The Long Road Home (5 page)

What am I going to do?

Thirty minutes later, still indecisive, she climbed from the shower, dried off, and dressed in the chilly air. Brushing her hair, she simply pulled it back into a loose ponytail, not in the mood for a fancy braid or stylish design. Too cold and no hair dryer. Folding up her pajamas, she stuffed them in her suitcase and cleaned up the bathroom, hanging the now-damp towel over the shower bar to dry since she had no idea how long the owners of the apartment would be gone and didn't want them coming home to a mildew smell.

One pm. Already lonely, she opted to take a chance next door. Besides, her stomach rumbled in hunger. Heading out the front door, she closed and locked it behind her before walking to Logan's door and knocking.

The door opened to show Logan standing in a pair of black sweats, his blond hair damp from the shower, a twinkle in his eyes, clean-shaven face, and looking downright lickable.
Yummy.
Her breath caught.

Holding the door open, he waited for her to enter, then closed it firmly behind her. "Hey." He grinned down at her and gestured toward her ponytail. "I see you found the hot water, too."

"Oh, yeah. Felt good getting in but dang cold getting out."

"Need to cuddle? Share some body heat?"

Oh my. Do I ever.
Grappling with her newly discovered inner hussy, Gwen couldn't quite disregard his offer. "Maybe in a little bit."

His face lit up.

"First, I want to eat some leftovers. I'm hungry."

"Sounds good to me."

Together, they headed into the kitchen.

Chapter 9

"Dating anyone?" Gwen nuzzled his chest. The action made his breath catch.

After filling their bellies, they headed to the couch, both shivering from the frigid chill in the room. He reclined on pillows, encouraging her to lie down on top. She balked at first, but soon the cold and his encouragement changed her mind. Carefully, she settled between his legs, tilted to the side, and rested her upper body on his stomach. A thick blanket covered them both, encasing them in a cocoon of warmth.

"Nope. Military kept me too busy. Then the accident. I've spent some time in Germany lately, healing up and learning the basics. How about you?" He wasn't even sure a woman would want to be with him, let alone have a clue how he'd perform in bed without a lower leg for balance. Damn his luck.

"No. There seem to be a shortage of handsome, smart, and caring men out there. As much as I look for Prince Charming, I keep finding toads."

He chuckled, wrapping his arms around her under the covers. "Toads, huh? Did you kiss them?"

"A couple. No prince appeared. Just a warty old toad."

Never before would he have considered himself a cuddler. Yet snuggling with Gwen on the couch felt pretty damn good. Feeling lazy and content, he didn't want to move any time soon. "Did they give you warts?"

She snorted. "They knew better. I would have made frog legs out of them."

He laughed, wrapped her tighter in his embrace, and lightly rubbed his hands up and down her back. Gwen provided a balm to his anger, reminded him of the lighter side of life, and managed to perk up his spirits with her bubbly optimism. In her company, he felt hope.

To come home to this every night…

"What time is it?"

He pulled one hand from under the covers and checked his watch. "Three thirty. Why?"

Her eyes opened wide. "Oh, no. It's late." She sat up.

"Late? What are you late for?" Concerned at the near panic on her face, he tried to make sense of the sudden change.

She met his gaze. "I need to go home." Looking down at his chest, she whispered an explanation. "I don't want to overstay my welcome. You're hospitality has been wonderful, but I know you have other things to do than entertain me. Besides, I'm sure the airport will be opening soon, so you can book a flight to Florida to see your parents."

Reaching out, he brushed a stray chestnut lock from her face. "First of all, I have nothing pressing to do. With the power out, I'm sure the airport still isn't moving planes. You are nowhere near overstaying your welcome. And you're doing me a favor staying here. You're entertaining me. Hell, if you weren't here, I would be eating frozen fish sticks and fumbling around the house, bored out of my skull."

"But, I…"

"Shhhhh." He interlaced his fingers with hers. "Even if the ice storm has passed, it will take days for crews to get the power restored. Which means there are probably lines down, even trees lying across the road. Driving conditions will be deplorable with the ice, let alone obstacles along the way." Logan squeezed her hand. "I'd worry about you trying to drive four hours home in such conditions, especially with dark falling soon. Why don't you stay another night?"

Hope and relief flashed across her face along with a healthy dose of guilt. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." Reclining, he tugged her back on top of him, snuggling together. "Besides, you have to finish telling me about these toads you dated."

She curled back in, the tension leaving her body as she rested her head on his chest. "Not much to tell. Once a toad, always a toad."

He grinned, ran his hand down the length of her hair, and pulled the comforter tighter around her. "Worse than Harvey Dewater?"

Her eyes widened as she stared at him in astonishment. "I can't believe you remember him!"

How could he forget? She came to class one day with a guy trailing behind her. Her face told the whole story, full of anger and worry. Gwen refused to spill the beans until he put two and two together. Seems Harvey had a big crush and wouldn't take no for an answer, following Gwen all over campus, and rattling her sense of security. He gave her a hug, promised to take care of the problem, and followed through, right after class let out. The punk knew a more alpha male when he saw one.

"How could I forget your shadow that day?"

"Yeah, such a jerk, too." She blinked at him and tilted her head. "What did you say to him? All I know is he never came near me again."

A smile teased his lips. "I don't remember exactly. I'm just glad it worked."

"Me, too. It seems I'm always attracting creeps." Resting her chin on her hand, she looked down at him. "I don't remember if I thanked you for intervening."

"No problem."

"Seems you were my hero well before last night." A sincere grin brightened her face.

His face heated, a rarity for him. Crude and brash talk didn't faze him in the least, but avid praise cornered the market on embarrassing him.

A bit awkward with the revered label, he quickly changed the subject. "Do you still dance?"

She shook her head. "Nah. I lost my dance partner, and it wasn't the same." Her eyes twinkled.

His ego escalated with the gentle compliment.

"Besides, I sucked at it."

"Hey, I thought we did pretty good for a couple of newbies."

"You're right. If I remember, I pulled a 'B' out of the class." She shot him a grin. "Thanks to you." Wiggling, she rested her cheek back on his sternum and closed her eyes.

She reminded him of a cozy kitten, finding a comfortable, warm spot to curl up for a long winter's nap.

"You mentioned something about calling Walter Reed."

His stomach tightened a notch. "Yeah."

"Can I ask about it?"

"Sure." Supposedly, talking about things helped, according to the shrink back at the base in Germany. He preferred to avoid chatting too much about his leg but couldn't deny Gwen answers to her questions.

"Is that where you'll go for rehab?"

"Yeah. I'll have to call to get signed in and find out my appointment time. From what I understand, it's a few weeks of hardcore therapy, getting used to the final prosthesis, and basically learning to deal with pretty much what life sends your way."

"Will you stay at the hospital?"

"Probably not. The orders said outpatient therapy. I'm not sure if they have hospitality rooms or what. If not, I can drive back and forth or take the train if need be."

She lifted her head to stare at him. "Why don't you just stay with me instead? I live in Bethesda, just a few blocks away from Walter Reed. Walking distance if you have to, a short car ride if you prefer."

He blinked and looked away for a long moment. She offered an ideal solution to his living arrangements for the period of time he attended rehab; however, that put him with her for another several weeks. As much as he enjoyed their twenty-four hours together, he dared not think too far ahead. Things change. People change. She might regret her offer later. Once she realized what living with him entailed and catching sight of his war injury.

At the same time, his heart thudded against his ribs. She returned humor and laughter to his somber and serious life, something he rarely experienced since the bomb detonated and changed his life forever. He couldn't let her walk away at the airport and refused to let her hightail it to her car and drive over precarious roads today because his gut clamored at him to hold her close, hang on to a dream.

Her brow furrowed. "I lived with my great aunt through college. Got a scholarship to the University of Maryland, full ride for books and tuition. Given the chance to go to school for free and see another part of the country, I jumped at the opportunity. Well, my great aunt passed two years ago, leaving me the house in her will. It's not huge but it is comfortable with three bedrooms and two baths. I swear there's plenty of room for you to stay. You won't be an inconvenience." She brushed her fingers across his cheek. "To be completely honest, I'd like the company. I could repay you for letting me stay here and have someone to come home to, for a while, until you're ready to leave."

He searched her face and deep brown eyes, finding truth to her words. Either she felt especially obligated, or she seemed to want to cling to the link between them this time as much as he did. Logan hoped for the latter. Yet he grappled with an appropriate answer.

"I…"

His cell phone rang, breaking in at an opportunistic time. Stretching his arm, he plucked the device from the coffee table. "Hello?"

"Logan! I've been waiting to hear from you. When does your flight come in?" his mother rambled in excitement.

Gwen got up, heading to the bathroom, presumably to give him a bit of privacy for his conversation. He missed her warmth and presence almost immediately. "I got in last night. At the apartment now."

"What? Why didn't you tell us? We would have met you there. Flown in early."

"No use. Big ice storm here. The airport shut down last night, and the power's out here now. Last news I heard, they expected electricity to be down up to a few days."

"But it's Christmas. You shouldn't have to spend it alone."

A small grin appeared on his face. "I'm not."

"Oh?" He heard his mother's curiosity snap on.

"An old college friend needed a place to stay until she could get back home."

"She?"

He rolled his eyes, preparing for the questions to begin rapid fire. "Yes, she."

"Oh my."

"When are you flying in?" He pried her away from her probable matchmaking thoughts.

"Tomorrow afternoon. The airline thought everything should return to normal by then."

"I can meet you there."

"No sense in getting out in the cold, dear. We'll take a taxi and meet you at home."

"Okay." He sat up and shoved his fingers through his hair. "I'll see you then."

"Love you, Logan."

"Love you too, Mom." He clicked the phone off, his gaze immediately searching for Gwen.

She returned a minute later. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Mom checking in. They're flying in tomorrow."

"Oh. That's good. I know they must miss you." Her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

He empathized.

Reality in the form of his mother intruded on his magical winter wonderland, reminding him his time grew short before he'd once again have to face daily life as a disabled warrior to the rest of the world.

As much as he wanted to see his parents, he preferred to stay, albeit in the cold apartment, alone with Gwen, reliving times gone by and feeling like a whole man again. To determine if they were compatible, to explore the first stages of a potential relationship, to enjoy a woman's company for the first time in forever. They had twenty-four more hours. Enough time to come to terms with what fate had in store for them. If they ignited a spark, he could always accept her lodging offer.

Things just might work out. Except for one big detail. His wound. He had to show her his ugly stump. She wouldn't run or freak, no, but he knew she'd react badly, even a momentary flash, which would dash his hopes. He released a long sigh. Better to learn the hard truth now than to wait and suffer more letdown later.

Before she leaves, I'll show her. That way the rest of this day won't be awkward, and we can part ways right after.
Today, he could enjoy existing in the world of perfection for a bit longer.