Back From Hell (Marine For You Book 2) (Contemporary Military Veteran Romance) (4 page)

“We can change that.” She placed her other hand on top of his. “You’re not alone, and I’ll help in any way I can.”

S
taci wasn’t
sure what had possessed her to invite him to come stay with her, but the offer stood. She wanted to help him, but she also wanted to get to know him better. Something about him intrigued her and she wanted to explore it. The hours passed as they sat there in his hotel room just talking. Nothing as deep as their previous conversations, but just getting to know each other as two people instead of as a wounded Marine and a volunteer college student. They bonded over tales of their childhood, their hopes and dreams.

Sometime during their conversations, he had talked her into sitting on the bed because the only chair in the room was as hard as sitting on concrete. She leaned back on the bed and yawned. It had grown late but she wasn’t leaving him unless he threw her out. Next time those thoughts came, he might not have the strength to shut the drawer on the gun and she wasn’t about to lose him.

“You should go home and get some rest.” He tried again.

“Not until you agree to come with me.”

“I told you I want you to think about your offer before we make any agreements. That means you need to go home and sleep. Tomorrow…” He glanced at the clock and they both realized it was well after midnight. “Well, I guess later today, we’ll discuss it again.”

“Nothing’s going to change so you might as well come with me. Otherwise you’re stuck with me until the sun comes up.” She was glad she didn’t have any classes tomorrow so she could sleep during the day. Either way, she wasn’t leaving him. He had admitted that once it got dark it was harder to push the thoughts of suicide away.

“I’m not going to do anything stupid, so you can go home with a clear mind.”

“Like I said, unless you’re kicking me out, you’re stuck with me.” She forced her eyes open and considered getting up for another cup of coffee but that seemed like too much work.

“Then at least get some sleep. You’re exhausted.”

“I’m fine.”

“Just close your eyes and sleep. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t do anything. I wouldn’t leave you to find my body when you woke. I’m…injured not stupid.”

Knowing he had almost said crippled instead of injured, she raised an eyebrow at him. “Close call there.”

“I’m learning.” He smirked. “Now, who said you couldn’t teach an old dog new tricks?”

She wanted to throw him a snippy comeback but her brain seemed to be on strike. “Sorry, I’m not the best company. Between my classes, work, and the hospital, most nights I fall into bed exhausted. But that’s all about to change.”

“Why’s that?”

“When I first moved here to start college, I took a position at a doctor’s office as an office assistant. Well, Friday was my last day working there. Starting Monday I’ll work from home, doing the billing and bookkeeping. I’ll have more work than I did in the office but I’ll be able to work my own hours and at my own pace, no interruptions.”

He eyed her for a moment. “How old are you?”

To get a better look at him, she turned onto her side and adjusted the pillow under her head. “Don’t you know it’s rude to ask a lady her age? Second, that question came out of the blue.”

“Not completely out of the blue. You mentioned college and it got me thinking. You’re about to finish your Masters in Physical Therapy, but you don’t look old enough.”

“Mom wasn’t very pleased with the schools in our area so she homeschooled me. The benefit of that was I finished earlier than my peers. She also enrolled me in college classes when I was still in high school. So, when I actually started college I already had credits coming with me. After my first semester I realized things were slower than I was used to and doubled my class load. I’ve been able to complete my degrees in half the time. But, to answer your question, I just turned twenty last month.”

“Before you ask, I’m twenty-one and as for your other question, foster care taught me to ask what I needed to know, otherwise I’d never find out.”

“Huh?”

“As a foster child you’re overlooked so if you have a question, you just ask it. I never worried about being rude because I was never there long enough. Tossed around like an unwanted dog for most of my life, I’ve never worried about upsetting people. The Marines were the first time I had any real structure.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” He shrugged as if it didn’t matter, but there was a twinge of sadness to it. “Everyone has something they’d rather forget and that’s mine.”

“That explains why you didn’t have family visiting…” She reached up and covered her mouth. “I shouldn’t have said that. Lack of sleep is messing with my brain and I’m saying things before I think them through. It was rude and I apologize.”

“It’s the truth and there’s no reason to be sorry. You’re right, it’s just me. The friends I’ve made in the military have even disappeared, but who can blame them. No one wants to face what might happen to them. We all know the possibilities but no one needs to see that horror before them. I’m alone.”

“Not anymore.”

“Everyone leaves eventually.” He mumbled without meeting her gaze.

“Not everyone and not me.” Her eyes fluttered shut and as much as she tried to pry them back open, they wouldn’t cooperate.

A blanket was pulled over her, covering her in warmth. She wanted to thank him, but the words died on her tongue. Before sleep wrapped its arms around her and pulled her into its embrace, she realized one thing. Some time since she met Kyle, her desire changed from being there to help someone in memory of her father to wanting to be there for him. She was beginning to care about him, far more than she cared about anyone else before.

T
he night had passed
without any issues and now the sun was beginning to peek over the horizon. Kyle spent the night trying to immerse himself in a book he had picked up, but all he could think about was the woman lying in his bed. She was beautiful, emitting a peaceful glow as she slept.

He needed to keep his thoughts about her in check. Letting his mind wonder what her lips tasted like, or how she would feel pressed against his body, would get him nowhere. She deserved better than him. She deserved a whole man, not someone that couldn’t even hold her properly. A few months ago, he’d have made a move and she wouldn’t have been sleeping alone now. But back then, he wouldn’t have even known her—wouldn’t have had a reason to. Life threw curve ball after curve ball at him and he had no choice but to roll with it.

A soft moan escaped her lips as she stretched and woke up. “You haven’t been sitting there all night, have you?”

He sat the book aside. “Someone fell asleep in my bed.”

“It’s huge. You could have joined me.”

“That wouldn’t have been a very gentlemanly thing to do. I hope you slept well and now that you’re up, I’ll order breakfast from room service.”

“Coffee’s fine for me.” She scooted up in the bed. “You really should have either woke me or come to bed. There was plenty of room. You need rest too if you’re going to take on physical therapy this week.”

“Nice reminder thrown in there, but don’t worry, I haven’t changed my mind.”

“Then have you considered my other suggestion?”

“Moving in with you?” He wheeled over to the coffee pot and set it to brew. “I have and I’ve decided that if your offer still stands I will
rent
your second bedroom. I should have been looking for a place to stay since I left the hospital, but I haven’t left this room. Today, that’s going to change.” It was going to change, but he wasn’t sure for how long. His moods had been all over the place since he returned from overseas. One minute he was feeling completely hopeless wanting to end things and hours later, he was determined to make the most of his second chance at life. It was an endless battle but, at the moment, one he was determined to win.

“Very well, but my requirements still stand. I want your gun.”

He nodded to the nightstand. “My sidearm is in there.” Weapons became a part of him since he joined the Marines; they’d kept him safe, but he was willing to let her keep the gun for the time being. Not because he thought he’d actually use the weapon, but because having it out of his hands would make her feel safer. If he was going to kill himself, there were other ways.

“How did you get it anyways?”

“I purchased it and a bottle of whiskey the day I was discharged from the hospital. I had plans to use it that night, but as you can see, I didn’t.”

“Did the whiskey get you drunk and save your life?”

“No, the whiskey remained untouched.”
It was those whiskey brown eyes of yours that saved me that night. I couldn’t get them out of my thoughts. The sadness that showed in them as if you were already disappointed in me.

She pulled out the nightstand drawer and reached for the holstered gun. “What’s this?” She held up his new rank insignia with the chevron and the two crossed rifles below it.

The morning he had been discharged from the hospital, he had been promoted to Lance Corporal. He had shoved the insignia away in the drawer and tried to forget about it. He didn’t feel like he deserved the position and the haunting memory that Weber should have been promoted then as well only made things that much harder to accept.

“You’ve been promoted? You’re a…” She looked down at the badge again. “Sorry, I’m not sure what comes after PFC. A Sergeant?”

“Lance Corporal,” he supplied. “It was in the works before my injuries, but came through the morning I left the hospital.”

“Congratulations.”

“Joy. Maybe we should crack open that bottle of whiskey and celebrate.” He tipped his head toward the drawer where the alcohol was also stashed. Everything close at hand so that, if he ever gave up, he could find comfort with them.

“I think not.” She took the weapon and the whiskey and shoved them into the bag she’d tossed on the bed. “But we can celebrate in another way. We’ll pack your stuff up and head over to my place. I’ll shower, and then make us a delicious meal. No room service or takeaway. Then we’ll spend the day watching movies and eating popcorn, because tomorrow I’m dropping you off at the hospital and we’re going to get you back on your feet.”

“Foot.” He smirked, unable to believe he was joking about his condition.

“Feet, foot, what does it matter? What matters is you’ll be walking again. Then driving, and everyone should watch out for that.” She smirked.

For some reason, he had a feeling this was the beginning of his new life. The time had come for him to start working to better himself because, if he was going to live, this wasn’t the way to do it. He needed to be able to walk, drive, and do everything that he could do before. He had to pull himself up by his bootstraps and get on with his life.

First of all, there was a widow he needed to see and a little boy who needed to know that his daddy was a hero.
Weber, I’ll make sure your family is okay.

T
wo months passed
and for Kyle it made a world of difference. Physical therapy had restored his ability to walk with the aid of the prosthesis. While it wasn’t the same as having both of his own legs, it helped him move on with his life. With long pants on, he could almost forget that he had only one good leg. His arm was a different story. He had worked to be able to use the prosthetic arm, but no matter how much he tried, that damn hand just wasn’t the same as his own. It proved difficult to grip anything with that stupid thing and, in the end, it made him more frustrated than not having it.

Dressed, he pulled down the pant leg to cover his prosthesis. He was getting comfortable with it but he still preferred to keep it hidden from sight. Only around the house did he ever wear shorts and even that was rare. Staci had seemed to accept him for the man he was now. Maybe it was the fact she hadn’t known him before the accident that made it easier. Either way, all that mattered was—they had bonded.

They’d gotten close in a friendship way and there were times when he wanted more, but he refused to act on it. Even though he had quit calling himself a cripple, he couldn’t get past the fact she deserved someone better than him. He was broken.

As if his thought provoked her to call to him, her voice drifted across the hall toward his room. “You ready?”

“Just about.” He grabbed his wallet from the nightstand and slipped it into his pocket before donning his watch. The idea of meeting Staci’s friend from back home had him slightly on edge. While he had tried to be more social over the last few weeks, mostly chatting with some of the other local injured warriors, tonight he was completely out of his element.

It would be the first time he faced a stranger who didn’t know his past. While he might be able to hide his prosthetic leg, he could do nothing about his arm or the burns. The latter made him the more self-conscious of the two. They ran nearly the length of his side. A few of the flames had licked the side of his face, leaving scars along his ear and cheek. The worst was hidden below his shirt, down his chest, and across his hip.

He looked at himself in the mirror. There had been changes over the months since the explosion, some for the better, while others he was still in the process of accepting. His military buzz cut had started to grow, adding a little extra length to the top while he kept the sides tight. The burn scars had healed and added a certain ruggedness to his appearance. But it was the added muscle he had started to build since his injuries that proved the most surprising. As his way of working through things he had taken to the gym and learned exercises he could do with his new condition.

He grabbed his keys from the dresser and sighed. “Avoidance of social interactions will only make future ones harder.”

The phone rang in the distance. He turned from the mirror just as she called out that she’d get the phone. He made it to the door in time to see her scurry down the hall toward the living room. She had a habit of leaving her cell phone on the entryway table, but the house was cozy enough that, if the volume was up, it could be heard through the house. With the times the ringtone had interrupted them, he still hadn’t decided whether that was a good or bad thing.

The evenings had become their time. It didn’t matter what they did, but they spent them together. Sometimes they’d watch movies, play cards, board games, or just sit and talk. No matter what they did, it was special to him. He had grown closer to her than he had with anyone before. He had shared things with her that he had never told anyone else, not even Weber. Growing closer had made him want her more, as well. She was an amazing woman and as selfish as it seemed, he wanted her all to himself. He wanted her in ways he had never wanted a woman. Not just sexually but as a companion to spend the rest of his life with.

“Is she okay?” The fear that prickled in her voice chilled his blood and had him closing the distance between them. “I…I understand. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Keep me posted.” She pulled the phone away from her ear and hit the end button.

“What is it? What happened?”

“M…Mom.” Tears rolled down her face. “She’s had a heart attack. I’ve got…got to go home. Surgery…open heart surgery.”

He wrapped his arm around her and held her to him. “It’s going to be okay.”

After a few minutes, the tears stopped, and she pulled the pieces back together. “They’re still doing tests so they’re not sure how bad it is, but the doctor said it looks like surgery tomorrow. I’ve got to call Heather and let her know I can’t make dinner.”

“I’ll let her know while you pack. I’ll make flight reservations and we’ll leave right away.”

“We?” She tipped her head up at him. Surprise filled her whiskey brown eyes, making them at least two shades darker.

“I’m not letting you make this trip alone. If you don’t want me there, that’s fine, but I’ll see you to Tennessee until you’re surrounded by family and friends. You are in no condition to travel by yourself.” He rubbed his hand down her arm. “You once told me to let you help me and now I’m asking for you to do the same.”

“There’s no one else I’d rather have at my side. I just thought…you’re meeting with some of the guys from base tomorrow.”

“They’ll understand; you’re more important. Now go pack and I’ll call Heather and get us reservations for the first flight out.” She stepped back and looked at him. The tears had streaked her face and ruined her makeup but to him, she was beautiful.

“Thank you.”

He watched as she dashed down the hall before picking up her discarded cell phone to find Heather’s number. He’d call her first to cancel their dinner plans, make reservations, and then check on Staci again to make sure she was okay enough to pack. He could tell from her reaction that, even though she and her mother had their differences, she was taking the news hard. It might be hard for him to comprehend the connection between a parent and child, but he could see the pain in her eyes. That was enough to want to stand up and fight whatever had caused it. He cared about her deeply and didn’t like to see her unhappy.

Admit it, you’ve fallen for her.

T
he plane ride
had been uneventful and even checking into the hotel a few blocks away from the hospital did little to ease Staci’s fears. She knew Colin, her mother’s lover, was with her. Even though the two weren’t legally married, they were bound like married couples. Colin had tried for the last several years to get her mother to marry him, but she refused. It had only been recently that Staci had uncovered the true reason. Her mother hadn’t wanted to marry again because she was still in love with her father. Even though death and years had separated them, her mother remained deeply devoted to her husband. Sweet in a weird sort of way. Yet, she loved Colin in her own way.

“Why don’t you call him? You can get an update and let him know you arrived.” Kyle sat their suitcase next to the dresser in the hotel room. They had thrown everything into one to avoid the additional luggage charges as they flew. “Maybe with an update, you can get some rest.”

From the room she could see the hospital buildings and through the darkness the lights glowed bright as a beacon. “You know Mom was always disappointed that I went away to college when the University here was just as good. That was almost a bigger fight than my major or the horse ranch. Now I’m only a few days away from graduation and she won’t even see it.”

“Don’t say that.” He came to stand next to her at the window and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Everything you’ve told me about your mother says she’s a strong woman. She’s going to get through this.”

She leaned into his embrace and pressed her head against his shoulder. “Thank you for coming with me.”

“I’d do anything for you.”

“I better call him and let him know we arrived.” Without stepping out of his embrace, she pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialed his number. It rang without any answer until it finally went to voicemail. “Colin, it’s Staci. I’ve arrived and checked into the hotel room. Since I won’t be able to get in to see her tonight I’m going to get some sleep and I’ll be there in the morning to see the doctors. Call me if things change.” She ended the call and slipped it back into her pocket. “Guess there’s nothing to do but wait.”

“You need some sleep. That will pass the time.” He led her toward one of the two queen size beds in the room.

Under the stress, her thoughts seemed to want to focus on anything besides what was happening to her mother when they chose this hotel room. He had asked for two adjoining rooms but this was all the hotel had available. They could have gone to another hotel, but this one was the closest. She couldn’t help but wonder if this wasn’t the ultimate tease. Here she was sharing a room with a man she couldn’t chase from her thoughts but remained off limits to her.

The way he ran his fingers down her arm made her reassess the situation. It wasn’t that she couldn’t touch; she refused to allow herself to pressure him in that way. He had enough going on and while he had come a long way, a relationship shouldn’t be top priority right now.

“I should change.”

He nodded and let his arm fall from around her. “Yeah, it’s been a long day.”

Without his simple touches, she felt alone and the fear flooded back. Her mother was all she had left and she didn’t want to lose her. With a deep breath, she forced herself to go to the suitcase and grab what she needed. A little bit of space between them, even just for the few minutes it would take her to change and wash her face, would allow her to regain control of her emotions. She wanted him now more than ever because she needed the comfort she knew she’d find in his embrace.

A few minutes later, she strolled from the bathroom wearing only a tank top and shorts. Her thoughts had become more jumbled than before. She wanted to ask him to hold her, even if just for another moment. To be back in his embrace and have him dispel all her fears would stop her heart from thumping against her chest like a jackrabbit.

“Come here.” Stretched out on the bed, the covers already pulled down, he held his good arm out to her, beckoning her.

She wanted to deny it, to tell him she was okay, but that would have been a lie. He knew what she needed and offered it freely. Without too much hesitation, she slipped onto the bed and curled up against him, so his arm wrapped around her back. “Thank you.” She blinked away the tears as she found that special place in the crook of his arm to rest her head on.

“There’s no need.” He squeezed her tighter to him and placed a soft kiss on the crown of her head. “Try to rest.”

Rest?
How was she supposed to do that when her thoughts spun from the kiss? It wasn’t like a kiss on the lips but it rattled her nonetheless. Did he feel something for her besides friendship? Or was she reading into his support and comfort?
Please don’t let me start imagining things that are not there…