by Mimi Milan
“Not too sure you’d—” Josh ran a hand through his mop of hair. “Boy, you fixing to tell me there’s someplace better for you to be than with others who also fought for this country?”
“Well, if you’re going to put it like that—”
“That’s exactly how I’m putting it.” Josh spoke firmly, but a corner of his mouth turned up in a half smile. “We meet every third Sunday at two o’clock. You stop by and see me. Agreed?”
He eyed Tanner in a way that said he wouldn’t leave until he heard the right answer.
“Okay, then. It’s a deal.”
They shook hands again. Then Josh climbed back into the taxi and drove off. Tanner watched the car disappear before spinning around on his crutches to head into the coffee shop. He yanked open the front door, the smell of roasted beans hitting him full force, sending him reeling with delight.
“The smell of morning,” he softly murmured, entering the near-empty shop. He limped past the only two patrons in the place, returning a brief nod to one, and headed straight to the empty counter. He took a seat on one of the barstools, then looked around. It had been a while since he’d been in there – since before the last tour. Still, he was fairly certain at least one person should’ve been manning the place.
“Hello?” He called out. “Could I get some service please?”
He picked up a drink menu, debating if he should try some fancy latte or stick with his usual.
“Just a minute!” A voice called from the back room. “I’m just pulling a pan of scones out of the—”
The voice broke and Tanner looked up.
“You?”
Eva stared at him, a tray of fresh baked breads in her hands. Her brows knitted together in confusion. She set the tray on one end of the counter and approached him.
“If you’ve changed your mind about the therapy sessions, that’s great.” She smiled. “I don’t get off until later this afternoon, though.”
“What are you talking about?” Tanner sat up a little straighter on the stool. “What are you even doing here?”
His tone sounded a bit defensive even to his own ears. He couldn’t help it, though. All he wanted was to be left alone.
Right?
“What am I doing here?” She crossed her arms, her smile disappearing. “I work here! What’s your excuse?”
“I just wanted a cup of coffee!”
“So you couldn’t make a cup at home? You had to come to my job?” Her voice rose to match his. “Or could it be that maybe you finally realized how important your therapy sessions are, and you’re interested in getting to work.”
She smirked, a single brow arching high. She was obviously challenging him, trying to coerce him into accepting her suggestion. He was in no mood to change his mind, though. The last thing he wanted was to keep falling on his face in front of people – especially someone like her.
He took a steady breath. “Listen, Eva. I know you’re just trying to help, but I really don’t need it. In fact, all I really need is a cup of coffee.”
Eva let out an exacerbated sigh. “Tanner, you need a lot more than coffee. Trust me, I know. I’m a professional.”
Tanner snorted. “A professional what? Barista?”
Eva’s mouth dropped open.
“How dare you!”
Her voice rose, attracting not only the looks of the few customers in the shop, but also the attention of another employee. A woman in her early forties walked out of the back room. Tanner immediately recognized her as the owner for which the café was named after.
“What is going on here?”
Eva snapped around.
“Phoebe! Oh, I’m so sorry.” Eva rushed back behind the counter. “I was just trying to get these scones out when… when…”
She pointed back behind her, flustered.
The owner rolled her eyes. “First you were late, then you brought that—”
“I know!” Eva interrupted. “And I’m so sorry. It’s just that things have been a little… well, a little…”
Tanner let out a sigh. He wasn’t sure what all Eva had going on with her boss, and could justify why he should probably stay out of it, but the truth was that the argument was partially his fault. After all, he had been the one to snap at her first with that snide remark about being a barista.
“Ms. Coffey?” Tanner said. “I don’t know if you remember me, but my mother helped decorate this café.”
Phoebe Coffey turned to Tanner. She gave him a big, toothy grin. “Oh, yes! Actually, I do remember you. How have you been, darling? How’s your mama?”
“She’s doing great. Busy working with, you know, her decorating and all.”
“And how about you,” the woman crooned. She pointed down to his amputated leg. “I heard about your terrible misfortune. If there’s anything I can do for you, anything at all—”
“A cup of coffee would be nice.”
“Certainly! You order anything you want, honey. It’s on the house. Just my little way of saying thank you for all you’ve done.” Phoebe frowned at her employee. “And Eva here would be glad to get it for you. Right, Eva?”
“Of course.”
Phoebe gave a satisfied nod before turning on a heel and heading into the back room again.
Eva’s lips drew into a thin line as she walked over to the deluxe coffeemaker. She poured a cup of regular, then turned back to Tanner and sat it down on the counter.
“Anything else, sir?” she asked, her expression a tad dour.
Tanner smiled at her dour expression. He poured two packs of sugar into his coffee. “Yeah. What kind of scones are those?”
“Blueberry,” she flatly stated.
“My favorite.” He took a sip from his cup. “I think I’ll have one of those, too.”
Eva grabbed a pair of tongs. She slapped one of the scones onto a plate, then placed it in front of Tanner.
“Anything else?”
Tanner took a large bite out of the scone and hardly chewed before swallowing. There was no mistaken the irritation in her voice, and Tanner had to admit – she was kind of cute when she was angry. He chuckled.
“What’s so funny?”
“You are,” he admitted.
Eva planted a fist on one hip. She squinted at him as she waved the other one – tongs dancing in midair.
“Really? It’s funny to see me get in trouble with my boss? Gee, that’s real nice.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Tanner laid the scone down.
“Then what did you mean?”
“Just that you’re, uh…”
“That I’m what?”
Tanner took a large swig from his coffee and fought the urge to spit it back into the cup. Man, it was hot! He set the cup back down and cleared his throat.
“Nothing, really.” Taking a napkin out of a nearby dispenser, he wrapped the scone in it and stuffed it in his jacket pocket. “I think I’ll just take this with me and head on out.”
He grabbed hold of his crutches and began to leave.
“Tanner, wait!” Eva called after him. He stopped when she came around the counter. “Look, I know you probably think I’m being some sort of nag. I suppose I kind of am… but I mean well. I really do. It’s not like I’m hounding you because I just want a passing grade. I spoke to your mom and I know how difficult things have been… for the both of you. I guess I thought I could help, and when I saw you come in… well… I thought that maybe you felt the same way. That maybe your mom had mentioned I work here, and you came in looking for me.”
Her eyes reflected the same mix of emotions Tanner felt. Hopeful, confused… He was being difficult and he knew it. Worse, he was doing it for no good reason other than his pride – the same pride that he had exhibited earlier in the taxi. However, he had accepted help then and things had turned out fine. Why couldn’t this work, too? Even if he never mastered walking without some kind of assistance, maybe it could help with his mother. It would make her happy to see he was at lea
st trying. Then she would stop coming up with all kinds of cockamamie ideas about him getting married.
His resolve finally crumbled. “Fine. We can give it a try.”
“Really?” Eva visibly brightened. “Great! I can swing by later today. Say, the same time as originally scheduled? Two o’clock?”
“Sure.” Tanner reluctantly agreed. “What have I got to lose?”
Chapter Eight
Eva tried focusing on the task at hand instead of her dog wildly barking outside. Surely he would stop after another minute or two.
“Okay. Keep holding that position for a few more seconds.” She instructed Tanner as he continued stretching his leg. “Hold… hold… Okay, done.”
Tanner sat back up, casually glancing over his shoulder to look at the window. He rolled his eyes and she could only imagine that he, too, was also tired of the incessant barking. He turned back to her. “I don’t see how this is going to help much. What I need to practice is balancing.”
“Yes,” Eva agreed from her place on the floor beside him. “However, more goes into balancing than you might think. There’s strengthening the muscles, as well stretching them before and after so you can get the full range of motion. Then you need to train yourself to bend at the knee while controlling your core – which will also require strengthening exercises.”
“I don’t need a fitness lesson.” Tanner rolled his eyes. “I was in the army. Remember?”
“I remember just fine,” Eva coolly responded. “However, you seem to have forgotten that you need to work just as hard as you did then. It can’t be a ‘once in a while,’ or ‘when you decide to go to the clinic’ sort of thing. It has to be routine – every day, rain or shine. You know, lace up your boot straps and march no matter what.”
She had borrowed a page from Dr. Nelson’s book and was afraid of how Tanner would react. However, he took it all in stride.
“You’re right. I don’t practice as much as I should. That’s something that needs to change.” His eyes narrowed. “As is the horrendous noise coming from outside.”
Eva shrugged. “I tried telling you he should’ve come in to begin with.”
“Or you could have left him behind.”
“Remember what I said when I first got here? I would have left him at home, but he has some sort of separation anxiety… and I can’t afford another complaint from my neighbor.”
“Oh, yeah. The ever unpleasant Mrs. Rainsworth. You did mention her earlier – something about a strange vendetta against you.”
“Exactly.”
Tanner conceded. “Fine. Whatever. You can bring in ghost dog.”
Eva rose and headed towards the door, but stopped. Curious, she spun back around. “Why do you say that? Why do you call him ‘ghost dog’ when you know his name is Hunter?”
Tanner looked away. Was he embarrassed or something? She couldn’t quite understand his reaction until he glanced back up. The expression she saw wasn’t one of embarrassment, but more like sadness mixed with pain.
“He looks a little like the dog that caused this.” Tanner motioned to his amputated leg.
Now she was thoroughly confused. “I don’t understand.”
“My team and I were trying to coax a dog out,” he quickly explained. “We didn’t realize he had a bomb attached to him.”
A bomb attached to…
She stilled. His words pounded into her like a ton of bricks. How could anyone be so cruel? So heartless? And Tanner… She could only imagine the devastation he must have felt.
“You said ‘we.’ What happened to the others? Did they—”She trailed off, not entirely wanting to ask the question weighing on her mind, but compelled to do so all the same. “Did they all make it?”
His voice was low. “All except one.”
Tanner’s head hung. She walked back over and sat down beside him. She wanted to offer her condolences, but didn’t quite know what to say that could possibly make up for his loss. So she simply laid a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her, a sad smile gracing her face. Reaching up, he cupped one hand over hers.
“Thank you.”
She nodded. “I guess I understand why it might be best if Hunter stayed outside.”
Tanner’s eyes grew wide. “No way. That dog couldn’t possibly stay outside.”
“Really?” Eva could hear the surprise in her own voice. “I guess I figured that – after everything you just said – you wouldn’t want him around.”
“Are you kidding? If you have problems with your neighbors, just imagine what mine might say. This is a pretty quiet community. Someone’s bound to kick up a fuss if your ghost – I mean, Hunter – keeps on barking. Best if you go ahead and bring him on in.”
“Yeah.” She agreed, but didn’t move. He looked at her strangely, and she couldn’t help but smile. He was apparently oblivious to the fact that his hand still cupped hers. “I think I might get out there a little quicker if you let go of my hand.”
Tanner glimpsed down.
“Oh!” He abruptly jerked his hand away. “Sorry about that.”
Eva only laughed. “No problem,” she said. “I’ll be back in two shakes.”
She bolted out the front door and returned a minute later with Hunter in tow. Tanner had pulled himself up onto the couch by then. Now he braced a crutch as he stood.
“He can stay in my sister’s old room.” He swung forward, heading down the main hall and called over his shoulder, “This way.”
Eva followed him, the dog wildly tugging on the leash as though eager to explore his new surroundings. She quietly reprimanded the animal and gently pulled back until he obediently walked beside her.
“In here,” Tanner said as he swung open the door to the bedroom and stepped aside.
Eva took in the sight of a modestly decorated room. Pastel walls of soft pink, a writer’s desk, and the most welcoming looking bed layered with a white feather down set. No knickknacks littering the floor; books or other belongings the dog could possibly destroy. Aside from the feminine feel, Eva would have never guessed the room had been used. She wanted to inquire about his sister, but decided against it.
“It looks safe,” Eva said. She unleashed Hunter and he began sniffing around.
“What’s he doing?” Tanner asked, warily.
“Don’t worry. The one thing he has definitely learned is to do his business outdoors – which he did as soon as I let him out of the car.”
“You don’t think he’ll try to mark his territory, though?”
Eva studied the dog for a moment. “Well, there’s never a guarantee of what an animal will do in an unfamiliar setting, but I think he should be fine. Besides, we’re already halfway through the session. That leaves – what? – about half an hour. How much damage could he possibly do?”
“Yeah,” Tanner agreed. “There’s not much for him to destroy in here anyway. Who knows? Maybe I’m just stalling so I don’t have to do anymore stretches.”
“Don’t worry,” she assured him, “it won’t always be stretching. I’m going to put together a comprehensive list of exercises for you to practice on your own.”
“Sounds good.” He motioned to the door. “After you.”
Eva stepped into the hall and turned back just in enough time to see her dog jump onto the nice white bed. He chomped down on one of the feather down pillows and pulled it out.
“Hunter!” She cried. “No, no.”
Eva raced over to the bed, Tanner following closely behind.
“Hey, you!” He hollered at the dog. “Drop that pillow right now.”
The dog stared at him for a moment, then released the pillow. Tanner leaned over to pick it up. The dog suddenly lunged forward. His teeth caught a corner of it and sank into the padding just as Tanner tugged the cushion away.
“Hunter!” Eva called to the dog again, grabbing hold of his collar to pull him back. There was a terrific sound of fabric tearing apart, and poof… feathers flew into the air. The dog barked, playfully
jumping up to catch the floating feathers. Eva stared in horror at the sight of Tanner standing there with the other half of the torn pillow in his hand. “I am so very sorry. I promise to buy a new one.”
Tanner’s expression changed from gawking to curious. A mischievous grin appeared and he raised the pillow only to bring it down again… smacking her in the head with it. Another flurry of soft feathers flew into the air. Eva gasped.
“Oh. It’s like that, is it?”
She quickly snatched up a second pillow from the bed and turned on Tanner. The sudden impact surprised him and he began to topple over. Eva instinctively reached out to steady him, her arms wrapping around his midsection. She was unprepared to catch his full weight, though. They both tumbled down, landing in a heap on the floor.
Tanner rolled off her and onto his side. He laughed.
“What’s so funny?” Eva scowled, but she couldn’t keep it for long. Despite her sore backside, the irritation swiftly dissipated when she saw the mirth in his eyes. It made her feel giddy… and something else.
His grin slowly faded; his expression grew serious. She was suddenly aware of every detail – the flecks of amber in his eyes and the tiny creases in each corner. She almost wished he would do something and when he finally did – when he gradually began to lean towards her – butterflies swirled about inside. She began to lean in, too.
Then the dog barked.
Hunter jumped off the bed. He landed with a thud beside them and began licking her face.
“Hunter!” Eva laughed. She reached past him, picked up a handful of the feathers, and threw them at the dog who turned his attention to Tanner.
“Hey, now!” Tanner sat up as the dog bestowed wet puppy kisses. “Keep your slobber to yourself, son.”
Eva giggled again – just as the alarm on her cell phone went off. She pulled the phone out of her pocket and looked at the time.
“Well, I guess that’s it for today,” she said. She stood and offered to help Tanner up. He grabbed hold of her hand as she continued, “Just tell me where the garbage bags are and I’ll start cleaning up this mess.”
Tanner brushed a few feathers off his shirt. “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “I can take care of it.”