The Soldier's Promise

But then what would she want with a broken-down soldier with few prospects? “Thanks,” he said.

There was a pause. “It’s your business, but why not just satisfy curiosity? People in small towns are naturally curious.”

“There’s things I want to forget, that’s why,” he said. “I sure as hell don’t want anyone to thank me for my service, not when it killed my best friend and a bunch of other really good guys.”

“Understood,” his attorney said, and hung up.

Josh put the cell in his pocket and wondered who else the police chief had contacted.

Maybe he shouldn’t be surprised. He’d gone out of his way to be rude and avoid people. Rudeness hadn’t worked with the mayor, and he’d found himself enjoying the verbal duel. And he was intrigued with her...even though she wasn’t his type at all.

He tried to brush away the attraction he’d felt for the mayor, tried to do the same with the arousal that had an irritating way of returning when he thought about her.

It was nothing but the fact he’d been too long without female company.

The list. Back to the list. He had finished scraping paint and filling in holes on the living room walls. He planned to prime it today, then paint it tomorrow.

There was also the Harley outside, but that was at the bottom of his list.

Other than giving it a brief inspection, he’d hadn’t had time to work on it since the bike had arrived from Georgia, along with his other belongings. It hadn’t been used since before his last deployment to Afghanistan.

He missed it. It was one of his few big purchases, and he’d ridden across the country on it while on his leaves. It had been his only vehicle until he’d bought the used Jeep Wrangler to pick up Amos.

He sipped a second cup of coffee as he looked around. He wondered how the property had looked when Dave’s family had owned it. Or why his friend had clung to it despite never coming back.

He finished his coffee and went into the smaller, second bedroom and searched through the cartons that had been shipped from Georgia. He hadn’t gone back to the base to do it, just asked a friend to pack everything except his uniforms. He’d wanted those left behind.

When the boxes arrived, he’d discovered his off-duty clothes had been way too big after months of hospital food, and now he lived in newly purchased jeans and T-shirts. The other boxes included his stereo and CDs, a small television and a couple of paintings he’d bought to brighten his rooms in the bachelor quarters for noncommissioned officers.

Then there were the six boxes of books, everything from biographies to history to novels. He’d opened one of the boxes and was currently reading a suspense novel when he couldn’t sleep.

Bookcase. He added that to the furniture list.

Then there was the box containing dog toys he’d purchased just before picking up Amos. Like other military dogs, Amos was trained with toy rewards rather than treat rewards, and he’d dearly loved his ball and rubber KONG toy that Dave had carried all over hell and back. But Amos hadn’t been interested in the new batch. Still, Josh placed several toys in each room, then went back to work priming the living room walls.

The vet arrived at noon.

Stephanie Phillips looked around as she stepped inside, her gaze going to the primed walls, the cans of paint, the ladder and the fireplace. “You’ve been busy.”

“Lots to do.”

“You’re going to stay, then.”

Josh shrugged. “It needs repairs whether I stay or not.”

“That’s not a very definitive answer,” she said.

“Maybe because I haven’t decided yet.”

“And it’s really none of my business.”

He let the silence answer for him.

“I hope you do. We need some new blood in town.”

“Or at least a new patient.” The ungracious words popped out before he could stop them. She’d agreed to make a house call, and he needed her. But the old protective wall had gone back up after discovering the mayor had had him investigated.

“Now, that’s cynical.” But her smile belied the cut of the words.

“And you don’t deserve it. I apologize.” He moved across the room to an open door. “Amos is in the bedroom.” He turned and gave her a wry look. “Neither of us bite. It’s safe.”

“Didn’t doubt it for a second,” she said.

He led the way into the bedroom and watched as she knelt beside Amos, who had crawled halfway under the bed after hearing the door open.

“Dr. Phillips...”

“Stephanie,” she corrected. She started talking to Amos in a voice so soft Josh could barely hear the words. Her fingers ran through his fur.

“You’re a fine fellow,” she said softly. “And you have nothing to fear from me. You just don’t know who to trust, but that’s okay. You’ll learn. You’ll like it here. Woods. Rabbits to chase.”

Amos had tensed when she first touched him, but now under her gentle hands and soft voice, the dog started to relax.

“He’s a very handsome dog,” she said. “I’ve not seen a Belgian Malinois around here before.”

“He’s smart as hell. He saved a lot of lives out there. He deserves some peace.”

“He was trained to detect explosives?”

“He was what they call a dual-purpose dog. He could detect explosives as well as track enemy combatants.”

“We always need trackers around here. People keep getting lost in the mountains.”

“He’s not ready for that.”

“Not now, but...”

“I’m not concerned with anything but now,” he said shortly.

She nodded. “He’s thin. Too thin. What does he eat?”

“Not much of anything. I tried dog food at first. Some that the vets at Lackland recommended. He ignored it. I tried hamburgers and steaks on the trip. He would nibble after leaving it for a while, but never much. Same yesterday. I got him a steak from Maude’s Diner. He couldn’t be less interested.”

“And those are good steaks,” she said. “My dogs would die for them.”

She whispered something to Amos, then stood. “Amos, can you sit for me?”

“Sit, Amos,” Josh said, trying to reinforce the command.

Amos slowly moved his butt from under the bed. Amos usually cringed now when a command was given. Today was no different, but after a moment he obeyed.

“Good boy,” the vet said. She took a small package from her pocket and pulled out a piece of cheese and offered it to Amos.

To Josh’s surprise, he accepted it.

“Few dogs can resist cheese,” she said. “Works a lot better than most dog treats.” She continued whispering to Amos as she inspected his ears and then her hands checked the rest of his body. “Muscle tone is still good.”

“I’ve been taking him for walks at night when there’s no traffic. Sudden noises scare him. And any kind of loud noises. Knocking on the door, for instance.”

“Is that why you’ve scared off visitors?”

“You’ve heard that, too?”

“Everyone in town has. I know you don’t want to say much about your service. Or Amos’s. But it would be a quick way to stop the visitors. They’ll understand.”

He shrugged. “We don’t care if they understand.”

She gave him a long, searching look, then turned back to Amos. “You’re speaking for him?”

He had to crack a smile. “Guess so.”

“From what you’ve said, his sitting is a big deal. Next step seems to be what you’re doing. Walking him when you can. Try to stimulate him. I understand he was trained with dog toys.”

“He has a box load of every kind of toy imaginable. Squeaky ones, long stuffed snakes, the KONG toys loaded with treats. He’s just not interested.”

She shrugged. “Give him time. Amos has had a lot of changes. And a huge loss. You said yesterday that you thought the problem was more a broken heart. But he knew you. You were a familiar piece of his old life. That should help.”

He had thought it might. But though Amos tolerated him, he’d reserved his loyalty and devotion for Dave, who’d always loved dogs and had worked hard to become a handler for the unit.

“I thought so, too, but Amos apparently is a one-person dog. He’d only had one handler.”

Stephanie nodded. “You must have been a very good friend of the handler to take this on. I’ve discovered it’s not the easiest thing to adopt a retired military dog. A lot of paperwork and a lot of time.”

“I owed his handler.”

“Why?”

“Dave was my best friend. He was killed...on my last patrol.”

“David Hannity?”

He stared at her.

“It makes sense,” she said. “From both what you said and didn’t say.”

He nodded. “Others died that day, too. An ambush.” He didn’t know why he’d said that. Especially to a stranger, but then she’d guessed most of it.

“And you feel responsible?” She paused, then added, “It’s none of my business, and you can be sure I won’t repeat anything to anyone. But I wanted to know your commitment to Amos.”

“Dave saved my life that day. Do you know now?”

“I think I do,” she said softly. “Start taking him on mountain trails during the day. No cars or loud noises there. Talk to him. Don’t give up on the toys. If there’s no progress in several weeks, then maybe we will try something else.”

He nodded. “Thanks for coming.”

“I’m not sure I helped much.”

“None of the vets at Lackland could, either. Maybe time...”

She looked at him directly. “He’s lucky to have you.”

“Not so much. If he was lucky, Dave would still be alive.”

She turned to leave.

“What about the bill?”

“I didn’t do anything. No charge.”

He walked her to the door and watched her leave. She walked with athletic grace. She was attractive, but there was none of that sexual electricity he’d felt with the mayor. So it hadn’t been just a need for female companionship. He’d hoped that was the case.

The mayor, for God’s sake. He’d truly lost his mind. Dave would have laughed his head off.

* * *

EVE RACED TO make her son’s first softball game of the season.

Her in-laws, Abby and Jim, had picked up Nick after school and driven him to the baseball field since she wasn’t sure whether she could make it in time.

It seemed everyone in town was there. No stands, but everyone seemed to have brought their own chairs. There was even a rocker for old Mrs. Evans.

The smell of corn dogs and popcorn floated across the field from a truck manned by mothers, as did the sound of laughter from younger children who played their own version of baseball in a smaller field.

This was why she loved Covenant Falls. It was stuck in a time warp. Sure, there was a problem with kids getting drugs, but it was mostly weed and alcohol. When the biggest news was a new resident, she felt herself lucky.

Abby turned to her. “I heard you met the man who is at the Hannity cabin.”

“He owns the cabin,” Eve corrected.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” she said. “Because there was so much talk, I went against my better instincts and asked Tom to check on him. He has good credit, no record and a clear title to the cabin, and that’s more than anyone needs to know.”

Abby’s hurt look stabbed her. Both she and her husband had always been wonderful to her. They looked after Nick when she had to work, Jim helped out at the ranch and they had loved her as a daughter. She was just so tired of all the suspicion surrounding the new resident.

But Abby was just voicing the gossip she knew was running around the community like wildfire.

A roar went up from the watching parents, and she saw a ball shooting through the air. Nick was running to first base. Second base. He rounded third as an opposing player caught the ball on the ground and threw it.

Nick slid into home plate and grinned at the cheers. Pride exploded in Eve. He was so much like his father. And that open, happy grin had been rare since first his father, then his grandfather, had died.

Maybe he was finally letting go, just as her mother-in-law had told her she should do. Memories were fine things, Abby had said, but not when they haunted the living.

She’d never been tempted, though. At thirty-three, she’d found that the good guys were already taken, and she didn’t care much for those who were left. At Abby’s urging, she’d tried a couple of awkward dates, but she couldn’t wait to get home. Most wanted something she wasn’t willing to give.

She’d had a great husband and she wasn’t going to settle for less. Nor was she willing to lose someone again. And Nick? She didn’t even want to think what another loss would mean to him.

It was, therefore, troubling—no, maddening—that Joshua Manning had been in her head all day. Flashes of his guarded but brilliant green eyes lingered in her brain, as did the sexual awareness that shook her to the core. She’d felt it like a bolt of lightning.

She tried to will it away, but the need was stubborn. Her skin warmed at the thought. He exuded primal masculinity. Control. Assurance. The memory of his chest straining against the T-shirt...

Go away.

“Anything wrong?” Abby asked. “You look a little flushed.”

Drat him. “I’ve just been rushing all day,” she said. Could everyone read her thoughts?

But Abby just looked concerned. “You work too hard.”

“It’s budget time, and we need a new police chief.”

Another shout went up. One of Nick’s teammates reached second base. She tried to concentrate. What inning was it? And what would they have for supper? Mundane things that were, nonetheless, important to her son, and that was all that should matter. Her son already had more losses than was fair for a ten-year-old. He deserved her full attention.

And he would get it, she promised herself.

Macaroni and cheese. That was what she would make. It was Nick’s favorite, and she always kept the fixings available for emergencies.

She wondered if Covenant’s newest resident liked macaroni and cheese. Despite that hard chest, he’d looked thin. Not thin. He was too corded for thin. But lean...

Quit it!

Then the game was over, and Nick ran up to her. “Did you see my home run?”

“I did, indeed. I’m raising a major leaguer.”

“I wish Dad and Grandpa were here.”

She hugged him hard. “So do I, slugger. So do I.”

He looked up with an earnest gaze that pierced her heart.

“Let’s head home,” she said. “What about some mac and cheese tonight?”

His face lit up, and her heart flooded with love.

He was all she needed. All she wanted.

CHAPTER FIVE

EVE ARRIVED AT her office early after a sleepless night. She kept second-guessing herself after authorizing Tom to run a check on Joshua Manning. She had never done such a thing before, never thought she’d let gossip influence her.

She would be furious if she went to a new town, then heard someone had started asking questions about her for no reason other than the way she looked or dressed. Or the fact she didn’t wholeheartedly welcome strangers to her door.

But then that was his right. If it was because of war experiences, he had every right to his privacy, and his wishes should be honored. Even if it wasn’t because of war, she still had no business questioning him. She had an apology to make. Even a bit of groveling. She would do just that this afternoon.

Her clerk told her that a copy of the Hannity cabin deed had arrived via fax. She would go bearing gifts: a copy of his deed and a building permit for his expanded porch.

That was the only reason she going. Absolutely the only reason.

She wondered if he knew she’d authorized a background check. She hadn’t seen Tom this morning and wondered how far he had gone with it.

She phoned him. She didn’t want surprises.

“Tom?”

“Sorry I didn’t get back to you about Manning,” he said, “but we’ve had another burglary. This time Gus’s gas station. Gus swears he locked the door last night, and it was locked this morning when he went in. But someone got inside. Someone who knows his way around locks, and that lets out most of our possibles.”

A knot lodged in Eve’s stomach. Because there was so little crime in Covenant Falls, few of the merchants, aside from the bank, took security seriously. With the exception of the motorcycle gang that had roared into town three years ago and killed her father, Covenant Falls had few problems. It was far away enough from the interstate to miss that kind of crime.

“Any ideas?” she asked.

“None, but I suspect a number of people do.”

“Joshua Manning.”

“Right on. But I don’t think so. The background check produced darn little except he’d been an army staff sergeant with an honorable discharge for medical reasons. The army wouldn’t release anything else.”

“Staff sergeant?”

“Pretty responsible job. Staff sergeants make the army work. Incompetent or dishonest guys don’t make it. Don’t even come close.”

Eve wasn’t surprised. It validated all her instincts. A dangerous man who’d lived on, and probably for, the edge. Nothing like her peace-loving husband or her father, who, despite being police chief, would go a mile out of his way to avoid trouble. Except for one time, and that one time killed him.

“Thanks. I think you should end any further searching.”

“I agree. I’ll steer Sam away from him.”

“Good.”

“But something like this burglary can escalate. The town will go into a frenzy if there’s a third. I’m going to start Fred and Mike patrolling the downtown area at night.”

“Good idea. If you need overtime I’ll find the money. Somewhere. Do what you have to do.”

“I think I’ll process the crime scene myself and see what I can find. Are you going to be here?”

“I have that budget to finish and I plan to meet Stephanie for lunch so we can talk about the fund-raiser for the community center. Then I have to leave early to pick up Nick for baseball practice, but you can reach me anytime on my cell.”

She didn’t tell him she planned to drop by the Hannity place sometime in the afternoon. She hoped Marilyn wouldn’t be home, either. Because of the trees, Marilyn couldn’t see the Hannity cabin from her house, but from the information flowing in, Eve would bet she had taken many walks down his way.

Eve worked all morning on the budget, trying to eke out funds for the community center. It was to be located in an abandoned building on Oak Street across from the city park and ball fields. The owner had died, and the heirs had moved away long ago and didn’t want to invest the money it would take to bring it to code. The city claimed the building in lieu of taxes, and volunteers had painted and repaired it. It had required a lot of work, but it was something she’d wanted for a long time: a place for club meetings, for craft groups to work, for Cub and Boy Scout meetings. A room was set aside for computer use, and another for a library. She wanted computers available for kids whose families couldn’t afford them and for adults who wanted to learn how to use one. The library area would replace the current library, a corner in her father-in-law’s drugstore.

But looming over all the other city business was finding a chief for the police department. Tom had contacted friends in the Colorado state police and some chiefs he knew around the state. The job was perfect for a retired officer. Not much happened in Covenant Falls, although the town limits included a large geographical area. The cost of living was inexpensive compared to other parts of the state. But pressure was building to name Sam Clark. She worried how long she could hold off on the appointment without presenting a reasonable alternative at a salary the city could afford.

She worked for nearly three hours, then gave up.

* * *

STEPHANIE WAS WAITING for her at Maude’s for their lunch date. Eve slid into the booth opposite her. “Hi.”

“Hi, yourself. I heard Nick practically won the game all by himself. Takes after his dad, and you, I hear.”

“I wish you would forget that,” Eve said. She had been a dedicated tomboy, a daddy’s girl, despite her mother’s attempt to “civilize” her. Her father had treated his only child more like a son than a daughter and taught her to fish, shoot and play poker. He’d taken her on volunteer work sessions when someone needed a home painted or repaired. Most of all, she’d loved playing ball with him, and she was darn good at it. She’d sued to play in Little League. Her mother nearly died of embarrassment. She lost, but it was another battle that had torn her parents apart.

“How’s the motley crew?” Stephanie asked. “Haven’t seen you in the office lately.”

“That’s a good thing,” Eve said with a grin at Stephanie’s description of her four dogs, cat and two horses. “I’m just glad you’re boarding your horse at my place or I would probably be bankrupt.”

“Since I stuck you with two of the dogs, it’s only right.”

“Nick thinks they’re all wonderful and the best dogs ever.”

“He would. He’s a great kid. Wouldn’t mind having one like him some day, but probably won’t happen now. You have to have a husband, or at least someone you think could be a good father, and I’m not too keen on going that route again.”

Eve knew Stephanie had been married twice, the first when she was young and a bit wild. The boy was killed while buying drugs. The second husband was the total opposite, a lawyer who’d liked the idea of an independent wife until he had one.

“Think about adoption?” Eve ventured.

“Not with my schedule. I never know when I’m going to be away all night with a sick cow or pregnant mare.”

Mary came to take their order, although they usually got the same thing. Their guilty pleasure, they both agreed, and to be enjoyed once a week.

“Let me guess,” Mary said. “Two patty melts with fries, and iced tea, one sweet, one without sugar.”

“Got it.” Eve beamed up at her. She would have a salad tonight and make Nick a hot dog. He ran all his calories off.

“I heard you went out to the Hannity place,” Stephanie said.

“Marilyn again, I suppose,” Eve replied with a deep sigh.

“Yep. I think she sits at that window all day long, just praying for more gossip fodder.”

Stephanie nodded. “Mr. Manning came to my office day before yesterday to discuss his dog.”

“And—” Eve held her breath “—was the dog as starved as Marilyn charged?”

“No,” Stephanie said. “I can’t talk about it. Mr. Manning requested that I don’t, and I won’t. I can say, though, that he is a responsible owner and, hopefully, that will end the talk.”

That shut down that subject. Eve had heard harsh words come from Stephanie when talking about owners who did not take care of their animals properly, and her defense of Joshua Manning told her a great deal.

She couldn’t help but pry a bit more. “What did you think of him?”

Stephanie shrugged. “It’s clear he’s carrying a lot of weight on those shoulders. Don’t know what, and it’s none of my business, but I like him. He doesn’t bullshit.” She peered at Eve. “Rumor is that you went by his place.”

“I did. I took him a land survey he’d requested.”

“Do you usually do that?”

“I wish people would stop asking me that,” Eve said.

“Ah,” Stephanie said. “Same question you asked me, then. What did you think of him?”

“Prickly. Defensive. Secretive. Rude.”

Stephanie’s face creased into a smile. “And you liked him! I’ll be hornswoggled.”

“I didn’t say that,” Eve protested.

“Yeah, you did,” Stephanie said with a big grin. “Not exactly with words but...”

Eve’s face flushed.

“Okay,” Stephanie said. “I’ll drop it. But one small warning. He is attractive in a rather rebellious way, but he’s a loner. I’ve seen them before. I know the type. My first husband was one of them.”

Eve started to say something, then stopped. Why was she even carrying on this conversation? She’d had her love. It was as love should be: warm and caring and gentle.

And safe.

She wanted to tamp down the last word. But she knew there was some truth in it. Her mother and father had been passionately in love in the beginning, but they were entirely different. He loved the outdoors; her mother didn’t. She was an Easterner who hated guns; guns were part of her father’s life. He liked animals and wanted his daughter to have one; her mother believed dogs belonged outside. She’d watched her mother change through the years into a bitter woman and when Eve’s father was killed in the line of duty, it had confirmed all her mother’s fears and dislikes. The day after his funeral, she’d left Covenant Falls, never to return.