by E. A. West
After telling his parents they were leaving, Danny took Cindy’s hand and led her out the front door. The cool night air closed around them as they headed for the sidewalk. They walked in silence through neighborhoods and the town’s business district. She wanted him to talk to her, but this was a private battle. All she could do was keep walking with him and be prepared to listen if he decided to say anything.
She lost track of time as they traveled the streets unfamiliar to her, but she had a feeling they walked for a couple of hours before Danny finally spoke.
“I’m going to send that bear to Philly’s daughter. I have his old sock monkey somewhere. When I find it, I’ll give it to his son.”
Cindy gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “I’m sure the kids will appreciate them.”
“A couple of stuffed animals won’t make up for losing their dad, but maybe they’ll remember that their dad’s old sergeant cares about their family.” He glanced at her. “I’ve helped Philly’s widow out financially a couple of times. She’s had it rough trying to raise two kids on her own. Things were pretty good the last time I talked to her… about a month ago, I think. I should contact her soon, see if she needs anything. She’s got family who helps her, but I feel responsible for Philly not being there to take care of his own family.”
Cindy laid her head on his shoulder. “You’re a good man, Daniel Flynn.”
“I try, anyway.” He put his arm around her, holding her close as they walked. “Sorry I made you walk so long. I know you’re tired, but I… well, I needed you.”
“I’m glad I was here for you.”
By the time they arrived back at the Flynn house, she was ready to fall asleep where she stood. His parents had apparently gone to bed; the house was silent and dark except for a single lamp illuminating the living room with a soft glow. Danny led the way to his room, and Cindy stretched out on his bed as he moved to the box at the foot.
A yawn escaped, and she looked at Danny. “I hate to tell you this, but I’m exhausted. I’ve got to get some sleep or I’m going to be a zombie tomorrow.”
He sat beside her on the edge of the mattress and stroked her cheek. “Why don’t you stay here for the night? It’s pretty late.”
“Stay here?” Her pulse raced as she gazed into his warm eyes. Did he mean stay in his room? With him? Oh, Lord, give me the strength to do the right thing. “Um, won't your parents mind?”
“No, I’ll just explain it to them in the morning.” He removed her shoes and set them on the floor then he leaned down and gave her a kiss. “You sleep here. I’ll sleep in the guest room.”
Her heart calmed, and she reached up and touched his jaw. “Are you sure? I can move to the guest room if you show me where it is.”
He chuckled and caught her fingers. “You really are tired. Don’t you remember? The guest room is the next door down the hall.”
She thought back to previous visits to his parents’ house and smiled. “Oh, yeah. I forgot you showed it to me.”
He kissed her hand and stood. “That's why you're staying in here. I'd hate to have you get lost between here and there.”
She rose with him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you, Danny, and I'm so glad you're home.”
His arms slid around her and drew her close as he murmured, “I love you, too. You make me whole.”
Before she could figure out how to respond, he turned her toward the bed and pulled back the covers. “Go to bed. Morning's going to get here earlier than you want to think about, and you've got a class.”
She laid down, and he settled the covers around her. He brushed her cheek with his fingers and reached to turn off the light.
“Good night, Cindy. Love you.”
He left the room, closing the door behind him, before she could respond. She rolled onto her side and breathed in the faint scent of fabric softener. Even though it went against everything she believed, she couldn’t help wishing Danny were lying beside her. It scared her how much a part of her life he’d become, but she couldn’t imagine it any other way. Going by his comment about her making him whole, he felt the same.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Something bumped Cindy’s shoulder, and she opened her eyes to a strange bedroom. Where was she? She looked around and spotted desert camouflage clothing lying on the dresser.
“Oh, yeah.” A lump under her shoulder caused her to shift, and she sat up to discover Danny’s sock monkey lying by the pillow. She smiled as she looked at the big black embroidered eyes. “Guillermo, we should go see if your owner’s awake.”
She combed her fingers through her hair to loosen a few tangles, then she climbed out of bed and picked up the monkey. As she stepped into the hall, Tom and Linda’s quiet voices drifted out of the kitchen, but she didn’t hear Danny. The door to the guest room was ajar and she peeked in. Danny lay curled up under the blanket, sound asleep. He looked so peaceful that she had to fight tears of joy. Apparently, the nightmares had stayed away for one night. Thank You, Lord.
She backed away and headed for the kitchen; Guillermo could wait for a morning visit. Tom and Linda fell silent, their eyes wide as Cindy stepped into the room. Obviously, Danny hadn’t left them a note about her spending the night.
She gave a tentative smile, praying they weren’t mad. “Hi.”
“Good morning,” Linda said, casting a curious gaze over her. “I didn’t realize you were still here. I thought Danny took you back to your dorm last night.”
“That was the plan, but it was really late by the time we got back from our walk, and I was half asleep, so Danny figured I might as well stay here.” Cindy shifted, aware of how suspicious the whole situation must look. “Um, he gave me his bed, and he slept in the guest room. I thought he’d already be up, but…”
Tom took another bite of his toast as Linda gave her a disarming smile. “That’s all right. We wondered why Danny chose to sleep in the guest room, but we thought it had something to do with unpacking those boxes last night. Would you like some breakfast?”
“Uh, sure.” Relief flooded Cindy as she took the seat Linda offered. His parents accepted her presence more easily than she’d expected.
Tom nodded toward her hand. “Who’s your friend?”
She’d forgotten about the sock monkey. She held him up with a grin. “This is Guillermo. I was going to tell Danny his sock monkey is uncomfortable to sleep on, but I guess it’ll have to wait a little longer.”
Linda turned away from the stove. “That’s Danny’s monkey?”
“Yeah, he found it in one of his boxes last night. He said the youth group from his captain’s church sent enough for the whole company.” Cindy set the monkey on the table and propped him against the wall.
“Who, Captain Barnett?” Tom asked. She nodded and he smiled. “William’s a good man. He’s come here a couple of times to check up on Danny and see if he can help us in any way.”
“You’ll have to meet him,” Linda said as she stirred a pan of eggs. “He’s a good friend to Danny.”
“Who’s a good friend to Danny?”
Cindy looked over her shoulder and found Danny standing in the doorway. He looked remarkably alert for someone who’d been sound asleep five minutes before. “William Barnett.”
He nodded, his expression guarded as he moved closer. “Do I want to know how he came up?”
She remembered what he’d told her about the captain last night. Was he worried she’d told his parents about William saving his life? She picked up the sock monkey with a grin. “Your parents wanted to know where Guillermo came from.”
His features cleared, and he chuckled. “Why’d you bring him out here?”
“I was going to let him tell you good morning, but you were still asleep.”
Danny leaned down and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear, his breath warm on her neck, “You’re gorgeous first thing in the morning.”
Heat flooded her cheeks, and he released her
to take the chair beside her. He reached over and plucked the sock monkey from Cindy’s hand as his parents watched with smiles. “This poor little guy has been through a lot, but he helped me keep my sanity as long as I did.”
“He’s cute,” Linda said as she crossed to a cabinet.
Danny glanced toward the clock on the stove. “You know, Cindy, you just might have time to run by your room to pick up your books.”
“That would be nice.” Maybe she’d have a minute to change clothes, too. Otherwise, she’d have to go to class in yesterday’s clothes and hope no one noticed.
Linda set a plate of scrambled eggs and toast in front of Cindy. “Here you go, honey. Would you like some orange juice?”
“Sure, thanks.” Cindy glanced at Danny as he stood up. “Breakfast scaring you away?”
“No, I just thought I might as well get juice for the two of us.” He grinned as he passed his mother. “I figure Mom will be busy cooking another breakfast.”
“Why am I not surprised you’re hungry?” Linda said with a laugh. She turned to Cindy. “You watch him. He either eats all the time or barely eats at all.”
Danny sighed, and Cindy shrugged, hoping to divert Linda from treating him like a child. “I don’t know. He seemed to eat normally on campus. Of course, that might have been because we tended to eat together, and I only eat three meals a day.”
Danny chuckled, gratitude showing in his eyes as he turned toward her. “Unless you forget because you got busy working on something.”
“And then you remind me I forgot.” She hadn’t realized how much she missed the easy banter between them until that moment. Hopefully, his mood would stay upbeat for a while. She loved it when he was having a good day.
The conversation stayed light over breakfast, and Danny was more relaxed than Cindy had seen him in weeks. Maybe unpacking those boxes the night before, even with the deep emotional impact some of the items had on him, had done more good than she’d thought.
After the dishes were stacked in the sink, Tom focused on his son. “So, Danny, what would you like me to do with your knife and medals? I’ve got them in a safe place for the moment, but I’m not sure what you want done with them.”
He shrugged, appearing nonchalant, but Cindy could feel his tension as he spoke. “I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it yet.”
“Well, let me know whenever you decide.” Tom pushed back his chair and stood. “I’ve got to go to work.”
Linda walked him out, and Cindy turned to Danny. “Think you can get me back to campus on time?”
He glanced at the clock and pushed back his chair. “Yeah, but we need to go now.”
They stopped in his room long enough to drop off Guillermo and collect Cindy’s sneakers. Linda met them by the front door and gave them both hugs.
“You come back soon, Cindy,” she said as she stepped back. “You’re always welcome.”
“Thanks. I’m sure you’ll see me a lot more now that Danny’s living here.”
He chuckled and kissed his mom’s cheek. “She’s got a point. Now, Mom, don’t worry when I don’t come back for a while. I need to talk to some people at the university, and I’m planning to hang around campus for a while. I’ve got a lot of thinking to do, and I’m hoping to meet up with some of my friends, if they have time. I’m not sure when I’ll be back, but probably not until late this evening.”
“Okay, honey. Be careful.”
“I will.” Danny took Cindy’s hand and led her outside. Once they were in his truck, he sighed and stuck the key in the ignition, reaching through the steering wheel to turn it with his left hand. “I love my mom, but what does she think is going to happen to me by spending the day on a college campus? The same campus I lived on a week and a half ago?”
She laid her hand on his arm, the muscles taut beneath her palm. “She’s just worried about you. I’m sure once she sees you stable for a few days she’ll quit worrying so much.”
“I hope so.”
She settled into her seat as he backed out of the drive. Although she wouldn’t admit it to him, she understood his mom’s concern. He’d been out of the hospital less than twenty-four hours, the previous night had been emotionally charged, and now he planned to spend the day on a campus where he was no longer a student because the pressure of classes proved to be too much for him. Linda had every reason to worry about how he’d handle it. Cindy was worried, too.
Danny glanced at her as he made a turn. “You don’t mind if I walk you to class, do you? I miss doing stuff like that.”
She smiled and turned toward him. “Actually, I was kind of hoping you would and maybe hang out with me between classes. If that fits in with whatever you’re planning to do today.”
“Yeah, mainly I’m planning to just waste time to avoid being stuck inside all day. After a week in the hospital, I’m ready to enjoy my freedom.”
“Sounds good to me.” She remembered the day he’d started teaching her about photography and mentioned his love of autumn. Maybe they could spend some time in the quad, surrounded by all the brightly colored trees just starting to lose their leaves.
When they arrived on campus, Danny walked Cindy to her dorm. She left him in his old room, talking to Greg, and promised to pick him up before she went to class. The jog up two flights of stairs to her own room reminded her of just how much walking she’d done the night before. Did Danny have sore legs, too, or was it just her? She shrugged off the thought and entered her room only to be greeted by a huge hug from Leann.
“Cindy! Where have you been?” She stepped back and raised her eyebrows. “I thought you were going to pick Danny up from the hospital and take him home.”
“That’s what I did, but he wanted me to help him unpack a couple of boxes.” Cindy moved to her dresser and opened the top drawer. “We talked until really late, so I stayed at his house.”
Leann’s mouth dropped open. “You spent the night with your boyfriend?”
“Yes, but not in the same bed.” Cindy pulled out a T-shirt and turned toward her roommate. “We slept in separate rooms. I need to hurry and change so I can meet up with him. He’s going to walk me to class.”
Leann plopped onto the edge of her bed as Cindy collected the rest of her outfit. “Where did you leave him?”
“Greg’s room.” Cindy quickly changed and brushed her hair into a ponytail. “I gotta go. Danny’s planning to hang out on campus all day, so if you see Josh or any of the others, you might let them know.” She shoved her books in her backpack and moved to the door. “See you later!”
She left Leann gaping after her and darted into the hall. She had to hurry if she wanted to be on time for class. Hopefully, Danny was ready to go; otherwise, she’d just have to see him after her class.
When she arrived outside Greg’s room, she found Marcus in the hall. He turned toward her and raised his eyebrows. “You found Danny?”
She smiled and nodded. “Yeah.”
“Cool. I guess that means you’re still unavailable, huh?”
“Right, but I’m sure you can find a girl who’s unattached.”
“Maybe.” He stuck his head in Greg’s room. “Hey, your girlfriend’s here.”
Marcus headed off down the hall as Danny stepped out. Cindy glanced after Marcus and shook her head. “He really needs a date.”
Danny laughed and slung his arm around her shoulders as they headed for the stairwell. “He’s still trying to get you to go out with him?”
“No, he knows I’m taken.” She laid her head on his shoulder. “I get the feeling that if I weren’t, he’d ask me out every time he saw me.”
“That’s because you’re drop-dead gorgeous and the most amazing woman I’ve ever met,” Danny said as he removed his arm from her shoulders and opened the stairwell door. He gave her a kiss before letting her pass through the doorway. “Seriously, I hope he can find someone like you.”
“If he’s anything like you, she’ll be a lucky girl.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
The walk from the library to the student union reminded Cindy of the day she’d met Danny. Today, however, she was on her way to see him. He’d asked her to join him in the room the student veterans’ group used after her study session. Apparently, he’d run into a couple of the guys and planned to hang out there for a while before the weekly meeting.
She entered the building and headed for the conference room. Amused groans floated through the open door. What were they up to in there? She stepped inside and scanned the room. A few of the guys were gathered around a laptop at one of the tables, and Danny glanced up. His warm smile relieved her worry that the day would put too much emotional strain on him.
“Hey, Cindy, you’ve got to see this.” He waved a hand at the computer. “I’d forgotten about these videos.”
Alex chuckled. “You should be glad I remembered them. Your girlfriend’s going to find out just how crazy you can be.”
She stopped beside Danny, and he put his arm around her with a mock sigh. “Cindy, prepare yourself for the lunacy of bored soldiers.”
“Okay…” What had they made videos of? Presumably, nothing too bad since he wanted her to see them.
He reached past Alex and clicked the replay icon. “Alex was party to this, although his moment of glory was conveniently edited out.”
The guys joked about Alex bribing the person who’d done the editing, and Cindy watched the half dozen soldiers dressed in desert camouflage and body armor on the screen. Surrounded by sand, they stood atop some kind of cement slope. As she watched, they took turns surfing down the slope on a piece of sheet metal. Few of them made it to the bottom without falling, and all of them cracked jokes when Danny went down the slope.
Alex chuckled and switched to another video. “Danny did much better with sand surfing than cement surfing.”
“Oh, man!” Danny threw back his head and laughed. “Someone posted that?”
“Shoot, dude. Of course they posted it. It’s not every day your average soldier gets to embarrass his sergeant.”