A Reason to Love

by Alexis Morgan

  Spence: I started putting this together for you the day you left on your last deployment. I think it’s only right that Melanie finished it for you since you came back to us. I hope our combined efforts serve as a reminder of how many people love you and that you’re an important part of our lives.

  Callie and Melanie

  One by one, he turned the pages, studying the pictures and savoring the memories they stirred up. Even the few that hurt so much he could hardly breathe. Not all of the men he’d served with had returned home, and some that did come back faced a life that wouldn’t ever be the same. And selfish bastard that he was, he hadn’t even thought about reaching out to them since he’d been home.

  The next page had him smiling. He remembered that basketball game. The winning shot had been his, costing that squad of marines a pretty penny. That had been shortly before Mooch came into their lives. He tilted the book so that Mooch could see it.

  “Hey, buddy, here’s the first picture of you we ever took.”

  The dog lifted his head long enough to check it out, and his tail thumped on the seat. Maybe he understood what he was looking at; maybe not. It didn’t matter. Spence turned the next page.

  Shit! Callie had included pictures from her wedding. Sarge looked so damn happy looking down at his beautiful bride. Spence’s conscience stirred to life. “I made an ass of myself that night.”

  They might have forgiven him, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t apologize again. There were pictures of Leif with a pretty brunette. Considering the besotted look on his face, she had to be Zoe. He seemed to remember her from high school. Maybe a couple of years ahead of him, not that it mattered. She and Leif looked good together.

  The list went on. There were pictures of Mama R. and her husband sitting on this same swing. Melanie had taken pictures of several people at the millworks, most prominently Will standing in front of the last machine he and Spence had serviced. Bridey and Seth smiled up from the next page. The photo had been taken in her shop with both of them holding up a cup of coffee as if toasting him.

  Right now his eyes were too blurry to make out the captions under each picture, but he’d read them later. Besides, none of them really needed explanations. He smiled at the picture of the cottage and winced at the close-up of the pink poodle shower curtain. Yeah, there was a memory that did not deserve to be preserved.

  And finally, there were pictures of Melanie and him. They’d been taken at a distance, most likely by Callie. She was sneaky that way. There was one taken from closer up, and that was the one that nearly stopped his heart. Melanie was smiling up at him, but it was the expression on his own face that left him stunned. It was the exact same one Nick wore in the picture from the wedding and Leif had shared with his Zoe.

  Everything inside his head shifted and spun. All those broken pieces he’d been living with for months on end suddenly snapped back together in one cohesive whole. He loved Melanie, he loved his friends, and he loved Snowberry Creek. It was just that simple.

  He closed the book and carefully tucked it under his arm. “Come on, Mooch. We have someplace to be.”

  • • •

  Melanie had loaded up a plate for Spence, but no one would take it to him. Unless either Nick or Leif manned up in the next ten seconds, they were both going to be wearing it.

  “Come on, guys. You know he’s hungry. You don’t have to stay. Just set it down and walk away.”

  She hated the sympathy in Callie’s eyes, who shook her head and held up her hands as she backed away when Melanie tried to hold the plate out to her. “Maybe he is, Mel, but it’s not us he wants to see even if he’s too stubborn to admit it. You hit him with a lot all at once, but he’s a big boy. He can take it.”

  “But he—”

  Leif’s deep voice cut her off. “Sorry to interrupt, but you might want to see who’s headed this way.”

  The crowd parted to let her see. “Spence.”

  He’d just cleared the woods. His steps stuttered briefly when he saw everyone staring at him. But then his shoulders snapped back and he continued his determined march straight toward them. Toward her. Mooch paced at his side, his head raised high, his ears pricked forward, as if this moment in time carried enormous significance for them both.

  Spence didn’t slow until he reached the edge of the crowd. His eyes sought out Callie. When he spotted her standing next to Nick, he held up the scrapbook. “Thank you for this. Can you hang on to it for me for a few minutes?”

  It was Nick who took the book. “Sure thing.”

  Melanie ached for Spence. Others might not see how close to the red zone he was running right now, but she did. But until he gave her some kind of signal, she had to stay right where she was.

  He cleared his throat twice before he spoke again. “I want to thank all of you for coming tonight, and I apologize for being so late to the party.”

  There were several murmurs of “No problem” and “That’s all right.”

  He ignored the comments as he ran his hands over his buzz-cut hair, maybe trying to gather his thoughts. His jade green eyes scanned the crowd, stopping to study each person in turn. “I’m not one for long speeches, but I’m going to try. Mama R., you and Mr. R. gave me a sanctuary when I needed it most. Will, you taught me so much, and not all of it had to do with grease and gears.”

  The old man laughed. “You were a quick learner, boy. Best I ever trained.”

  Spence flushed, but it was clear the compliment was appreciated. He continued on around the circle. “Gage, thanks for not giving me a ticket on my first day back. Bridey, I love your shop, and how you make everyone feel welcome. Seth, I hope you deserve her.”

  The artist hugged Bridey close. “M-me, too.”

  Spence made his way to Callie. After shaking hands with Nick, he took her in his arms. “Callie, I can’t imagine what would have become of me without you in my life. You’re the sister I never had.”

  That last remark eased the tension pumping in Melanie’s veins, but only a little. He’d yet to even look at her.

  When he stepped back from Callie, he turned to Nick and Leif. “And you two are my brothers. I lived for months believing you were both dead. No, I barely existed for those months because I couldn’t imagine a world without you in it. The idea almost killed me. I may not have handled my return to town very well, but I hope you know nothing has ever made me happier than finding out that you were both alive and well. The truth is we’ve walked through hell and lived to tell about it.”

  Melanie wasn’t the only one who had tears streaming down her face when the three soldiers exchanged a three-way hug, their big shoulders shaking with emotion. When they finally broke apart, none of them had dry eyes.

  Spence was running out of people. When he moved to stand in front of her mother, Melanie held her breath. “Ma’am, I earned the reputation I had in high school, but I’m not that guy anymore. I hope the two of us can start over and get to know each other as the people we are now.”

  Sandra held out her hand and shook his. “I would like that, Spencer, but a lot depends on what you have to say to my daughter.”

  Spence nodded. “Fair enough. So, if you’ll excuse us, everyone, I would like to borrow Melanie for a few minutes.”

  She’d never seen people scatter so quickly as Spence walked toward her. He took her hand in his and led her the short distance to the gazebo. Inside, he headed straight for the back wall where his friends had carved their tribute to him. He traced the words with his fingertip.

  “My first reaction to this was anger mixed with relief that someone actually cared that I was gone,” he said.

  She spoke for the first time. “A lot of us cared, Spence.”

  “I know that now, even if I was too fucked up when I got home to realize that.”

  He sat down on the nearest bench and tugged her down beside him. “I would n
ever have made it this far without you, Mel. From that first night you’ve been my anchor, the only thing that made sense to me. Thanks to you, even my nightmares are all but gone.”

  Leaning his head back, he stared up at the ceiling. “You were right. I wanted to fix things for other people because I couldn’t figure out how to fix me.”

  “You’re not broken, Spence. You’ve just needed some time to adjust to this new part of your life.”

  He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. “That explosion in the street that day shattered me, Mel, and I wasn’t exaggerating when I said thinking my friends had died almost killed me. I wanted to die with them.”

  God, she hurt so much for all three of them. “I know, but all three of you are so strong. You’ve each moved past the pain of that day. That’s a good thing.”

  He studied their entwined hands. She didn’t know what he was thinking, but she loved the simple connection between them. After a few seconds, he gave her hand a soft squeeze. “I’ve been putting the pieces back together for a while now. They don’t all fit the way they used to, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But I want you to know the things you said earlier and that scrapbook finished the process. I know what I want my life to look like now.”

  “Care to share that vision?”

  His mouth curved up in a slow smile. “I see me here in Snowberry Creek, living in a small cottage with a beautiful woman and one scruffy dog. She and I both work at the same place, you know, as partners in the family business, using my money and her brains. She is up on the second level, taking care of the big picture while I work down on the floor, maintaining the equipment. That way, together we keep the whole company running smoothly.”

  “And does this woman have a name?”

  For the first time, he looked straight at her. “Right now it’s Melanie Marie Wolfe. I’m hoping she won’t mind changing her last name to Lang one of these days.”

  Suddenly, the pieces of her own life were coming together in a beautiful landscape. “I would guess it would all depend on who had asked her to do such a thing. He’d have to be pretty special to her. In fact, she’d have to love him a lot.”

  A pair of strong arms lifted her onto his lap. Spence whispered near her ear, “You told me you loved me earlier, Melanie. Fool that I was, I let you walk away without answering you, and for that I apologize.”

  “And if you had it to do over, what would you have said?”

  “That I love you and have loved you from the night you fainted in my arms at the cemetery.” He brushed his lips across hers. “Marry me, Melanie, and I promise you’ll never regret it.”

  “Will you still take me on night rides on the Harley?”

  “Anytime.”

  “Then, yes, Spence, I’ll marry you.”

  A huge whoop went up outside of the gazebo. So much for the privacy they’d asked for. Spence muttered a curse, but then he grinned and shook his head. “Life in a small town.”

  She laughed and kissed her warrior lover one more time. “And we wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  And don’t miss Leif’s story in

  More Than a Touch

  also available in the Snowberry Creek series.

  Available now from Signet Eclipse wherever books are sold.

  The crunch of tires on the gravel driveway out front announced the arrival of the first guests. Leif glanced out the front door to see if he recognized anybody before heading off to the kitchen to let Callie know it was showtime.

  “Gage and his daughter just pulled in, and there’s a pair of pickups right behind him.”

  He made the announcement from the safety of the dining room door. The kitchen had been declared off-limits to him, Nick, and even Mooch. Since right after breakfast, Callie and Bridey had been preparing for the potluck dinner they were hosting for the crew of volunteers Nick had recruited for the afternoon.

  She had just taken a huge tray out of the oven. The scent of fresh brownies wafting through the air made Leif’s mouth water, but Callie knew him well enough to keep the pan safely out of his reach. She smiled at him. “Can you let Nick know, too?”

  “Will do.”

  The last time Leif had seen Nick, his former sergeant when they were deployed together, he’d been heading around to the backyard to set up the tables and chairs that Callie had borrowed from a local church. The shortest route was through the kitchen, but he knew better than to try to go that way. Instead, he did an about-face and went back through the dining room toward the front door. On the way, he whistled for Mooch. The dog came running but skidded to a stop when he spotted the leash Leif had snagged off the table.

  When the dog tried to avoid capture, Leif lost patience. “Damn it, Mooch, hold still. There are too many cars pulling in right now for you to be outside without the leash. Otherwise I’ll have to lock you in the den for the day.”

  Not that he would do any such thing, but it did the trick. Finally, Mooch slunk over to lie down at Leif’s feet, looking pitiful. Yeah, right—he had it cushy here in Snowberry Creek, and they both knew it. After clipping the leash onto Mooch’s collar, Leif patted his furry friend on the head. “Okay, boy, let’s go greet our guests.”

  Outside, Sydney had her father by the hand and was towing him across the yard. “Come on, Dad. Mooch is waiting for me.”

  “Slow down, Syd. There’s no reason to run.”

  Even so, Gage made no real effort to stop his daughter’s headlong rush toward the porch. In his role as chief of police for the town of Snowberry Creek, the former Army Ranger was as tough as they came. But when it came to his daughter, he was pretty much a pushover. Leif liked that about him. He stepped out onto the porch with Mooch hot on his trail. As soon as the mutt spotted Syd, he yipped happily and wagged his tail like crazy.

  “Hi, Gage. Hi, Sydney. Mooch has been watching for you.”

  That much was true. The dog had spent most of the morning lying on the back of the couch, which afforded him a clear view of the driveway out front. Leif eased his way down the steps to join Gage and his daughter in the front yard.

  Before handing off the dog’s leash, Leif set the ground rules. “Syd, I know you’re really good with him, and I don’t have to worry about Mooch when he’s with you. But until everyone has arrived, I don’t want him running loose. Too many moving cars. I’ve already told him that it’s either the leash or he’s locked in the den. So if he tries telling you otherwise, ignore him. Okay?”

  The nine-year-old giggled at the notion but nodded vigorously as she took control of the leash. “Come on, Mooch. We can still have fun.”

  They took off running, carefree and happy in the way only children and their four-legged friends could be. Leif called after them, “Syd, can you tell Nick that people are arriving? He’s out back.”

  She nodded as they dashed around the far end of the house. Gage stood next to Leif and watched until the pair was out of sight. “Thanks for letting me bring Syd with me. My folks offered to watch her today since this is supposed to be a work party, but she was so excited about the chance to play with her buddy.”

  “Not a problem. Callie brought over a couple of her favorite Disney DVDs in case Sydney gets bored and wants to watch a movie. “

  Gage looked pleased. “I’ll let her know. Meanwhile, I’ll grab my toolbox and head around to see what Nick has planned for us.”

  When Gage went off to get his gear, Leif crossed to where the other new arrivals were unloading stuff from their cars. Two of them were strangers, but he recognized Clarence Reed, the owner of the local hardware store. Normally the older man wore neatly pressed khakis with a plaid shirt and a sweater vest, all topped off with a flashy bow tie. Today he was dressed in a chambray shirt, jeans, and sturdy work boots. The change in style looked good on him.

  “Mr. Reed, it’s good to see you again!”

  “Hi, L
eif.” After they shook hands, Mr. Reed introduced his companions. “These are my sons, Jacob and Joshua. And that plastic container there in the backseat has two of my wife’s blueberry pies in it. Just a fair warning: Neither of my boys can be trusted within ten miles of anything she bakes, so I’ll take them inside for safekeeping. While I do that, do me a favor and tell Nick to put my boys to work as soon as possible. It’s the only way these two will stay out of trouble.”

  His sons, both of whom towered over their father, just laughed. Leif made a point of eyeing the pies when Clarence got them out of the car. “If I slip you a few bucks, would you hide one of those in the den? Even half of one would be good.”

  Jacob, who looked to be in his late teens, was already shaking his head. “We already tried bribery and got nowhere. I figure if Dad said no to his own flesh and blood, he’s gotta say no to you, too. It’s only fair.”

  Joshua joined in. “Dad said the only way we could earn a piece of Mom’s pie was to work as hard as we could this afternoon.”

  If that was the going price for a piece of Mrs. Reed’s pie, Leif could pretty much kiss any chance of tasting one good-bye. Considering the shape his leg was in these days, there was no way he could keep up with Mr. Reed, a man twice his age and half his size, much less his two able-bodied sons. On the other hand, Callie’s friend Bridey had brought along two of her cheesecakes, and she was a soft touch.

  “You guys should find Nick in the backyard somewhere. I’ll be along as soon as everyone else arrives. Nick will assign jobs, but I think Callie has told him he has to make a speech first. That should be fun. There’s nothing Sarge hates more than public speaking.”

  After another fifteen minutes of directing traffic and parking, Leif finally joined the rest of the small crowd gathered in the backyard. He caught Nick’s eye to signal that the last of the scheduled crew had arrived. Nick immediately ducked inside the house, no doubt wanting Callie by his side when he kicked off the afternoon’s festivities. While everyone waited, Leif pulled one of the lawn chairs closer to the porch where he’d have an unobstructed view of the proceedings. Trying not to wince, he lowered himself onto the seat and stretched his legs out.