Page 35 of Duty and Desire
“Marcus doesn’t scare me. I’ve known him too long for that.”
“What do you think, then, of our options?”
“Well, Marcus is right about one thing, for certain. I have no wish to go through a formal investigation. I’ve seen them being conducted before. Hellish. And depending on who conducts it, they could be out for blood.”
“Agreed. There have been enough rumors flying around without our lives being put under the microscope.”
“I’d rather not see you reassigned. Who knows where you could be stationed?”
“But would you really want to retire? You’ve worked so hard for this. You don’t have to give it up. Being apart would be hard, but we could make it work.”
“No, I think retirement might be a good plan. I think I’ve given enough.”
Scarlett’s breath caught in her throat, and she looked at Ros with wide eyes. “You’d…give up everything? For me?”
“I’ve given everything to the army my whole life,” Ros said, her voice steady. “Maybe it’s time for me to choose something else. Something that makes me whole. That’s you, Scarlett. And besides,” she added with a wry smile, “my knee still hasn’t healed from that last mission. I’m not getting any younger.”
Scarlett blinked, stunned. “Ros…”
“We’ll figure it out,” Ros assured her. “I don’t want you to be reassigned to some far-off base. If I retire, you can apply for base housing. We can be together, and I won’t have to send you into danger anymore. I’ll still worry, but I won’t be the one giving the orders.”
“But what will you do? The army is your life.”
“I don’t know yet. I’ve never thought about life after the army. Some part of me knew it would end, of course, but I’venever thought about it. I’ll find something to do, don’t worry. I’ll need to do something with myself to stay sane. Maybe I’ll find something I love even more than I’ve loved being an officer. Whatever it is, I’ll love it even more with you by my side. Should we call Talbot back in? He’s been standing awkwardly outside his own office door for long enough, I think.” The intense warmth Scarlett had been feeling faded, though it was not replaced by the nerves that had wracked her before, for which she was grateful. Still, when the general returned, she felt as though her bones had become lead, freezing her in place.
“So then, what decision have the pair of you come to?” he asked, reclaiming his seat behind the desk.
“I’ve decided to take early retirement,” Ros said.
“We’ll be sad to see you go, General Carson.”
“It’s time. There are adventures out there for me yet. Time to move on and seek them out.”
“Well, I’ll see to it that your resignation goes smoothly and discreetly.”
“If you need an easy excuse, my impulsivity has finally caught up to me. My knee really did take a hit the other day. I don’t think it’s going to forgive me anytime soon. If the army needs a more palatable excuse for me to fade into obscurity, use that by all means.”
“Very well. As for you, Captain Bennett, while I allowed you the use of my office, I sought out Colonel Hale to find out what he had to say on this matter. I learned from him that there have been rumors about your relationship flying around the base for a couple weeks now.”
Scarlett winced. Surely they weren’t about to dismiss her.
“While I do not approve of your actions,” he continued, “your service record is exemplary. I’d rather that not be tainted by you having to remain at a base that is filled with gossip about you. It may well affect your soldiers’ ability or willingness to follow yourorders. I will have you transferred over to Fort Kirk. It’s near enough that you and Carson will not be separated by too great a distance while we finalize her retirement. And that base needs all the personnel it can get after that avalanche. I think you will do well there, Captain.”
Scarlett nodded. “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”
“If that’s all the surprises you were planning on bringing to my door at this early hour, I’d like to finish the rest of my morning free of further shocks. The both of you are dismissed. Ros, I’ll see you in a day or two to work out the logistics.”
“Thank you, Marcus.”
Ros and Scarlett sat together on the edge of the bed, their hands intertwined as they soaked in the quiet after what had felt like a whirlwind of decisions.
General Talbot had been firm but fair, and the two of them had avoided the worst of what could have happened. No investigation, no public reprimand. Early retirement for Ros and a nearby reassignment for Scarlett meant they were only facing a temporary separation. It could’ve been so much worse, and both of them knew it.
Ros broke the silence first, squeezing Scarlett’s hand as she looked over with a small smile. “You know, this is probably the best outcome we could’ve hoped for. No formal charges, no dishonorable discharges. Just a few months apart, and then we get to start fresh. Together.”
Scarlett gave a soft laugh, leaning her head on Ros's shoulder. “I know. I’m just being selfish, I guess. I don’t want to leave without you, even if it’s just for a little while. I was lookingforward to waking up next to you every morning, not saying goodbye at the base gate.”
Ros chuckled, nudging her gently. “We’ll get there, I promise. You’ll be at Fort Kirk setting up our new life, and I’ll be right behind you, probably complaining about how bored I am not having anything to do.”