The SEAL's Return

by Patricia Potter

  “I don’t know who you mean.”

  “The kid I saw last night. You know, the one who took off and left you holding...the evidence. You don’t seem any better at picking friends than you are at building a fire.”

  “I hardly knew him,” Gordon mumbled.

  Jubal raised an eyebrow. “Doesn’t say much for your judgment, though, does it? Back to my question. You can read directions? Yes?”

  “Yeah, but...”

  “Anyway, I want a bench,” Jubal said in a tone that intimidated most people. “I’ll pay for the supplies, but you have to give me an acceptable design and build it.”

  “A design? I don’t know anything about building furniture.”

  “It’s not furniture. It’s a bench. A rustic bench on the dock. I assume you can use a computer. Lots of do-it-yourself plans there. Bring me a couple.”

  “You gotta be kidding. I thought...” Gordon stopped midsentence.

  “You thought you could mow a lawn once or twice?”

  The kid’s face told him that’s exactly what he thought. “I don’t have tools.”

  “I’ll supply them once you bring me a worthy design and a list of materials you need.”

  The kid looked mutinous. Obviously, he was having an internal argument. He didn’t want to do it, but he didn’t want the fire reported and to have to suffer the consequences, either.

  “You really a friend of the police chief?”

  “He saved my life in Afghanistan. Piloted the chopper that rescued my team. That tends to bond people. We’ve been friends since. It’s why I’m here.” Jubal usually didn’t talk about that but he wanted to define the relationship.

  “For real?” the kid said.

  “Yeah, for real,” Jubal said.

  Whatever defiance remained in the kid’s face faded away. “I’ll try,” he said in a subdued voice.

  “Never try,” Jubal said. “You don’t get anywhere by just trying. You do it.”

  “When?”

  “Let’s say Friday to see the plans and a list of materials needed to build it. I want several different plans,” Jubal said.

  The kid’s eyes widened. “No way,” he said.

  “Hell, all you have to do is find something on the internet,” Jubal said. “You thinking about going into the military? Well, you won’t get a week to go on the internet and find a plan someone else designed.” He stood. “Any other questions?”

  The kid looked sucker-punched.

  “Got a ride?” Jubal asked.

  “I have a bike,” the kid said.

  “But not last night?”

  “Someone picked me up in a car.”

  “Where did you find that loser?”

  The kid winced. “Met him at the football field. He dared me. Said all new kids had to prove themselves.”

  “And you were mad enough to do it?”

  “My sister had no right to bring us here,” the kid said angrily. “Chicago’s our home.”

  “Just out of curiosity, what’s so great about Chicago? Seems to me you’re screwing up wherever you are.”

  The kid’s face grew red. Jubal was pleased Gordon held his tongue in check.

  “See you Friday,” he said, dismissing the kid. “Two p.m.”

  Gordon stood there for a moment, obviously not quite sure what just happened. Then he mumbled something and left.

  * * *

  AFTER LISA RETURNED to the house from picking up the dog, along with several bags of dog food, toys, a dog bed, leash and canine paperwork, she started in on the pile of patient files.

  It wasn’t easy. The newest resident raced around the house, exploring, until both Kerry and Susie were banished to the yard. But the pure joy on Kerry’s face lightened Lisa’s heart. She hadn’t seen that joy in a very long time.

  If only she could see it on Gordon’s face.

  The phone rang. It was Janie at the clinic. “Can you catch a house call?” she said. “I know you don’t start officially until tomorrow, but it’s a six-year-old girl, and her mother is worried.”

  Lisa had already learned that Dr. Bradley made house calls, and she readily agreed. She drove to the clinic office and studied the child’s records before heading out.

  The mother, Amy Pritcher, was at the door when she arrived and led her into a bedroom. Teresa, her young patient, looked apprehensive when Lisa entered her room.

  “Hi, there,” Lisa said. “You must be Teresa. I’m Dr. Redding, and I’m going to make you feel better, okay?”

  The girl nodded.

  Lisa took her temperature and pulse, then examined her throat and ears. When she finished, she turned to the mother. “She has an infection in her left ear.” Lisa prescribed ibuprofen and a heating pad. “If her temperature goes up, call me night or day, okay?” She gave Amy one of the sample bottles of ibuprofen she carried with her.

  On the way out, the mother met her at the door with a tin box. Dr. Bradley had warned her that would probably happen with patients and advised her to accept the gifts to avoid hurt feelings.

  Lisa accepted with thanks and felt an unexpected exhilaration. A success. A small success, but it was a transition, and it felt good. The little girl had looked at her with such hope and the mother with gratitude. Her first house call, and she enjoyed it.

  She also liked Janie’s grin as she reported on the house call.

  “Not like a big hospital, is it?” the nurse asked.

  “No, but I expect there are some difficult patients, as well.”

  “The veterans are the worst,” Janie said. “They don’t call unless they’re critical. They think they’re indestructible.”

  From the look of Eve’s husband and the man she met today, Lisa didn’t doubt it. She nudged the latter from her mind as she and Janie went over the billing procedures and their drug supply. When they finished, Janie sighed.

  “I’m glad you’re here, Doctor. We need you. Dr. Bradley needs you. The town needs you,” Janie said.

  There were no appointments and the two of them went over the records of the next day’s patients.

  We need you. It felt good to be needed. Of course, she’d been needed in the hospital, but then it had been more impersonal. Lisa glanced around her office. Hers. At least for a year. The comfortable-looking chairs in the waiting room and the nature prints on the wall gave the room warmth.

  She looked at her watch. Nearly five. Her siblings would be hungry.

  She called the number at their house. No answer. Then she tried Gordon’s cell. To her surprise, he answered with a grumpy, “Yeah?”

  “Are you home?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Where’s Kerry?”

  “In the backyard with that dumb dog.”

  “It’s not a dumb dog. Have you eaten anything?”

  “No.”

  “You and Kerry haven’t been to the park. I can get some takeout from Maude’s and we’ll have a picnic. Maybe you two can explore the community center.”

  A silence, then a reluctant, “All right.”

  She was stunned at his agreement but would happily accept small gifts. “What do you want from Maude’s?”

  “What do they have?”

  He actually answered. Lisa was encouraged. “Most anything, I think.”

  “Cheeseburger and fries.” Reluctance dripped from his voice.

  Lisa ignored the tone. “Ask Kerry what she wants.”

  She heard a door slam then, and Kerry was on the phone. Lisa repeated her question.

  “A salad with chicken,” Kerry said. “A light dressing and an iced tea. Can I bring Susie?”

  “I don’t see why not. I’ll pick you guys up at home in ten minutes.”

  After she hung up the phon
e, she called Maude’s and placed the order.

  Twenty minutes later, the three of them plus Susie arrived at the park, food and drinks in hand. The cheeseburger must have met Gordon’s high standards because it disappeared in record time. Kerry shared a small bite of chicken with Susie. Lisa forced herself not to say anything. Not this time. Everything was going too well.

  To her surprise, Gordon checked out the area around the community center. When he returned, she suggested they visit the center itself. Despite the fact it was nearly seven, there were several cars in the parking lot that apparently served both the center and park.

  “Can I take Susie inside?” Kerry asked.

  The dog barked at the sound of her name.

  “I don’t know,” Lisa said. “I don’t even know if it’s open, but we’ll find out. Maybe Gordon could look after her while we go in and ask.”

  “Ugh!” Gordon grumbled. But he took the leash. “We’ll stay here,” he said.

  The community center door was unlocked, and Lisa and Kerry went inside. They found a large desk in the entry hall. Atop it sat a bell with a sign saying Ring Me. When Lisa did just that, a woman came down the stairs. Lisa noticed she wore a brace on her hand.

  The woman reached the landing. “Hi. Welcome to the center. I’m Andy Stuart. You must be the new doctor. I’m really glad you dropped by.”

  Lisa nodded. “I’m Lisa Redding, and this is my sister, Kerry. She was hoping she could explore the library but she wanted to know if she can bring her dog inside. She just adopted it.”

  “Sure,” Andy said with a grin. “At times, there are more dogs in here than people.” She turned to Kerry. “Hi, the library is to the left, along with a number of public computers. Business is slow since it’s the weekend before school starts. Come on, I’ll show you around.”

  “My brother’s outside with the dog...” Lisa started, then stopped when she heard a loud yell from outside.

  Lisa turned toward the door, but Kerry was faster and flung it open. Susie was racing across the park, the leash trailing behind her, and Gordon was running after her. The dog would stop and sniff something, then dash off again as Gordon approached. It was obviously a game to her.

  “Susie!” Kerry cried, and ran after her brother.

  Her heart pounding, Lisa followed. Kerry couldn’t take another loss. She passed Kerry and was almost up to Gordon when the dog reached the road that bordered the park. Susie turned and ran straight down the middle of it. Gordon was at least ten feet behind but wasn’t catching up.

  Through the corner of her eye, she saw a car start to turn onto the road just as the dog raced across the street, then ducked back again as Gordon nearly caught the leash.

  Susie started back across the street again. The dog was so fast the driver of the car apparently didn’t see her or Kerry, who was running to intercept Susie.

  Lisa shouted and raced toward Kerry, but she knew she was too late. Then suddenly Lisa saw a tall figure in shorts and a T-shirt appear out of nowhere. He pushed Kerry out of the car’s path and snatched the dog up.

  The driver jammed on the brakes. The car skidded to a stop, but the bumper hit the runner and slammed him to the payment. The dog bounced out of his arms and ran to Kerry where she lay on the street.

  Lisa reached Kerry and dropped to her knees. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m okay. Susie...”

  “She looks a lot better than you do,” Lisa said as she checked Kerry over. As far as she could tell, Kerry had some open road burns on her forearms, but otherwise she seemed okay.

  The little dog wriggled in Kerry’s arms and licked her face. Lisa tried to slow her racing pulse. Then she turned to the runner, who was getting to his feet. The man she’d met earlier today. He was bleeding from several cuts.

  Galloping Gulliver! It was an expletive she’d learned from her mother to use in lieu of a less acceptable one. It had been handed down from her mother’s mother. It seemed perfect now.

  “Thank you,” she said, hoping her voice wasn’t breaking. “And you’re hurt!”

  “No big deal,” he said. “Superficial. Is Kerry okay?”

  Lisa nodded, surprised he had remembered her sister’s name. “Thanks to you. She has a few superficial injuries but nothing compared... I mean, to think what could have...” She sucked in her breath. She was shaking. She, who didn’t think twice when she treated some of the worst wounds one could imagine, was not coping well when it came to her family.

  The older woman stepped out of the car. “I’m so sorry,” she said, a tremor in her voice. “There’s not usually traffic on this road and I was thinking about something else.”

  “It wasn’t your fault,” Jubal Pierce said. “The dog ran in front of the car.”

  “But if you hadn’t been there...” Tears were forming in the woman’s eyes.

  “I was, and no harm done,” Jubal replied. His voice was gentle. Disconcerting coming from the brusque man with cool eyes and impressive muscles under his T-shirt.

  “You must be the new veteran,” the older woman said. “I’m June Byars. I live two houses down from your cabin.” Then she turned to Lisa. “Are you sure your daughter is okay?”

  “She’s my sister. I’m Lisa Redding, the new doctor. I’m sure she’ll be all right. And Mr. Pierce is right. It wasn’t your fault. My dog ran in front of your car. If anything, I’m so sorry to have put you and Mr. Pierce at risk.”

  Her gaze returned to the bloodied man, who watched her with those darn compelling blue eyes. Blood oozed from a wide gash on his left knee along with other scrapes on his leg. His left hand, which apparently bore of the brunt of the fall, was also bleeding. She turned to him. “I have bandages and antibiotics in my car back at the community center. I can follow you home and take care of those cuts.”

  Amusement flickered in his eyes. “It’s nothing. I’m perfectly able to take care of myself.”

  Lisa noticed then that Gordon had backed away. He looked as if he longed to be anywhere else. He must know a lecture would come later. And questions. How had Susie gotten loose?

  She turned back to Jubal. “It may not make you feel better, but it would make me feel better if I looked at them.”

  He hesitated.

  “Please,” Kerry interceded as she stared in horror at the blood dripping on the ground. “I’m...so sorry.” Gordon, on the other hand, had turned around and was headed back to the community center—slinking back was more like it.

  Jubal looked at Kerry. Tears were forming in her eyes. “All right, but I’ll walk back. I don’t want to stain your car. I’m in the last cabin on the road.”

  “You’ll let me know if I can do anything,” Mrs. Byars added anxiously.

  No way was he going to take her up on that offer, Lisa sensed, but he gave the older woman a smile that would charm a rattlesnake and nodded. Then he turned and headed down the road.

  Lisa took Susie’s leash from Kerry. She wasn’t going to get away again. Stephanie didn’t mention this part of dog ownership.

  Gordon was waiting for them at the car in the community center lot. “I’ll walk back,” he said.

  “You won’t wait for us?”

  “Nothing I can do,” he said, his gaze not meeting hers.

  “You could have apologized,” she said. “You let the dog go.”

  “Well, it’s all okay now.” He turned around and started toward town.

  Lisa sighed. Nothing seemed to get through to him.

  Andy had walked from the community center to where they stood. Lisa explained what happened.

  “I’m a RN,” Andy said. “I’ll take care of your sister and watch the dog while you see to Mr. Pierce. We have a first aid kit here.”

  Lisa hesitated, then nodded. She went to her car and drove down the street. She caught up with
Jubal Pierce as he turned into a driveway and followed him to an attractive, rustic-looking cabin with a porch stretched across the front.

  As she stepped out of the car and went to the trunk for her medical bag, she noticed he’d stopped at the steps and taken off his T-shirt. He tore it and wrapped the strips around his knee and hand to stop them from bleeding. He then opened the screen porch door and waited for her.

  “Shouldn’t you have stayed with your sister?” he asked.

  It was an obvious attempt to get rid of her. She ignored it. “There’s an RN at the community center. She’s tending to Kerry.” She took a deep breath as she looked at his bare chest. It was covered with old scars, as if he’d been whipped and burned. His eyes met hers. Challenged her to comment.

  She didn’t. “Bathroom?”

  He opened the main door to the cabin and led the way down the hall to a bathroom.

  “This isn’t necessary,” he said again as he held the door to the bathroom open. “I’ve had medic training. I can take care of this. If your sister hadn’t asked...”

  “Let’s just say I need to satisfy myself.” She eyed the bloodstained and torn t-shirt as he unwrapped it. “That’s a goner. I’ll replace it.”

  “No, you won’t,” he said flatly. “It was old. I didn’t want to bloody the floor and it was no loss.” He remained standing, obviously uncomfortable.

  “Sit down,” Lisa said in her best no-nonsense voice.

  To her surprise, he plopped down on the closed commode seat. His sheepish expression touched her heart. Oddly enough, he seemed to understand her need—and Kerry’s—to do something he obviously thought completely unnecessary.

  Her gaze met his and for several seconds she couldn’t turn away. His eyes were impossibly blue and intense. Her stomach tightened. She tried to still the runaway attraction that was overruling her brain, but she was too stunned by it.

  He was lean but well-muscled and his arms and legs were deeply tanned. He obviously worked out. He’d been out on a run before...the near-accident. He was all alpha male, the opposite of what she’d thought to be her type.

  His tanned, chiseled chest was marred by scars. She’d seen bodies torn by gunfire and explosions and sharp objects. While she noticed two obvious bullet wound scars, there were also scars from other sources. Burns. Cuts. Blows that probably had resulted in broken bones. There were ridges around his wrists. It was obvious he’d been tortured.