Hers to Heal

by Vonnie Davis

  Gina turned off the ignition and rubbed Reece’s thigh, still happy he was home and progressing. Of course her taking care of him had to be part of the reason for his recuperating so quickly from the two gunshot wounds and surgery. She knew every part of his delectable muscled body, what made it respond, and what made it heal. He’d even begun to go swimming with Dustin at Wounded Warrior Falls two days ago. His strength was returning at a fantastic rate.

  “Give me a second to get Piper unhooked from her seat and I’ll be over to help you out of the car.” She glanced at the gang of men and women around the fire pit and the grill. “As soon as you start looking tired, you’re going to your old room for a nap. Is that clear?”

  “Don’t fuss, Blondie. I’ve been out of the hospital for a week, getting stronger, and easing in and out of this SUV on my own.” His slow sexy-as-hell grin washed over her like warm water. “As for a nap, you know I’ll need you to massage my back to get me to relax enough to fall asleep.”

  Yeah, she knew what kind of massaging her fiancé was talking about and it didn’t involve a whole lot of sleep.

  “Do I get to make the announcement, Mommy?”

  Gina shifted in her seat and glanced at her daughter, so excited she was ready to bust. They’d only decided this morning. “Ask Daddy what he thinks.”

  “Daddy? Can I be the one to tell? It’s my birthday present.”

  “Sure, Precious.” Something caught his eye. “Oh hell, this can’t be good.”

  The whole team ran toward their SUV, their faces set in determination—ZQ, Dustin, JJ, Clint, Scratch, Titan, Ghost, and MoJo. Reece unlatched his seatbelt, opened the door, and was out of the vehicle when the gang picked him up and carried him on their shoulders like a champion wounded warrior.

  “Put me down, you crazy sons-a-bitches! Hell, I can walk!”

  Hooyahs sounded in unison. Gina laughed as she helped Piper from her seat. “Erin and Andrew have their sons with them today. Make sure you make them feel welcome since you know your way around the ranch.”

  “I will, Mommy. After I tell.”

  Gina carried a large casserole of baked macaroni and cheese and a container of homemade cupcakes, which was no easy feat. Ashley ran toward her. “Let me help you with one of those. Who are you trying to be? Wonder Woman?”

  “Hey, if we’re involved with one of those guys sitting around the fire pit, we’ve got to be Wonder Women. I love your hair now that it’s growing out. It’s naturally wavy, isn’t it?”

  Ashley smiled. “How can you tell? There’s barely enough there to make a complete wave.” She held the cupcakes and walked next to Gina. “Do you think you could talk to Doctor Raymond about me? See if he can fit me in as a patient?”

  Gina stopped and smiled. “Oh, girlfriend, if my hands weren’t full, I’d hug you. I’m so happy you’ve asked. That means you’re ready to move on, to heal, and put the pain where it belongs.”

  “I’m scared. I won’t claim to be brave when I’m not.” Ashley’s blue eyes were full of sincerity.

  “How would you feel about being a bridesmaid? You know Reece and I are engaged.”

  Ashley’s face brightened and bloomed into a smile. “I think I could do that. Will the wedding be a large one? I’m still not the best with crowds.”

  They started walking again. “No. Not a big wedding. The gang that’s here today and some of the local people I’ve treated and have grown close to. Most everyone in Warrior Falls is good and decent. You’ve no one to fear. Believe me, I don’t trust easily. If I can feel at ease around them, you’ll be safe with them, too.”

  Her new bridesmaid nodded. “Okay. I’ll trust your judgment.” She laughed softly. “Of course that’s easier said than done, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, but you’re trying. How are things between you and JJ?”

  “We’re both scared of each other. I’m afraid of him because he’s a man. He’s somewhat fearful of me because he knows how bad off I once was. He doesn’t want me to freak out, so he handles me as if I’m made of cheap glass. I don’t think we’ll ever get back to what we once were. I’m thinking the best we can hope for is friends.”

  As Gina and Ashley placed their contributions to the food-laden long picnic table, Piper was busy herding and pulling everyone toward the fire pit.

  “Ladies and gentlemen!” She glanced at Erin and Andrew’s sons. “And Toby, Jamie, and Drew, my new friends, I have an announcement to make.” Her little chest was puffed out with self-importance. “Mommy and Daddy are getting married on June twelfth, my birthday. My last name will be Browning and it’ll be legal. And we’re going to Disney World for our honeymoon. Aaaand, when we get back home, we’re getting a puppy!” She jumped in excitement. “A German shepherd just like Nance, only ours will be a boy dog ’cause Daddy says we need more ‘tes-ta-roni’ in our house, even though Mommy says we’ve got more than enough with him. Daddy’s also building a sunroom and a new bathroom onto the house. It’s going to have a shower big enough for two so Mommy can wash his back.” Her little arms rose. “A daddy for my birthday! Is that epic or what?”

  Reece locked his gaze on Gina and she felt his heat melt her from her scalp to the soles of her boots. He’d already told her in great detail what all he’d planned for that large shower with a built-in seat on one end and four showerheads.

  “Yes, love, the three of us and a new puppy will be pretty epic. That’s a lot of love to spread around,” Gina said, hoping she could drag her hormones out of the yet-to-be-built shower.

  Her future groom took her hand, turned it, and pressed a kiss to her palm. “Oh, we’ve got the love, Blondie. We’ve got tons of it. Soon we’ll have a lifetime to spread it around, just like life was meant to be. I love you, Gina.”

  “I love you, too, Tool Belt. More than any woman could ever love a man.”

  This book is dedicated to all women who serve in our military. Your bravery, dedication to service, and desire to keep our country safe are beyond commendable. Thank you for all you do, every day, everywhere.

  To Sarah Grimm, Angel Nicholas, and Kelly Moran for suggesting places during Gina’s telling of her horrific night to take the emotion deeper. Thank you, dearhearts.

  To my first great-grandson, Benjamin, who was born when I began writing this book—and to his father, who served and came home to battle his own demons. I’m proud of you both.

  While my grandson is suffering his private battles with PTSD, I felt I needed a broader spectrum of knowledge, not only with regard to the effects of the disease, but also concerning its prevalence in the brotherhood of SEALs. Reading the following books proved invaluable:

  American Sniper by Chris Kyle with Jim DeFelice and Scott McEwen: William Morrow: An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

  Fields of Combat: Understanding PTSD among Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan by Erin P. Finley: ILR Press: An Imprint of Cornell University Press

  Service: A Navy SEAL at War by Marcus Luttrell with James D. Hornfischer: Back Bay Books: Little, Brown and Company

  BY VONNIE DAVIS

  Black Eagle Ops

  Her Survivor

  Hers to Heal

  Her Forever Hero

  Highlander’s Beloved

  A Highlander’s Obsession

  A Highlander’s Passion

  Bearing It All

  PHOTO: MIKE SHUBERT

  VONNIE DAVIS, who studied English at Penn State, likens herself to a croissant: crusty, wrinkled, flaky—and best served with strong coffee. After a career as a technical writer, she’s spending her retirement playing fairy godmother to her characters, giving them their happily-ever-afters. Six fantastic, talented kids call her “Grandma” and brighten her world in so many ways. She lives in southern Virginia with her husband, author Calvin Davis.

  vonniedavis.com

  Facebook.com/​WritingStoriesOfTheHeart

  @VonnieWrites

  Read on for an excerpt from

  Her Forever Hero

  A Black
Eagle Ops Novel

  Vonnie Davis

  Available from Loveswept

  Preface

  In the Hill Country of Texas, a community developed around an old Apache legend of Warrior Falls. Myth or truth, this particular bit of Native American lore has been handed down, generation to generation, about the rocks in Warrior Falls carrying magical healing powers. Wounded Apaches would stand or be carried beneath the waterfall for the healing-infused waters to stream over their injuries.

  Over time, the town of Warrior Falls has grown to a population nearing six thousand. Pristine streets boast quaint shops, restaurants, and supply stores in addition to two traffic lights. Down-to-earth, often quirky people operate these businesses. Residents and nearby ranchers love their close-knit community just the way it is, which is why the secret hidden deep within the cave behind the waterfalls is so closely guarded.

  Until a stream of present-day wounded warriors slowly trickle into town to find solace and healing at Eagle Ridge Ranch.

  Not every warrior is a male. Some are female. One—Ashley Vogel—wounded in ways only another woman could understand, came to Warrior Falls dressed like a man, her hair cut high and tight, and her breasts bound. For in living with a male appearance, she’d desperately sought safety from another round of personal and emotional attacks.

  This is Ashley’s story; the tale of a female warrior.

  Chapter 1

  Ashley Vogel wasn’t sure which one had swooped down on her too-aggressive date first—the Black Angel of Death or his trained war dog. But the man who’d been too stupid to understand the word “no” from her lips suddenly understood “get the hell away from her” when it growled its way up the back of former SEAL Jerryl Jacoby’s throat.

  In fact, Ordnance, the service dog better known to members of SEAL Team 5 as Nance, still had an ironclad jaw grip on John Harris’s ass as he sprinted for his beat-up truck. Hell, the man yelled like a sissy just because a German shepherd was teaching him some manners.

  She never should have accepted John’s invitation to the movies, but he seemed innocent enough the times she’d spoken to him at the grocery store where he worked. Polite. Jovial. A tad shy. He’d been a perfect gentleman the whole evening until it was time to say good night. Then he got insistent for a good-night kiss.

  “Come on, now. Surely those pretty lips of yours have a little kiss for ol’ Johnny. After all, I paid for a large popcorn.”

  What?

  “I don’t want to kiss you.” She extended her hand. “I had a nice evening. Thanks for asking me out.” If the man had any idea how much nerve it took her to accept his invitation and the levels of fortitude and energy she’d used to stave off a panic attack from the moment he’d shown up at Eagle Ridge Ranch, he’d have shaken her hand like a gentleman and left.

  But how could he possibly know she’d been held a prisoner in Syria by ISIS; repeatedly raped, sodomized, and severely beaten until Team 5 found her.

  How could he know how damaged she was and how hard she’d been fighting for over two years to be a normal woman again?

  He couldn’t.

  So when he slapped her face and grabbed at her in anger for the kiss he felt she owed him, tearing the sleeve of her blouse in the process, she kneed him in the groin and chopped him in the back of his neck with the edge of her hand.

  And, as the old saying goes, that’s when all hell broke loose. Jerryl and Nance were all over him, fists pummeling, powerful jaws biting, and dire threats voiced. Meanwhile, she’d gone back in time to that bombed-out synagogue where she’d been held prisoner.

  A Navy translator in Middle Eastern languages, she’d been assigned to SEAL Team 5 as support. Granted, she’d read and listened to lectures on the brutality of these radicals, but her innocent mind hadn’t grasped the base cruelty human beings could inflict on others. She’d learned that horrific fact firsthand and would never forget it.

  “Ashley. Ashley, look at me.” Warm hands covered her cheeks and forced her face upward so she had to make eye contact with Jerryl. “Don’t go back there, Angel. You’re here on the ranch with Junebug and Nance and me. We won’t let anything happen to you.” Warm lips pressed against her forehead and his strong arms enveloped her. He rocked her back and forth. “Stay with me. I’ve got you. No one will hurt you anymore.”

  “Jerryl.”

  “That’s right, Ashley. It’s your old friend, Jerryl. The one you shared all your secrets with as we traveled through enemy territory. The one who carried you out of the building where you’d been held captive. I’m the one who always looks out for you. And you’re okay now.”

  She nodded against his hard chest.

  The back door burst open. “Fudge and buttermilk, what is going on? I was upstairs taking a bath when I heard Nance barking and growling. Sounded like a barroom brawl going on down here. And who was the whining fool that yelped all the way to his truck? Was that your date, Ashley?” June Quinlan, the matriarch of all who lived on Eagle Ridge Ranch, was known to everyone as Junebug. It hadn’t taken Ashley long to realize the Texan spitfire was not to be fooled with even if she did have a heart of gold.

  “Momma Junebug, Ashley’s date got a little too insistent for a good-night kiss. She tried to fight him off, but he tore her blouse and smacked her. He’s damn lucky to still be alive.” Jerryl’s deep voice rumbled in his chest, a comforting sound to Ashley’s ears.

  “John Harris? That weak-chinned John Harris hurt you? JJ, bring Ashley inside. I’ll make some hot chocolate just the way she likes it. Oh, you just wait until I see that pinhead at the grocery store, I’m going to kick him in the ass.”

  Jerryl helped her inside to Junebug’s kitchen of love and endless goodies. He made a clean cloth wet and gently wiped off Ashley’s face. “Did he do anything to you during the movie or the ride home?”

  “No. He behaved quite well. We talked. He never so much as tried to hold my hand, so imagine my shock when he insisted on a good-night kiss. I haven’t kissed anyone since you.”

  His hand stilled and his dark eyes locked on hers. Seconds ticked by. “That night outside Raqqa when the sky was filled with stars.” His hand covered hers, something that felt good and natural.

  “Yes, I’m surprised you remember, Jerryl.”

  “Jerryl. You’re the only one who calls me that. Everyone else calls me JJ. I like the sound of my full name coming from your lips.” He cleared his throat. “I’m going to get a package of peas to cover the mark on your cheekbone where John struck you. It’ll keep it from swelling.”

  Nance rested her chin on Ashley’s knee, her black eyes watching her. No one messed with her SEAL buddies. The dog evidently considered her one even though she’d never earned the rating.

  Jerryl quickly returned and held the plastic bag to her face. “Why were you surprised I remembered when we kissed?” His voice was low, intimate as Junebug puttered at the stove, humming, and stirring a pot of warm milk and chocolate.

  Ashley chose her words carefully, judging his reaction when she spoke. “Because you didn’t remember your promise to hunt me up in Phoenix once you got out of the SEALs. You completely forgot about me and the things we said to each other.

  “You broke promises to me.

  “You broke my heart.”

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