Chapter 3
Shortly after she had arrived at Azura, Savannah was working in Baird's garage. He came in and stood with his butt leaning on the workbench. He had that sheepish look in his eyes. Savannah stopped what she was doing and gave him her full attention. "What's wrong, Baird? You look like shit. What's on your mind?"
Baird picked up a metal screw and rolled it between his palms. "I think I might be in love with Sam Byrne." Savannah almost fell over. Baird was not one to voice his emotions. He was comfortable with it when Savannah first met him, but the years of war and loss had caused him to keep that stuff to himself. "Well, what's the problem?" Savannah asked as she walked around her desk and leaned on the workbench next to Baird. "She's obviously in love with you." Baird threw the screw behind him, and turned toward Savannah. "What if she wants marriage and babies and stuff? You know that's not my thing."
Savannah turned toward Baird and leaned her hip against the workbench. "First of all, Sam already told me she can't have kids, nor does she want them. She doesn't expect marriage, and what in blue hell do you mean by stuff?" Baird began to pace the floor in front of Savannah's desk. He was fidgety and seemed way too hyped up. "Like living together. What if she wants to move in together right away?" Baird picked up a loose oil pan screw, looked it over, and dropped it back on the bench.
"What is it that's really bothering you, Baird?" Savannah asked as she reached for her coffee. She poured a cup for Baird and handed it to him with a biscuit. "I don't know," he said with his mouth full. "I mean, I care about her, I know that much, but something is nagging at me. I should be smart enough to know what that something is." Savannah almost spit her coffee out. "Ummm, love is not an engineering problem, Damon." She giggled and he stuck his tongue out at her. "There's no manual or textbook that explains how to be in a relationship. So, that being said, I am going to ask you one more time, what is it that's really bothering you?"
Savannah went over and stood directly in front of Baird, making him look at her. Baird put his coffee down and popped the last bite of biscuit into his mouth. He stared at her while he chewed. He swallowed slowly, took a step toward her, and bent down until his face was an inch away from hers. He said, "You. You're the nagging problem."
Savannah took a step back, her mouth open in shock.
"Me? What the hell, Baird?" Savannah turned around, went to her desk and sat on the corner. When she looked up, she scowled at Baird. "This better be a damn good explanation, because I like Sam. I like her a lot, and I don't want her punching me in the face because you're being...being you." Baird started laughing and picked up his coffee cup. "Well, it's true. Ever since you came back here, all I can do is think about what might have been if you'd never married that asshole." Savannah stood up, walked over to Baird and slapped him.
"How could you say something like that to me!" She exclaimed. "You were the one that told me to go to hell. You said because you had been assigned to Bravo Squad, you didn't want me to wait around for you, and that you never really cared that much about me anyway." She stood, arms crossed, staring icily at Baird. He walked over to Savannah, put his hands on her shoulders and stared at her.
"Savannah," Baird said as he reached up and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, "I cared enough to let you go. That doesn't mean I wanted to. Telling you that I never cared was the easiest way for me. It was selfish, I know." He let go of her and walked back over to the workbench. He leaned against the end and crossed his arms.
Savannah's blue eyes followed his every move. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Baird had never been one to be overly mushy when it came to emotions. He usually grunted or grinned. When the two of them were younger, he was much more verbally open, but the war had changed him. "I can't believe what I'm hearing! What is wrong with you?" she demanded. He stood up and let his hands hang at his sides. He could only narrow his eyes and wait for her to finish. She raised her eyebrows as if to prompt him to answer her. "I guess I just want to be sure I'm not letting a moment pass me by," he said.
Savannah felt like she had been slapped. All those years ago after they had first met, she knew Baird wanted to kiss her, but he always backed off. One night as they were talking over the electrical components of an APC door, they looked at each other, their mutual attraction causing their bodies to react from head to toe. Baird looked back down at the door. Savannah said to him, "Never let a moment pass you by, Blue. You might lose the chance forever."
He wouldn't look at her, and that infuriated her even more. Savannah scoffed at him and said, "I'm afraid your time for chances with me is gone, Baird. You came in here, not fifteen minutes ago, and told me you think you're in love with Sam. What the fuck are you doing thinking about a moment with me?" Baird pushed away from the worktable so fast, he knocked a pile of screws onto the floor. "I had to be sure, Savannah. Besides Sam, you are the only woman I have ever... cared for. You were my first love, and that's not something that just goes away, remember?"
Savannah stared at him in disbelief. Tears began to well up in her eyes, and she closed them to keep the tears from spilling over. Baird slowly approached her and opened his arms. She looked up at him, angrily wiping the tears from her cheeks. "You know, Baird, the day you left with Bravo Squad was one of the hardest days of my life; at least until Ezra died." Baird rolled his eyes at her mention of Loomis. He would never forgive that son-of-a-bitch for almost killing him. He never understood how Savannah could have fallen in love with him. She was too smart to fall for a dickhead like that.
"Savannah, you have always asked me to be honest with you, and that's what I'm doing." He took a step toward her, and sat next to her on the corner of her desk. "Am I in love with Sam? I'm not even sure I know how to answer that question. All I know is she makes me want to be better than I am. I can't imagine my life without her." He looked away from Savannah, but she leaned her head on his shoulder and said, "Do you think about her all the time? Does she make you laugh? Can you love her just based on conversations between the two of you? Can you look at her and know her thoughts, and vice versa?"
Baird leaned forward and put his forearms on his thighs. He let out a sigh and said to Savannah, "Yes to all of those. I'm giddy when I see her, and when she's next to me in bed, I feel...safe. I know that sounds dumb," he said as he stood up and started pacing. "I sound like a stupid kid," he said almost angrily. Savannah smiled at him as she reached out and put her hand on his arm. "No, Baird, you sound like a man in love. Now ask yourself, do you feel those same things for me?"
Baird's head snapped up and he stopped directly in front of her. "Not in the same way, I guess, but I don't want you disappearing into thin air again either." Savannah stood up, smacked Baird in the shoulder and said, "Well, that settles it then- you are officially in love with Sam Byrne." Baird laughed, rubbed his shoulder, and said, "Well thank God for that, because you're violent and I cherish this gorgeous face of mine." Savannah burst out laughing and reached out to hug Baird, but he grabbed her face in both of his hands and kissed her. Her stomach flipped and her body started tingling.
She pulled away from Baird and gaped at him. "What the hell did you do that for?" she said as she sat back down on the corner of her desk. "Didn't we just agree that you're in love with Sam?" Baird shrugged his shoulders and said, "I didn't let the moment pass me by." He winked at her and she kicked him in the shin. "Get out of here, you bastard, and go tell Sam how you feel." Baird began to walk away, but turned back to Savannah and said, "I did it because I had to be sure about Sam. I like you, Skinny, but her kisses feel... different." Savannah smiled at him and waved him out with both of her hands.
