Chapter Three #4
“Enough arranging the social calendar,” Josh said. Then he leaned toward Owen. “I don’t blame you for not wanting to swap war stories with the old duffers, but you’re with friends now. Tell us what went down with the mission. How did that suicide bomber get the drop on y’all?”
A chill swept through Owen. There it was.
The other elephant that followed him around.
He’d hoped for better with closer friends.
He understood people’s curiosity, but how come a town where damn near everyone had a vet or current military family member did folks fail to see talking about that day transported him back to waking up under the rubble?
The memories bubbled to the surface threatening to drown him.
He shut his eyes, trying to close off the thundering explosion blast followed by the crash of stone collapsing around them.
His friends’ blood curdling screams mixed with ones it took longer to recognize as his echoed in his head, leaving him weak.
Then the aftermath. Seeing his buddies torn apart, and realizing Landon was gone.
He couldn’t talk about what happened when he wanted to forget so damn bad. But he never would. The images of his buddies afterward would be with him forever, gnawing at his insides, while he fought to live with it. The best he could hope was good memories outweighed the bad.
Willing the nightmare away, he visualized locking them away in a dark vault. When he opened his eyes, the garage door creaked drawing his attention as Carly stepped into the kitchen.
When her gaze landed on him, her eyes widened.
He stepped forward. She spun around and darted back into the garage.
She knew he knew what she’d done. He followed, but when he reached the garage, she was heading down the driveway.
“Stop right there,” he hollered, and she surprised him by freezing. “We’re gonna talk in the backyard.”
For a minute, she looked as if she’d argue, but then she nodded and followed him.
When they stood on the redwood deck overlooking the backyard dotted with live Oaks and pine trees stretching out for miles in every direction, he cursed his body.
Before the bombing he’d been in top physical condition, and now he was huffing and puffing keeping up with this little filly.
“What the hell were you thinking, talking to my mother about my health issues? Did you really think I wouldn’t hear about it? ”
“I had hoped, but I should’ve known better. Who told you?”
“No one had to. With Mom checking on me every fifteen minutes like a cuckoo in a Swiss clock, even with a brain injury it was obvious something was up. A little direct confrontation and she cracked. Why did you do it?”
“First, I want to say I didn’t breach confidentiality.”
“That’s debatable.”
She titled her chin in defiance. “I spoke in generalities, and I qualified my statements with sometimes or some traumatic brain injury patients.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and stared her down as he tried to temper his anger.
Coming back to Service had been harder than he expected, especially with half the town here constantly reminding him Landon wasn’t.
Then seeing Addie, knowing he’d let her down, left him emotionally overdrawn.
Physically he wasn’t in much better shape because the energy it took to keep from falling on his face had wiped him out.
To top it off, his instant firecracker reaction to Carly the minute he spotted her, followed by her going behind his back to his mother, pushed him past his breaking point.
“The fact that you spoke in generalities is supposed to make what you did okay?”
She shook her head, sending her golden-brown hair floating around her pretty face. The knot in his stomach tightened, ratcheting up his anger.
“All I can do is apologize.”
“Not good enough. Since you’re not my therapist, you’ve got no right sticking your nose in my business. Is that clear?”
“About that.” Carly shuffled back and forth, her gaze locked on her worn cowboy boots. She nibbled on her lower lip for a few seconds, further testing his self-control.
“Is there more or is that all you’re gonna say?” he said, trying to sound flippant, rather than curious.
“I thought about our conversation and have changed my mind about working with you.” She licked her lips, and his pulse leapt.
“I’ve retained my certifications, but to keep my skills from getting rusty I should periodically work with clients.
That being the case, working with you would allow me to do that. ”
He stared at her, not for a minute buying the manure she’d spread on the pasture. Something else caused her to change her decision, but what? Or rather whom?
His pride told him to forget it, that he didn’t want her pity.
He’d be fine without her. That he could get his life together without her help.
Then the little voice inside, way down deep in his gut, the one he tried to ignore, whispered to him.
You think today’s been tough? It’s only the beginning.
Carly’s a fighter. You need her in your corner, so don’t look the gift horse she’s giving you in the mouth. Smile and say thanks.
“I appreciate it and will see you tomorrow.”