At six, Hannah locked up, put the till in the safe, did a little remerchandising, and ran a vacuum over the hardwood floors. She got to Old Glory early and snagged a window booth overlooking Main Street so she could watch for Deb.
Every inch of the bar’s wall space was covered in American flags. Even the unisex bathrooms had Stars and Stripes wallpaper. There were big barrels of peanuts, and patrons were encouraged to drop their shells on the floor. On weekends there was live music and on Wednesdays open-mic night. Although mostly popular with locals, tourists had started to discover the bar because it had thirty microbrews on tap and served excellent pub food.
While she waited, a couple of guys she’d never seen before asked if they could buy her a drink. More than likely they’d come down from one of the resorts. None of them had the look of a local. Their North Face and Patagonia jackets were too shiny and their snow boots too new. She politely declined and they moved on, ordering a round of tequila shots for their table.
Gazing out the window, Hannah watched as little by little the Christmas lights and luminarias flickered on. Although the last snow had been cleared from the streets and sidewalks, patches still covered the eaves of the buildings. The town really was one of the most picturesque places she’d ever seen.
Under the streetlight, in front of the bar, a truck pulled up and a man got out of the driver’s seat. It only took her a second or two to register that it was Josh, though she hadn’t recognized him at first. He’d always been tall, maybe six-two. But now he carried himself differently, like a warrior, she supposed. And while his face was still handsome, its soft boyishness had been replaced by sharp angles, and a carved jawline. He locked the Ford and slowly moved toward Garner Adventure. That’s when she noticed the pronounced limp. Hannah had assumed he was in a wheelchair.
He must have felt her gaze on him because he stopped, turned, and held her stare through the window, then quickly looked away. Even as he vanished inside his family’s storefront, Hannah’s heart hammered. Way back when, before he’d decided to ignore her, she’d seen more than interest in those piercing blue eyes. She, too, turned away, her chest squeezing. What was it about him that always got to her?
Chapter Two
Saturday morning Josh Garner went with his family to the VFW hall on the outskirts of town. He looked forward to the event about as much as getting a tooth pulled. But the good veterans of Glory Junction wanted to give him a hero’s welcome and it would be disrespectful to stand them up.
“You need help, bro?” Win opened the passenger-seat door and offered him an arm.
“I’ve got it!” Josh growled.
“No need to get surly, dude.” Win moved out of his way.
“Just go inside with Mom and Dad.” His brother TJ was already here and Colt was supposedly on his way. He was Glory Junction’s police chief so there was no way to predict whether he’d get caught up in an emergency.
“There’s nothing wrong with letting someone help. But fine, do it yourself.” Win threw his arms in the air and strode toward the hall.
Because it was Josh’s right leg that had suffered the damage, passenger-side seats were tricky. At least on the driver’s side he could get out using his left leg without having to put weight on his right. For this he’d have to do some maneuvering and he didn’t want an audience. It was bad enough he walked like a goddamn cripple.
He’d nearly lost the leg completely in a series of IED explosions that had killed three and injured seven soldiers in his squad as they crossed a footbridge during a routine patrol in Nevay-deh. He and another Ranger had managed to carry the survivors to safety. But Josh’s leg had been torn and mangled and doctors had proclaimed it beyond repair. They’d wanted to amputate. But one brash surgeon had insisted on stitching together enough of his blood vessels to save the leg long enough to get him to Germany. There, they’d reconnected his bones with plates and rods and mended his wounds with muscle and skin from other parts of his body.
He should’ve been the Bionic Man, except he had trouble walking, let alone running.
Josh managed to get out of the truck and hobble to the VFW door. At least he could eat his damn pancakes sitting down. He was just about to go inside when Colt pulled into the lot and ripped his siren, calling attention to both of them, the asshole.
He got out of the cruiser wearing a big-old grin. “Want me to carry you over the threshold?”
Josh gave him the finger but waited, leaning against the wall to catch his breath.
“How you doing, little brother?” Colt draped his arm around Josh’s shoulder in a show of brotherly affection but Josh knew he was really propping him up. This time he didn’t resist.
They went in that way and the crowd burst into cheers. Josh thought he heard a couple of hooahs and couldn’t help but smile. Then his grin quickly turned grim.
“I didn’t know she’d be here?”
“Who?” Colt said, looking around the room.
“Hannah Simmons.”
“She’s back to using Baldwin now.” She was putting syrup on the tables. “She came to welcome you home . . . and she’s looking hot. You got a problem with that?”
“I’m not sure coming here was such a good idea,” he said, grimacing.
“Nah.” Colt nodded at a few guys waving at them. “They’re proud of you, Josh. We’re all proud of you. Now smile pretty, chicks love a guy in a uniform.”
It hadn’t been his idea to wear the dress blues or the tan beret; it had been his father’s. A few of the older veterans came over to greet them as they made their way through the crowd. Josh’s leg was killing him and all he wanted to do was sit. Colt must’ve sensed it because he steered Josh toward their parents’ table and deposited him in a chair.
“I’ll get you some pancakes.” He took off toward the kitchen, leaving Josh to make small talk with a few of his parents’ friends.
The whole time, he kept his eye on Hannah, who stood with a clique of women. He’d seen her at Old Glory the previous night. It didn’t seem possible but she’d gotten even more beautiful than when they were kids—or on her wedding day when she’d taken his breath away. Chip, of course, had been three sheets to the wind. As his best man, Josh had to practically hold him up at the altar.
She spotted him, paused, and hesitantly walked over. Shit! He tried to stand but his leg locked. It did that sometimes, especially when he overworked it.
“Hi,” she said, standing over him.
It seemed rude not to get up. She saved him the trouble, though, by taking the empty seat next to him.
“Hey.”
“I saw you last night on Main Street. I don’t think you recognized me.”
They both knew that was a lie. He hadn’t wanted her to see him dragging his leg down the sidewalk.
“Anyway, I just wanted to say that it’s nice to have you home,” she continued. He thought she seemed nervous. “I’m glad you’re safe and sound.”
He was hardly “sound” but nodded out of politeness. “Thanks. I was sorry to hear about Sabine. I would’ve sent something. . . .” But he’d been at Landstuhl Medical Center, getting put back together again. “You running the store now?”
“Mm-hmm. She left it to me, along with her house.”
He had this outrageous urge to touch her hair. It was blond, lighter than he remembered, and fell past her shoulders in soft curls. It framed the face that had gotten him through many a bad night. Instead, he kept his hands stiffly at his side.
“She’ll be missed,” he said lamely. Sabine had been one in a million and with all the death he’d seen, Josh should’ve been more adroit with condolences. “What about you? How’ve you been?”
She let out a breath. “Chip and I got divorced.”
“Yeah, I heard. I’m sorry.” More platitudes. This time, though, he wasn’t sorry at all. “I also heard he’s sober now.”
“Val staged an intervention and got him into a program.” Her eyes didn’t quite meet his when she said it.
�
��Yeah, she e-mailed me in Kandahar . . . wanted me to come.” He couldn’t of course.
“She did?” Hannah reeled back in surprise. “I didn’t realize you two knew each other.”
“We don’t. I figure she was covering all her bases.”
“Are you . . . the best man at their wedding?”
He could tell it pained her to ask. “Nah. Just a guest. Chip and I . . . we kind of fell out of touch.” Not just because Chip had been a drunk but because Josh’s feelings for Hannah were complicated.
“I didn’t know that. Now that you’re back, maybe you’ll reconnect.” She darted a look around the hall. “I should probably pitch in some more. It was nice seeing you, Josh.”
“Likewise.” He watched her walk away as a dozen guys’ appreciative gazes followed her across the floor.
“What did Hannah have to say?” TJ slipped into the seat she’d left empty.
Of all Josh’s brothers, TJ was the serious one. Their parents were the founders of Garner Adventure but TJ ran it. He was the chief bean counter, hiring director, and marketing guru rolled into one. And although he was eighteen months younger than Colt, people always thought he was the eldest—and the smartest, which he probably was.
“Nothing,” Josh said.
“Nothing, huh?” TJ rolled his eyes.
Colt finally returned with Josh’s pancakes. Josh drenched them in syrup and took a big bite. A couple of old high school friends stopped by to say hi and soon every person in the place came over to welcome Josh home. There were speeches and accolades and the Glory Junction High School band played “The Army Song.”
Someone called Josh to the stage and he slowly made his way to the other side of the hall. When he got to the stairs Colt was waiting to help him up.
“I’ve got it,” Josh hissed. Rangers lead the way.
The mayor gave him a key to the city and a proclamation, claiming December fifth to be Josh Garner Day. Josh said a few words and managed to get off the stage without his leg buckling. His recovery required excruciating months of physical therapy and possibly more surgeries. Still, doctors didn’t know if his leg would ever work properly again.
“You ready to go home?” Win, who’d disappeared, was suddenly at Josh’s side.
“Yeah.” Sweat beaded on Josh’s forehead from the exertion of getting up and down the stage.
“Mom and Dad are sticking around to represent so we’re good to go.” Win pulled truck keys from his pocket and led the way to the door, stopping every once in a while to gab with someone he knew. Everyone thought Win was the most charming of the Garner brothers. Josh didn’t see it but he thought his younger brother was definitely the cockiest.
At long last they made it outside and a blast of cold air hit Josh in the face. He managed to hoist himself up into the passenger seat and ten minutes later, when Win pulled into their parents’ driveway, he gingerly got out of the truck and limped straight to the kitchen. He grabbed a handful of ice packs from the freezer and made it to the family room before collapsing in their father’s recliner.
Win followed him in and turned the TV on to the Cal Bears game. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” He tilted the chair back as far as it would go and applied the ice packs. “You mind getting me a couple of painkillers?”
Win got up to go in search of the ibuprofen. The doctors had given Josh a prescription but he refused to take anything stronger than over-the-counter.
Win returned and handed Josh a few pills and a glass of water. “Here you go. How’s it staying with Mom and Dad?”
Josh was the only one of his brothers living at home. His folks had an en-suite guest room on the main floor. “Good . . . for now.”
That was the thing, he didn’t have a clue what his future held. It’s not like he could lead tours, or even nature hikes. His plan had always been to come back to the family business. Then a shitload of shrapnel happened. TJ had talked to him about taking bookings, which amounted to a receptionist job. If his leg didn’t kill him, boredom from being a phone jockey surely would.
Win got up and turned on the lights on the Christmas tree. His mother always did the holidays up nice. Stockings, wreaths, garland, the whole nine yards. He was pretty sure if he inspected the tree he’d find more than a dozen homemade ornaments he and his brothers had made in grade school. Macaroni angels and bottle-cap snowmen.
The doorbell rang and Win got up to see who it was. Josh wasn’t in the mood for company and hoped it was UPS. His mom got a lot of deliveries this time of year.
Win came back in with Chip on his heels.
“Hey,” he greeted Josh. “Sorry I missed the breakfast. Wedding crunch.”
Josh forwarded his chair into a sitting position and started to get up.
“Don’t bother, man. Stay comfortable.”
“You get that gazebo done?”
“Yup. Just have to paint it, but I’m watching the forecast.”
“I’m taking off,” Win said, and grabbed the jacket he’d dumped on the couch when they came in. “I’ll catch you later, Josh.” He turned to Chip. “If you need any help with painting let me know.”
After he left, Josh and Chip sat in silence for a while, staring at the tree.
“You see Hannah at the VFW?” Chip asked.
“For a few minutes. Why?”
“I just figured she’d go is all. Val would’ve gone too but she had her last fitting. I’d like you to get to know her . . . she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
No, Hannah had been the best thing that ever happened to him and he’d made a mockery of their marriage.
“Were you seeing Valerie when you and Hannah were still together?” Despite the fact that they’d been best friends since kindergarten, it was none of Josh’s business. Still, he couldn’t help asking.
“Not like that. We’d become good friends, though.” According to Josh’s brothers, Val worked with Chip at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “I guess, to be honest, I’d started falling in love with her while Hannah and I were still together. I never acted on it, though.”
Who was Josh to judge? He’d been in love with Hannah the whole time she’d been with Chip. But Chip’s behavior still gnawed. He finally got himself sober and the first thing he did was dump his wife for his coworker.
“Val saved my life,” Chip continued, sounding too damned defensive to Josh’s ears. “She got me into that program.”
Josh didn’t say anything, his disapproval clear, which agitated the hell out of Chip.
“You can quit with the condemnation,” he spat. “Hannah’s free now . . . for you. The funny part of it is she always thought you couldn’t stand her. Little did she know you were dying to have her for yourself. I knew, though. So don’t act so holier than thou.”
“Is that why you came over, Chip? To give me your blessing to go after your ex-wife? Or is it because your guilt is killing you?”
“Maybe a little of both.” Chip got off the couch and walked out, leaving Josh to brood.
He didn’t need Chip’s permission, not now that Hannah was single. From the first time they’d met he’d been infatuated. It’d been at a football game between their rival high schools. She’d been standing slightly apart from a group of chattering girls, secretly reading a paperback hidden in her purse. Josh had peeked over her shoulder, wondering what was so good that it had drawn her away from the party. She’d caught him curiously trying to read the text.
“I’m almost at the end and am dying to know who did it,” she’d said. “I’m pretty sure it’s the crazy, jealous wife but inevitably it’s always someone who makes a two-second appearance in the story. I hate when writers do that . . . it’s lame. Anyway, I had to know.”
Josh had started to ask her the name of the book but Chip had slipped in, working his drunken magic. Back then the booze had made him funny and charming. Later, just a buffoon. In any event, Chip got Hannah and Josh couldn’t bear to watch him ruin both their lives. So
he went away to college in Southern California and was recruited by the army.
Ironic that he and Hannah were back in the same town again, this time both available. But sadly, Hannah wouldn’t be any better off with a cripple than she’d been with a drunk. He couldn’t even take her on a winter stroll without hobbling, let alone rescue her from Sawtooth like he’d done all those years ago.
He didn’t want to be . . . couldn’t be . . . the guy who sat helpless while his woman clung to a cliff.
So it didn’t change anything that Hannah was free and that there’d been a time when he’d wanted her more than anything in the world. It didn’t change the fact that he was only half a man and wasn’t sure he’d ever be a whole one again.
Chapter Three
“Is something wrong?” Hannah quickly climbed the stairs of her front porch, anxious at finding the police chief there. Though Glory Junction was a relatively safe town, recently there’d been a few burglaries.
“Not a thing.” Colt stood up from Hannah’s swing. “Lancer said you bought a tree and didn’t have a way to get it home.”
She didn’t have a rack on her car and planned to borrow Deb’s truck.
“You brought me my Christmas tree?” She beamed at him, relieved and enormously touched.
“It’s a sorry-looking thing.”
She could see that he’d propped it against the side of the porch. “What are you talking about? It’s a silvertip.”
“I don’t know what it’s called but it looks like one of those Charlie Brown trees. Scrawny as hell.”
“You come back when I have it all decorated. Then tell me it’s a Charlie Brown tree. What do I owe you for the favor?”
“Cup of coffee if you got one.”
“I can make that happen,” she said, and unlocked the door.
He hefted the tree in behind her. “The place looks good.” The last time he’d been here hospice had set up a bed for Sabine in the middle of the parlor.
She dumped her purse on the phone table and told him where to place the tree.
“Lancer said you had your own stand.”
The Most Wonderful Time Page 10