Broken Hero

“Not at the moment, but I have an appointment next week.”

“Really?””Yes.” I sigh against her soft skin. How does she always smell so amazing? “It’s been a while. But I called him again recently.”

Lucy nestles close and kisses my cheek. “That’s great.”

I sigh again and open my eyes. Hers are green, wide and earnest as they look into mine. “For the longest time, I didn’t think I’d laugh in a woman’s bed again. I didn’t think I had anything to offer.”

She smiles, achingly sweet. “You do.”

“You might still have to be patient with me from time to time.”

“I can be patient.” Her hand loops back and covers my shoulder. I know she’s thinking about the scar, and even if I don’t want to revisit things, she has a right to know.

And perhaps… perhaps telling her might make some of my memories a bit easier to bear. She trusted me with her past. I can be brave enough to the same to her.

So I rest my head against her neck and take a deep breath. “It was an ambush,” I say.

“An ambush?”

“Yes. Logan was there, too, actually. My unit was deployed in eastern Mali. It was a routine scouting mission, right on the outsides of the combat zone.” I look up to see the small frown on her forehead. I run my thumb over it. My pain is not hers to bear. “It wasn’t really war as you’d imagine it. Civil insurgencies are difficult to characterize. Anyway… We were ambushed. Greatly outnumbered, but we had the better armor, the better weaponry. We made it out. But I lost two men, and several more were injured. My shoulder was shot to hell.”

She curls closer. “And that was your last deployment?”

“Yes.” I’d been flown straight back stateside for treatment and weeks of physical therapy. It wasn’t a difficult wound-it wouldn’t kill me-but it knocked me out for a long while.

“Is that what you have nightmares about? The ambush?”

I close my eyes against her searching gaze. “Sometimes. There have been other things, too… I was in service for almost a decade. But I was lucky, most of the time. I didn’t see action all that often.”

“Do you get them often? The nightmares?”

I trace her collarbone. “They come and go. When I first got back home, I slept like the dead. Nothing would have woken me up. The nightmares only started about a year after I got back.”

She makes a small humming sound. “That makes sense.”

“It does?””Yes. You were healing physically, and when that was done… well, there was more healing to do.” She runs a hand through my hair, playing with the strands at the nape of my neck. “Did Logan serve under you?”

“Yes. I keep in contact with all of them, but Logan is the only one who stayed close by.”

She wraps an arm around my shoulders. “Thank you for telling me.”

I flip us over again. Smoothing back a tendril of her hair, I cup her cheek. She’s so beautiful it hurts. It’s impossible that she’s mine-I can’t possibly be allowed to keep her.

“Thanks for the massage.”

She smiles, close enough that our lips touch. “You’re welcome.”

“So, about us…” I say and run my hand down the curve of her waist. “We’re still under the wraps?”

Lucy nods. “I can’t imagine anyone would really mind, but let’s wait to tell everyone.”

“Mmm.” I kiss her, our lips moving in perfect sync, and have to stop myself from losing my train of thought. “Maybe we can announce it at the staff BBQ. That’s a few weeks from now.”

She grins. “Announce it? Have you gone from hermit to public speaker?”

“You clearly have no respect for personal growth.”

“Oh, I respect some forms of personal growth.” Lucy slides her hand down my stomach, her eyes turning sly.

“I can’t believe you just said that.”

“Maybe I’ve changed, too.”

I try to focus on my scattered thoughts and not on what her hand is doing. I know I only have seconds to spare before my baser desires take over. “How long do you think you’ll stay?”

Lucy glances over at my alarm clock. “I’m not sure. Maybe until-”

“In Claremont.”

Her green eyes flick back to mine. “I’m not sure,” she says. “I really like it here.”

“Indefinitely, then?”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Her responding smile tugs at something in my chest. “Indefinitely,” she agrees.

“Here you go!” I hand Mrs. Daniels the bag with her goods. “I added a few croissants as well, for your husband.”

“Why thank you! How did you know he loves them?”

“He let it slip the last time he was here. He might have also added that carrot cake is your favorite.”

“It’s my weakness.” She pretends to peer into the bag. “You didn’t add any of that, did you?”

“Not this time, but who knows? Maybe next time.”

She shakes her head with a smile. “I’ll just have to come back, then.”

“You’re very welcome.”

“I’ll see you next week, by the way-with my mat!”

“You’re coming to the yoga class?”

Mrs. Daniels nods, a hand on the door. “Yes. It’s all anyone can talk about in my book circle!”

“That’s great! I look forward to it already.”

She waves and leaves, the doorbell jingling gayly behind her.