by Lyz Kelley
Her shoulders eased. “These past few weeks...seeing you, being with you. I didn’t even realize how much I’ve missed just being able to hang out with someone without being judged.”
“I get what you mean. Transitioning out of the military has been hard. People seem to have expectations I’m not sure what to do with.”
“You must miss your friends.”
He straightened his napkin flush with the table, then stared at his silverware. “That, and I miss the adrenaline rush. Being out there. Being on edge. Worrying about only one thing…keeping everyone alive.” He refused to look at her. “I crave it,” he murmured. His thumbs started pounding a nervous cadence on the table, and his face flushed.
“A lot of guys sign up for the reserves,” she offered as a solution.
He shook his head. “I’m done with the military, or more accurately, the military is done with me. The reserves would drive me nuts. If I went back, I’d go back as a contractor.”
I figured you would leave again. A corset of fear squeezed her chest. “You would do that? Sign up to be a contractor? Isn’t that dangerous?”
“It’s good pay.”
“I’m sure it is, but you joined the military the first time because you were wanting to escape from your life here. I worry that you won’t ever have a life if you keep running. You used to dream about building a cabin, training dogs, hunting, climbing the fourteeners in the state. What happened to those dreams?”
“Here you go.” Carrie set the food and Karly’s drink on the table. Karly reached for the shot and downed it in one go. The alcohol burned its way down to her toes. She plunked the inch-tall glass down on the table.
“Do you want another?” Carrie asked.
Karly met Thad’s gaze. The desire for another drink was deflated by his assumptions swimming in his eyes. “No. Water will do. With lemon, please.”
When Carrie walked away, Karly pushed the nachos in his direction. “Then again, there is something to be said for not growing old, for throwing yourself in front of bullets, and almost getting killed by a bomb. You’d never go bald, or have the need for glasses or dentures.”
“Karly?”
“Don’t mind me.” She waved a hand in front of her face, trying to shake away the conversation. “It’s just I get these dreams. It’s like a thriller movie, or maybe more like a horror film. You’re always in them. Always in some kind of fight for your life.”
The tequila worked its magic and kicked in the numbing process. Too bad she couldn’t have a second or third to complete the job, because there was no way she could allow him to take her home, and she desperately wanted to feel his arms around her, remind her what life used to be like.
“Want to play some darts?” She stuffed a big bite of the cheesy chicken mess into her mouth, then licked her fingers. “Do you still like to play?”
“I do.” He selected a chip, but managed to put it in his mouth in a far more dignified manner.
The delicious warmth of the shot, plus a load of carbs, did amazing things for her confidence. “Why don’t we play? If I win, you wash the dogs for a week.”
A slow, sensual smile crossed his face. “I think you can do better than that.” He licked his thumb and then picked up his water glass for a long swallow.
“Okay. If I win, you have to update my website and do that social media stuff you were talking about. For free.”
Thad released a slow laugh and stole the nacho chip she was aiming for, right before she picked it up.
“What do I get if I win?”
She scooped up a dollop of guacamole with a new chip. “Your choice.”
“My choice? Karly, when it comes to you, I’ve never had a choice. You stole my heart in grade school, but I was too stupid to figure it out until we were in junior high. By high school, I was doomed.”
“Doomed. Huh. That pretty much describes what we had. We were two kids fighting the world together.”
“Our parents sure didn’t make life easy.” He licked his fingers one at a time before pulling his napkin out from under his silverware. “I loved you. Hell, I still love you, but this,” he waved his hand back and forth between them, “whatever this is…isn’t working. You keep pushing me away, for reasons I’m not totally sure of, and I’m not…”
“Not what? Good enough? Is that what you were going to say? I hope I haven’t given you that impression.” She set her forearms on the table and leaned in. “The reason we can’t be together has nothing to do with you.”
He stared at her for a long moment. “It sure feels like it has everything to do with me.”
“There are good reasons we can’t go back.” I don’t trust you to be here when I need you.
“I need to know what is so terrible that we can’t start over.”
She shoved the plates back and then shifted her gaze to meet his, surprised to see a glint of hope on his face. “Fate deals some interesting cards.” She watched the muscles in his jaw pulse, and studied the eyes that missed very little. “I need to tell you something.” She reached across to him just as a shadow fell across the table.
“Karly. Thad. You need to come with me.” Sheriff Joe’s official duty tone of voice sure didn’t produce warm fuzzies.
“Is everything all right?” She sat back against the leather fabric, questions and worry clouding her mind.
“I just got a call. Several, actually. Someone’s released your animals. They’re running all over town.”
Karly shoved out of the booth and rotated in a circle, not sure what to do first. “Do you think this has something to do with the break-in?”
Joe shrugged, his eyes narrowing, becoming cold. “It might. I’m heading over there now. Ernie’s already there.”
“I’m coming.” Thad stood and rested his hand on the small of her back. The soothing support calmed the explosion of adrenaline galloping through her system.
“Sheriff,” Thad leaned closer, “if your dispatcher can relay the incoming calls from residents to our cell phones, Karly and I will pick up the animals. It will only take us a few minutes to strap kennels into our truck beds.”
Joe gave Thad a nod. “The military taught you to think on your feet.”
“I know how to prepare, plan, and engage. With help and an organized plan, we should be able to get all the animals back safely.”
“Sheriff?” Chase Daniels appeared from the pool area. “I just heard what happened. I’ve got a truck. Need some help?”
“Do you know how to catch a dog or a few cats?” Joe raised a brow.
Chase chuckled. “I’ve got some buffalo jerky. That should do the trick.”
“Unless someone wants to order a dozen hamburgers to go,” Thad added. “Everyone loves Mad Jack’s burgers—dogs and cats included.”
For a few seconds, there was silence as the four of them looked around the circle, then Joe started to smile, then Chase, then Karly.
“Let’s get started.” Joe turned toward the exit.
The uninhibited confidence on Thad’s face made her melt. At that moment, he just about dissolved all the reasons she had for keeping him at a distance, except for the one. The one, insurmountable reason. He’d hate her when he learned what happened.
She needed to concentrate on her animals, and their safety. A cat might get hit by a car, or a dog drown in the river, or never being able to find the rodents. She was responsible.
Whoever was behind sabotaging her business was doing a good job, but she wouldn’t allow them to hurt the innocent.
The animals were her responsibility.
Chapter Thirteen
Thad drove down River Creek Road, having loaded his last two escapees in the kennels. The rapid temperature drop gave him a bit of a chill. He scanned the neighborhood to see if his headlights triggered the glow of another animal’s eyes.
Poor Karly. She must be going crazy.
The night air circulated through the truck’s cabin, producing a subtle white noise, giving him a chanc
e to think about possibilities. A few weeks ago, he didn’t think he had any, but Karly changed that.
He’d been wrong to let her go. She was stronger and more flexible than he realized. She just might have learned to be a soldier’s wife after all. He could deal with whatever life threw at him, but only if Karly was in his life.
For whatever reason, she loved him. She might not have said it directly, but she’d demonstrated her love in little ways. She’d fussed about his leg, tried to find him a job, defended him, just like she did in high school. She might be the only one who loved the real him, not a reflection of what others thought of him. He never understood why, but she loved him, dents and all. She needed support, and he’d be there, because sooner or later her family members would let her down. They always did. And no matter what it was she was hiding, he could deal with it.
When he arrived outside of Helper Shelter, she was the first out the front door.
“I’ve got a total of five in the back,” he said, leaning out before shutting off the engine.
She reached out to touch an arm. “Thanks.” She shined a flashlight in the kennels. “I’ll mark them off the list.” She hurried back inside.
Her touch seemed insignificant, yet was so casually intimate it made his pulse beat double-time. He backed into the nearest parking spot. Several volunteers raced out to help unload the animals. Karly returned with a clipboard and highlighter. “Finding the rodents and lizards will be almost impossible. They may be gone for good. We’re still missing a cat and four dogs.”
“Maybe this is fate’s way of helping you decide how to consolidate your business. Maybe boarding and dog training is what you need to focus on.”
“Those are certainly the most profitable parts of my business.”
“We just need to figure out how to get enough money to keep you going for now.”
“Right now, it’s not about the money. I need to do what I can to make sure these animals are safe. I don’t know how I’m going to ever thank all these volunteers.”
“They love these animals, as much as they care for you.” We all love you Karly. I wish you could see that. He studied the tree line. “I’ll get a flashlight and see if the last of the bunch might be close by.”
She moved next to him while he unlocked his tool case. “You’re exhausted. There are already a dozen people out searching. I can’t ask you to do any more. You’ve done enough.”
He studied her face. Nice try. I’m not falling for you sending me home.
If they hadn’t been at the bar together, she would have called everyone, but him. He knew that, and he hated knowing it. The fact was, he knew her.
He lifted a flashlight from the metal case. “Tell you what. I’ll join the search crew, and we’ll start a grid search. At the end of two hours, we’ll call it a night, and start the search again at daylight—and that includes you. Deal?”
“No, I need to stay here. The animals are upset. A human presence will help keep them calm.”
“Mara called to check on my status. She told me Mrs. Gaccione, Brianne, and the sleepover crowd decided to set up tents in the back. There are more than enough hands to help calm the animals. Mara’s your business partner. Let go for once.”
“But—” She lifted that perfect, stubborn chin. “Why are you doing this?”
He dipped his head and gently placed his mouth on hers for a slow, healing kiss before pulling back. “Do you have to ask?”
Seconds had passed before she released control. “Thank you,” she said quietly, this time without a smidgeon of defeat or failure.
Heck, yeah. He’d take the small win.
In the dark of night, the streetlights from the bridge and her building reflected off the tears of relief shimmering in her eyes. He’d had bullets whizz over his head, bombs go off next to him, and planes fly so low they shook the ground he walked on, but nothing terrified him more than the way she had wrapped around his heart, refusing to let go. He wanted to be the man she saw when she looked at him.
She stared at him for a good long while before she took a step back. “I’ll round up a few more folks so you can brief them on that grid search thing you want to do.”
Halfway around the building, several volunteers emerged from the tree line, and people poured out of the building. Many he didn’t know ran over. “We found them,” echoed on the night’s breeze. “We just need a couple more halters and leashes.”
Several women grabbed what they needed and headed off. “I guess they don’t need either of us after all.”
“Maybe not me.” Thad wrapped a hand around her back. “You. We all did this for you.”
She looked around at the people working with the animals, helping settle them, giving baths to those that needed them, doing whatever was necessary to help her business.
“I can’t believe these people just showed up.”
“I can. This is Elkridge. People help each other.”
“But…” She sniffled, and her lip quivered.
He shoved the flashlight into his pocket, and opened his arms wide to invite her in. She only hesitated for a minute before walking the two steps into his embrace. Her shoulders trembled, then began to shake as the building tension released and converted into liquid emotions.
The evening wind picked up, but he shielded her from the gusts that swirled around their intertwined bodies. The skies were clear, and the moon had risen. The building allowed them to stay in the shadow—to enjoy their own little corner of peace.
Ten years ago, Thad wouldn’t have appreciated this moment. A hug was taken for granted. A loving kiss brushed aside. A soft word spoken ignored. Not anymore. He’d seen the short side of life. A life snuffed out in an instant.
Slowly, her emotional vibrations eased and became still. Karly wiped her nose with the sleeve of her fleece jacket. “I don’t know why I’m crying. You come back to town, and I turn into a weepy wimp.”
“I wouldn’t classify you in the weepy wimp category.”
“No? What category would you put me in?”
“I would put you squarely in the seriously strong category.”
She adjusted her baseball cap, then played with her ponytail woven through the back. “Strong? Me?”
“Don’t like that one, huh? How about beautifully brave?”
“Now you're patronizing me.”
She stood there with her pouty expression, her hair rippling in the breeze, studying him with those purposeful eyes, and he wondered if he’d ever seen anything more beautiful. She thought he was here to help her, but in reality, every touch, smile, or friendly poke helped him heal.
He took a step closer, carefully backing her up against the building. “Never patronizing, but maybe a bit more honest than you want to hear.”
“But—”
“Don’t fight me, Karly. Don’t fight this.” He lowered his head to remind her of all the reasons she was good for him. He pressed deeper, and then finally her hand fisted his shirt and yanked him closer still, her grip urgent. She released a growl of frustration, wrapped her arms across his shoulders and pulled, circling her legs around his hips.
Yes. He pushed her up against the metal wall to let his hands explore. She kissed his neck and nipped his chin with abandon.
His legs weakened, and he locked his knees, pressing harder against her.
“Thad?”
“I’m right here. I’ve got you, babe.”
The heat between them exploded, with hands and arms moving in different directions, fighting to memorize every inch of skin.
“You might want to take that PDA someplace else,” Sheriff Joe’s voice conveyed a hint of sarcasm, “before I have to write you both a ticket for indecent exposure.”
Thad pressed his hands up against the building while Karly slid her legs down off his hips, hiding her face.
“That’s a good idea,” Thad said, not taking his eyes off her, a chuckle lodged in his throat.
“No, it’s not.” Karly pushed on his c
hest, but he wasn’t willing to let her go, not yet.
“Tell you what,” Joe continued. “Mara and I are going to stay with the kids. You two take off. Get some…um…rest.”
“I can’t just leave.” Karly started to duck under his arm, but the absence of her heat made him realize what he wanted. Screw it. He wanted her now.
She took two steps before he tugged on her arm, spun her around, and threw her over his shoulder. She landed with a soft oof.
“I’ll take you up on that offer, Sheriff. Mighty obliged.”
Karly slapped his rump. “Let me down.”
The sheriff laughed. “And drive the speed limit. I don’t want any more calls tonight. I have six youngsters wanting popcorn, pizza, and a movie. My sisters are setting up a projector even as we speak.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Sheriff.” Karly kicked her feet before Thad could wrap an arm around them, blocking her. “You need to arrest this man, for…”
“Karly?” Thad stopped to adjust her weight. “Do you want me arrested, or do you just want to see me in handcuffs?”
When she pounded on his back, Thad started laughing. He gave her a smack on the butt, and that quieted her for about three seconds. At the truck, he set her down next to the passenger door. “Do you want food, shower, or bed?”
“We’ve had food.”
His brow lifted. “That leaves shower or bed.”
She lifted on her toes and bit his chin, then eased back. “Why can’t I have both?”
“See? That’s why we’re good together. Get in.”
In the truck, she still looked a bit dazed, and he had no doubt that, once they were at his cabin, she’d fall asleep in less time than it took him to shower off. He took her hand and drove the few minutes to his place in silence. She just sat, unmoving, as he shut off the truck’s engine.
“Would you have rather gone back to your place?”
She shook her head and then looked at him. “No. I’m just tired.”
“You’re way beyond tired.”
“No. I mean I’m emotionally drained. We’ve had this push and pull thing going for a few weeks now. Tonight reminded me that anything can happen. Just once, I’d like to be with you without my worries interfering. Do you think we can get through tonight without all the tugging back and forth?”