by Kate Kinsley
Twenty minutes later, wearing his freshened clothes and a comfortable pair of shoes, he checked his reflection in the bathroom mirror and decided he passed inspection. After making sure he had his keys, phone, wallet, and cane, he retrieved a dog biscuit from another new box, this one in the pantry, and tossed it to Roscoe. “You’ve been fed and walked, the nice bed Chloe got you is in the living room, and the TV is on. You’re on your own for a few hours, buddy, but I’ll be back. Wish me luck.”
It was a good thing he hadn’t expected an answer from the dog, who was busy enjoying his treat, because he didn’t get one. Garth shook his head. “Thanks for the pep talk, dude. I’ll see you later.”
With the directions Chloe had given him, he’d driven the five-an-a-half miles in no time and easily found her place in a quiet neighborhood. The foundation of the Cape Cod style house was about the same size as his cottage, but, unlike his place, it had a second floor. The landscaping was neat, with flowers blooming in several beds, and a fence closed in the backyard.
Turning off the engine, he climbed out of his Dodge truck and shut the door. As much as he wanted to jog up the walkway because he was dying to see her, he took his time and used the cane as he’d been instructed to. He really hated the thing but understood if he didn’t use it until he was fully healed, he could have a setback, and that was the last thing he wanted.
When he reached the bottom of the front steps, the door swung open, and Garth almost swallowed his tongue. His date was wearing a teal and black dress that accentuated her luscious curves, and a pair of black heels that added miles to her already long legs.
He must have stood there staring, trying to get his heart and breathing started again, for longer than he realized because a flash of concern crossed her face and she glanced down at her dress. “Is something wrong?”
Garth cleared his throat and forced his gaze to meet hers. “Absolutely not. You’re—wow, you look stunning. I might have to use my cane to beat off some guys tonight.”
The blush he was finding more adorable and sexier each time he saw it stole across her face. “Thanks. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten dressed up for a date.”
“Then I guess that means I’m a lucky guy. Are you ready?”
She nodded. “I saw you coming up the walk and didn’t want to make you climb the stairs with your hip. Let me just grab my purse and keys and give Pepper a biscuit.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
When she disappeared into the house, Garth let out a heavy breath. Heaven help him, the woman was going to drive him crazy tonight, looking that gorgeous and sitting across the table from him at the restaurant he was taking her to.
A few minutes later, she was exiting the front door again and made sure it was locked tight before descending the stairs. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard his father tell him to hold out his arm to her. That cute blush returned as she slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow. “So, where are we going?”
“I made reservations for us at the Cobbler House.”
“Oh, I love that place. Whenever my parents come to visit, we go there.”
He opened the passenger door for her and helped her up onto the high seat, trying not to drool over her sexy legs and those killer shoes. He forced himself to focus on the conversation and couldn’t recall if she’d ever told him where her parents lived, although, he was positive she’d said she’d grown up in Fayetteville. “They . . . uh . . . they don’t live here still?”
“They used to, but three years ago they retired near the Outer Banks and love it there. They make the four hour drive a few times a year, and I do the same to visit them.”
Closing the door, he skirted around the front of the truck and climbed into the driver’s seat. During the ride to the restaurant, the conversation was as easy as it’d been whenever they’d chatted over the internet, and Garth found himself relaxing a little more. In fact, part of him felt like this was a first date, while another part felt like he’d known her forever, and there wasn’t anything awkward about it.
Glancing down at the seat between them, he saw her hand resting on the leather. Without a second thought, he reached over and threaded his fingers through hers. When she gave his hand a light squeeze, he never wanted to let go.
Chapter Seven
Two nights later, Garth fought against his demons. Explosions, gunfire, shouts in English and Arabic, and tortured cries of pain bombarded him as he was thrown back into that hellhole on the other side of the world. It took a few moments for him to realize some of those cries were his own. Scattered memories of several combat missions merged as one with the roadside bomb that’d hit their patrol, and he couldn’t distinguish the difference between any of them. He was in agony but was still shouting out orders to his men. He saw the upper body of a redheaded kid in his squad jerk unnaturally before he dropped to the dirt-covered ground. Garth tried to reach him, but something was holding him back, so he did the only thing he could think of—he called out, “Medic! Medic!”
Somehow in the chaos, he flipped over from lying face down to being supine. He was soaked in a cold sweat and the noise around him was deafening. A heavy weight pushed down on his chest, and he struggled to breathe and shove it off, but it was immovable. Something wet and smelling godawful lashed across his face—once, twice. His hands found the source of the weight on him and delved into soft fur. It was so out of place, and as his fingers ran over the object, the clamor dulled a bit. Another wet stroke laved his cheek, and the destruction around him faded.
Blinking his eyes open, he found himself face-to-face with Roscoe, and the last of his nightmare disappeared. As the dog continued to lick his face, Garth concentrated on getting his breathing under control. That wasn’t the first time he’d had a PTSD-related nightmare, and he doubted it would be the last. But this was the first one he’d had at home, and it’d been different. He hadn’t woken up, almost falling out of the bed, in such utter pain that it felt like he was being ripped in half. He hadn’t screamed his throat raw. He hadn’t panicked and lashed out at anyone or anything—not that there was anyone else in the room other than Roscoe, but, to his relief, he hadn’t hurt his dog. In fact, the big pit bull had pulled Garth out of the terror he’d been wrapped in and had kept him from re-injuring himself.
As his heart rate slowed, he ran his hands up and down Roscoe’s body and gently thumped his flanks a few times. “Thanks, buddy.”
The dog let out a low whine and licked his owner’s face again. “Good boy . . . ugh.” Garth moved his head to the side, so his nose and mouth were out of the target zone. “Thanks. But, um . . . dude, we’ve gotta get you something for that bad breath if you’re going to be my guardian angel every night.”
After giving Roscoe a final ear scratch, Garth rolled up into a sitting position with his feet on the floor and ran his hands down his sweat and drool covered face. He glanced at his bedside clock and was surprised to see it was only a quarter after eleven. He’d only been asleep less than an hour. Well, shit.
Pushing off the mattress, he stood and limped to the door of the bathroom, not bothering to shut it when he crossed over the threshold. After relieving himself, he washed his hands, then turned the water to cold and splashed his face a few times before grabbing a nearby towel to dry off. He knew from experience it was going to be a few hours before he could fall back to sleep. At least his first PT session tomorrow wasn’t scheduled until the afternoon.
Behind him, on the nightstand next to his bed, his cell phone chimed with a text, and he made his way back there, picking it up as he sat down on the mattress. Roscoe crawled closer and laid his big head next to Garth’s hip. Unlocking the screen, he was pleased to see a text from the woman he was falling for.
Chloe: I know it’s late, but I took a chance you were still up. I had a great time tonight.
He smiled as he thought back to a few hours ago. He’d picked her up at work and taken her out for pizza and a round of miniature golf. Occasionally
, his teammates would meet up at the Putter Time Mini Golf to goof around and blow off some steam. When he’d mentioned it to Chloe at dinner the other night, she admitted it’d been years since she’d played the game, so he’d announced that was what they’d do for their second date. Little did he know at the time, it would also set the stage for their first real kiss.
After dinner at the Cobbler House two nights ago, even though they’d enjoyed themselves, they’d both been tired—him more than her. His jet lag had started to kick in, and after only one glass of wine, he couldn’t stop himself from yawning by the time dessert had arrived. Thankfully, Chloe hadn’t been insulted, telling him she completely understood his system needed a few days to get back into the right time zone. So, after driving her home, he’d walked her to the bottom of her front steps and given her a brief, sweet kiss before telling her he’d call her the next day. As much as he wanted her in his bed, he also didn’t want to rush her into anything. The more he interacted with her, the more he was convinced she was the one, and the last thing he wanted to do was screw things up.
When he’d dropped her off at her house a few hours ago, there had been no denying the attraction they were both feeling, and, when he’d kissed her for the second time, his world had tilted on its axis. He could still feel her soft lips under his and taste her on his tongue.
Lying down on the bed, he texted her back.
Garth: I had a great time too. When can I see you again?
Chloe: Is tomorrow night too soon?
Garth: Not at all. What would you like to do?
Chloe: How about I make us dinner at my place? Thursdays, one of my employees closes for me so I get to go home early. We can watch a movie afterward.
Before a fantasy of what they could do after dinner at her place could take over his mind, he quickly texted her back.
Garth: Sounds great. Should I bring a red or white wine?
Chloe: White will be fine, and I would love some of that coffee you gave me the other day, if it’s not too much trouble.
Garth: Trouble? Hell, no. Even if I didn’t have some here, I'd have found a way to get some to bring with me just because you asked.
Her last text was a smiley face followed by, “Have a goodnight. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” Despite his rude awakening a short time ago, Garth had a feeling, between his digital chat with Chloe and the snoring pit bull lying beside him, he might actually be able to fall back asleep. And a few minutes later, once he’d found a comfortable position, and with thoughts of Chloe on his mind, slumber overtook him.
Chapter Eight
“That was fantastic, Chloe,” Garth said before bringing his napkin to his mouth and wiping it. “You’re a great cook.”
As she sat catty-corner to him at the dining room table, her cheeks pinkened at the compliment. Between her fettuccine carbonara, the wine, jazz music playing from her Alexa device, and the tapered candles, china, and linens on the table, she’d done her best to create a romantic atmosphere. And from the way Garth had been looking at her throughout the meal, with desire in his eyes, she’d been successful.
“Thank you. Actually, you can thank my mom. She loves to cook. Some of my favorite times with her were helping her out in the kitchen.”
He smiled and picked up his wine glass. “You lucked out. The best meals at my house were takeout. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my mom—my dad too—but she wasn’t the greatest cook in the world. No matter how much she tried to follow a recipe, something always went wrong. Although, she did excel at macaroni and cheese—from the box, of course.”
“How long have your parents been gone now?” From past conversations, she knew both his parents were deceased but hadn’t gotten the details yet.
“My mom’s been gone six years, and my dad three. She died of a brain aneurysm and him of a heart attack—although, a broken heart is probably a better diagnosis. They were madly in love and it shredded him to lose her. He told practically everyone he’d ever met that she was the love of his life.”
“That’s so sweet.”
He nodded. “It is. I—”
A loud snore from under the table cut off whatever he was about to say, and they both laughed. Garth peered down. “Way to interrupt there, dude.”
Both Roscoe and Pepper had settled under there after romping around in the backyard to expend some energy. And now, just like old times, they were curled up together. The domesticity of the entire evening had Chloe wishing they could do this every night. Since their first date the other night, she’d known he was the one. They had so much in common yet were different enough to fall into the “opposites attract” category.
Chloe was thrilled Garth was moving forward with the plans to take over the bookstore. She was looking forward to taking a few breaks throughout her workdays to pop in to see him, and Roscoe would be hanging out with her and Pepper while Garth was working. It was funny how the dogs seemed to act like a couple, just like their humans were. Well, they weren’t exactly a couple yet. This was only their third date. But Chloe felt like she’d known Garth for years, after getting to know him through their emails and Skype sessions, and she wondered if he felt the same way.
Pushing back her chair, she stood and picked up their plates. “Let me clean up and then we can find a movie to watch.”
Garth quickly got to his feet. “Let me help.”
He grabbed a few items from the table and followed her into the kitchen. As she loaded the dishwasher, she gestured to the machine on the counter next to the refrigerator. “Why don’t you make us some coffee while I take care of this?”
His eyes lit up, and he smirked. “Oh, so that’s the real reason why you invited me tonight. Not for my company—or my body—you just wanted my coffee.”
She laughed. “You mean, I can’t want all three?”
As he passed by her, he placed a kiss on her cheek. “You can have anything of mine you want, sweetheart. But, for now, we’ll start with my coffee.”
A few minutes later, they were sitting on her couch, scrolling through Netflix to find something they both agreed on. The delicious aroma of the specialty coffee Garth had brewed filled the air. Pepper and Roscoe had moved from the dining room to the family room where they’d hopped up on their favorite loveseat and got comfortable again.
A chuckle erupted from Garth’s chest as he put his arm around Chloe’s shoulders and tucked her into his side. “I think Roscoe misses being here.”
“He missed you more. Trust me, since you’ve been home, he’s happier than I’ve ever seen him.”
“Thanks for saying that. And thanks again for taking such good care of him all those months. I couldn’t have asked for a better foster mom for him.”
“I loved having him here,” she confessed. “In fact, my folks are coming to visit next week. You’ll have to bring him by. My dad fell in love with him.”
“The folks, huh? Wow, it’s been a long time since I was introduced to a girlfriend’s parents. Hope I remember what to do and not do.”
Her eyes widened as she gaped at him, and when he saw her expression, he asked, “What’s wrong? Think I’ll screw it up?”
She shook her head. “Not at all. It’s just . . . um. Am I? Your girlfriend, I mean?”
A smile spread across his face. “I sure as hell hope so. When I was getting the wine earlier, I told some woman who hit on me that she was out of luck because I had a girlfriend. And I was referring to you, of course.”
“Of course,” she said with a giggle.
He leaned down and let his lips brush over hers. When she couldn’t hold back a moan of pleasure, he deepened the kiss and every thought but how much she’d fallen for this man fled her mind. Yup. It was a pretty safe bet she was Garth Andrews’s girlfriend.
Chapter Nine
Four and a half months later . . .
Mike slapped Garth on the back. “You ready for this, dude?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Today was the grand opening of the Daily Grind,
and even he couldn’t believe how easily the little bookstore had changed into a café. With the help of Chloe and their friends, Garth’s dream had become a reality in short order. Everything had come together without a hitch, and he was officially a business owner as of this morning.
A large crowd consisting of his teammates and their families, his non-military friends, the employees he’d hired recently, and Chloe’s staff, who had their current charges on leashes, gathered in the parking lot in front of the Daily Grind. Also in attendance were Mrs. Schofield, Chloe’s two sisters and their parents, who’d driven in for the grand opening, and some of the surrounding business owners, along with their employees and clientele. There were red, white, and blue bunting, streamers, and balloons decorating the parking lot and front of the café. The only thing that hadn’t been revealed yet was the banner that hung just below the new sign that read, “The Daily Grind Café” with a steaming espresso cup next to it. A smaller sign on the door announce that the business was veteran owned and run. All his new employees were either retired veterans or spouses of those currently serving at Fort Bragg.
“All right, then. Let’s do this!” Mike put his fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly, getting everyone’s attention. “Retired Staff Sergeant Andrews, aka the coffee snob, has a speech to make.”
Laughter rumbled through the crowd then quieted. Garth stood in front of the plate glass window, with Roscoe by his side, and looked out over all the people there to support him. Chloe was standing front and center, with Pepper’s leash in one hand and her phone in the other as she prepared to record whatever he was about to say.