Steven's Solace: A SEALs of Honor World Novel (Heroes for Hire Book 29) by Dale Mayer

Author:Dale Mayer [Mayer, Dale]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Military, Romance
ISBN: 9781773367736
Publisher: Valley Publishing Ltd.
Published: 2023-06-05T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter 8

Opal woke up from her nap, unsurprised to find that she was still tucked up against Steven’s shoulder. She gently patted his chest, snuggled closer, and yawned. “This is becoming a bad habit.”

“I think it’s a good habit,” he murmured, wrapping an arm around her and holding her carefully. “Obviously it’s what you need to be able to sleep.”

“Sure, but for how long?” she asked. “I’m not used to depending on someone for something so simple as sleep.”

“Doesn’t matter,” he countered. “This is not the time to be worried about such things.”

She knew he was right. “It definitely isn’t, but it’s hard not to.” Yet he made it all sound so sensible and so normal, and yet none of it was. Nothing about any of this could be labeled normal. And yet she could do nothing to make it that way either. She yawned and gave him a hug and then slowly shifted, wincing as her back complained from her awkward sleeping position.

“Sore?” he asked.

“All of me is sore still.”

He nodded. “It’ll take several more weeks. You know that, right? Soft tissue damage takes a while to heal.”

“I was hoping it would take less,” she mumbled. “My face is still hot and swollen. Everything feels as if I’ve been run over by heavy machinery.”

He smiled. “You have been, so honor the healing process. Try not to get too far ahead of yourself and all this.” Steven waved his hand around the room. “Realize and accept that it will take time to get where you want to be.”

“Taking time is one thing,” she muttered. “I don’t want it to take more time than it needs to.”

He chuckled. “I was expecting you to not be very tolerant anyway, so this attitude isn’t really a surprise.”

She looked at him, then shrugged. “I don’t have patience for being ill.”

“You never did, as I recall.”

“I never understood that,” her mother spoke up from within the circle of Marshal’s arms. “I don’t know how it is that you could possibly not go down sick like the rest of us,” Ruby said peevishly. “It’s almost as if you have some extra healing ability. Even if everyone else was sick, you were fine.”

“Oh, if I were to have such a talent, I could really use it right now.” She yawned again.

“Do you want to go back to sleep?” Steven asked her.

“No, now that everybody’s home, safe and sound, I guess I could use some food.”

“Such a mundane thing,” her mom noted. “I don’t even think I can cook right now,” she cried out, her arms shaking and wrapping around her own body. “I need this all to go away.”

“Which is also why I’m suggesting we leave,” Marshal reminded her, his voice only off a little from his recent attack.

Opal could sympathize. “I don’t want to run. I want this over. I want it finished, and I want closure. But this is my hometown. There’s no reason I should have to leave. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Maybe,” Steven

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