The Space Between Deployments

Ethan Cole has learned how to live inside countdowns. As an Air Force pilot, his life is measured in missions, schedules, and departures—never in promises. Loving someone has always felt like a risk he can't afford. So when a short leave brings him back to the town he once passed through, he expects nothing more than rest before returning to duty. Claire Bennett has already rebuilt her life once. Grounded, independent, and rooted in a community she loves, she's learned how to stand steady without anyone else holding her up. When Ethan reappears unexpectedly, she isn't looking for unfinished stories—or another goodbye. But some connections don't fade with time. As five borrowed days turn into something deeper, Ethan and Claire find themselves navigating a love shaped by distance, uncertainty, and the quiet cost of military service. When orders come early and separation becomes inevitable, they must decide whether honesty is enough to hold them together—or if distance will demand too much. Because love doesn't disappear between deployments. It waits. A heartfelt, slow-burn military romance about distance, duty, and choosing love even when the future isn't guaranteed.