Baby, I'm Back (a Southern Roads short story)

by Stephanie Bond

  “Fine,” he said. “Better, even.” He pursed his mouth. “How’s the dog?”

  “Healing. I’m trying to find him a home.”

  “I saw the flyer at the diner,” he said, his tone clipped. Then he proceeded to throw himself into his exercises with more zeal than necessary.

  Lora was gratified to see him walk the length of the room many times without his cane. “Your alignment is much improved. How does it feel?”

  “Awkward,” he admitted. “I have to concentrate.”

  “It’ll be second nature soon,” she assured him. “Why don’t you give the steps a try?”

  He walked to the set of four steps up and four steps down girdled by a handrail. Slowly, he maneuvered them, using the rail only occasionally. “Why did you come back?”

  She looked up from where she was making notes on his file. “Pardon me?”

  His expression was curious. “Why did you come back to Sweetness? You couldn’t have great memories of living here.”

  He was referring to the bullying again. She gave a shrug. “School was tough, but otherwise my parents made sure I had a happy childhood.”

  “Where did you go after the tornado?”

  “To Chattanooga. My father got a job there.”

  “Did you like it?”

  If anything, the teasing at her new school had been even worse. “It seems that kids are the same everywhere.”

  His mouth tightened. “And after high school?”

  “Classes at the University of Tennessee, then my PT training.” She smiled. “A fairly uneventful life.”

  “Do you have a boyfriend?”

  Lora’s pulse picked up, but Barry’s tone was casual. In fact, he was focused fiercely on descending the stairs.

  “Uh…no,” she offered, trying to match his tone.

  “That must be by choice,” he said, still not looking at her.

  Lora frowned, not quite sure where the conversation was going. “What makes you say that?”

  He shrugged. “There are a lot of single men in town.”

  He stumbled on the last step. Lora lunged forward and put her arms around his waist to stabilize him. He steadied, but it left their face mere inches from each other. Lora blinked and before she could pull back, he had closed the space and captured her lips with his.

  If she said she hadn’t thought about what it would be like to be kissed by Barry Ballantine, she’d be lying. In truth, she’d thought about it a thousand times while sitting behind him in sophomore English, and a few hundred times this week alone while lying in bed. But in her wildest dreams, she hadn’t imagined it would be this good, that his lips would be gentle, but firm, that his tongue would coax hers into a sensual dance, that—

  He abruptly pulled back. “I’m sorry.”

  She released him and struggled to pull breath into her lungs. Her mind raced, trying to assemble an appropriate response when her body screamed for more.

  “That was wrong of me,” he said, descending the last step heavily.

  Her throat convulsed and she glanced at her watch to regain her composure. “That’s probably enough for today,” she agreed.

  But long after he’d made his escape, his kiss kept her occupied even as she went through the motions of therapy with other patients. That evening, the found dog was a welcome distraction because while his furry little body hadn’t full recovered, his spirit certainly had. He was playful and congenial and bright, judging by the way he caught on to the game of fetch, and she was able to teach him to sit with only a few minutes of training and a few snacks. At first he wasn’t crazy about the collar she put on him, nor the leash she attached to it, but he acclimated quickly.

  Lora was nervous about seeing Barry the next day for his appointment, but as she watched the puppy play and run, an idea formed in her head. The next morning when Barry walked up to the entrance of the clinic, she was waiting for him in the parking lot with the dog on its leash.

  “What’s this?” he asked warily.

  The memory of his kiss hit her full force, but she rallied. “I think you’re ready to maneuver around obstacles outdoors. I thought we might take a walk up to the school and back.”

  He glanced up to mentally stake out the distance. “That looks easy enough. Is the mutt coming, too?”

  Lora was surprised at the irritation in his voice. She had hoped the man and animal would bond—keeping up with a pet would be good for Barry’s continued mobility. “I was hoping you’d take his leash.”

  An odd expression crossed his face, then he shrugged and reached for the leash, extending the cane to her in trade. “No one’s claimed him yet?”

  She took the cane, knowing Barry had just passed a mental hurdle by relinquishing it to her. “No. I think he might’ve been abandoned. It’s a shame—he’s energetic, but he obeys so well.”

  “German Shepherd mixes are usually smart,” he offered, but he clasped the leash cautiously.

  “Do you have pets?”

  “No. And I don’t want one.”

  The man apparently preferred to travel light, she presumed. His SEALs deployment probably had curtailed attachments…she wondered if that extended to women. “What are you going to do when you leave here?” she asked.

  His jaw hardened. “I’m still in the Navy. I’m hoping they’ll find a place for a cripple.”

  Lora frowned. “That’s not a very nice term. You’re far from being incapacitated. Did you have a specialty?”

  He was quiet for a long time, staring at the leash he wound and unwound around his hand. “Actually, I was a dog handler for our platoon.”

  Her mouth opened in surprise. “A dog handler?

  He nodded. “Silky was our war dog for two years, a Belgian Shepherd…strong, smart, loyal. He could detect explosives or set remote cameras. He did whatever I told him, even if it meant running straight into danger.”

  She caught the past tense verb, remembered the wooden box in his Jeep that first day he’d come into town, and the favor he had to do for a friend.

  “You mentioned there were other injuries when you lost your leg,” she said. “Did Silky die?”

  Barry nodded. “He alerted me to an explosive, then we came under sniper fire. In the confusion, he misinterpreted a signal and advanced instead of retreating.”

  “And you followed him?”

  He nodded. “But he took the brunt of the explosion.”

  Suddenly, his aversion to the stray dog made sense. “I’m sorry, Barry.”

  A muscle worked in his jaw. “I brought Silky’s ashes with me back to the States. Sweetness was the only place that ever felt like home to me. I contacted Porter Armstrong and he offered a plot in the cemetery on Clover Ridge to bury the ashes.” He looked up at her. “You probably think that’s silly.”

  She shook her head. “Not at all. Silky died in the service of this country, he should be honored.”

  “The ceremony is tomorrow.”

  “And then you’re leaving?”

  He nodded. “Your PT program has given me hope of returning to the field in some capacity. So…thank you, Lora.”

  She basked under his praise, but with mixed feelings. The progress he’d made had fueled his eagerness to leave Sweetness. She’d known from the beginning he was only visiting, but it struck her now that she’d grown alarmingly used to seeing him every day.

  She was falling for Barry Ballantine.

  Suddenly a squirrel darted across their path and the dog practically leapt into the air, barking frantically. The yank on the leash was enough to throw Barry off balance. He fell to his left knee hard on the concrete sidewalk. He grunted, but maintained his hold on the leash. “No,” he yelled. The dog quieted with a little yelp, then came back to lick Barry’s hand.

  Lora had to hold herself back to keep from going to his aid. She tightened her grip on his cane and watched while he slowly pushed to his feet. His core muscles bunched as he levered his newfound sense of balance to straighten and lift his big body
. When he was standing erect, he looked at her and beamed.

  Lora smiled back, but she knew the swell of her heart was more than pride for a patient. It was love for a man…and sadness over her impending loss of that man.

  Chapter Seven

  BARRY WORE his dress uniform for the ceremony to bury Silky’s ashes. Porter offered him a ride and Barry accepted. When he reached the door of the quad-cab pickup carrying the precious wood box, he was surprised to see Porter’s brothers, Marcus and Kendall, in the backseat.

  “I know you said you wanted a private ceremony,” Porter said. “Hope you don’t mind the extra company.”

  “Not at all,” Barry said, knowing Marcus was a former Marine and Kendall, a former Airman. The men told him they’d all been around service dogs during their stints overseas, especially Kendall, who had aided in many disaster recovery efforts. Barry was proud to have them along to honor Silky…although he hadn’t expected the crowd that had gathered at the Clover Ridge cemetery.

  “Sorry,” Porter offered with a rueful smile. “You know how word gets around in a small town.”

  Emotion clogged Barry’s throat as he glanced over the faces of the men, women, and children who stood around the small square hole dug in the wet ground. His gaze stopped on Lora, whose bolstering smile gave his heart a workout as intense as any PT session.

  Next to the grave sat a small concrete box with a lid—the crypt Porter had custom made for the ashes. Barry threaded his way through the crowd and knelt to lower the wooden box into the crypt, then placed the lid on top. He knew all eyes were on him as he slowly pushed himself to his feet, but for the first time in a long time, he felt strong and healthy. Porter and Kendall stepped forward to lift the crypt and lower it into the earth.

  “Would you like to say a few words?” Porter asked.

  “Yes,” Barry said, then turned to face the crowd. “Thank you for being here. You didn’t know my dog Silky, but he was a brave, loyal soldier who saved lives every day. I’m proud to have been his handler.” He paused, then smiled. “Will Rogers once said ‘I love a dog…he does nothing for political reasons,’ and that was Silky. He just did his job because he wanted to please. He didn’t know he was a hero, but I do, and I hope you think so, too.”

  Barry picked up a shovel and began to scoop dirt over the crypt. Porter picked up another shovel and helped him fill the small grave. Then Kendall stepped forward.

  “The town of Sweetness wanted to make sure Silky is remembered.” He revealed a flat headstone that read, “Silky…U.S. Navy SEAL War Dog” and the year. Barry’s chest tightened with affection and gratitude toward the townspeople. He realized it was the memory of the fellowship of the small town that had pulled him back…and he was happy to know the sense of community flourished once again under the hands of the Armstrong brothers.

  He accepted the headstone with a grateful nod, then stooped to settle it over the top of the small grave. When he straightened, he addressed the crowd. “Thank you all for coming. You’ll never know how much it means to this hometown boy to have you all here.”

  The crowd filed by the grave for a glimpse of the headstone and shook Barry’s hand, asking about his own health. He greeted everyone, but out of the corner of his eye, he looked for Lora, noticing she hung back. When the crowd dissipated, she finally stepped up.

  “That was so nice,” she said.

  “Thanks for coming,” he said. He was sure she could hear his heart pounding.

  “You’re leaving now?”

  He swallowed hard and nodded.

  She smiled. “If you’ll contact the clinic when you get settled, someone will forward your exercise schedule to whatever facility you choose to continue your PT.”

  “Thank you.”

  From her bag she withdrew the sweatshirt he’d given her on the day he’d driven into town and handed it to him. “It’s clean.”

  He wanted to tell her to keep it to remember him by, but he didn’t have the right. He’d been nothing but trouble for Lora Jansen, from the teenage teasing to the day he’d returned to Sweetness, to his stubborn attitude about what her PT could do for him, to a hijacked kiss. She had plenty to remember him by…and none of it was good or appropriate.

  “Barry,” Porter said from a few feet away where he stood with his brothers. “Can we have a word?”

  “Sure,” Barry said, then turned back to Lora.

  “I’m going,” she said, gesturing vaguely to an area where cars had parked alongside the road.

  “Thank you for everything,” he said, although the words felt woefully inadequate.

  “Just doing my job,” she said breezily, then smiled. “But you’re welcome. Goodbye.”

  “Goodbye.”

  He watched her go with a heavy heart, realizing for the first time how his fellow soldiers felt when they had to part from the women they cared about…from the women they loved.

  The realization struck him like a thunderbolt, but he felt powerless to do anything about it. Sweetness was growing and expanding, but there was nothing here for him…except Lora. But if he stayed, he’d have nothing to offer her, no way to make a decent living, not with his disability.

  “Earth to Barry,” Porter called good-naturedly.

  “Coming,” Barry said, and grudgingly dragged his gaze away from Lora’s retreating form.

  Chapter Eight

  LORA FOUGHT BACK tears as she ran along the shoulder of the road leading out of Sweetness. Barry was long gone, no doubt, on his way to some exciting place. After the ceremony she’d returned to her room to change and to collect the stray dog that still hadn’t been claimed. She glanced down at him now, jogging happily next to her on his leash. She would have to advertise soon to find him a home. And he needed a name, although she guessed she should leave that privilege to whoever adopted him.

  At the sound of a car coming up behind them, Lora tightened her hold on the leash. The car was on the opposite side of the road, but the dog might still be spooked, or tempted to chase the wheels. When the vehicle slowed, she turned her head. At the sight of Barry leaning out the driver side window of his Jeep, her heart thrashed wildly in her chest. He was unbearably handsome in his dress uniform. She slowed to a jog and the dog barked a greeting to Barry, straining at the leash.

  “Hi,” he called, driving slowly to match her pace.

  “Don’t you mean goodbye?” she asked, hoping desperately she didn’t look as if she’d been crying.

  “For now,” he said.

  She stopped. “What do you mean?”

  He smiled. “I have to report to Norfolk to take care of some things. I’ve been offered the chance to set up a training facility for military dogs.”

  “Wow.” She was truly happy for him, truly sad for herself. “That’s nice—”

  “Here in Sweetness.”

  Her eyes widened. “Here?”

  He nodded. “The Armstrongs set it up—they have connections to every branch in the Armed Services, and donated the land.”

  Her pulse rocketed. “But…you’ve been all over the world, seen exotic places…are you sure you’ll be happy here?”

  He angled his head. “That depends…will you be here when I come back?”

  Her heart fluttered with the hope that he cared about her the way she cared about him. “Yes.”

  “Then I’ll be happy here,” he said, and put the Jeep in park.

  She looked both ways, then ran across the road and met his mouth for a kiss that resonated with promise and hope. How was it possible that life had changed so gloriously in only a few days? At her feet the dog barked excitedly. They laughed and parted.

  “I hope you’ll be here, too,” he said, offering his hand out the window to the dog. “You’ll be my first recruit.”

  “He’ll be here,” she said. “I was thinking of naming him Sealy.”

  He grinned. “Great name.”

  They kissed again, a slow, sweet pledge of their hearts. At the sound of a horn, she lifted her h
ead to see a line of traffic had formed behind his Jeep. More horns blared and people cheered and hollered.

  Lora blushed, then they exchanged another kiss for the crowd. “Go,” she said, “so you can come back to me.”

  “Oh, I’ll be back,” Barry said, then he waved and pulled away.

  Lora’s heart overflowed. She knew he would.

  The End

  A note from the author

  Thank you so very much for taking the time to read my romantic short story BABY, I’M BACK. This story is set in Sweetness, Georgia, a town where I’ve set other stories in my Southern Roads series, published by Mira, which is an imprint of Harlequin. This short story is also in the SEAL of MY DREAMS multi-author anthology that was first published in November 2011.

  The Southern Roads series features the Armstrong brothers who decide to rebuild their hometown in the Georgia mountains that was destroyed ten years earlier by a tornado. They’re making progress with the army of men they’ve hired to resurrect the town from rubble—until the men threaten mutiny from the lack of female company! The brothers decide to advertise for women with a “pioneer spirit”…and they wait. This series is my tribute to the Here Come the Brides TV show from the 60s—I really loved writing it. Strangely, some of the early pushback from the publisher on the series was who would believe an entire town could be demolished by a tornado? Then with sad irony, life imitated art—just as the books were being released in 2011 came the horrific tornadoes that struck Joplin, Missouri, and throughout Alabama. Fact is truly more complicated and unpredictable than fiction. But I hope my books are uplifting reads of the resilience of the human spirit.

  Fyi, the stories in the Southern Roads series to-date are:

  Baby, I’m Yours (prequel novella, available only as an ebook) Sample or buy from Amazon

  Baby, Drive South (full-length romance, available in print, ebook, and audio) Sample or buy from Amazon

  Baby, Come Home (full-length romance, available in print, ebook, and audio) Sample or buy from Amazon

  Baby, Don’t Go (full-length romance, available in print, ebook, and audio) Sample or buy from Amazon