Battlefield of the Heart (2 page)

“Josh said you did three tours in Iraq.”

“Actually, only the last two were in Iraq. I was in Afghanistan for the first.”

“I can't imagine doing even one tour in either place.”

“It's what I trained for.” He glanced around the room. “It's what we all trained for. It was our job to go over there and fight for our country.”

She studied him for a moment, sensing his pride as a veteran, and her curiosity prompted her to ask another question. “Would you go back?”

He met her gaze and, for the first time, she saw strength and determination in it. “If they asked me, I'd go back right now. The job's not finished yet.”

Josh stepped up in front of the group. “I'm glad you all came tonight. Before we take care of business, I'd like to introduce a visitor. Cindy, come up here for a minute.”

Why hadn't he warned her he planned to bring her in front of the entire group? She'd thought he'd introduce her to a few veterans after the meeting. Fighting back a flutter of nerves, she set the ice pack on the table and joined him, noting the curious expressions. She prayed they didn't think she was intruding.

“This is Cindy Waymire. She's writing a paper on veterans going to college while adjusting to life after the military, and she would like to spend a little time with us as part of her research. All in favor of helping her?” Josh paused, and four hands lifted. After some hesitation and an exchanged glance, the other two guys raised their hands as well. Josh turned to her with a smile. “You have your guinea pigs. You can sit down now.”

She returned to her seat beside Danny, relieved they were going to help her. She'd been a little afraid they might feel insulted by being the subject of a paper.

“Now, I've been contacted by several local organizations and professors who want someone to come speak,” Josh said, picking up a piece of paper. “Anybody up for telling groups about the military?”

Cindy looked around the room as Josh paired volunteers with speaking engagements. With their apparent willingness to talk about life in the military, it wasn't surprising they'd voted unanimously to help with her paper.

The older man nodded slightly as he watched the proceedings with an approving smile.

Danny leaned close. “That's Dr. Logan. He's our faculty advisor and a Vietnam veteran who went to college straight out of the army.”

She nodded as Josh moved the meeting on to their upcoming fundraiser: a dinner to help raise money to send care packages to those still serving overseas. Cindy remembered seeing the donation jars and boxes for the military for the three years she'd been a student here. Had these guys been recipients of any of the cards she and her girlfriends had donated?

Once the meeting adjourned, several of the veterans introduced themselves to Cindy, including Alex Dugan, her other rescuer. Alex invited her to join him and a few others for coffee.

Although her heart pounded at the thought of going anywhere with this many strange men, she set her nervousness aside and accepted the invitation. It would give her a chance to gather information for her paper. Besides, going out for coffee meant they'd be in a public place. She would be safe enough there.

These guys had all been through things she'd never be able to understand, and though they seemed willing to talk to her about their experiences, she worried it might bring up unpleasant memories for them as it had with Danny. She prayed the evening would be a positive experience for everyone.

As the group headed out of the student union, Cindy walked between Corbin and Danny. The falling dusk washed out the brilliant colors of the campus's landscaping. A handful of stars already shone in the darkening sky, visible between trees and buildings. A few pedestrians strolled along the sidewalks, presumably taking advantage of the slightly cooler temperature brought by the arrival of evening.

Corbin lifted his eyebrows and waved his hand toward her bandaged wrist. “So, what did you do that required Josh to wrap you up?”

“Sprained my wrist on my way to the student union.” She didn't feel right talking about Danny's flashback, especially with him on her other side.

Corbin chuckled. “That takes talent. How did you do it?”

Danny sighed as he turned to Corbin. “I took her down.”

“One of those moments, huh?”

Danny's jaw tightened and shadows darkened his eyes. “Fallujah, man. I saw flippin' Fallujah.”

“That sucks.”

“Yeah.” Danny glanced at Cindy and dropped his gaze. “I'm not sure you want to use me for your paper. I'm a bit of a freak.”

Corbin slipped behind her to put a hand on Danny's shoulder. “Hey, we all have our problems.”

“Maybe, but I have more than the rest of you. I just hope I don't harm anyone else.”

What had Danny been through? Cindy wanted to give him a hug and maybe remove some of the sadness from his eyes, but she'd just met him — a meeting that had made the evening awkward enough already.

“What about Lacey?” Corbin glanced at the group crowding the sidewalk. “Hey, does anyone know where Lacey is tonight?”

“I think she had a date,” Alex said from behind them as the group parted to let a bicyclist through. “She mentioned something about someone named Matt.”

“She skipped out on us for a date?” one of the others asked.

“Hey, at least she's going out with someone.”

Corbin sobered, the teasing tone vanishing as quickly as it had come. “I hope it goes well for her. She deserves to enjoy herself.”

What could cause him to look and sound so serious about a girl having a date? Cindy looked from Corbin to Danny and back, her curiosity flaring to life. “Who's Lacey?”

“Our lone female veteran,” Corbin said, his expression lightening. “You should talk to her for your paper. Get the female perspective.”

“That would be cool.” New possibilities for the paper spread out before her.

“You know, I don't think anyone ever said what your paper is for,” Danny said.

“Oh, I'm writing it for my sociology class. My professor spends a lot of time pointing out how the War on Terror has affected the way we live and the current state of the world. Lately, he's started talking about the Department of Veterans Affairs and the issues it needs to deal with in order to provide services to the large numbers of veterans created by the war.”

“Who's your professor?”

“Dr. Brixton.” A warm breeze blew a strand of hair in Cindy's eyes, and she swatted it away as they turned onto the street leading toward the diner at the edge of campus.

“You're writing this paper for Brixton?” Alex asked.

“Yeah, why?”

“Josh was in the same company as his nephew.”

“I should have remembered that.” She suddenly knew why Josh looked familiar.

“What do you mean?” Corbin asked.

“Dr. Brixton showed us a photo of his nephew and a couple of his friends. Josh was one of the friends.”

“Does he know you're writing the paper for Brixton?” Alex asked.

Should she have told Josh who her professor was for before he offered to introduce her to the veterans group? “Not unless he knows Brixton teaches sociology. Why?”

“I figure if he knew you were writing it for his buddy's uncle, he might have decided to stay out of it so no one can accuse Brixton of playing favorites if you get a good grade.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “
If
I get a good grade? Talk about a blow to my ego.”

The guys laughed as they dodged around a trio of students talking on the sidewalk.

She liked these guys and hoped she could develop friendships. With any luck, she could also meet Lacey. The way Alex and Corbin had talked about her made Cindy curious. Most people would consider it morbid curiosity, but she couldn't help being interested in the human angle of war and all that went with it. If she could bring that down to a personal level, so much the better.

 

 

When the group arrived at the diner just off campus, they took over a large table at the back and ordered a variety of drinks, from coffee to caffeinated soft drinks. The guys talked about life on campus, the stories interspersed with comments about things that had happened while they were deployed, and Cindy began to understand some of the difficulties they faced and why the veterans' group was so important. They had experienced so many things while serving overseas that most people couldn't understand, plus they were in the strange position of being older than most of the students on campus and trying to survive being full-time students while working full time. Some of them were raising families as well.

They had been at the diner for about an hour when Danny gave Cindy a curious look. “Why were you going to the student union?”

Talk about a sudden change of topic. “What?”

“You were on your way to the student union, but it wasn't for our meeting. Josh told me he'd never met you until just before he brought you to the meeting room.”

She noticed the other guys watching her and smiled. It looked like they were just as curious about her as she was about them. “I was on my way to get a late dinner. I got a little distracted, though.”

“You must be starving,” Alex said.

“Not really. I forget meals on a regular basis, so I'm kind of used to it.”

The guys looked doubtful, and Danny stood up. Cindy watched him walk away, and then she turned to Corbin. “Was it something I said?”

“Nah, Danny just walks off sometimes,” he said as the others nodded their agreement. “He'll be back.”

The conversation drifted to other topics. As Cindy talked with Alex about her sociology class, she noticed a young woman walking toward them with the aid of a cane. She had burn scars on her left arm and hand as well as a few on the left side of her face and neck. Corbin grinned as the girl reached them.

“Hey, Lacey, it's about time you come find us. Where have you been?”

“Out.” She glanced at Cindy, her expression hopeful. “Did we get another female vet?”

“Nope,” Alex said as he shoved out a chair for her. “Cindy's writing a paper on veterans in college. She's hanging out with us as research.”

Lacey nodded and sat down, leaning her cane against the table, then she smiled at Cindy. “I'm Lacey Garrett, the only female veteran in the group.”

“I'm Cindy Waymire.” She tried to think of something else to say, but the only thing on her mind was wondering how Lacey had been burned and why she needed a cane.

Corbin leaned forward, a teasing glint in his dark eyes. “So, Lacey, what's this I hear about you abandoning us for some guy named Matt?”

Color rose in Lacey's cheeks as she spoke with a soft smile. “Yeah, he's a nice guy. And he said he'll make sure to avoid asking me out on a Tuesday night again so I won't miss another meeting.”

“Oh, so there's definitely a second date?” Corbin said, raising his eyebrows with a grin.

“Actually, it'll be the fourth.”

Alex laughed. “You've been holding out on us!”

Lacey lifted her chin, her eyes sparkling and her expression one of superiority. “Of course. I have to keep some things a secret.”

The other guys teased her, and Cindy felt like she was watching brothers pick on their sister. She didn't have time to consider it further as Danny returned carrying a plate of chicken fingers and french fries. He set it in front of her, then sat down beside her and nodded at Lacey.

“Hey, how's Matt?”

“Totally into me because I'm just so hot with a cane,” Lacey said with a grin.

Danny laughed. “Oh, yeah. All the hottest chicks have canes.”

Cindy was glad to see him in a better mood, but she couldn't figure out the plate of food. “Hey, Danny, what's this for?”

“Your dinner. I made you forget to eat, so the least I can do is feed you now.”

“You didn't have to.” Her heart melted a little at the sweet gesture. She nudged the plate toward him. “Want any?”

Lacey gave her a curious look. “What did he do to make you forget to eat?”

Danny plucked a fry off the plate. “Introduced her to the wonderful world of flashbacks.”

“I think I'm glad I missed that.” Lacey smiled at Cindy. “Don't worry, he's harmless most of the time.”

“I already figured that out, but thanks.” As Cindy ate a fry of her own, she turned to Corbin. “You know, it just occurred to me to wonder how Josh knew you'd have a bandage for my wrist.”

Corbin chuckled. “He knows I always carry a roll with me.”

“Dare I ask why you carry it?” She prayed she wouldn't hit on a touchy subject.

“I have a bad ankle thanks to a mortar shell,” he said with a shrug. “The self-adhering elastic bandage helps support it, so I always carry it in case I need it.”

“That makes sense.”

Lacey raised her eyebrows. “You haven't heard more than you want to know about everyone's war wounds yet?”

“No, should I have?”

“Josh almost always asks the newbies about injuries, and that usually leads to a competition of who had the worst injury.”

“Yeah, and you always win,” Alex said with a grin.

Lacey rolled her eyes. “Hey, can I help it if I got lucky?”

Even thinking about it for a moment didn't help Cindy understand. “How is having the worst injury lucky?”

Lacey gave her a serious look. “I'm alive. The people I was with aren't. That's lucky.”

“Good point.” How should she handle the somber pall that had fallen over the group? She breathed a little easier when Alex and Corbin got the conversation going again. As the group talked, Cindy shared her dinner with Danny. Lacey stole a couple of fries, but no one else seemed interested in the plate of food.

By the time they left the diner close to midnight, Cindy felt almost as comfortable with the veterans' group as she did with the group of girlfriends she'd had since her freshman year. She also had a ton of ideas for her paper, too many for just the required five pages, but she'd rather have to narrow the focus than struggle to fill up the space.