The American Soldier Collection 11: Mending Hearts (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever)

by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  “Hey, we can take a little lunch break now,” some other man called over to them.

  Alana looked, her eyes landing on another attractive man, an older-looking one with blond hair wearing a pair of blue jeans, a dark green T-shirt, and cowboy boots.

  “Okay, Jaxon,” Jeb called out as another guy looked at her when he came around from the truck.

  She couldn’t believe how attractive these men were as she absorbed their good looks and took in how tall and muscular they were. She felt so petite. She was lost in thought when she heard the gasp.

  Swinging her head around toward Deana, she saw her friend’s eyes well up with tears. Alana had swung back around to see what had upset her when she saw him.

  There, by the front of the truck, stood a man who resembled Gabe. Her Gabe.

  He paused, leaning on the cane he held by his side, and anger filled his sunken eyes.

  “Gabe?”

  Deanna called out his name, and Alana couldn’t move. She was trying to process what was happening here as she felt the tears roll down her cheeks and the silence consume the air around her.

  Deana stopped short as the man who resembled Gabe turned away.

  “Gabe?”

  Deanna said his name again, and the other two men who were by the truck went to her side. Alana was crying as she walked, ran toward the man she knew now was definitely Gabe, but who also seemed to be hiding from them. He limped around to the other side of the truck. Jeb and Gator followed her, as did Jaxon and the other guy too.

  “Gabe, wait,” Alana called out, and she reached for his arm. The feel of muscle and the connection they shared, still as strong and fierce as ever, electrified her entire body.

  “Go away. I don’t want to see you,” he snapped at her.

  Fury, anger, and hatred… Emotions like she had never seen in Gabe’s eyes before greeted her tears and the power of her emotions.

  “Gabe why? I thought you were dead. Everyone thinks that you’re dead,” she told him.

  Strong hands gripped her shoulder from behind.

  She didn’t look back. She used that strength to speak, to process and get out her thoughts.

  “Gabe, you’re alive,” she whispered, and Deanna was by her side crying, reaching for Alana’s hand.

  “I’m not alive. I’m dead. Go away, Alana. Just leave me alone.” He limped away.

  “No. Why are you doing this, Gabe?” she cried, and the person holding her shoulders turned her around. She locked gazes with Jaxon. His bold blue eyes bore into hers.

  “How do you know Gabe? Who are you?” He questioned her as if he were interrogating her.

  “I thought he was dead,” she whispered.

  “Where does he live? How long has he been here in Salvation? Is he okay? What happened to him? Why is he hiding from his family?” Deanna rambled on.

  Gator rubbed his chin and looked fierce and sad at the same time.

  Jaxon ran a hand along Alana’s hair and then cupped her cheek.

  “How do you know Gabe? Are you family?”

  She shook her head.

  “He was my boyfriend. We were going to get married.” She then began to sob.

  Jaxon pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. She didn’t care that she didn’t know him or these other men. She knew they knew Gabe and were friends of his, perhaps men he trusted to be around.

  “Put that phone away. Don’t call anyone,” Jeb ordered, and Alana looked to the side and saw Deanna with her cell phone in her shaking hand.

  “His parents need to know that he’s alive and well. We’ve all been sick and thought he was dead,” Deanna told them.

  “He doesn’t want anyone to know that he’s alive,” Jaxon told them as they heard the truck pull away with Gabe and the other man whose name Alana didn’t know.

  Alana’s heart was pounding inside of her chest. She could hardly catch her breath as the situation played out over and over again in her head.

  Gabe isn’t dead. He’s alive, and he wants nothing to do with me. Nothing.

  * * * *

  Jaxon walked Alana toward the set of outdoor chairs so she could sit down. So many thoughts were going through his head. Gabe had never mentioned Alana. He never once brought up a woman from his past that he had been in love with and was going to marry.

  “Oh God, Alana, this can’t be real,” Deanna stated.

  Jeb was standing there, and Gator squeezed Alana’s shoulder.

  “He looked so angry and his eyes… His eyes were dark, dull and hollow. Why wouldn’t he want to see me? Why would he pretend to be dead?” she asked and sniffled.

  Jeb knelt down and placed his hand on Alana’s knee. The sight stirred something inside of Jaxon. They had all been checking Alana out when she came outside, but then the two women recognized Gabe.

  “Gabe’s been through a lot. It took all of us to get him to come out here today to volunteer to help. He usually doesn’t go anywhere,” Jeb whispered.

  Alana’s shoulders shook as she sniffled and then wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her sleeve.

  “We just had our yearly memorial for him in town. It’s been three years,” she said.

  Jaxon was shocked as Jeb reached up and wiped away the tears.

  “I couldn’t even imagine how hard this has been for you. For both of you,” Jeb said, looking at the other woman.

  “I’m Gabe’s cousin, Deanna. My mom is his mom’s sister. My God, Aunt Marcy and Uncle Mike are going to freak out when they find out that Gabe is alive. I have to call my husbands. They were close to Gabe too.”

  “I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Jaxon said.

  “Definitely not a good idea,” Gator added.

  “Why not? There are people who love him. Lots of people come to the memorial every year, and there’s even a fundraiser we do for soldiers returning from serving, in honor of Gabe,” Alana said as another tear rolled down her cheek.

  Jaxon thought she was gorgeous. He felt the tug on his heart as he wondered why Gabe would not want to come back to her.

  “You said your husbands? Do they live around here?” Jeb asked Deanna.

  “No, we live farther out, in Salvation. To think that Gabe has been less then ten minutes away this whole time is outrageous,” Deana told them.

  “It is, but like we said, he doesn’t go out at all,” Gator told her.

  “What’s wrong with his leg? Why is he hiding?” Alana asked.

  “He was badly injured during a mission. He was held prisoner in some shithole for months. Some of the men he was with never made it out, and the others died soon after they were rescued,” Jaxon explained.

  “He’s dealing with a lot of emotions, Alana. We’ve tried lots of things to get through to him. Staying together as a team has helped him. Hell, it’s helped all of us,” Jeb added.

  “You were part of the same team?” Alana asked.

  She held Jaxon’s gaze, and Jaxon felt that tightness again and an instant attraction. She was really sweet, almost angelic.

  “Yes, ma’am. We served in a special unit together and hit it off immediately. Seems none of us want to part,” Jeb told her, holding her gaze.

  Alana looked away.

  “Listen, he’s going through a really hard time. It could last a while,” Jaxon told her.

  She looked back toward him and stood up, Jeb’s hand falling from her leg. The tears rolled down her cheeks as she shook her head.

  “Let’s go, Deanna. Please,” she said.

  Jeb stood up, and he placed his hands into his pockets. He looked at Jaxon, who could see the concern on Jeb’s face.

  “It might be better to not let anyone else know that you saw Gabe today,” Gator called out to Alana and Deanna.

  “We’ll see,” Deanna said, placing her arm over Alana’s shoulder.

  They all watched them walk away, tears flowing, sadness overwhelming the two women, and there was nothing they could do.

  “That was intense,” J
eb whispered as he ran his fingers through his hair, and then he exhaled.

  “I can’t believe that Gabe never told us about her,” Gator added.

  “The war fucked him up. He’s angry and combative all the time and with everyone,” Jeb replied.

  “I feel badly for Alana. That look on her face when she saw Gabe… My God,” Gator added.

  “I know. Hopefully Geno was able to get Gabe to talk about it and to calm him down. I was worried he might actually lash out at the two women,” Jaxon told them as he walked toward the truck to grab more rope.

  “Gabe would never hurt a woman. Didn’t you see that look in Gabe’s eyes when he locked onto Alana? They brightened up for half a second, and then he put up that wall of his,” Gator said.

  Jaxon had seen it. He’d also felt the sting of envy, knowing that Gabe had a woman like Alana as his girlfriend and knowing how screwed up Jaxon was himself that he could never have a committed relationship with anyone. Too many skeletons in the closet.

  “It’s going to be awkward delivering that furniture to Alana’s place,” Gator told them.

  “I don’t know. I wouldn’t mind seeing her again. I felt badly for her and Deanna, Gabe’s cousin. What a hell of a way to find out the guy you thought was dead was actually alive and well,” Jeb stated.

  “Yeah, what a hell of a way to find out. Let’s get the next few deliveries done and then take that last one to Alana’s place,” Jaxon told Jeb and Gator.

  “Should you call Geno to check on Gabe?” Jeb asked.

  “I’m not quite ready to talk with him yet,” Jaxon said and then walked back toward the house to see what delivery was next. He wanted to get through them and make this day end. Yet he also wanted to see Alana again, and he told himself it was because he felt badly for her. He swallowed hard but felt that sixth sense kick in. The one that told him this situation wasn’t over with Alana. Not by a long shot.

  * * * *

  “Are you going to be okay?” Deanna asked Alana as she stood by her back porch looking out at the woods.

  “You and I talked about this for the last two hours. What choice do we have? You saw him, Deanna. He wanted nothing to do with me, with us.”

  “Maybe he’s suffering from one of those post-traumatic stress disorders or something? Or maybe something happened while he was serving. You know, Jaxon said he was held prisoner.”

  “Whatever it was, whatever happened to him, he’s not the same man I knew. The man I love,” Alana said and then covered her mouth to try and hide the sob.

  Deanna pulled her close and hugged her as tears rolled down her cheeks.

  “I don’t think I’ll be able to keep this from Teddy and Jim. I’ve never lied to them or withheld information.”

  “I know. Do what you feel is right.”

  Deanna looked out toward the wooded area and then to the old shed by the neighbor’s house next door.

  “It’s kind of creepy out here. You sure this place is okay for you?”

  “Deanna, don’t worry. I’ve got my guns.”

  Deanna smiled.

  “That’s right. The daughter of a Marine.”

  “Yup.” Alana walked Deanna out of the house. She waved goodbye and then headed back inside.

  Now that she was alone, she pulled out a picture of Gabe. The real Gabe. The one who’d said he would love her forever. She traced the wooden frame with her finger and smiled at his masculinity and happy expression. Today, he hadn’t looked happy. He looked withdrawn, sick, pale, and angry. For a split second, when he spotted her, she thought she saw excitement, love in his eyes, but just as quickly, it disappeared, and he told her he was dead.

  He wasn’t the man she knew. The one who spoke so sweetly to her, with passion and love. So many times over the last three years she’d gone over those great times she had with Gabe. They made her laugh. They made her cry, but there was also that sensation of feeling as though he was still alive. Now she knew it was more than a sensation. They were bound to one another.

  She gulped, trying to swallow the lump of emotion down her tight throat. Her nose tingled, and her nostrils flared as she grabbed the pillow and cried.

  * * * *

  Gator and Jeb showed up at Alana’s house to drop off the furniture and the items she had purchased. As Jeb walked up the front walkway, he could see down the side of the house and noticed someone standing by a tree. At first he thought it might be Alana, but then the person moved, and through the branches, Jeb could tell it was a man. He turned around as if he’d noticed Jeb had noticed him and then walked farther into the woods. Jeb got a very eerie feeling inside.

  “What’s wrong?” Gator asked him as he carried two of the boxes.

  He explained about the guy, and now Gator was concerned.

  “I hope it wasn’t some Peeping Tom.”

  “Me too. We should inform Alana and make sure she’s safe.”

  He rang the doorbell, and it took her some time to get there. When she opened the door, Jeb could tell that Alana had been crying. Her eyes brightened at the sight of them as she probably remembered the things she’d bought at the estate sale.

  “I’m sorry. I totally forgot about the stuff being delivered. Can you give me a minute to move some boxes?” she asked.

  “Sure thing, doll. Take your time,” Jeb told her.

  He watched her push some boxes around, and he couldn’t help but to check out her butt as she bent over. Gator cleared his throat, and Alana looked up as she stood.

  “This should be enough room. The place is small, so I need to use the living room as my office too.”

  “You picked a really nice piece. It has lots of drawers but isn’t too big. It will be great right there,” Jeb told her as he absorbed the pleasant scent of her home combined with her perfume.

  “Where would you like me to put these?” Gator asked, holding two boxes of beads she had purchased.

  “Oh, right down there on the rug is fine. I’ll need to get organized,” she whispered then had a far off look as she crossed her arms and appeared sad again.

  “We’ll get the piece,” Jeb told her.

  “She looks so sad. Been crying,” Gator whispered.

  “I know,” was all Jeb could say. He felt badly too.

  They got the piece down off the back of the truck, placed the lamp that came with it on top, too, and began heading up the sidewalk. Gator glanced toward the woods. “Did you mention the guy in the woods yet?”

  Jeb shook his head. Alana held the door open.

  They placed it down on the rug where she had cleared a spot, and Jeb and Gator complimented the location as Jeb fixed the lamp.

  “This is perfect, and it doesn’t take up too much room,” Jeb said as he glanced around the small cottage.

  “Listen,” Jeb continued. “I’m not sure if you lock your doors or sit out back at night, but when we pulled up, I saw some guy in the woods. He was just standing there, and it looked like he was looking this way. Not positive, but wanted to be sure you were aware of it. You never know who might be lurking around in that woods. It’s pretty big.”

  Her eyes widened, but she didn’t freak out like he expected. She calmly replied.

  “Thank you for telling me. I’m sure it was nothing, but you’re right. You never can tell. I do lock the doors. I’ve lived alone for quite some time.”

  Her eyes filled up with tears, and she covered her mouth with her hand.

  “Aw, honey. Don’t cry,” Jeb said and placed his hands on her shoulders. A moment later, he pulled her into his arms.

  The feel of her against his body aroused him but also gave him this overwhelming need to protect her and make her happy. It just wasn’t fair that such a pretty young thing was hurting. It made him feel pissed off at Gabe, yet the soldier in him understood.

  “It’s going to be okay,” Gator whispered and caressed her hair.

  Suddenly she lifted her head up.

  “Oh God. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you both fe
el uncomfortable. Can I get you a drink?”

  “I don’t think—” Gator began to say.

  “Sure,” Jeb interrupted and placed his hands in his pockets.

  The scent of Alana’s perfume and shampoo lingered in the air around him. He wondered if his shirt would smell like her even later as they drove back to the ranch.

  She walked toward the kitchen and opened the door to the refrigerator. After pulling out two waters, she came back and handed them out.

  “Thank you,” Jeb said, holding her gaze. Gator said thank you, too, and then stared at her.

  “You moved in pretty recently, huh?” Gator asked, breaking the silence.

  “Yes, only about three weeks ago. It’s a lot to get used to. But with working two jobs, I haven’t had a lot of time to unpack everything,” she told them.

  “Two jobs?” Gator asked as Jeb was thinking the same thing. Why was this woman having to work two jobs? She lived alone. Or so it seemed. Maybe she had debt. Lots of women over shopped or had bad spending habits. Although Alana didn’t seem the type at all.

  She shrugged.

  “Just keeping busy. Trying to just live, I guess,” she said in a sad voice.

  “Where are you working?” Gator thought to ask.

  “Well on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, I work at the clothing store in Salvation, and on Fridays and Saturdays, I work at Casper’s waitressing and doing some bartending.”

  “Really? We go into Casper’s often. I think I would remember seeing you,” Gator told her, looking her over.

  Alana pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “Well, I just got started there last weekend. Deanna’s husbands’ friends own the place. They hooked me up with the job.”

  “You mean the McCallisters?” Jeb asked.

  “Yes. You know them?”