The Military Wife (A Heart of a Hero, #1)(45)

“I want to know what you find out about Darren.”

“Yeah, okay, sure.” He looked as if he wanted to say more, but she picked up the pace and led them to relative civilization.

The warmth of the ranger station made her want to dance, and the sight of the toilet made her want to cry.

Seth offered them coffee, and she gratefully accepted. Wrapping both hands around the mug, she closed her eyes and inhaled the distinct aroma. The smell reminded her of her mother and her childhood and comfort. It reminded her of home.

Home Front. “Home Front Coffee.”

Bennett stopped whatever he was saying to Seth. “What’s that?”

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt, but what about Home Front Coffee? People would know based on the name it’s related to the military. What do the men and women deployed long for more than anything? Everyone longs for home in a way, don’t they? It’s why The Wizard of Oz still resonates.”

Bennett tilted his head. She tensed. His judgment shouldn’t matter, but it did. A smile slashed through his beard. “That’s damn good.”

She relaxed back against the counter and took a sip of coffee. Without taking his eyes off her, he said, “We’ll get out of your hair, Seth. Thanks again for letting me use your place as a jumping-off point.”

“Anytime, man.” Seth’s gaze ping-ponged between her and Bennett, a question in his smile.

She grabbed her stuff, located her car keys, and followed Bennett outside. How could it have only been yesterday when she’d arrived? It felt like weeks had passed.

She threw her backpack in the trunk of her car and lingered. He came around the side of his truck and held out a business card with a number handwritten across the top.

“That’s my cell. Shoot me a text so I’ll have your number. Soon as I talk to Darren, I’ll let you know,” he said.

She slipped the card into her back pocket. Jack snuffled into her hand, and she squatted down to give him a hug and nuzzle the top of his head. “Ugh. Someone needs a bath. I hope I’m not smelling myself.” She laughed up at Bennett. He didn’t return her smile. In fact, his expression was more solemn than usual.

She stood and ran her hands down the legs of her jeans. “This was … interesting.”

“That’s one way to put it.” His dry sarcasm took any sting out of the comment.

“Thanks for not letting me freeze to death.”

“It would have been bad for business.”

The moment veered toward awkward. She was ready to see Ben, take a hot shower, and eat a home-cooked meal, yet getting her feet to move to her driver’s seat was like dragging anchors. Should she offer a hand for a shake or lean in for a hug? In the end, she did neither, taking a step backward. “Okay, well. Bye.”

He didn’t stop her. She pulled out of the drive and onto the park road, her attention on her rearview mirror. He stood at the tailgate of his truck, watching her drive away. She stared until he disappeared behind the trees, a sense of melancholy blanketing her. Why?

Yes, he was connected to an important part of her past. But there was more. He was interesting and complicated and … attractive. Flames of embarrassment and guilt prickled her chest and neck.

All her mother’s talk about flings and things hanging down to knees must have cracked open a door in her subconscious. That’s all this was. A Freudian complex.

Driving the familiar roads back to Nags Head, she wondered what Bennett was doing. Was Jack his only company? Did he sit in silence or did he need music or the TV on to drown out the thoughts that plagued him?

She pulled in to the driveway, but before she went inside to the chaos of Ben and her mom, she pulled out her phone and his card.

Made it home. Hope I wasn’t too much a bother. Thanks again.

She tapped her fingers against the steering wheel and waited.

JL and I are home, too. Not a bother. At all. Talk soon.

She clutched the phone to her chest, the nerves and excitement not brand new, but like a bear coming out of torpor, she felt clumsy and out of practice.





Chapter 12


Past

Harper smoothed her hair and tugged at her sweater. The bustle of travelers coming off the escalator in the airport broke around her like she was the rock in their stream. It had been six months since she’d seen Noah. He was a phase away from completing SEAL training in California, and she was on winter break, her first semester at UNC in the books.

The last time she’d seen Noah had been at the end of five magical days and nights before he’d left for BUD/S. They’d said their good-byes standing on the end of the pier, the summer air superheating her out-of-control emotions. That’s how he’d wanted it even though she’d offered to see him off at the airport.

She’d girded herself to never hear from him again and brushed away tears on her walk back home, but only an hour of moping had passed before an email from him popped into her in-box. The thrill was like nothing she’d ever experienced. Not love, but something beyond infatuation.

Now six months later, her hair was longer and she no longer sported her summer tan. She was in jeans and a sweater instead of shorts and tank tops. Between her part-time job in the campus library and studying, she basically lived in the reference section. It had paid off. She’d made the dean’s list with all As and had saved enough to put off needing a loan.