A Santini's Heart (The Santinis Book 10) by Melissa Schroeder Page B

who had been through hell and had tried to commit suicide before taking classes with her. She had a very high success rate. Carlos had heard her claim it was due to her stubbornness. That was true, but a huge part of it was because she had a big heart. She wanted everyone to have a second chance.
    “I guess it’s hard to explain to someone who isn’t in my family.”
    “Try me.”
    He hesitated, a bit too long for Tia, apparently.
    “Never mind.”
    He saw the look on her face and stopped her from sliding away from him. “No. I’m trying to come up with the best way to explain it. You know my family.”
    She nodded.
    “We’re Marines.”
    She snorted. “Well, yeah. Kind of hard to miss.”
    “From the time I knew what it was to be a Marine, I wanted to be one. It wasn’t that it was expected of me. It was that I wanted to be one.”
    “But that changed.”
    Not a question. Just a simple statement. Her matter-of-fact tone told him she understood. He always knew she did. There was comfort in that, a connection.
    He nodded. “I wasn’t like Anthony where he got burned out and wanted something new. It was taken away from me.”
    “Because of your injury? I thought you were cleared to go.”
    He sighed. “Physically. Mentally…well, my therapist had concerns. Hell, I had concerns. I do okay now, but loud noises, explosions…they were hard.”
    “Hard?”
    Of course she was insisting on the entire story. This was Tia, and she never let up.
    “I couldn’t handle it. I remember the first Fourth of July after I got back. I almost had a breakdown. To handle the noise, and because I wanted to look like a big bad Marine, I drank. It was the only thing that kept me from losing it. That only added to the issues.”
    “That’s when you started doing the adrenaline junkie things. Dangerous things.”
    “Yeah. I couldn’t handle loud noises or flashes of light without liquor, but hell, I could go rock climbing—especially in places that were off limits. In fact, I was looking into a hike in Hawaii to Heaven’s Gate when Mom insisted I meet with you and Adrian.”
    Her eyes widened. “That’s the place where people get killed.”
    “Yep. I wanted to prove I wasn’t a coward.”
    She didn’t say anything for a very long time. She just kept looking at him with those amazing eyes.
    “How could you even think you are a coward?”
    “Look—”
    She shot up and shoved him back down on the bed. “No. You are going to listen to me. Right now. For once, you will zip it while I speak.”
    He nodded.
    “I can’t believe you even thought that anyone would label you with that handle. And your family…they would never think you were a coward. Good lord. All I ever hear from your mother is how wonderful you are. She thinks you were sent from Heaven above for the women of Earth to admire.”
    He opened his mouth, but she stopped him with one simple statement. Without breaking eye contact, she said, “You are one of the strongest people I know.”
    “Tia.”
    “No. You have to know I wouldn’t blow smoke up your ass. You didn’t want to be here the first time you came. I knew it from that chip you were carrying on your shoulder. But you showed up. Every day you were scheduled, too. You know the dropout rate can be high for us. We deal with people who have seen some of the worst of society. But you came back. Every. Damn. Day. And you thrived.”
    “I had a good teacher.”
    She shook her head and blinked a few times. He had a horrible feeling that she was trying to hold back tears. If she cried, he would lose it.
    “I’m good, that’s for sure. But you were my most difficult student. I thought you might quit.”
    He frowned.
    “Yeah, that’s right. You didn’t. You want to know why? You’re a damned Santini. Being a Marine is part of your makeup. I get that. But what is beneath all of that is a good man. One who loves his family, loves this ranch, and loved my brother like his own. You are an amazing man and