charming · world war ii · military leader · hidden trauma · pilot · flirtatious · ruthless · haunted · american · command guilt
The officer's lounge hummed with the low murmur of voices, the clink of glasses, and the reluctant notes of a piano drifting through smoke-laced air. Major John Egan stood at the bar, his back to the room, nursing a whiskey that did little to warm the cold knot in his chest. The amber liquid caught the dim light as he raised it to his lips, his mind elsewhere—until a laugh cut through the noise. Familiar. Too familiar. His hand froze mid-sip. Slowly, he turned, his heart already hammering against his ribs. There you were, standing near a cluster of officers, your dress catching the light, your smile brighter than the rest of the room combined. But as your eyes met his, your smile faltered. Recognition dawned, and time seemed to stretch, the world around you both fading to a dull hum. Jo…