by Dee Stone
A Soldier for Amanda
THIS IS A SHORT STORY
Captain Christofer Johnson feels responsible for the weeping woman mourning one of his squad’s best men. But there’s more than pity there for his corporal’s sister...something about the fragile beauty draws him in even as he knows she too blames him as the commanding officer who led her brother to his death. And yet he can’t stop himself from finding ways to be near her and try to protect her. And maybe change her mind about him...
Amanda didn’t expect her anger to turn to desire. But her late brother’s commanding officer wakes feelings she didn’t know were possible and desires only he can tame. But with her ex threatening her, love seems off the table. Until Christofer takes command of that threat and then her body too. And now all she wants to do is report for duty...
THIS IS A STAND-ALONE IN A SERIES WITH A HFN OR HEA
HEIR OF STONE © 2020 Dee Stone
Cover Art by AKA Book Cover Design
Editor: HW Graphics
Proofreading: Book Nook Nuts
Special Acknowledgments: One Stop Author Shop
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A Soldier for Amanda
Military Heroes Series — Book 1
Dee Stone
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
About the Author
Chapter One
Amanda
The rain falling from the gunmetal colored clouds matched the tears I wouldn’t let fall. My brother’s squad members saluted his coffin and stood beside it with backs so straight it looked like they had a piece of steel rebar in place of a spine.
A blue canopy covered the area so the coffin and people wouldn’t get wet by this sudden downpour. Chairs arranged just so, facing the flag-draped casket. The minister did his best to perform a service, but the droning of his voice was akin to the buzzing of a fly.
His team mates came back from Afghanistan but he didn’t. The squad leader stood at the head as one of the women walked to the coffin to remove and fold the flag before handing it to my weeping mother. I sat beside her, her arms around my shoulders as she wept, the flag held tight to her chest.
Glaring at the men and woman that had been his mates in the squad, all I could see were the happy lives they could now have. And Brian never would.
A single tear slipped down my cheek and I sniffed, but held my head high as our minister, Pastor Jim, finished his eulogy.“Ma’am.”
I ignored the deep voice that had a melodic tenor to it.
“Ma’am.” The voice interrupted my thoughts. “Please ma’am. I want to tell you how much Brian had been thought of by his fellow squad members. They would go to him with their problems or concerns before they came to me. He was a voice of reason in a time of craziness. He will be missed. And he saved the life of Jenny. He shoved her out of the Jeep when he knew what was happening.”
Only certain words attached themselves to my mind. Jenny. Saved her life. Saved her life.
I swiveled to the side so fast I almost slid off the seat of my chair. “Is that her? Is that Jenny?” Out of the corner of my eye a man stepped toward me as my voice rose to almost shrill levels. I’m surprised dogs didn’t start howling.
The man standing next to my chair put a hand up when the female soldier began to move out of the attention she was in.
I didn’t look directly at him, just got an impression of an older man in his forties about six feet in height.
“No. That’s not. Jenny is still in the hospital getting skin grafts for her burns. Her shoulder was almost torn off but they were able to reattach the limb.“She’ll never have full mobility or feeling in the arm, but she might still be able to use it, even in a limited way.” His large hand settled on my shoulder, caressing my upper arm as his hand glided up and down. Static electricity jumped from his hand to my arm. Weird. I needed to concentrate.
“But at least she’ll have her life. She can get married, have children. A career. See her family. We’ll never see Brian again. He’ll never have children. I’ll never be an aunt.” A sob welled up in my throat but I tightened my resolve. I wouldn’t cry.
“But that’s the kind of man Brian was. He wouldn’t have been Brian if he had let her die.” I ignored him right now, unable to think. He was right. Brian wouldn’t have been the man he had been if he had let her die. But, I didn’t want to agree with that right now.
Still not glancing at him, I stared in grim fascination as the casket lowered into the ground with ropes by his team members until it landed with a thud six feet under. This was it. I’d never see my older brother again. The one I worshiped as a little girl and made a pest of myself following him and his friends around, was now gone forever.
Tightening my jaw until I thought it might break if I spoke, I turned my head to stare at my weeping mother and then shifted to the other side to glare at the man standing still as a statue. Now I gave him my attention. I don’t know why I gave him and the team members all of my pain but I had to send it somewhere and there was nowhere else for it to go.
He really was good looking, in a military older man kind of way; with his salt and pepper buzz cut, sharp jaw line and hat set just so on his head. Deep inside his dark gray eyes, I saw pain, the same pain I felt from losing someone close and my heart broke for him. I couldn’t blame him and his team members; it wasn’t fair. They lost someone too. Someone close. Maybe not their brother, but if what that man, their squad leader, said was true—and I believed it was true, that it was just the way Brian was—they were suffering as much as me and Mom were.
Raising my head that had drooped, I stared him square in the eye to ask, “what is your name, sir?”
“Captain. Captain Johnson ma’am.”
“Your first name, Captain. And I’m not ma’am. I’m Amanda. Amanda Adams and I’m sorry for what I said a few moments ago. I went crazy there.” I smoothed down the skirt of my black dress that reached my ankles. My damp palms skimmed the soft material.
“Christofer, ma…miss.” His eyes softened at my apology, crinkles appearing in the corners, a soft sigh escaping his lips. They were firm lips but with a full bottom.
“Amanda. Just Amanda.” I glanced at my mother but Pastor Jim murmured to her, an arm around her shoulders.
“Amanda.” Christofer started and glanced quickly to my mother, who still talked with the minister, which was strange because they had been talking for quite a while.
“Amanda. I’m going to give this to you.” He reached into a duffel bag he had at his feet that I hadn’t noticed he had been carrying. He brought out a case, like something you would put a necklace in.
His long fingers trembled slightly as he opened the case to reveal a metal object attached to a purple and white ribbon.
“This is the Purple Heart Medal, in honor of Br
ian losing his life and saving Jenny. I know it won’t bring him back but this is for you and your mother.” He ducked his head as if embarrassed by his speech and tears immediately sprung to my eyes and I couldn’t hold them back anymore. Weeping huge sobs that wracked my whole body, I brought my hands to my mouth turning them into fists as if I could hold the sobs back.
Arms wrapped around me and for an instant, I fought, but a soothing murmur repeated in my ear, “let it out. I’ve got you.”
And I let myself go, clutching at the jacket of his military uniform as he cuddled me to his chest. I had never felt so close to someone before. His heart thudded a steady beat beneath my cheek. My hands reached for his shoulders. As the sobbing and tears slowed, now my embarrassment came to the forefront.
Instead of reaching for him, I pushed at him, needing space to crawl into the hole in the ground with my brother. Please could someone shovel dirt on me?
Christofer immediately released me, his arms falling to his sides as I took a step back and emotionally away. I glanced up at the sky and deep blue and bright yellow glinted brightly through a hole in the dark clouds making me hope things will turn out better now.
“Amanda.” His voice deep and rough like his throat had tightened and the words had a hard time getting through.
Still staring at the break in rain, a bright multi-colored rainbow gleamed with a halo of cream and lemon surrounding it. The beautiful sight gave me hope for a brighter future. I spoke to Christofer, still staring at the panorama before me. “Thank you, Christofer. I know my mother will cherish this Purple Heart in remembrance of Brian’s service. It will be in a place of honor. And…” My own throat tightened at my next words but I needed to say them. “And thank you for understanding my aggression and helping me with my grief. I’m embarrassed by clinging to you like that. You’re very understanding.”
“Amanda.” I turned away not being able to look at him to see pity on his face. What would a man like him want with someone like me?
“Mom.” I swiveled in a circle to find my mother standing alone on the edge of the pit that the casket now resided staring down. I rush over to her, taking her hand into mine. ”Mom. Let’s go home.”
She continued to stare for at least another minute before she nodded and clutched my hand to her chest. She glanced at the small case in my other hand. “What’s that?”
“It’s the Purple Heart. For Brian.” One handed, I flipped the lid for her to gaze into the case with the medal and its purple and white ribbon.
“Let’s go home, Amanda,” she said in a slight voice, barely over a whisper.
We had tranquilizers at home and I would make sure she took one and went to bed. She barely slept since we got the news. They were the only thing to separate herself from her pain.
She turned to Brian’s commanding officer with a hand out, which he took after only a moment’s hesitation. “Thank you, Sir. I know Brian would be happy that you and his unit were here. I’m sure he’s looking down at us laughing. He was such a happy boy,” Mom muttered the last part to herself as she clasped the case to her waist in tight hands.
She glanced around with a confused frown on her face, as if she didn’t understand where she was. I grabbed my bag and hers, fitting both bags over my shoulder, and led her away with me back to her older model sedan.
Chapter Two
Christofer
Banging on my front door brought me out of my trance thinking of that young girl, Amanda. A month had passed since the funeral and all I could think of was her, with her short dark brown hair, the same color as an espresso bean. Full of definition. I needed to get my head out of my ass with my thoughts filled with her plump body.
Work was only a little better. I still found myself staring off into space, my mind on her and her body. At home I drank until I took myself to my bathroom and did some jacking off to the image I had of her in my mind. Her body bent over, me shoving my cock into her from behind. The image of her on her knees, her hair contained in my fist as I shoved my dick into her mouth. I disgusted myself but there was no way I could help it.
The pounding began again and I sighed, “What the fuck? Stop the fuck pounding.” I shouted. “Coming. Coming.”
Hoisting myself off my couch, I strode to the front door with a frown and a, “what do you want,” to find Amanda standing there, her hand upraised to bang again. My cheeks warmed in a blush that I hadn’t felt since I was a teenager. I hated that I had cursed at her, even though I had no clue it could possibly be her. Never would have thought a little thing like her had the gumption to bang on doors that loud. She stood there, her brown eyes wide with shock.
What was she doing here and how the fuck did she get in the base? I stood with my hands on my hips, one finger tapping against my belt, staring down at her, wanting that answer to my internal question.
“Amanda, what are you doing here? Why are you here?” I glanced down the darkening street, twilight bringing shadows and grays to the empty cul-de-sac I lived on. Next to mine was an empty house and on the other side, a vacant lot. In my driveway was a little Honda that had seen better days sitting next to my Harley.
“Um. My mother. Ah.” Her glance shifted away from me so she couldn’t look directly at me and picked at a thread at one of the buttons on her white shirt as she bit her bottom lip before she continued in a rush, “she wanted to ask you to dinner. We didn’t have your phone number and the base wouldn’t give it to me when I called, but we did find your address among Brian’s things, but again no phone number. Mom wants you to come to dinner tonight.”
Her glance wandered around my little front yard devoid of anything but the brown and green patches of grass attempting to survive, to my Harley where her eyes widened again as if she remembered something else. “Soon. Dinner will be soon. But luckily we don’t live far from the base.”
“Come in for a few minutes, Amanda.” As the shock of seeing her here in my doorway wore off, my heart began pounding in my chest. I stood back so she could enter and continued to stand like a dumbstruck teenager.
Not much had happened in the month since the funeral. I went to work, did paperwork, and came home. My platoon leader had asked me over to visit with his family, but I wanted my space. Alone time to think about whether I wanted to stay in the Army, about Brian, Jenny, and especially Amanda. She was all woman, even at the young age of twenty. But what was I doing thinking about her anyway? Me at forty.
Shaking my head at my ridiculous thoughts, I followed her into my house and led her into the living room.
“Do you want something to drink?” Her eyes went straight to the Jack Daniels bottle sitting open on my coffee table but I immediately said, “no not that. Coke. I have a couple cans of soda left I think.”
“Okay, I’ll have one, but I’ve got to get back. Mom asked Pastor Jim over as well. She’s making leg of lamb and it’s really good.” She shuffled her feet as she lifted her arm, her hand to her mouth where she chewed on a cuticle as she flicked her gaze around my bare living room.
I dashed to the kitchen, grabbing a can of soda out of the fridge and a glass from the upper cabinet to race back to her. Damn. I forgot ice. Standing like a lump staring at a can in one hand and a glass in the other, I felt like a stupid idiot and not the commanding officer of a squad of soldiers that had seen and survived many tours overseas.
Amanda grabbed the can out of my hand as if I was normal. “Thanks. Just the can is great. So are you coming?”
She threw her head back and touched the can to her lips making me wish I were that can of soda and as she chugged, her throat worked, making me groan and my regulation pants grew tight, my cock rising against the zipper. Before her head came down I adjusted myself before she could see how I was affected.
“So?” She stared at me, one dark eyebrow raised.
I forgot the question. What is it about this girl? What did this woman do to me?. Made me want things I never had before. A wife. Family. Everything.
“What
was the question?”
She sighed rolling her eyes, as if trying for patience, comfortable enough in my presence to sit back and lean her elbow against the arm of the sofa, “Dinner with me, my mother, and Pastor Jim tonight? Can you come?”
I frowned, looking down at myself still dressed in my uniform from work. “I’m not dressed to go visiting for dinner. I just got home a bit ago from work. Actually, I just got a sip of the Jack.”
Amanda giggled as she waved at herself up and down, “I’m wearing job clothes myself.”
I got a good look at what she wore and almost swallowed my tongue. A dark jean skirt that reached her knees and a white button down shirt that buttoned to her collarbone. With a little dark blue bow tie. And tortoiseshell glasses trimmed in red with what I think the style used to be called cat’s eyes. Very retro. And the prim librarian look made me want to throw her on the couch and fuck her until she screamed.
How would I survive a dinner with her in the room and her mother and a minister? I was going to hell. Definitely. But spending time with her before I got there would make hell bearable. “Okay. Let’s go.”
She set her soda can on a coaster I had on the coffee table and the brief glimpse I had of the bare backs of her thighs had me doing an about face faster than anything. Marching to the door, I cleared my throat of the huge lump that had lodged itself there. I rubbed my hand over the top of my buzz cut and down my face before I tightened my hands into fists as I tried to regain control of myself.
The clickity clack of her flat heels on my hardwood floor let me know she hurried over behind me and I practically ran out my front door, locking it after she had followed.