by Score, Lucy
Tonight, he took his time clicking through each one. His favorite was one that the newspaper had uploaded online. The paper had run the picture of Harper and Linc coming out of the water on the front page, but in the photographer’s album of the event, Harper had found a shot of the two of them at the bar. Luke’s arms were wrapped around her from behind, pulling her into his chest. His hand was splayed across her stomach and she was looking over her shoulder at him. They were both laughing.
He loved the expression on her face. Harper’s eyes were bright and her cheeks flushed. Her hair hung in damp waves that framed her face. He could see the excitement between the two of them and felt the corner of his mouth turn up at the fortunate fact that the photographer had failed to capture the raging hard-on he had pressed against her at that exact moment.
It was the night of their first time together. The night he stopped fighting and let go.
He kept the picture open and clicked the next one.
Aldo’s cocky grin filled the screen. Harper must have taken it with her phone. It was the night Aldo and Gloria came for dinner. Aldo was manning the grill and arguing with Luke about something. They were both grinning. Brothers without the blood.
Luke shut the lid of the laptop.
He braced his hands against his knees, fingers digging into the dried blood and mud caked to his fatigues.
He closed his eyes and let the plywood walls of his eight by eight room close in on him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Mrs. Moretta lived in a tidy two-story cottage three blocks over from Luke’s parents. The front porch was partially obscured by colorful pots overflowing with petunias.
A hummingbird feeder hung from a rafter.
Harper blew out the breath she had been holding. Claire reached across the console and patted her hand on the steering wheel.
“You’re a good girl, Harper. Let’s go help a friend.”
They were only halfway up the walk when Mrs. Moretta burst out of the front door. She was wearing a flopping sunhat and one garden glove. Harper could see tears.
Claire hurried up the steps to her friend. “Oh, Ina.”
The two women embraced on the porch. “Thank you so much for being here, Claire. They just called. He’s alive.”
“Thank God for that,” Claire said, holding her tight.
“Harper.” Mrs. Moretta released Claire and nodded in her direction. “Let’s go inside and get a drink.”
They let her lead the way back to a cozy kitchen with a greenhouse window over the sink. Mrs. Moretta paused, staring off into the yard. “He’s in surgery. They think he’s going to lose a leg. But he’s going to live.”
Harper covered her mouth with a hand and closed her eyes. Aldo was alive and that was what mattered. She excused herself for a moment and fired off an email to Luke from her phone.
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Subject: Alive!
Alive and in surgery. May lose leg, but he’s expected to survive. We’re with Mrs. M now. She’s holding up. I’ll let you know if I learn anything else. I love you.
H
When she returned to the kitchen, Mrs. Moretta and Claire were talking quietly at the dining room table.
“The base said they’ll be sending me to Dover when Aldo gets there, and then I’ll go with him to Walter Reed. I’ll know more once he’s been moved to Germany.” She sighed and removed her glove. “What would we ever do without our boys, Claire?”
“We’re not going to have to find out, Ina.” Claire squeezed her friend’s hand. “Aldo’s going to come home and be just as big a pain in your ass as he ever was.”
“Remember when they were just boys and playing in the creek the entire summer?”
“Remember when they camped out in the back yard in a tent and I found them curled up side by side on the couch the next morning?”
“When did our little boys turn into men?”
“They’d tell you it was a lot earlier than I would.”
Mrs. Moretta sniffled.
“Can I get you a drink, Mrs. Moretta?” Harper offered. “Some tea or water?”
“Harper, there is a box of cheap Chardonnay in the fridge. How about you grab us three of the biggest glasses you can find and we’ll drink to our boys?”
It was on the third refill trip from the kitchen that Harper returned to Claire whispering to Mrs. Moretta.
“She’s just what he needs —”
“Harper, Claire is distracting me with gossip about you and your Luke. She seems to think that you’re doing him a world of good.”
Harper felt the blush rise to her cheeks. “I think it’s more vice versa.”
“I wish Aldo would settle down. That boy can’t focus on one woman for longer than a month at a time,” she sighed.
“Maybe they just weren’t the one he wanted?” Harper offered.
“You sound like you know something.” Claire said, wiggling her eyebrows.
“Spill it,” Mrs. Moretta ordered. “The gossip, not the wine.”
Harper handed out the glasses, sloshing only a few drops over the rims.
“There seemed to be some sparks between Aldo and Gloria when we had them over for dinner. And Aldo gave her a ride home.”
“Hmm,” Claire and Mrs. Moretta said in unison.
“Little Gloria Parker,” Claire said. “I never would have guessed.”
“Aldo also may have confessed to carrying a torch for her since high school. But that I can’t confirm without permission from the source,” Harper added.
“No wonder he hated that asshole Glenn so much,” Mrs. Moretta said, sweeping a hand over her hair and finding the hat.
“Why the hell didn’t you two tell me I was still wearing this? I was gardening when the base called. I’m such a mess.” She yanked the hat off and tossed it over her shoulder where it hit a brass birdcage full of silk flowers.
Claire and Harper snickered.
In the end, the box of wine was empty, the pizza they ordered was mostly gone, and Charlie had to come pick them up.
“I’m so thankful to you two for being here for me,” Mrs. Moretta said as she wrapped them both in a bear hug. “It means the world to me.”
“You just keep us up to date on Aldo’s progress and when you’ll be leaving. We’ll help out in any way we can. Harper will come by tomorrow to get her car, unless you have another box of Chardonnay in there, and then we’ll just do this again,” Claire giggled.
Charlie clapped his hand on Mrs. Moretta’s shoulder. “He’s a good boy. He’ll be home safe and sound before you know it.”
“Thanks, Charlie. Harper, maybe you want to let Gloria know?” Mrs. Moretta suggested with a pronounced wink.
“I’ll tell her tomorrow after we know more about how the surgery went,” Harper promised.
That night Harper crawled into bed with both dogs and one of Luke’s sweatshirts. She buried her face in it and let all the pent up tears come.
***
The next morning, a slightly hung-over Harper woke to news from Luke.
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Re: Alive!
Harp, Just got word on Aldo. He came through surgery. They had to take his leg below the knee. He’s still unconscious and doctors are worried about infection, but think he’ll pull through. He just needs to wake up. The medical team was in contact with Mrs. Moretta so she’s up to speed. Are you okay?
L
Harper breathed a quick sigh of relief. Aldo was alive. And he would wake the fuck up. She couldn’t imagine a scenario in which he didn’t.
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Re: Alive!
There’s no way he’s not going to wake up. So don’t even think about that as a possibility. Aldo’s going to wake up, wink at the nurse, and demand a cold beer.
Mrs. Moretta is a rock.
A rock with an incredible tolerance for alcohol. She and your mother drank me under the table reminiscing about the good old days until your dad had to come pick us up.
When — and I do mean when — Aldo comes home, the Guard is going to take Mrs. Moretta to meet him in Dover and then on to Walter Reed.
Was anyone else hurt? Are you okay? I’m freaking out a little bit, but hearing your voice helped and so did your email. I’m worried about you. So you’d better be taking care of yourself or else I’ll do something drastic. Like paint all of the original wood trim in the house black. Seriously though, I need to see your face.
I don’t suppose you could come home on leave just to wear some clothes so I have something to sleep in that smells like you? No? I’ll settle for a video chat. I love you so much it hurts.
H
P.S. Here’s a picture of Max and Lola enjoying the doggy pool in the yard, and one of the garden. Those green things are PLANTS not WEEDS. Success!
Harper clicked send and took a breath. She needed to tell Gloria about Aldo. And, after yesterday, the dogs needed a good long walk. Plus, she wanted to pick up her car and check on Mrs. Moretta.
She whistled for the dogs. Ears perked, Lola barreled down the hallway into the kitchen with Max hot on her heels.
They danced around Harper’s barstool, anticipating a bacon snack, attention, or — dare to dream — the “w” word.
Harper slid off the stool and patted their heads. “Okay, guys, let’s go for a w-a-l-k.” She had learned to spell the word after realizing that Max had the tendency to get so excited he peed when he heard “walk.”
At the front door she grabbed her sunglasses and bag. The second she reached for the leashes, puppy pandemonium erupted.
“For the love of God, hold still!” Harper said, chasing Max’s wiggly neck with the leash. Lola pranced in place until Harper secured the harness around her.
“Let’s go see Auntie Gloria,” Harper said. She’d use the six-block walk to Gloria’s mother’s house to figure out how to break the news to her friend.
Gloria answered the door of the tidy brick ranch with a cheerful smile. “Harper! This is a nice surprise.” She leaned down to pet Lola’s massive head while Max shoved his tiny body between them.
“Yes, I see you too, Max!” Gloria giggled and picked him up. “Can you come in, or are you just passing by?”
Harper pushed her sunglasses up on top of her head. “I actually have some news about Aldo.” She took a deep breath and ripped off the bandage. “He’s hurt, Gloria. He came through surgery, and the doctors are hopeful. They had to take part of his leg.”
She watched the blood drain from Gloria’s face. “Aldo?” she repeated.
Harper nodded and grabbed Gloria’s arm. “He’s going to be okay. Luke emailed me this morning and said the surgery team’s only concern right now is infection.” She paused, debating. “He hasn’t woken up yet.”
Gloria cuddled Max closer. “But he will.”
“Yeah, he will.”
Gloria exhaled a shaky breath. “I emailed him Friday night after you gave me his address.”
“Then he’ll have something to read when he wakes up,” Harper smiled. “So, speaking of Aldo, would you mind giving me and my two stinky mutts a ride to Mrs. Moretta’s house? I left my car there last night and I wanted to check in on her.”
Gloria glanced down at her denim shorts and pink t-shirt.
Harper grinned. “Are you nervous about meeting his mother?”
“It’s Mrs. Moretta! She’s terrifying. Who wouldn’t be nervous about meeting her?” Gloria said, eyes wide. “Oh, screw it! Just let me brush my hair and bag up some of the cookies I baked this morning.”
***
It went better than expected. Mrs. Moretta opened the door with the announcement that Aldo was awake, and after learning that everyone else in the unit was okay, he demanded a cheeseburger.
Gloria held her own under Mrs. Moretta’s inquisition that covered all facets of life, including religious faith, how many children she planned to have, and all the ingredients in her jam thumbprint cookies.
At the end of the question and answer, Ina Moretta had merely harrumphed and nodded.
“I feel like I just got steamrolled,” Gloria said, shell-shocked.
“I think it went well,” Harper said, loading the dogs into her car.
“I can’t tell. I’m not sure.” Gloria sagged against the side of her car.
“She kept the cookies. That’s definitely a good sign.” Harper offered.
“What was that ‘huh’ noise there at the end?”
“I think that’s her seal of approval. She’s recognizing that you’re more than good enough for her son.”
Gloria shook her head. “I think I’m going to go home and take a nap.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Harper snatched her phone off the coffee table at the first ring of the video chat alert. She fumbled with the icons once, but in seconds was treated to the face she had been missing.
“Hi, baby.” Luke looked exhausted.
It had been two long weeks since Aldo got hurt, and Luke’s reluctance to video chat told Harper that he wasn’t dealing well. Seeing his face confirmed her suspicion and her heart hurt for him.
“Hey there, handsome. How are you?” Harper sat back on the couch, hugging a pillow to her chest.
“I’m okay. How’s my girl?”
“I miss you.” She fought back the tears that welled up. Seeing him intensified everything. “I’m worried about you.”
He sighed under the weight of the world. “Baby, I’m fine. Everything’s okay.”
“Look, I know you’re not much of a talker. But I can’t have you stumbling around half a world away fucking things up because you’re distracted by a misplaced sense of responsibility and guilt.”
He blinked. Luke’s mouth opened and then closed.
“I see I have your attention,” Harper said primly.
“I would say so.”
“Luke, do you think there is any way that Aldo blames you for what happened?”
He sighed. “No.”
“In fact he’s probably already told you that you’re not to blame.”
Luke stared off. “Fine. Yes.”
It was like trying to get answers out of a brick wall … or a basement. “Great. So did you place the IED there?”
He rolled his eyes at her. “No.”
“Did you tell Aldo to drive over it?”
“No.”
“Did you know it was there and not tell him?”
“No. Harper —”
“Not done, yet. So logically you can agree with the entire rest of the world that you are not to blame.”
He sat stoically without moving for a few seconds. “Was that not rhetorical?”
“Luke, it hurts me to see you hurt like this. I don’t know how to help you.”
“Harper, baby, you can’t make it better. I get what you’re saying. I know that I’m not to blame. But I feel responsible for my friend. His life and the lives of everyone in this unit are in my hands. If I don’t lead responsibly, people can and do get hurt. People die.”
“Aldo didn’t die.”
“No, but others have.”
The men he lost before, Harper remembered.
“I lost good men because we had bad intel. Ultimately that responsibility lies on my shoulders.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“Am I to blame? No. But I’m the leader of this unit, and that makes me responsible for everything that happens within it.”
It was Harper’s turn for silence.
His sigh was heavy. “All I know is I can’t get the blood out of my head. I saw it happen and we started running towards the truck. He was just laying there in a fucking river of blood.” Luke stared down at his hands as if seeing it again. Harper shuddered.
“I thought he was dead. I thought I lost my best friend right in front of me. And it made me think of everyon
e else I’d lost. All that I have to lose and how it can just be taken in a heartbeat.” He looked up at her.
Harper wiped away the silent tears coursing down her cheeks and wished she could touch him.
“I felt helpless.”
“He’s going to be okay.”
“He got really fucking lucky, Harper. So many times it doesn’t go that way.”
“I need to know that you carrying this on your shoulders isn’t going to make you do something stupid.”
“Like what?”
“I’m new to this military thing, but I assume you have plenty of poor choice options, like going on a rampage, developing a drinking problem, getting careless.”
He sighed and smiled a little. “I’m not going to do any of those things.”
“I know you won’t. I just need some reassurance that you’ll take care of yourself. I need you to come home safe and sane.”
“I’ll do everything in my power to make sure that happens,” Luke told her.
“That’s all I ask.” She swiped a hand under her eyes. “Isn’t it the middle of the night there?”
Luke smiled. “It’s the only way I can get this place to myself.” He turned his laptop around, giving her a view his tiny room.
It was Harper’s turn to smile. Intensely private at home and at war.
“Good, that means you can take your shirt off so I can lick my screen.”
That got a real smile out of him and even a hint of dimple. “Baby, if one of us is taking our shirts off, it’s going to be you.”
“Well, if you insist.” Harper tugged her tank top up and flashed him.
She watched those hazel eyes go dark as he set his jaw. She wondered if he had any idea how sexy he was.
“Do you know what torture it is to be able to see you and not touch you?” His voice was raspy, low.
She felt her color rise. “I miss your hands on me. I feel so empty without you touching me. We only had a little time before. But when you were inside me I felt like all the pieces of me were stuck back together.”
He growled. “Baby, you can’t talk like that when I’m seven thousand miles away. His hands cruised the back of his head. God you get me hard even through a shitty video connection. I miss you so fucking much.”