Battlefield of the Heart (11 page)
Read Battlefield of the Heart Online
Authors: E. A. West
Tears blurred Cindy's vision, and she looked away, unwilling to let him see how much he was hurting her. “I know about the real world, Danny. I just try to look at the positive things because if I focus on the rest of it I'll end up depressed. I'll see you later.”
Coming after him had been a bad idea. Although she doubted he meant it, his words stung more than she wanted to admit. She only made it a couple of steps before she heard his voice behind her, minus all traces of anger.
“Cindy, wait.” She turned to find his expression full of apology. He walked closer as he continued. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said. I just get angry sometimes and say stuff I regret almost immediately.”
She decided to be honest and let him do what he wanted with it. “That hurt, Danny, especially after the encouraging things you said about my paper on poverty.”
“I'm sorry.” He wrapped her in a hug, the unexpected tenderness making her pulse race. “I'm not angry with you, and I think you know more about people than most. You definitely have a ton more compassion than a lot of people I've met.” He leaned back, warmth filling his eyes. “I like you. Most women would avoid me when they heard just a little about me, yet you've stuck with me even after seeing me lose it. That means a lot to me.”
He held her closer and touched his lips to hers. Sparks rushed through her veins as she slipped her arms around his neck and responded to his kiss. Chuckles interrupted them. Cindy stepped out of Danny's arms and turned to find Josh and Alex grinning a few feet away.
Josh nudged Alex. “I guess we didn't need to check on them after all.”
“No, I think they're getting along just fine.”
Heat crept into Cindy's cheeks. She should have known they'd follow her. They knew how unpredictable Danny could be, and they had seemed protective of her since rescuing her the day she met them.
“You were that worried about what I'd do?” Danny combed his fingers through his hair.
“You have to admit you were pretty ticked when you walked off,” Alex said.
“Then there's the flashback last week,” Josh added, “and the incident at the hospital.”
Danny sighed and nodded. “I guess I'd better see if I can get in sooner than my next appointment.”
“That's probably a good idea,” Josh said, his voice tinged with sympathy.
“I'll call them tomorrow.” Danny glanced at Cindy, and a teasing twinkle brightened his gray eyes. He returned his gaze to Josh and Alex. “For now, go away. We'll join you guys in a little bit.”
They laughed and headed back toward the quad. Cindy turned to face Danny and raised her eyebrows. “So, what is it that's keeping us from going with them?”
He looped his arms around her, linking his fingers at the small of her back. “I just thought I'd give you a chance to yell at me for kissing you.”
“You're right. I should let you know how I feel about that.” She gave him a kiss then looked deep into his eyes. “I have no problem with you kissing me, as long as you're not also kissing half the girls on campus.”
He chuckled and gently stroked her cheek. “You have nothing to worry about. As cute as your roommate is, I'm only interested in you.”
Cindy laughed as she stepped out of his arms and swatted his shoulder. “You had to bring that up, didn't you?”
“Sure. You should have seen your expression when I said it the other night.” He draped his arm around her shoulders, and they strolled toward the quad. “I don't think you could hide your feelings if you tried.”
“The curse of being an honest person.”
“Or just a terrible actress.” Danny chuckled as she smacked his chest. “You're so abusive.”
She sobered as she realized she was getting into a relationship with a guy who had psychiatric problems. Now was as good a time as any to lay down some ground rules. If he didn't like it, she'd have to end the relationship before it started. She didn't want to be on the receiving end of any kind of abuse. A quick prayer for courage flew from her heart. “I'll make a deal with you. I won't hit you, even joking around, if you'll do your best to avoid saying things to hurt me. I understand that the PTSD may make it impossible sometimes, but I'd rather have you walk away for a few minutes than have you intentionally say something to make me cry.”
He stopped and turned her to face him, his hands warm on her shoulders. “Cindy, I was only kidding about you being abusive. I know you were just playing. But I promise I will do everything I can to avoid making you cry. Seeing those tears in your eyes just about killed me. I don't mean to hurt you. Or anyone else, for that matter.”
She embraced him. “The only reason I said anything is because I need to be sure you know where I stand. I did the whole abusive boyfriend thing for a while when I was fourteen. I'm not doing it again.”
Danny held her close as he spoke quietly. “If you catch me doing anything even close to abusive, tell me. If I don't listen, all you have to do is tell anyone in the veterans' group. They'll make sure I listen.” He leaned back and looked her in the eye. “You're too sweet for anyone to get away with hurting you.”
Cindy laid her hand on his jaw, the forming stubble rough against her palm. “I doubt I'll have to go to anyone in the veterans' group. I have a feeling you'd go to them yourself if I said anything to you.”
He nodded and stepped back. “Probably. Those guys are helping me deal with the weird position of being somewhere between army and civilian. Technically, I'm a civilian, and I have been for a while, but it doesn't feel that way a lot of the time.”
She slipped her hand into his. “It'll feel like it eventually.”
When they rejoined the group, Matt gazed steadily at Danny. “I assume you're treating my cousin right?”
“I wouldn't do anything less.”
“I didn't think so, but I had to check.”
Cindy sat down beside Danny and leaned close, letting the concert cover her words. “Matt's the one who helped me get away from that guy when I was fourteen.”
Danny patted her knee with a smile. “I'm glad to know he's looking out for you.”
She covered his hand with hers, looking forward to building her relationship with him. It wouldn't be easy dating someone with post-traumatic stress disorder, but Danny was a sweet, gentle man with a big heart⦠just the kind of guy she'd always wanted.
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Late Saturday morning, Cindy went in search of Danny. She wanted to pick up a movie she'd left at her parents' house, which presented the perfect opportunity to introduce Danny to her parents. She'd told her mom about him, but her parents needed to see for themselves that he was a good guy. When she went down to Danny's room, his roommate told her he'd taken his camera and was wandering around campus somewhere.
As Cindy went back to her room, she pulled her cell phone from her pocket and called Danny's cell. He promised to meet her in the dorm lobby in fifteen minutes. She wrote out a quick note to let Leann know where she'd gone, then checked the light touch of makeup she'd applied earlier. A fresh swipe of tinted lip gloss, and she was ready to go.
As soon as Danny walked in the door, he lifted his camera and snapped a picture of Cindy. She smiled and joined him in the center of the lobby.
“What did you do that for?”
“I always take a photo when I see something beautiful.” He gave her a quick kiss then put his arm around her shoulders as he guided her toward the door. “So, where do your parents live?”
“In Hardacre Woods just outside Pendleton.” She glanced at him as they stepped outside. “Do you know where that is?”
“Pendleton, yes. You'll have to give me directions to Hardacre Woods.”
During the half-hour drive, Danny talked about photography and described some of the photos he'd taken around campus. His enthusiasm was contagious, and she decided to ask her parents about a camera before leaving their house. Maybe Danny would give her a quick lesson that evening. He seemed so relaxed and content when talking about photography, and she wanted him to be that way as much as possible; those times made her more confident of her decision to date him.
When they arrived at her parents' two-story house made of dark red brick with white siding, Danny pulled into the drive behind her mom's blue compact car and turned off the engine. “This is a nice house.”
“Thanks.” Cindy took his hand as they headed up the walk. A pair of planters she'd never seen flanked the front door. A mix of flowers sprouted from the center of each planter, and ivy vines spilled over the edges. “I probably should have warned you that my parents are likely to give you the third degree. Matt isn't the only one who's protective of me when it comes to boyfriends.”
“I hope I live up to your parents' standards.”
She gave his hand a squeeze and smiled. “You live up to mine.”
He gently stroked her cheek, sending a happy shiver racing along her spine. She searched his eyes â did he know how much she wanted him to like her parents? Would they accept that she liked Danny once they learned about his problems?
Shoving her worries aside, she opened the front door and led him inside.
“Mom, Dad, I brought someone I'd like you to meet!”
Her mother came from the direction of the kitchen, her expression curious. As she studied Danny, understanding touched her features and she smiled.
“Hi, I'm Ellen Waymire, Cindy's mom.”
Danny pulled his hand from Cindy's to shake Ellen's. “It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Danny Flynn.”
So far so good, but they were only halfway through the introductions. Cindy cast a quick glance into the living room. It looked the same as always with a pair of upholstered chairs and a matching sofa grouped in front of the fieldstone fireplace. A few magazines lay casually scattered on the coffee table, and a novel rested face down on the small table by the rocking chair in the corner. “Where's Dad?”
“He went to the store for me. He should be back any minute.” Ellen raised her eyebrows. “Are you two planning to stick around for lunch?”
Cindy glanced at Danny, and he shrugged. Apparently, she would have to make the decision on her own. She returned her attention to her mother. “We can, if you don't mind feeding us.”
“Of course I don't mind! Besides, your father will want to meet Danny.”
Cindy rolled her eyes. Could her mother sound more overprotective with such an innocuous statement? “Would it help to know Matt's already met Danny and talked to him a few times?”
Ellen studied her with a cautious gaze. “Maybe.”
Danny grinned, seeming at ease in the face of her suspicion. “He's dating one of my close friends, and I'm sure Lacey's told him all about me. Since Matt hasn't tried to run me off, I assume that means he approves.”
“Oh, I don't mean to imply that we'll run you off!” A pink tinge crept into Ellen's cheeks. “We're just protective of Cindy. We want to be sure she's treated with respect.”
“Mom, I've learned a lot since I was fourteen.” Cindy stepped forward and gave her mother a hug, whispering, “Danny's a good guy. And we have a group of friends who wouldn't let him mistreat me or any other woman, for that matter.”
Ellen held her tight then released her and stepped back with a smile. “I'll have to trust you on that one. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to work on lunch.”
She headed for the back of the house, and Cindy turned to find Danny watching her mother. His expression was unreadable as he shifted his attention to Cindy.
“You weren't kidding about the third degree, were you?”
“My parents are paranoid, but they'll get over it quickly enough.” She grabbed his hand and led him toward the stairs. “Come on. That movie is up in my room. If we're lucky, my cat will be up there so you can meet him, too.”
He followed her up the stairs, keeping his hand in hers. When they reached the second floor hallway, he stepped up beside her and glanced at the few black-framed photos on the pale peach-colored wall. He stopped her in front of the photo across from her door. “You were a cute little kid.”
Her cheeks warmed as she took in the blonde pigtails on the sides of her little-girl head. “That's a bigger version of my yearbook picture.”
“How old were you?”
“Not quite seven. That was taken at the beginning of first grade.”
Danny started to say something, but a meow at their feet interrupted. Cindy leaned down and scooped up the black-and-white cat.
“This is Elmo. Elmo, say hi to Danny.”
He smiled and reached out to stroke the cat's head. “He's soft.”
“You want to hold him?” She held the ten-pound cat out to him.
“As long as he doesn't mind.” He accepted the cat and cradled the furry body against his chest. “Hey, Elmo. You're a friendly little guy, aren't you?”
The cat shifted in his arms and looked completely content. Cindy smiled as she opened the door of her room. “I think you have a new friend.”
“Yeah, one who's as sweet as his human.” Danny followed her into her room and glanced around. “This looks just like I imagined.”
“It does?” She raised her eyebrows, hoping he'd explain.
He nodded as he gently scratched Elmo's chin. “It's neat, which your dorm room tells me you like; it's feminine, like you; and your shelves are filled with books and stuffed animals, which fits your personality perfectly.”
She glanced at the cream-colored walls, pastel accents, and tidy shelves and had to admit he was right. Her room did say a lot about her. “Let me guess, your room at your parents' house is filled with photography equipment and photos.”
“Some, but I also have a bunch of books. There are a couple of boxes in the middle of the floor that I never unpacked after I came home.”