The Soldier's Homecoming by Patricia Potter

Author:Patricia Potter [Potter, Patricia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2018-01-08T17:48:23+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

TRAVIS TRIED TO concentrate on the road ahead and not his passenger. It was becoming more and more difficult.

Dammit, the truth was he was falling hard for Jenny Talbot.

He couldn’t remember when he’d had a more pleasurable day or when he’d smiled quite so much. Jenny’s enthusiasm was contagious. She’d charmed everyone she met in Raton because, to her, everyone was the most interesting person she’d ever met.

He understood now how she wrote such powerful stories, particularly when she wrote about innocents caught up in war.

She connected with people in a way he’d never witnessed before. He understood why people talked to her when they wouldn’t talk to authorities or other reporters. She wasn’t just after a story. She genuinely liked and was interested in everyone.

It was a rare quality.

Once back in the car, she’d taken up his thick binder and appeared to be thoroughly engrossed in it. She’d abandoned her role as cruise director, especially when she realized there was but one route to take to get to where they were going. But she’d also forgotten about enjoying the scenery. Forgotten about her quest for another unique small town. She was completely engrossed in the binder.

He kept his eyes on the road. He wanted to get past Amarillo today, but he missed her questions and observations.

“I was surprised when I first started looking into equine therapy to find the number and variety of programs underway,” she said, breaking the silence.

“I was, too, until I talked to Josh,” Travis admitted. “He credits his dog, Amos, with saving his sanity, and Jubal says a horse on Luke’s ranch made him realize there was a world beyond war.”

“No one said anything about that.”

“They wouldn’t,” Travis replied. “It’s difficult to talk about. Soldiers don’t like admitting having a hard time coping after leaving the military, even to themselves.”

“I understand that,” she said. “I hate showing vulnerability.”

And there it was. Not weakness but vulnerability. There was a world of difference between the two concepts, and she understood it.

He’d watched her struggle with her shoulder, but she’d never complained or asked for help. She would have continued to try that saddle if he hadn’t stepped in. She had a lot of warrior in her, too.

“What about you?” she asked suddenly. “Are you having a difficult time?”

It was an intrusive question, but he was getting used to that from her. What he might resent as prying from someone else, her curiosity was as much a part of her as an arm or leg. It was an ongoing effort to understand her world and the people who lived in it.

There was a long silence while he tried to think of an answer. “I’m not out yet.” But then he added, “But yeah, for the first time in my life, I’m not sure of my next step.”

“You were in Iraq during the worst of it?”

“And Afghanistan. Syria. Other places you don’t hear about. My guys were mostly advisors who worked with the host country’s military. Problem was they had damn little protection, and the forces they trained weren’t always reliable.

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