Other
than the living room rug and the one she stood on in the vestibule, the floors
were bare and showed off the house’s original hardwood planking. From somewhere
came the light scent of a pine forest.
“This house fits you. I can see your hand
all over it.”
“Thank you, although I have to admit, my
sister helped pick out the furnishings.”
“Not a man to match colors?” she teased.
“Can’t match patterns,” he corrected. “The
colors are easy to see. But she laments that I think plaids and stripes go
perfectly fine together.”
“Oh dear!” Lauren laughed. “I’m grateful
your sister stepped in then!”
John came to her side and his very nearness
made her stomach flutter. He towered over her, forcing her to look up. Did he
know he made her feel petite and diminutive? His fingers caressed her cheek and
she knew he did. She closed her eyes and leaned her cheek on his hand.
John knew there was an elephant in the room
and he decided to tackle the topic head on. Before he could take her the way he
wanted, there needed to be total trust between them. There were a few issues
they needed to get out of the way.
He leaned in as if to kiss her, but
murmured instead, “So you’re getting over the fact that I had several tours in
the Marines?”
She stiffened and John waited. Taking a
deep breath, she glanced at him and nodded. “I’m getting there.”
John couldn’t be deterred. Leading her into
the living room, he sat on the couch, waiting until she sat demurely beside
him. “You were in the service too. And I saw you with the band. Why the
reluctance with dating a military man?”
She shook her head. “I’m… I was trying to
put all that behind me. I’ve had enough of the military for a while.”
“So naturally you sing in a bar with a band
and bring your nephew to a Civil War reenactment. Because you’ve had enough of
the military.”
“Actually, the Civil War thing was an
accident. Beth’s a good friend and we decided to take the kids and get away for
the day. Ian wanted to go to the museum because it’s one of his favorite
places. I didn’t know about the reenactment until we got there, but,” she
paused to shrug, “Ian enjoyed it.”
“I’m glad you were there.” When she didn’t
say anything, he added, “So is Chuck.”
“Chuck? Oh, your friend with the broken
leg.”
“You make a good nurse.”
“That’s behind me now.” Her voice went flat
as if there would be no more discussion of this topic.
All his careful peeling only brought him to
a layer made of brick. He needed a change in tactics. Sledgehammers brought
down walls but tended to break things in the process. He sensed she wanted to
talk to him but habit kept the wall in place. Perhaps all Lauren needed was a
little nudge?
Lauren sat erect, unsure what John wanted
from her. She’d come here to get laid after days of deliberation, and here he
sat, bringing up his military service. Hadn’t he gotten it yet? She wasn’t
ready to share her past with him.
Or was she? Looking around the comfortable
room, she felt again that warm, safe, protected feeling creep over her. John
wouldn’t make fun of her—hadn’t he proved that already? Although her defenses
rose again out of habit and fear, she felt torn between wanting to fling
herself into the safety of his arms and wanting to take the easy way out and
run.
As if he could read the warring emotions,
John simply watched her a moment then took her hand in his. “Tell me.”
Lauren looked at him, seeing not pity but
safety in his look. Her shoulders slumped. She liked him. A lot. She might even
have fallen in love with him. He might be the one to run away once he realized
how deep her memories scarred her. Yet she had to take the risk. Any man worth
having would be a man who could accept her for all her faults.
“I was an Army nurse—career Army. Ever
since I was little and watched M*A*S*H on television with my parents,
that’s all I wanted to do. I
than the living room rug and the one she stood on in the vestibule, the floors
were bare and showed off the house’s original hardwood planking. From somewhere
came the light scent of a pine forest.
“This house fits you. I can see your hand
all over it.”
“Thank you, although I have to admit, my
sister helped pick out the furnishings.”
“Not a man to match colors?” she teased.
“Can’t match patterns,” he corrected. “The
colors are easy to see. But she laments that I think plaids and stripes go
perfectly fine together.”
“Oh dear!” Lauren laughed. “I’m grateful
your sister stepped in then!”
John came to her side and his very nearness
made her stomach flutter. He towered over her, forcing her to look up. Did he
know he made her feel petite and diminutive? His fingers caressed her cheek and
she knew he did. She closed her eyes and leaned her cheek on his hand.
John knew there was an elephant in the room
and he decided to tackle the topic head on. Before he could take her the way he
wanted, there needed to be total trust between them. There were a few issues
they needed to get out of the way.
He leaned in as if to kiss her, but
murmured instead, “So you’re getting over the fact that I had several tours in
the Marines?”
She stiffened and John waited. Taking a
deep breath, she glanced at him and nodded. “I’m getting there.”
John couldn’t be deterred. Leading her into
the living room, he sat on the couch, waiting until she sat demurely beside
him. “You were in the service too. And I saw you with the band. Why the
reluctance with dating a military man?”
She shook her head. “I’m… I was trying to
put all that behind me. I’ve had enough of the military for a while.”
“So naturally you sing in a bar with a band
and bring your nephew to a Civil War reenactment. Because you’ve had enough of
the military.”
“Actually, the Civil War thing was an
accident. Beth’s a good friend and we decided to take the kids and get away for
the day. Ian wanted to go to the museum because it’s one of his favorite
places. I didn’t know about the reenactment until we got there, but,” she
paused to shrug, “Ian enjoyed it.”
“I’m glad you were there.” When she didn’t
say anything, he added, “So is Chuck.”
“Chuck? Oh, your friend with the broken
leg.”
“You make a good nurse.”
“That’s behind me now.” Her voice went flat
as if there would be no more discussion of this topic.
All his careful peeling only brought him to
a layer made of brick. He needed a change in tactics. Sledgehammers brought
down walls but tended to break things in the process. He sensed she wanted to
talk to him but habit kept the wall in place. Perhaps all Lauren needed was a
little nudge?
Lauren sat erect, unsure what John wanted
from her. She’d come here to get laid after days of deliberation, and here he
sat, bringing up his military service. Hadn’t he gotten it yet? She wasn’t
ready to share her past with him.
Or was she? Looking around the comfortable
room, she felt again that warm, safe, protected feeling creep over her. John
wouldn’t make fun of her—hadn’t he proved that already? Although her defenses
rose again out of habit and fear, she felt torn between wanting to fling
herself into the safety of his arms and wanting to take the easy way out and
run.
As if he could read the warring emotions,
John simply watched her a moment then took her hand in his. “Tell me.”
Lauren looked at him, seeing not pity but
safety in his look. Her shoulders slumped. She liked him. A lot. She might even
have fallen in love with him. He might be the one to run away once he realized
how deep her memories scarred her. Yet she had to take the risk. Any man worth
having would be a man who could accept her for all her faults.
“I was an Army nurse—career Army. Ever
since I was little and watched M*A*S*H on television with my parents,
that’s all I wanted to do. I
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