“You have a sore foot,” Stephanie protested before Eve could reply. She suspected Clint wanted to prolong the evening. She didn’t. Not when every time she looked at him, her senses went crazy.
“It’s better.”
“I don’t think so. I’ve experienced it.”
“Maybe I heal faster,” Clint said as he gave Braveheart one last rub of his ears and looked up.
Stephanie suddenly realized Josh and Eve were staring from one of them to the other with bemused expressions.
“I’ll drive him home if you have to leave,” Josh offered after a silence.
“That’s okay,” Clint said. “I probably should leave now.” He looked toward Eve. “That was the best meal I’ve had in a very long time. Thank you for having me.”
“Thank Josh,” Eve said. “He’s the grand grill master.”
“I have a great deal to thank him for.” Clint stood. Braveheart sat right behind him. He scratched the dog’s ears again.
“How did you do that?” Nick asked.
“Do what?”
“Make Braveheart like you.”
“I don’t know. Maybe he recognized a kindred soul.”
“What do you mean?” Stephanie couldn’t help but ask.
He shrugged. “It’s nothing. I’m ready to go when you are.”
She wanted to know more. He had said very little about himself since she’d picked him up. He talked. He was funny. Self-deprecating. But he didn’t reveal much. He’d just said more in those few words than all those he’d uttered so far.
Her heart clenched, and she didn’t welcome the feeling. She didn’t want to know him better. He would soon be gone, and her life would return to normal.
Suddenly, normal didn’t sound as good as it had pre-Clint.
Nonsense. She got to her feet. “Sure we can’t help you with the dishes?”
“I have a system,” Eve said. “You would just mess it up. And I expect Clint must be tired. He’s only been out of the hospital a few days.”
Her eyes twinkled, and Stephanie knew for certain she was trying to throw them together. They would have a discussion about that, but now she didn’t have a choice without being churlish. She nodded.
Eve turned to Clint. “Would it be okay for me to stop over tomorrow? I have something I would like to discuss with you.”
“Sure. Any time.”
“About twelve thirty?”
He nodded.
“Good. And welcome to Covenant Falls. I’m delighted the cabin is being put to good use.”
Stephanie found herself at the door with Clint close behind her. She’d seen a glint of matchmaking in her friend’s eyes, and she was going to put an end to that. Fast.
But first she needed to drive Clint home.
They hadn’t turned out of the driveway before she sensed Clint’s gaze on her. She was, unfortunately, very aware of his presence. Too aware. The heat in the car was far greater than outside.
“I really like Eve,” Clint said.
“Everyone likes Eve.”
“And Josh,” he said.
“Mmm,” she murmured, not wanting to encourage him.
“And Braveheart.”
She suspected now he was going to go through the entire Manning household.
She only nodded this time.
“And I like you,” he added softly.
Her pulse quickened and heat flooded her—the same unwelcome warmth she’d felt earlier when his lips had touched hers. She felt it down to her toes. She sped up.
She didn’t answer. She didn’t know how. She had no quick quip this time. The words had been said softly and sounded as if he meant them. But words were easy.
He was silent the rest of the way. Did he feel rebuffed? Or had he said what he had to say or...?
She turned on the radio, to the country western station to fill the silence during the rest of the drive. But when she pulled up in front of the cabin, she relented. “I hope you like Covenant Falls.”
He paused a few seconds before reaching for the door handle. “Thank you,” he said, and the two words had none of the earlier teasing. It was said with feeling. She had been in the wrong again. Drat, but he was good at doing that.
He stepped out of the car. “Good night.” He closed the door and limped toward the porch. She waited until he opened the door to the porch, then she stepped on the gas and drove away.
* * *
CLINT SPOTTED THE large box leaning against the front door of the cabin. He closed the screen door, unlocked the cabin door and carried the box inside.
He looked at the return address. One of his roommates from Ft. Hood. He opened the box. A guitar. He read the note. “Heard you lost your guitar in the crash. We took up a collection from all those you entertained and bought this at the pawn shop. It’s not as good as the one you had, but, hey, every time you play it, think of us.”
Clint removed it from the packaging and ran his fingers over the wood, then the strings. It was a damn good guitar, despite what the note said. It had scratches, but the sound was great, better than the one that disappeared after the crash. He wasn’t a very good musician, but he could pick up tunes and melodies, and he was good enough for a room full of drunken soldiers back from deployment.
Most of all, he appreciated the gesture. The sender, Ted Endicott, was a chopper instructor and the only permanent resident of the house.
Clint played a few notes, a ballad, and then put it down. There was no one to play for.
He’d fought against the loneliness he’d felt since waking up in the hospital in Texas, far from his base in Kentucky. It had only deepened when he realized he was not going overseas with his unit, that he might never fly again. Everything important to him had died in that car.
He’d almost banished the loneliness for a few hours tonight. He had a lot in common with Josh, and he’d liked Eve tremendously. Stephanie made him feel alive again. And Braveheart... Braveheart had touched him. He sensed in the dog the fear and loneliness Clint tried to hide from everyone.
He put the guitar back in its case and checked his watch. It was ten, and he hadn’t gotten much sleep the previous night. The pain had been too severe. He took off his sandals. His foot wasn’t quite as swollen, or as discolored, but it still hurt when he put weight on it.
He would take a bath, soak the foot, then go to bed. He thought about tomorrow and made a mental list of things to do. It gave him more of a sense of purpose. He would finish his plan for the dock in the morning. Maybe he would try to walk into town and see what the hardware store had in stock. Something to do. He was not good at idleness. He’d always been active: training, always training, and sports. As great as the cabin was, he knew he had to make an effort to keep moving.
* * *
STEPHANIE WALKED HER two canine boarders longer than usual. She took them down Pine Street and found herself nearing the park bordering the lake on the east. She’d left Stryker and Sherry at home; these two needed attention, and she’d taken her own dogs for walks before she had picked up Clint.
From the park, she saw the lights from the various homes along the lakefront. There was the barest of light filtering through the pines from the last cabin, the one where Clint lived.
She sat on one of the benches and considered the evening, and why Clint Morgan flustered her so. Her experience with men, thus far, had been disastrous. She had wed at seventeen to escape an abusive father, but was a widow within six months. During that time, she had taken a job as a vet tech. It was a move that probably saved her life.
She loved her job. Animals were simple. Treat them well, and they treated you well. She trusted them as she trusted few humans. Exceptions were Eve and Josh and a few other town residents whom she’d known for years.
She adm
itted it. She was a terrible judge of men. Her first husband was killed in a drug deal gone bad and the second had been an abuser whose charm died soon after the wedding vows.
And then Clint Morgan had come to town and kissed her, and she had melted. She wanted something she couldn’t have.
The strength of that want was intense.
Lord knew he was attractive. That alone wouldn’t have affected her like this. She knew how much ugliness good looks could hide. She had been blinded by it once. But there was something open about Clint. She had watched him carefully when he spoke to Nick and touched the dogs. She’d searched for a sign of deviousness, of pretense. Instead, there had been a gentleness about him that completely undid her.
It didn’t make any difference. She was never going to risk herself, or her practice, again. She had worked way too hard for her independence and self-respect. She wasn’t about to throw it away for a stranger passing through.
“Come on, guys, let’s go home. You can play with Stryker and Sherry for a while.”
She let them play with her two dogs for thirty minutes, then put the two boarders in their run, made sure they had plenty of water and added a treat provided by their owner. They would be picked up tomorrow by their family.
She climbed the stairs to her apartment, Stryker and Sherry on her heels. She checked the phone for messages and stopped breathing for several seconds. A call from Boston. The name was “Unavailable.” No message.
She was not going to call the number back. But she would ask a vet friend in Ohio to check out the number. She didn’t want anything coming from her office or even from the state. At least her personal cell phone had not been called. Her clients had the number for emergencies, and she was never without it. It, too, was listed under the name of Langford Animal Practice. If anyone had thought that strange, they hadn’t mentioned it.
Maybe the call was just a salesman, she told herself. Or a political survey. They often didn’t leave names, just hung up when no one answered.
She took a hot bath, but rather than relaxing her, it brought back the heat that ran through her body when Clint had kissed her, her befuddlement at how much she enjoyed it. But then the kiss had been over. She’d expected some mention of it when she had driven him home, but there had been none.
Maybe he wanted to forget it as much as she did.
* * *
JOSH TURNED OFF the light and got into bed. He kissed Eve on her nose, then took more time with her mouth. “Love you,” he said.
“Ditto,” she replied. “I think tonight went well.”
“Except Steph was as prickly as a cactus.”
“That’s because she likes him.”
“You think?”
“She sure is trying to fight it, but she would have been a lot nicer if she didn’t like him.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“That’s because you’re a man.”
He thought about that for a minute. “True. But if she’s prickly because she likes him, why were you nice to me when we met? I was rude and...”
She put a finger to his lips. “Because I knew I liked you, and she doesn’t know she likes him yet.”
“Damn, woman, that really doesn’t make sense.”
Eve laughed. “I’m glad he wants to build a dock.”
“I have a hunch it will be a good one.”
“Why?”
“He showed me a couple of designs. He’s been doing his homework.”
She took his hand and held it tightly. “Did you see how Braveheart stayed with him?”
“Couldn’t miss it. Nick was pointing it out every minute.”
“Why do you think Braveheart responded the way he did?”
“I think Clint might be more wounded than he appears,” he said. “Braveheart sensed that. Remember how he reacted to Amos?”
“And Amos to Braveheart. They both recognized the pain the other had.”
Amos, lying in a dog bed next to them, stirred and wagged his tail at the sound of his name, then barked. “Go back to sleep,” Josh ordered. “This is between my wife and me.”
“You think he knew what we’re saying.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised.”
“I think I might do a little meddling,” Eve said.
“I don’t doubt it. Not for one nanosecond,” he said, then kissed her. And more.
Minutes later, she asked, “What do you think about loaning Braveheart to him for a few days? He’s probably lonely in the cabin.”
Josh sighed. “He won’t be alone for long, not if I know this town.”
She gave him a disgusted look. “You know what I mean.”
“Well, ask him.”
“No, we have to give him a reason to take Braveheart. I think he’s a lot like you. Doesn’t like to think anyone thinks he needs something.”
“That’s convoluted.”
“No, it isn’t. He needs to feel needed. Just like you, although you wouldn’t admit it.” She stopped, then grinned. “Tell me, are all men so dense?”
“Are all women so meddlesome?”
“I hope so.”
He sighed. “I’m sure you will come up with something. Poor Clint. And what about Nick? He won’t want to give up Braveheart.”
Eve waved a hand. “Temporarily only, and for a good cause. I think he’ll approve. He really liked Clint.”
“He likes everybody.”
“True, but he particularly likes helicopter pilots.”
“What about poor old grunts like me?”
“You’re fishing for compliments,” she said. “You know he adores you.”
“What about you?”
She showed him exactly how much.
CHAPTER NINE
CLINT WAS READING when he heard the sound of tires on the gravel outside. Twelve thirty.
Eve Manning was right on time and he welcomed the break. He was getting damned tired of his own company.
He walked onto the porch and held the door open for her.
“Hi,” she said. “We really enjoyed having you with us last night.”
He didn’t quite know what to say. He’d enjoyed it, as well, not only because he liked the Mannings, but because Stephanie had been there. “It was a great dinner,” he finally said. “Thank you.”
She wouldn’t meet his eyes. Her fingers twitched. This did not fit her at all. “What can I do for you?” he finally said.
“I wonder if you could do us a favor,” she said.
“The plans for the dock are...”
“Not the dock. Josh is taking Nick on a camping trip tomorrow. They haven’t been alone together much, and Nick used to go with his father...”
Clint didn’t think he was going to like what was coming. She was too hesitant. It couldn’t be good.
“Stephanie’s leaving early tomorrow morning to conduct a search-and-rescue evaluation near Denver. She’s taking Sherry, but is leaving the other dog, Stryker, with me.” She hesitated, obviously reluctant to go on. “Well, Braveheart is afraid of him. I thought...hoped you could keep Braveheart this weekend. He really seemed to like you.”
Clint’s mouth fell open. Him. A dog. Hell, he didn’t know anything about dogs.
“I know it’s an imposition, but I’ll bring food with him and all you need to do is keep his water fresh. He’s housebroken and easy to look after. It’s just I have so many animals already and can’t give him the attention he needs.”
That was certainly true, the part about so many already.
He couldn’t say no. He owed the Mannings for use of the cabin, for their hospitality and open acceptance without asking questions. He thought about the sad-looking pit bull with the scars.
“Sure,” he said.
/> “I just happened to bring him with me,” she said.
Clint began to get suspicious. He certainly wasn’t in a position to keep a dog. Not for more than a few days. He could do that, but if Eve Manning was expecting him to be a permanent owner, she could forget it. He couldn’t take care of himself these days, much less a dog.
She was already at her pickup. She opened the door and pulled a reluctant Braveheart down with a leash. When the dog saw him, what was left of his tail did a timid wave.
“He’ll probably just hide behind a sofa, but he’s not afraid of you. You can’t possibly know how rare that is,” she said. “He needs to go out in the morning, afternoon and just before you go to bed. Cars scare him to death. In truth, nearly everything does, but he does seem to trust you...”
Her voice trailed off as he knelt and Braveheart came to him. Licked his hand. Clint felt oddly pleased that this timid dog trusted him. He rubbed the dog’s ear because it seemed the right thing to do. The dog grinned at him, actually grinned.
“I’d better go,” Eve said. “I have a meeting at city hall, then a lot of errands. Thanks a lot for taking him. He really is intimidated by Stryker’s energy.”
Clint just nodded as the mayor went back to the pickup and returned with a rather large bag of dog food, a water bowl and a leash. She also pulled out a big dog bed from the bed of the truck.
Clint’s antenna went up a few more inches. Or was it feet?
Eve put everything on the porch. Clint suddenly remembered what Josh had said last night. I did my damnedest to chase her off, but nothing worked. She’s the most determined woman I ever met. And the kindest. Just try to say no to that combination.
He was beginning to see what Josh meant.
* * *
CLINT WORKED ON the dock design until midafternoon then, stiff from sitting, he decided to walk Braveheart.
Knowing that Braveheart was fearful of most everything, he decided not to take him into town, which had been his intention before becoming a dog sitter. Instead, since his foot was much improved, he would walk down to the park, take a look around. He could use the fresh air and exercise.
There was no one on the road, nor in the park, but then it was midday on a school day. He found a seat at a picnic table, sat down and looked around. The park was filled with trees, their leaves changing from green to varying shades of scarlet and gold. A rich smoky aroma perfumed the air. Crystal-clear blue water lapped at a sandy beach. Playground swings swayed with the slight breeze. There were three structures in the park: a sprawling building with a sign declaring it the Covenant Falls Community Center, a pavilion with more picnic tables and a covered bandstand.
Tempted by the Soldier Page 8