Broken Surrender (2 page)

His unit had been sent back home long before
hers was scheduled to return, so he had no idea how the rest of her
deployment went, but the first half was very rocky. They’d survived
hell on Earth and ended up in the same tiny town in Texas. There
was no way that was a random coincidence.

“How long have you been back?” he asked.

“Two years.”

He felt his eyes widen in surprise. “I
thought you guys were going to be there a year?”

“The unit didn’t return until the summer of
2013, but I got to MEDEVAC back in January that year.”

His heart rate doubled. “What happened?”

“You know, I’m feeling better now. I think I
can probably get up and go inside.” Just like that, she shut down
his question, forcing him to refocus his attention on her injured
status. His gut told him that her back pain and her early return
home from deployment were related, but if she wasn’t ready to
explain, he’d let it lie.

“Great. Let me help you so that you don’t
slip on this gravel. No need getting an injury if you don’t have
one.” He jumped to his feet and reached for her hand, pleased when
she let him take it. The skin of her palm was rose-petal-soft
against his, and when she slowly stood, the scent of raspberries
swirled in the air around her.

Her dark hair was pulled back in a bun at
the base of her neck and her comment about old habits ran through
his brain. She was right. It was impossible to give up military
life completely. The fact that she’d obviously had her time cut
short probably made it even harder.

The first step she took was tentative, but
once she was assured that her body would hold her up, she smiled.
Her beauty was blinding. She was a stunning woman, and she took his
breath away. In an attempt to recover from his sudden fumble, he
bent and retrieved her purse, handing it to her.

“Thanks.” She accepted the large bag, and
moved carefully across the gravel. To his disappointment, she
leaned on the car rather than him, but he was glad to see her
moving on her own.

It took a moment for her to find her keys,
but once the door clicked open, they were hit in the face with a
wave of blissfully icy air from inside the air-conditioned
apartment. The same berry scent filled every nook and cranny of the
cozy space. Silas breathed it deeply into his lungs, committing it
to memory.

He waited near the door as she put her purse
away and kicked off her shoes; she winced when her back was twerked
in an awkward angle.

“Tell me, did the back spasms start after
your vacation in Afghanistan?” he asked.

“Good guess,” she said, laughing dryly. “Not
the best souvenir or the best vacation for that matter.”

“I’d have to agree. I wanted to bring back a
sand spider, but customs wouldn’t let me. No animals, vegetables,
minerals, or giant insects apparently.”

His playful, easy chatter helped her relax,
but she still kept her distance. The apartment was miniature
compared to the home he and his brother Jeremy lived in. The living
room was also the dining room, kitchen, and office with only two
doors branching off at the back. He assumed one was the bedroom and
one was the bathroom, but he doubted she’d give him a tour.

As much as he hated seeing her cramped into
the small space, he was glad to know she had a place. Too many
veterans they served with were struggling to find work and keep a
roof over their heads.

“Thanks for the help…” Her words drifted
away as she fidgeted awkwardly. It was clear she wanted him to
leave, but he wasn’t ready to go yet.

“Anything hurting?”

She shook her head, “Not really. I’m
embarrassed more than anything. I tried to tell Bob that I was
fine, but he insisted on calling for help. I hate to have wasted
your time.”

“It’s not a waste of time. I got to help a
pretty woman and see an old friend. I call that a win-win.” He
moved slowly across the room, worried that she would feel cornered
if he moved too quickly. As he drew close, he saw her swallow hard,
and her eyes locked on his lips. The tiny, pink tip of her tongue
darted out to wet her own lips, and his cock surged to
attention.

As much as he wanted to reach out and see if
she was feeling the same attraction, he knew this was not a good
moment for it, so he reached for her shoulders and turned her to
face him head on. “Lift your arms.”

She frowned in confusion and he laughed. “So
that I can see if you’re hurt. Lift your arms.”

She followed Silas’ instructions, and he
manipulated her arms and shoulders, and then circled to her back.
He ran his fingers down her back and felt the tightness in the
muscles on either side of her spine. “Have you tried massage
therapy?”

She flinched when he hit a particularly
tender spot and hissed, “Too sensitive.”

“Hmm…with the right physical therapist I
would think—”

“It’s fine. Some days are better than
others, but I’m tough.”

He nodded and moved back around to face her.
“I never doubted it for a moment. Are you seeing Dr. Keegan?”

“Who?”

“Dalton Keegan is the only doctor practicing
in Stone River,” he said with a pointed glare. “If you’re not being
treated by him, then who are you seeing?”

She flushed, and turned away. “A doctor in
Austin.”

“Who?”

“Are all EMTs this nosey? Seriously, I’ve
proven to you that I’m uninjured and capable of taking care of
myself. I appreciate your concern, but I really would like to lie
down now.” The brush-off irritated him, but he figured in her
position, he’d feel the same way. It wasn’t her fault he was
fighting the urge to keep her close.

“I apologize if I’m coming across as nosey.
I just want to make sure you’re okay.” Reaching into his pocket, he
withdrew a card with the phone number for the ambulance company on
it. Quickly scribbling his personal cell number on the back, he
handed it to her. “Here’s my number. If you need any help at all—or
if you have another back spasm—don’t hesitate to call me.”

She snorted and rolled her beautiful eyes.
“Right, so you can bring the happy van to visit again? I think not,
but thank you anyway.”

“No, I’m saying this as a friend. If you
need help, call me. In fact, call me even if you don’t need help.
I’d like to…”—he adjusted his stance as his body responded to his
lewd thoughts—“reconnect. It would be nice to talk about old
times.”

A sad look flitted across her features
before she recovered herself and gave him a smile. “I could use a
beer with a friend.”

Instantly he felt a surge of hope, and he
jumped on it. “Tomorrow night? Robin’s isn’t usually too busy on a
Tuesday evening. We can have a beer and catch up.”

“Sounds good. Thanks again,
Sergeant...er…Silas.”

“Anytime, Sarah, anytime.”

With that, he left her behind in her small
apartment and spent the rest of the day thinking about her. He
didn’t remember her being so beautiful, but he hadn’t been in a
position to admire the women he was serving with at the time.

He was also still married when he was
deployed.

The day he returned home, his wife served
him with divorce papers rather than welcoming him at his coming
home ceremony, but he wasn’t surprised. Before he left, their
marriage was on the rocks, and his deployment just made it worse.
They parted as amicably as two people could, and he moved back into
his childhood home with his brother.

Turns out he and Jeremy were closer now than
they’d been as kids. They had become best friends in the last two
years, and recently, they’d even tossed around the idea of looking
for a different sort of relationship.

Stone River, Texas, was home to several
unconventional relationships. There was the Brooks family, which
consisted of the four Brooks brothers: Rogan, Parker, Sawyer, and
Hudson, along with their wife, Rachel. There were the new
residents, a pair of male teachers who were partners in more than
just their teaching abilities. Silas had enjoyed a beer with Levi
and Quinn once, and they were two of the nicest men he’d ever met.
Their arrival had certainly caused a stir when they took the jobs
at the local school. A handful of people were uncomfortable with
the gay couple teaching their children but most were welcoming. It
was as if their small town had its proverbial eyes opened and was
now embracing the unconventional. He was genuinely proud to be a
resident of Stone River nowadays.

Nevertheless, as much as he liked the idea
of finding a special woman to share with his brother, he wasn’t so
sure that was a real possibility, so he’d continued to date on his
own. The question was: How would Jeremy feel if he actually found
someone himself?

The image of Sarah Bryant immediately popped
into his head. What would Sarah’s opinion be of ménage
relationships? Not that it mattered, his attraction was most likely
one-sided. As gracious as she’d been about going out with him for a
beer, he wasn’t so sure she would be as easy-going if he told her
he wanted the woman in his future to join him
and
his
brother in a relationship.

No, it would most likely be just a casual
beer with a friend, and sharing a few dozen memories. No big
deal.

The bar was nearly empty when Sarah parked
her car in the lot. She stayed in her car for a moment
second-guessing her decision to come. She’d been changing her mind
over and over again ever since Silas walked out of her apartment
yesterday. She felt like no good would come of this walk down
memory lane, but she didn’t really have an excuse not to show up,
so here she was.

Her boots crunched the dried grass that
poked up through the cracks in the sidewalk as she approached the
building, and her stomach twisted in knots. She paused just outside
the bright circle of light cast by the fixture above the entrance.
From the shadows, she stared at the heavy wooden door, feeling like
opening it would reopen wounds she’d tried to let heal.

Silas was going to have questions about her
injuries and why she had to come home early. She hated talking
about it. It always made her feel weak to admit that one mistake
had ended not only her career but impacted her physical abilities
so much that she’d been forced to accept a permanently disabled
status. For a strong woman with grit and determination, it was a
tough pill to swallow.

“Sugar, if you’re not going to open the
door, could you at least scoot over so that I can?”

The husky male voice rumbled just behind
her, and she felt the blood in her veins respond. Glancing over her
shoulder at the owner of that delicious tone, she nearly gasped out
loud.

Holy hell, he was a toxic blend of seduction
and danger. In the shadows of twilight, he looked like Hollywood’s
idea of a long, tall Texan. Thick thighs encased in denim, worn
cowboy boots, and a button-down plaid shirt with the sleeves cut
off at the shoulders. The biceps revealed were massive, and they
flexed making the ink adorning them dance as he adjusted his stance
under her gaze. Shaking her head at her own behavior and
apologizing, she reached for the door handle.

“Sorry about that. I just needed to gather
myself before I went in.”

His large hand covered hers and she stared
at the joining, fascinated by the dark caramel color of his skin
against her own freckled digits. “Let me get it. It sounds like
you’re headed for a firing squad.”

“Nope, but close,” she said with a laugh,
releasing her grip on the handle and sliding her hand out from
under his. He pulled the door open and swept his hand elegantly
before her indicating she should go inside. “Thank you, Mr…”

“White. Jeremy White, at your service.”

Now that the light shone on them both, she
could see the familiar edge of a sharp jawline, and his pale blue
eyes were identical to his brother’s. There was no mistaking their
kinship.

“Silas’ brother?” she asked, even though she
knew the answer.

“Don’t tell me you’re Sarah?” he said, with
a loud, deep belly laugh before she could respond. “Well, don’t
that beat all. Of course, my little brother would have already
bagged the prettiest girl in town before I even laid eyes on her.”
He winked to let her know he was teasing, and she smiled at the
compliment.

“Well thank you, but I’ve never been bagged
in my life, and I don’t plan to be now.” She led the way into the
bar, aware he followed close behind. “I’m just meeting Silas to
have a beer and reminisce about the good old days of MREs and
desert suntans.”

“Ah, yes, that does sound like fun. Forgive
me if I bow out of that chat. I’ve got a poker game to get to.”

By now, they were completely in the
building, and Sarah could see Silas headed their way with a beer in
each hand. “Hey Jer, what are you doing here? And more importantly,
what are you doing with Sarah?”

“She followed me. Can I keep her?” Jeremy
joked.

Silas shook his head, but he was grinning
from ear to ear, “Nope, sorry. This one’s not a stray. In fact, I
hear tell she’s got a pretty vicious bite if you rile her up.”

“Damn straight,” she confirmed, accepting
the cold beer from Silas. “Thanks, Sarge.”

Silas rolled his eyes, and she laughed.

“Thank you,
Silas,
for the beer. I
promise I’ll try not to refer to you by your former rank
again.”

He nodded. “Glad to hear it.” He glanced at
the other side of the room and then said to Jeremy, “Guys look
irritated. You must be late.”

“Yep, but they’ll understand when I point
Sarah here out and explain that she delayed me.”

“Hey, don’t blame me! I’m innocent.”

Jeremy’s eyes twinkled just like his
brother’s when he was teasing, and he winked at her. “I don’t
believe that for a second, and if you want me to prove your words
wrong, I’ll be happy to.”