One Man's War. Lindsay McKenna

you know? Only the good die young. I’m going to be around until I’m a dirty old man of ninety.”

      She laughed and stepped away from the jeep. “You’re such a hard case, Mallory. When will I see you again?”

      Pete grinned belatedly. “When do you want to see me?”

      “As soon as possible. I could use another set of strong, capable hands to turn that plywood into a small room we could use as a school.”

      With a groan, Pete complained, “So you only want me for my body.”

      It was her turn to smile. “Isn’t that what you only want from me? What an interesting turn of the tables....”

      In that instant, Pete liked Tess more than ever. She had spunk and wit, not to mention an unquenchable spirit. He laughed. “All’s fair in love and war, and honey, we’re in a war. I’ll drop by and loan you myself as soon as possible. Okay?”

      Sobering, Tess said, “Be careful, Pete.”

      “I always am.”

      “No, I mean, be really careful.”

      “For you, I will be, honey. See you later.”

      Tess watched the jeep disappear, leaving a cloud of reddish dust in its wake. So much was happening to her when it came to Pete. He was incredibly complex—one moment the jokester; the next, hauntingly human and emotionally fragile. Turning around, Tess looked at all the equipment he’d brought. A number of children had come up to eagerly sift through the contents and finger the soft, clean material. Their faces were filled with awe over the array of rainbow colors. With a shake of her head, Tess moved toward the expectant and excited children.

      “You’re something else, mister. Something else,” she muttered, hoping against hope that she would see Pete much sooner rather than later.