failed, and causalities resulted. Part

of what made the system work was accurate intel and preparedness.

In contrast, Evyn gave her no operation details—Evyn not only

didn’t brief her, she purposefully kept her in the dark. Evyn was testing

her without giving her the benefit of bringing her best game. She should

have been pissed off, but she wasn’t really. If she’d felt she was being

set up to fail, she would have resisted, but she sensed no malice from

Evyn, despite Evyn’s friendship with Peter Chang. They were playing

war games, a challenge Wes enjoyed, and she intended to prove herself.

Evyn was enjoying herself too, and Wes liked being part of Evyn’s

pleasure. That was a thought she wasn’t going to study too carefully right

now. She settled back and scanned the news. The vehicle slowed and

she looked up. Evyn was watching her, her expression contemplative.

Wes raised a brow. “What?”

“You look relaxed.” Evyn sounded surprised.

“Shouldn’t I be?”

“You’re not annoyed any longer.”

Wes smiled. “Would it do me any good?”