A Maverick for the Holidays by Leanne Banks

Author:Leanne Banks
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2012-12-28T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Forrest awakened the next morning after dawn. By the slant of the sun through the window curtain, he suspected it was way after dawn. He inhaled deeply and was pleased that it wasn’t still dark. Angie had worn him out. Thank goodness.

He assessed his body from head to toe and noticed he didn’t hurt all over. Just his leg ached. His usual good-morning wake-up call since the IED had changed his life and taken others.

Slowly rising, he was relieved that he didn’t have a fever. He knew without Angie touching his forehead or belly. Although, he damn well would have welcomed her touch, despite the fact that he shouldn’t.

Forrest went to the shower, the hot water soothed him at the same time it refreshed him. He forced himself to turn it off and exit the shower. Cool air rushed over his naked body. He shaved his two-day-old beard and rinsed his face with cold water. Rubbing deodorant under his arms, he pulled on a T-shirt and underwear and left the bathroom.

The air in the house was still cool which made it easy for him to pull on his jeans and a cotton sweater. He remembered the days when he’d awakened to dress in his uniform. Now, he had a different purpose. Forrest wasn’t always sure what that purpose was, but he was working on it. Every day, he was working on it. Every day, he was sucked into new ways of making a difference. Back in Iraq, he’d never dreamed of what civilians back home needed other than his military service. Now, he was up-front with all the messy problems of life in the States.

In some ways, civilians had it harder than the military. The army dealt with the immediate threat of wartime. Civilians faced everyday threats: illness, financial difficulty, crappy weather, undependable cars. Daily life took more persistence. War could take a life in a moment. A tour of duty in Iraq lasted twelve to fifteen months at the most. A tour of duty in civilian life could last forever.

He did a light workout then decided he needed to go into town. He’d been cooped up too long in the rooming house. Cabin fever. His brother and Antonia would arrive home later in the day. He drove his truck into town and grabbed a cappuccino. The sugar gave him an extra boost of energy. The barista was extra friendly, but he was focused on the caffeine and sugar.

He sat down at a table and looked out the window. The sun shone brightly, but the temperature was so cold the snow wouldn’t be melting any time soon. Forrest was glad he’d brought his sunglasses. From his peripheral vision, he saw the barista put a piece of paper on his table. He didn’t pick it up, but saw her name and phone number. Danielle, he saw.

Somehow, he wasn’t the least bit tempted. Instead of Danielle, he saw Angie with her big brown eyes. Angie, with the big hugs and bigger heart.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.