Battle Scars

by Meghan O'Brien

  “Want to go practice now?”

  Ray stood, pulling Carly to her feet and into a tight embrace. “I’d love that.”

  Epilogue

  Ray sat down at the computer in her office and double-clicked her video chat icon. She was three minutes late for her appointment with Dr. Evans. Unacceptably tardy. Ray was used to military precision and usually paid attention to detail. Not so much these days, though. A lot was going on in her life, so many things competing for her focus.

  And it felt great.

  The chat window opened onscreen and Ray immediately offered Dr. Evans a sheepish grin. “I am so sorry. Time just got away from me.”

  “Not a problem, Ray. Things are pretty busy around there, huh?”

  “Oh, yeah. We’ve got so much going on right now, it’s crazy. If I stop to think about it all, I’ll probably get overwhelmed. But it’s good. Great, even.”

  “I’m glad to hear that. Tell me about ‘great.’ You had mentioned going back to school. You were planning to do some research on programs in the area. Anything come of that?”

  “Actually, yeah.” Ray clicked on a minimized browser window, eager to bring up the Web site for the Bergin University of Canine Studies. Instead, she got an eyeful of something entirely inappropriate for the middle of a therapy appointment: the Good Vibrations online catalog, still displaying the strap-on harness she and Carly had purchased just the night before. She blushed as though Dr. Evans could see what she was looking at, then closed it quickly. Finding the correct window with another click, she cleared her throat. “I’ve applied to an assistance dog education program. It’s an associate’s degree, and it’ll prepare me for a career as a professional dog trainer.”

  “Sounds perfect. When will you find out whether you’ve been accepted?”

  “The semester starts at the end of August, so pretty soon.” Ray was able to think about attending classes with only slight anxiety, which was a good sign. The anxiety would grow upon learning that she had been accepted and would peak right before her first day of class, but Carly would be there to help her through it. And Jagger. “I’m nervous, but also excited. I like the idea of working with dogs.”

  “I’m so pleased for you.” Dr. Evans grinned broadly, looking like she might cry. “You have no idea how proud I am, Ray.”

  “I think I might.” Ray glanced at Jagger, who sat next to her chair. It seemed like everyone was telling her that these days. Every time she pushed herself or stepped outside her comfort zone, Carly nearly burst with pride. Her mom and sisters met every piece of news, including this school thing, with tremendous delight. Sometimes she even thought she saw respect in Leeann’s eyes, despite their rocky start. “I’m feeling good.”

  “Well, you should.” Dr. Evans’s grin grew more watery, if that was possible. “Your sister is visiting soon, isn’t she? That will be exciting.”

  “Yeah, Juliet will be here in a week and a half. Carly and I are probably crazy for doing the move right before she gets here, but we can’t stand it anymore.”

  Dr. Evans raised an eyebrow. “The move?”

  Ray searched her memory. She could have sworn she’d told Dr. Evans about this the last time they spoke. Then again, it had been a spontaneous decision. “Yeah, Carly’s moving her stuff into my place. Our place, I mean. I know it’s only been six months, but it didn’t make sense to keep both houses when we only ever spend time at one or the other.”

  “Wow, congratulations. So I take it this means things are going well with Carly.”

  “Oh, yes.” That was an understatement. “She’s incredible. I can’t wait for Juliet to meet her.”

  As though summoned by the sound of her name, Carly tottered into the office carrying a large Rock Band 2 box. “What do you say we set this up, sweetheart, and I school you—” She halted abruptly when she saw the video chat window on the computer. “Oh, my God, I am so sorry. I totally forgot. I’ll leave you—”

  Ray motioned to Dr. Evans, then jumped up and took the large box from Carly’s arms. “Let me get that for you.”

  “Thanks.” Carly mouthed “I’m sorry” again. “It’s heavier than it looks.”

  Ray set the box down with a smile. It was nice being the physically stronger one. She felt like she could take care of Carly in a tangible way, just like Carly did for her. “Stay for a minute, if you don’t mind. I’d love to introduce you to Dr. Evans.”

  From the computer speakers, Dr. Evans said, “That would be lovely. It’d be great to put a face with all the wonderful things I’ve heard.”

  Ray gave Carly a shy smile, then took her hand and led her to the desk chair. She sat down first, then pulled Carly onto her lap. Carly wrapped her arm around Ray’s shoulders and smiled into the webcam.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Evans,” Carly said. “I’m glad to put a face with the name, too. Your support means so much to Ray.”

  Dr. Evans’s face had to hurt by now, she looked so thrilled. “The same goes for you. I’m so pleased for both of you. Congratulations on the big move.”

  Carly tightened her arm around Ray’s shoulders. “Thanks. It’s a big step, but honestly we took it months ago. Now we just need to stop making two mortgage payments for no reason.”

  Dr. Evans chuckled. “Sounds like a wise financial decision.”

  Ray kissed Carly on the chin. “And a wise emotional decision.”

  “Yes,” Carly murmured, staring into Ray’s eyes. “Very wise.”

  Dr. Evans cleared her throat. “You know, Ray, unless you’ve got more you want to talk about this week, we can cut this session short. I know you’ve got a lot to do before your sister gets there, so…”

  Carly shifted slightly on her lap, igniting Ray’s libido. Ray caught the flash of desire in her gaze. They wouldn’t be playing Rock Band 2 anytime soon.

  “Maybe that’s a good idea,” Ray said thickly, turning her attention to the webcam as calmly as she could manage. Which probably wasn’t all that calm. “We’ve got plenty of boxes to unpack still.”

  Dr. Evans had an expression that told Ray she knew exactly where the mood in the office had shifted. “That’s fine. I’ll talk to you next week?”

  “Yes.” Ray hesitated, unsure whether to bring up something she had been thinking about. While she wasn’t ready to stop therapy entirely, she wasn’t sure they needed to meet weekly anymore. The panic attacks had subsided, nightmares were rare, and even when she fell apart, Carly was there to help her put back the pieces. Ray wasn’t cured, and she still had challenges to overcome, but with Carly at her side, they didn’t seem nearly as daunting. Maybe it was time to take another step toward independence. “I’d like to talk about our schedule.”

  “Oh?” Dr. Evans raised an eyebrow. “You know, I planned to bring up the same thing. Perhaps meeting biweekly would make more sense for a while. We can see how it goes. But you’re a lot busier now, and I can’t help but think that would be plenty.”

  Ray sat up straighter in her chair. “Great. We’ll talk about it next time.”

  “Until then,” Dr. Evans said. “It was nice meeting you, Carly.”

  “Nice meeting you, too.” Carly waved at the webcam.

  “Bye, you two. Have fun.” Dr. Evans signed out and the video chat window disappeared.

  “You realize she totally knows we’re going to have sex now, right?” Carly murmured, tracing Ray’s jaw line with her tongue. “You’re so obvious.”

  Ray slipped her hand into Carly’s shirt and caressed her breast. “Oh, really? I am?”

  “Totally obvious.” Carly giggled when Ray seized a nipple through her bra and squeezed firmly. “Or did you really want to keep unpacking?”

  “No, not unpacking.” Ray tucked her fingers under the top edge of Carly’s bra cup and pulled the material down, exposing Carly’s bare breast. “Undressing, maybe.”

  “See, I told you.” Carly gasped when Ray pushed her shirt up and latched on to an erect nipple, sucking gently. “Obvious.”
>
  Ray drew away, releasing Carly’s nipple with a soft pop. She fixed Carly’s bra and pulled her shirt back over her chest, then gave Carly an innocent smile. “May I play the drums?”

  “Excuse me?” Carly’s face glowed pink and her words came out flustered.

  “We were going to play Rock Band, right? I want to be the drummer.”

  Carly slipped off her lap and stood, taking Ray’s hand. “You know we’re not playing Rock Band.”

  “But I thought you wanted to school me?” Ray kept a straight face, even when all she wanted was to throw Carly against the wall and kiss the hell out of her.

  “Oh, I’ll school you.” Carly led Ray out of the office by the hand and walked them to the bedroom. “Don’t you worry about that.”

  “Worry?” Ray tugged on Carly’s hand, pulling her back so Ray could push her up against the wall. She held Carly’s wrists above her head and kissed her hard. Breaking away for air some time later, she whispered, “Right now I’m not worried about a thing.”

  About the Author

  Born in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, Meghan O’Brien relocated to Windsor, California, in October 2005. As a recent transplant, she’s enjoying the moderate weather and gorgeous scenery of the Bay Area. Meghan lives with her partner Angie, their son, three cats, and three dogs. Yes, it can be just as chaotic as it sounds.

  Meghan works as a Web developer, but her real passion is writing. From her humble beginnings creating numerous “books” out of construction paper and crayons as soon as she learned to write, to her two published novels and various anthology contributions in the past five years, writing is what makes her feel most complete.

  Books Available From Bold Strokes Books

  Battle Scars by Meghan O’Brien. Returning Iraq war veteran Ray McKenna struggles with the battle scars that can only be healed by love. (978-1-60282-129-3)

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  The Seduction of Moxie by Colette Moody. When 1930s Broadway actress Violet London meets speakeasy singer Moxie Valette, she is instantly attracted and her Hollywood trip takes an unexpected turn.(978-1-60282-114-9)

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  The Reluctant Daughter by Lesléa Newman. Heartwarming, heartbreaking, and ultimately triumphant—the story every daughter recognizes of the lifelong struggle for our mothers to really see us. (978-1-60282-118-7)

  Erosistible by Gill McKnight. When Win Martin arrives at a luxurious Greek hotel for a much-anticipated week of sun and sex with her new girlfriend, she is stunned to find her ex-girlfriend, Benny, is the proprietor. Aeros Ebook. (978-1-60282-134-7)

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  Late in the Season by Felice Picano. Set on Fire Island, this is the story of an unlikely pair of friends—a gay composer in his late thirties and an eighteen-year-old schoolgirl. (978-1-60282-082-1)

  Punishment with Kisses by Diane Anderson-Minshall. Will Megan find the answers she seeks about her sister Ashley’s murder or will her growing relationship with one of Ash’s exes blind her to the real truth? (978-1-60282-081-4)

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