Navy Blue - A Second Chance Romance (Complete)

Navy Blue: Chapter 5

Finn wasn't prepared for the sight of the woman he loved walking into the lobby of the law firm handling Casey's case.

He stared.

Again.

Today, Emily was harder to recognize. The silver eyes, tiny nose and cupid bow lips still adorned the loveliest face he'd ever seen, but her hair was pulled off her face and hidden in a knot at the back of head. Dressed in a black suit, she gave the air of a lawyer, not the girl who rode a bike in the rain just to see him.

Someone spoke, but Finn couldn't understand the language. Emily opened her mouth and the picture before him came to life.

"It's nice to see you again, Petty Officer Wainwright."

The use of his rank brought Finn to his senses. He had a duty to execute. Lieutenant Casey needed him, and Finn wouldn't fail her. He would not get distracted from his mission. "And you, Ma'am."

A shadow flickered over her face, but she covered it with a smile. Not a real smile, Finn noted. He'd seen the genuine thing, felt the power of it brighten his worst day. The gesture was able to melt his will power like ice on a hot plate. She extended her hand to Max. "Private Randall, I'm Emily Montgomery."

The blond man introduced himself as Max shook Emily's hand. Finn's chest burned, and he gruffly shook Lance's hand. Why was it Max got to touch her, feel the warmth of Emily's hand in his? He hadn't been granted the same luxury.

Then it dawned on him. She was embarrassed. Or worse, indifferent about him. After all, she had a new life now. One that included a child. Finn's eyes fell to her left hand, searching for the gold band he expected there. Her fingers were naked and one of the tight coils under his ribcage sprung free. He hated himself as the thought she might not be taken, that he might have a chance to win her heart again buried itself in his brain.

"Finn." Emily seemed to catch herself. "I mean Seargent, we'll take your initial statement first."

He nodded and followed the two lawyers down a hall paneled in dark wood. They entered a room with a large matching wood table, hunter green leather-covered chairs and lush potted plants. Light from wide windows with a view of the Potomac topped the office atmosphere of wealth and prestige. Yes, Emily and her blue blood fit right in here.

Emily gestured to a seat on one side of the table while she and Lance sat across from him. "Can I get you something to drink, coffee or tea?"

"No Ma'am."

The shadow made a reappearance but disappeared as quickly as she opened her laptop. "If you change your mind..." Every muscle in Finn's body seized and Emily's words trailed off.

"I won't." The unspoken "unlike you" hung in the air between them. Emily's face fell and Finn expected to feel vindicated at his sharp barb, finally getting a chance to return a miniscule of the hurt she'd inflicted on him. Instead, the pain came back double fold on him with the tiny lines etched into the downward cast of her lovely mouth.

"Why don't you start by walking us through your version of the events, Petty Officer?" Lance folded his hands on the table.

"Fine." Finn focused on Lance as he began. "We were on a regularly scheduled flight, returning to the USS Carolina. Lieutenant Casey at the controls. I was in the seat beside her. Private Randall sat behind me and Private Anderson behind Casey." Finn put himself behind the co-pilot so Max could sit beside Angela. They'd had a fight in the bar the night before, and Max was desperate to talk to his girlfriend. Stuck beside him for the half-hour ride, Max was sure he could patch things up.

Finn's stomach turned at the memory, wishing he could wipe his mind of what he had to relate. "We took off at o-nine hundred hours."

Lance glanced at Emily. "9 am," she said.

To not get distracted, Finn refused to look at her. "Correct. Despite some high winds, Casey kept the bird steady until we were about ten minutes into the flight." Finn separated his feeling from facts. This was how he kept his cool in pressure situations in the field. Balling up the anger, stomping down the fear, hiding away the guilt. Stuffing every emotion into a box in a far corner of his mind. Slamming a lid down tight, locking it away for later.

Focus on the task at hand. Do what was necessary. Tell the story so Casey could get out of that holding cell.

A temporary stillness settled over him, the drumming in his ears fading to a dull roar. The box rocked back and forth, but he ignored it.

"Alarms rang, and the chopper lost altitude. Casey tried to adjust but seemed unable to recover. We headed for the ocean. I called in the mayday." Red flashed on the control pane, the blare of the alarm mixed with the shouts of the pilot, telling them to prepare for impact.

It wasn't the first time he'd been in danger, the scars on his back were physical reminders. Every time he was in a life-threatening situation, he thought of two things. Simon and Emily. Who would tell Simon, and would Emily ever know?

"We hit the water nose first. It was... a rough landing." Angela had screamed before she fell silent.

"We're you hurt?" Emily's whispered question caught him off guard. His gaze slid to hers and his throat tightened. Her thin eyebrows were drawn together and her hand had moved across the table in his direction. She regarded him with the same look she had when he told her about the accident that had robbed him of his parents when he was thirteen. Her eyes were full of what he'd called at that time love. Concern. Care.

A long time ago in a different life when he'd only been considering going into the military, Emily had begged him not to. You'll get hurt she said. I won't, he'd replied naively. He'd been so naïve back then.

Finn shook his head, unable to break contact. "Not me. Casey was knocked unconscious; Max dislocated his shoulder and Angela..." His mouth went dry. "There was a deep gash on her forehead."

Cold had seeped into his bones as they bobbed in the ocean, numbing him as Finn did his best to keep the unconscious pilot's head above water with one arm. The other held on to Max, who clung to his to his unresponsive girlfriend as he repeated 'hold on baby' over and over.

Finn's eyes flipped to the gash on Angela's head and he knew two things for sure.

She would not make it.

And it was all his fault.