Saving Easton (Oakside Military Heroes Book 2)(8)

Watching him for a few minutes, I really wish I knew what I could do to help him. I want to break him out of this prison he's trapped in and let him live again. I just don't know how.

But being here with Molly seems to help him, and if that's all I can do right now, then so be it. It will have to be enough.

For now.





Chapter 6





Chapter 6


Easton





As I stare out of the window while petting Molly, I try not to focus on the nurse in my room. She checks my vitals and asks if I want some medication before leaving. Thankfully, she doesn't linger. That's one of the things I like about her. She’s right to the point.

My conversation with Noah from last night comes to mind again. He knew. Without a shadow of a doubt, Noah knew it was Paisley. He just needed me to make the connection. She makes everything easier.

Almost like I conjured her up, she walks in slowly and stands by the couch.

"I wish I could give you a hug right now." She says shyly.

I swallow hard, because there’s nothing more that I want than to have her body pressed up against mine. To hold her and let her be my shield against everything trying to drag me down.

"I wish you could, too," I whisper.

I want to always be honest with her.

She walks to the chair that’s closest to me and turns it to face me.

"Is it okay if I sit here?" She stands behind the chair.

It’s closer than she has been, and sitting there, she’ll be facing me for the first time. It's much more intimate, but it doesn't give me the anxiety, like the nurse being in my room does.

I nod and watch her every move, as she sits down and slips off her sandals, and curls her legs under her, like she used to do when we would watch movies at her house.

"Did having Molly with you make it easier when the nurse was in here?" She wants to know.

I nod again.

"If you'd like, I can bring her in for your next doctor's appointment and see if it helps." She shrugs.

"If it's not too much trouble. I don't want you taking time off work."

"This is my work."

"What?"

"Well, I train service animals mostly for veterans and some first responders. I deal mostly with anxiety, panic attacks, PTSD, and emotional issues. Also, I assist in helping train seeing eye dogs."

"So, you have other dogs you’re training?"

"Yep, I have two others at home, but Molly is mine, though. She was a rescue and already partially trained. I finished training her, and we bonded, so she’s the one I volunteer with, and the only one allowed to sleep in bed with me." She smiles, picking some lint off her shirt.

"I have one who is almost ready. I like to bring them into the hospital with Molly and see how they do, and then make sure I didn't overlook anything. If you’d like when I bring him in, you can see him, too. I promise to have Molly. Then, I can leave Molly with you and make the rounds with him."

"I'd like that," I say.

I want to see what she does. This wasn't something she ever talked about in school. She had planned to be a nurse the last I heard.

"What happened to being a nurse?" I ask her.

She looks shocked for a minute like she can't believe I remembered.

"When I was in school for nursing, I met another girl who did this. We bonded and hung out, and she began teaching me. I fell in love with it and switched my major. She and I still talk, and she’ll come in and help me if I get stuck on something. Though, she takes her dogs to nursing homes, I was led or pulled into visiting veterans."

"I'm glad you did," I say and hold her eyes for a moment longer than I normally do. She offers me a shy smile, before tucking some of her dark brown hair behind her ear.

"Have you told Leeland I'm here?" I ask her.

"No."

"Let's not tell him just yet. Is that okay?" I hate to have her keep secrets from her brother, but I'm just not ready to face him yet. Not like this.

"Fine by me. I'm not his biggest fan right now," she sighs.

"Why not?"

"Well, two reasons. One, the girl he's dating is a real piece of work, and two, because he’s still acting like a frat boy in college and refuses to grow up. To top it off, he's having some sort of pool party at our parents’ house with some frat buddies, and my mom wants me to stop by. I'm sure she conned him into having it there because it’s for her to see who's single, and who she can push me off on."

"You're an adult, Paisley. You don't have to go," I tell her.

It’s still hard to believe this girl has grown up into a beautiful woman.

"I know, and I wasn't going to go, but Atticus is almost ready, and this would be a great test for him. So, I'm going to take him and see how it goes."

“Atticus being the one you were telling me about that’s almost ready?"

"Yeah. This party is tomorrow. I can go early, then have a friend call me and rescue me, and we’ll go hang out. It won't be that bad."

"So, your brother was in a frat house?" I ask a bit shocked.

"Yep, and then he even tried to get me to join a sorority, but that wasn't my thing. I kept my head down in school and had a few friends, but I didn't like the party crowd, like he did."