Finding Forever (Colorado Veterans Book 6)

by Tiffani Lynn

  “If he only wants you working on it then he doesn’t have a choice,” she says with a little smile. “That’s the benefit of kicking ass at your job.”

  “Thanks, Shaunda.”

  Within half an hour, I’m arriving at the hospital. I try not to bother her at work, but I think she needs to know this as soon as possible and be aware of the threat. I arrive at the emergency room check in desk and note that it’s not very crowded in the waiting room, which is a blessing; otherwise, it’d be harder to talk to her. “I’m here to see Jessica Chapman. It’s important or I wouldn’t be bothering her at work. My name is Wes Chapman.”

  The tall, slender African American desk clerk smiles widely at me. “I know who you are. I’ll go see if she can meet with you. Have a seat. It may take a minute.”

  “Thanks,” I reply as I turn to find a seat.

  After about five minutes, Jess appears in the doorway. “Wes, hey, come on back.” Her eyebrows are pulled together, leaving a concerned crease. I never bother her at work, so she knows something is up.

  “Do we need to talk privately?” she asks as I follow her down a quiet hallway.

  “Yeah.” I nod but keep moving until we come to an empty office. We step inside and she closes the door behind me.

  I reach for her and pull her close and kiss her softly. “Rajesh came to see me. Vogler got out on bail a little while ago.”

  “How?” Her voice is pained.

  “I don’t know how. Some kind of freaking loophole. But, Jess, there’s more.”

  “What else could there possibly be?”

  I hold her a little tighter as I fill her in. Her breath catches and her eyes widen.

  “So you think this other girl and I are in danger?”

  “We don’t know. He may lay low because he knows people are watching, or he may become desperate and make a move. We don’t want to leave anything to chance. Rajesh suggested we head out of town for a bit.”

  “I’m not ready to run, but I’m definitely freaked out.”

  “We don’t have to run, but we can take off for a little break.”

  “How about we play it by ear. I’ll just be extra cautious. Do you mind hanging with me at my house longer? Continuing on as my bodyguard?”

  Now it’s time for my brow to crease. I thought we were past me just playing bodyguard. We will need to talk about this when we have a little more time.

  “You know I don’t mind. Do you want to finish your shift?”

  “Yes, I want to work when it’s possible.”

  “I understand. I’ll be back to pick you up at the regular time. Don’t go out into the parking lot and don’t leave the building with anyone else. If something happens and I’m held up, I’ll only send Dex, Javier or Judson to pick you up. You know who they are.”

  “Okay. This is freaking me out a little.”

  “Yeah, me too, but I want to be prepared.”

  When I leave, I have a very uneasy feeling about all of this, but I’m respecting her wishes instead of going all Rambo on her ass and dragging her out of there to hide out somewhere.

  The next day we’re both at work when Rajesh calls me.

  “We’ve lost track of Vogler.”

  “What do you mean?” How do you lose track of a grown man?

  “We had a tail on him, hoping he would lead us to the person who bailed him out. He slipped the tail last night when he went to a local bar. Ditched his car and everything. I thought the guy was an idiot but I obviously misjudged him.”

  “Unless someone else is guiding him. Vogler isn't really that intelligent. There has to be someone or some other people helping him.”

  “I agree.”

  We finish the conversation I hang up and call Jess to tell her the latest.

  She’s so busy it takes longer than I expect to get her on the phone. I’m antsy and impatient as I wait to talk to her. Because of the latest development, I can’t wait for her to get her head around all of this and come to terms with it in her own time. She finally gets on the line and I explain everything to her. “We need to take that little trip we talked about. Now that we suspect other people are involved, we don’t know where this guy is and you were pictured on his stalker wall, it makes sense.”

  “I know. I’ll go to my boss and talk to her. Any idea how long I’ll be out of work?”

  “No idea. For now, I would start with a week. We will see where things are then.”

  “Okay. Can I finish my shift?”

  “Yeah, and I can go back to work to get my shit cleaned up. After I pick you up, we will swing by my place to grab some more stuff and head to your place.”

  “Sounds good. See you soon.”

  “Yeah, sweetheart, I will.”

  I disconnect, the unease growing as the day goes on.

  When I finally pick her up, she’s quiet and lays her head against the headrest and closes her eyes.

  “What’s on your mind?”

  She shifts a little and opens her eyes with a faint smile on her lips. “That’s my line. You’ve become loquacious since we’ve been apart.”

  “I still don’t talk much around anyone else, but Dave did teach me a few things.”

  She sits up a little. “Your counselor, right?”

  “Yes.” I can see the interest in her eyes on the subject of Dave.

  “Yes, we can talk about that later. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

  “Fine, I know you well enough to know you won’t talk if you don’t want to. All of this is driving me crazy. The constant questions are the worst though. I hate not knowing all the answers. The guy wanted for my sister’s murder and probably others has disappeared. We are skipping town. The whole thing is just wearing me out.”

  “I understand. Just hang in there. It’ll be okay and it will be over sooner than you think. Rajesh has stepped up the investigation and has made it his priority.”

  “Okay.” She sighs.

  We finally reach my apartment. “Come on, let’s go.” I grab her hand and lead her up the stairs and through the door to my place.

  As she walks around checking things out and I go from room to room to gather stuff, she asks, “How long have you lived here?”

  “Since I moved out of our house.”

  She stops and turns to look at me, her eyes squinted in confusion. “It looks like you just moved in.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “There is nothing on the walls. No curtains. Nothing homey. It looks like you’re moving out or just moved in, minus a bunch of boxes. This is not a home.”

  “I don’t call it home.”

  “What do you call it?”

  I stride into my room to grab some clean clothes and she follows me, probably half to hear my answer and half to check it out.

  “My apartment.”

  “Why haven’t you made this into a home? Five years is a long time.”

  I stop what I’m doing, ready to be real with her, and drop what’s in my hands on the bed before striding over to her. I cup her chin and stare into her eyes. “It’s not about curtains or shit on the walls or candles or fluffy pillows. It’s about you. The only place that’s been home for me since I left my parents’ house at eighteen is wherever you are. I couldn’t care less about the rest. I can sleep anywhere; my time in Afghanistan proved that. But the only place that will ever be home for me is where you are.” Her eyes fill and glisten with unshed tears. I kiss her tenderly and release her before I get back to packing. I know she’s not ready for any kind of real discussion about us in the middle of everything else, but she has to know what direction we are going with all of this. I stopped being just her bodyguard the first night we made love again.

  I return to my packing and when I look up again, she’s standing by my bed, holding the picture I keep there. In her hands is the only picture I have in the whole house. It’s the two of us on our honeymoon. Her head is tilted back and she’s laughing at something I said a moment before the picture was taken, and there�
��s me next to her with my arm around her shoulders, smiling at her. That has always been my favorite picture. It’s not posed; it’s a real moment that a resort photographer caught of us, taken at the perfect moment in time. It was the way we were before the war changed me and before the loss of Darrien damaged our souls.

  “I can’t believe you still have this.”

  I don’t respond. I just zip up the bag and throw it over my shoulder. “Ready?”

  She sets it back down and nods her head.

  As we are driving to her house, I fill her in. “We’re headed to my parents’ house. Nobody is coming to Nebraska in the winter to find us, and if they do, we will know they’re there long before they want us to.”

  “Are your parents okay with me coming?”

  “My parents are dying to see you. They miss you.”

  She doesn’t say much else until we arrive at her house.

  Fifteen

  Jess

  “After I pack, we’re going to cut that mop and take your beard from squirrel nest to sexy. Your mother will have a fit if she sees you looking like this.”

  I run my hands over my beard and nod. She’s right. “I like having a beard though.”

  “I gathered that. It’s why I had my friend bring in some beard oil from Three Hearts Apothecary. They have some awesome stuff. You’ll love it and you won’t look like an axe murderer anymore.”

  He gives me a look like he’s about to argue but doesn’t end up saying anything and then nods once before heading up to my room. Well, that went better than I expected. I laugh to myself before I make my way to the kitchen to feed Zuzu, who is noticeably absent.

  “Zuzu!” I call to her. No meow answer, which is abnormal.

  “Zuzu! Come to Mama!” Still nothing.

  Then I hear the thump, thump, thump of Wes coming back down the stairs. “Are you looking for this girl?”

  “Yes! Where was she?”

  “Curled up on my dirty clothes, asleep.”

  The cat paws at his beard a little as if she’s trying to figure out what’s growing on his face.

  “You never did put your clothes in the hamper and she always loved to lie on them.”

  “That’s why I never put them in the hamper. Didn’t you notice there weren’t any clothes on the floor at my apartment? I’m not a slob; I liked to keep our cat happy.”

  My head tilts a little as I take him in. How did I never realize this about him? When I was so angry at him, that was just another thing that pissed me off. Another reason to grumble under my breath at him.

  “If you would have told me it pissed you off, I would have put them in the basket. I thought you knew.”

  “You never said, so I just assumed you were a slob.”

  His chuckle is deep. “Nope. I spent all that time in the Army strictly regimented to keep things neat and clean. It's not in my nature to leave a mess.”

  Hmmm. That should have occurred to me.

  “I’m thinking grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner. I don’t have it in me to cook big tonight. After we eat, we can cut your hair and get that beard under control so we can head to Nebraska first thing in the morning.”

  “Works for me,” he replies.

  It’s not long before I have him sitting in the kitchen with a sheet wrapped around his shoulders and the trimming shears in my hand. “How much am I allowed to take off?”

  “Well, I’m not looking for a haircut that the Army would be proud of, but you can do what you want. I don’t care.”

  “Really?” I can’t contain the glee in my voice. My fingers sift through his hair for a few moments as I contemplate what damage I’m going to do. I used to cut his hair all the time when he lived here. I take my time as I cut and comb, cut and comb. Long chunks of hair keep hitting the floor and I’m sure he regrets telling me I can do what I want. I’m also certain he’s picturing me giving him the same Army haircut he had for years. He doesn’t say anything though. A few snips with the scissors on the top layer and I put those down. Then I switch the guard on the clippers and get to work on that beard. Small chunks of fuzzy beard drop to his lap. I brush them off his neck and face a little before I stand back to survey my work.

  Damn, he’s as hot as he always was, maybe even more so with the patches of grey sprinkled into his now close-cropped beard. I’ve never been a fan of beards, but his, like this… Oh, man. I love it! I always loved the look of Wes. He’s all man. Strong, veiny forearms, callused fingers, broad but not bulky shoulders. Perfectly formed pectorals with a dusting of chest hair and a faint six-pack, a small, tight ass and long, strong thighs. The salt-and-pepper he has going on, with the cleaned-up haircut and beard, just adds a layer of sex appeal I don’t think he even realizes is there.

  As I stand there staring at this crazy-handsome man, he shoves the sheet off his shoulders, sending hair all over the place, and before I can complain, he pulls me onto his lap, straddling him.

  “You keep looking at me like that and we’re gonna be on the floor covered in all that hair you just took off.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you look like you want to lick me like an ice cream cone and I’m not about to pass up that offer.” He kisses my jaw and moves slowly down my neck, his freshly trimmed bead tickling the tender flesh as he goes.

  I squirm and breathe his name like a plea and a prayer wrapped in one. “Wes.”

  He lifts his head and looks into my eyes and I can tell he’s trying to tell me something without words, but all I can think about is getting his mouth back on me. I always loved these moments with him. Sweet and sexy while also steamy and slightly uncontrolled. He grips me under my ass and stands.

  “Wes.” I say it but I’m not sure what needs to follow.

  “I’ll clean this up after I clean us up.” He takes my mouth in a searing kiss and then carries me wrapped around him upstairs to the bathroom. He sets me on the counter and starts the shower before stripping down to nothing. Then he reaches out and pulls the shirt over my head and helps me off the counter so that I can strip down. Within seconds, we’re under the shower spray with lips and hands unencumbered, exploring each other fully. The addition of soap causes our hands to slip and slide all over each other, tweaking, touching, gripping, scratching until I almost can’t take any more.

  Suddenly, he’s on his knees with his mouth between my legs and I’m against the shower wall crying out his name. At that point, I’m so spent that I’d love to crawl out of the shower and curl up for sleep, but I won’t because his gorgeous cock is standing proud in front of him, practically begging for attention, and I’m dying to get my mouth on it.

  It’s always a challenge to get him to let go of his self-control, to give in to the moment, and I’m up for it. I love to watch his face when he loses the battle and gives in to the desire and pure pleasure. I work his shaft hard with my mouth and my hand in tandem, until his fingers finally grip my scalp and put pressure on my head. At that point I know he’s close. I suck harder, swirling with my tongue and gripping his balls with one hand. He grunts softly and finally lets go, down my throat with a growl and a sigh. I finish him off and stand.

  He pulls me in against him and kisses my head. His tenderness is so unexpected and so sweet that tears I didn’t know I had slide down my cheeks. They aren’t sad tears, they’re more like tears of relief and comfort. Luckily the shower drowns them out and I don’t have to answer questions about them. He shuts off the water and reaches out to grab a towel for me and then one for himself. After we dry off, he steps out and wipes the mirror down so he can check out my handy work on his face and hair. After fussing with the top of it a little, he looks over to me. “Not bad, sweetheart. Thanks.”

  “Oh, hold on a minute. This is the important part.” I grab the little vial that has three little hearts on it and says Beard Oil and Every Man, which has a clean citrus and cloves scent to it that I love. I squeeze a few drops into my palm and rub my hands together. Then I finger-comb it into what’s lef
t of his beard. It looks so much better now that it is trimmed and shiny.

  “Thank you, sweetheart.”

  “No problem. I love my handiwork.” I grin at him and sashay past to throw on a comfy T-shirt.

  The next morning, we get on the road in his Bronco. Zuzu’s in her kitty carrier, secured in between our bags on the back seat so I can look back and see her. Most cats hate riding in cars, but Zuzu loves car rides. Probably because we always took her to Wes’s family farm when she was just a kitty, where she got spoiled with attention.

  My hands twist in my lap as I look out the window.

  “Why are you so nervous?”

  “What?” I play stupid, not wanting to discuss this.

  “You have nothing to worry about. They still love you and are happy to see you.”

  I sigh. “I never answered their calls when they called me. After they left from the funeral, I never spoke to them again. No matter how many messages they left. How many times they sent flowers or Christmas cards. I just couldn’t…” A tear slips down my face and I can’t finish because I know I hurt them and now I have to face them.

  Wes’s hand reaches over and grips both of mine. “They love you. They’ve missed you and are just excited to see you. Don’t relive any of that. They are still your family, I promise. You’ll feel better after you get one of Dad’s hugs and Mom’s slices of pie. When you see my sister grab hold of Zuzu and talk to her for ten minutes like it’s actually her niece, you’ll remember and you’ll let all this other shit go.”

  I look over to him and he turns his attention to me briefly and gives me a smile that I can actually see without that crazy beard. I return a half smile and whisper, “Okay.”

  Five hours later, we arrive in Lewellen, Nebraska. It started snowing along the way, so it took a little longer than usual. The main part of town is nothing more than a few buildings on the main street. The population of about two hundred twenty-five people are good, hard-working people who all know each other. You have to drive a little bit to get to a grocery store or Walmart, but the family property is beautiful and has served them well over the years.