The Sergeant's Christmas Mission

“Small world.”

“Small town.”

The pastor brought everyone’s attention back to the front of the church.

Savannah reached out and touched her arm. In a whisper she said, “We’ll talk more after church.”

At the end of the service, and against her harshly whispered words, Carson bolted out of the church with Caleb tagging behind. Savannah fell in beside her as they slowly milled out into the sweet afternoon sun-filled air.

“So, what did you think?” Savannah asked.

“About the service?”

A nod. “I hope you liked it. I’d love to have someone to sit with on Sundays; not that Amanda isn’t great company.”

“I couldn’t believe how good she was; she didn’t make a peep the whole time.”

“I know. It’s the strangest thing. She cries plenty the rest of the time. But during church service, not a peep.”

“Well, I liked it. I want to come back.”

“Oh, that’s good news.” Savannah stopped at the crosswalk. “Then let’s sit together next Sunday.”

“Okay.” Rebecca felt heartened that she might have already met a potential friend in Savannah. Making a connection to the community was one of the reasons she had wanted to find a church to attend.

They waved goodbye and Savannah headed off in the opposite direction. When she heard her name called, Rebecca turned around to see that Savannah was walking quickly toward her.

“A thought just hit me, and I felt like I needed to say this to you.”

Rebecca waited for the words.

“I don’t know if you were aware of the fact that Shane is a veteran.”

“I am.”

“He did a lot of tours.” Savannah’s expression reflected her concern when she spoke of her brother-in-law.

“My father was a Vietnam vet.” Rebecca wanted to reassure her new acquaintance that she understood, on a deeper level, what it was like to live with a veteran who may not have returned from war the same as they had left.

“Then you understand.”

“Yes. I really do.”

“Well.” Savannah ducked her head toward her and lowered her voice as if she was sharing a secret. “I know Shane can seem a bit off-putting, but I want you to know, that man truly has a heart of gold.”

* * *

Shane had played a gig the night before and had slept off his hangover, so when he awakened on Sunday afternoon, he felt as if all had been set right in his world. He started his day by taking care of Recon’s needs, which included a wrestling match on the floor. And then he cracked open a beer for brunch.

“Come on, buddy. Let’s get some work done.”

Recon followed him to the garage. He had managed to get his hands on a 1943 Indian 841, one of the one thousand that had been built to spec specifically for the US Army during World War II. Shane didn’t mind living in a small apartment because he could pour more of his money into restoring the vintage motorcycle.

Shane rolled the motorcycle out to the paved area right in front of his apartment. He’d been working on the restoration for several years. He had completely disassembled the bike, checked every part and then reassembled it. The motorcycle had also been restored to its original army camouflage green. He felt proud of his accomplishment, but also a little sad. Restoring this motorcycle had been his focus for years; what was he going to do with his time once the job was complete?

He was tinkering with a lug nut when Recon started barking at the sound of a car pulling in the driveway. He’d figured Rebecca and her boys were gone because it was quiet over at the main house.

“Stay.” Shane gave the command to the dog. Recon whined a little, looked back at him, but sat down and stayed put.

The quiet he had been enjoying was interrupted by the sound of Carson and Caleb chasing each other up the driveway, their laughter, surprisingly, not annoying him all that much. The two boys ran toward the back of the house, but when they spotted Recon, they made a sharp right and headed his way. Recon wagged his tail and barked a greeting.

“Hey.” Carson was wearing a suit, but the tie was draped around his neck, and he was barefoot, carrying his shoes and socks in his hand.

“Hi, guys,” Shane responded.

“Hi.” Caleb waved his hand in front of his body, like he was drawing a rainbow, and grinned at him, his head tilted to the side, squinting against the sunlight. “Can I pet Recon?”

“He’s been waiting all day for someone to give him some attention,” Shane said. “Go for it.”

Caleb fell to his knees beside the large dog and wrapped his arms around Recon’s neck. Recon didn’t move, letting the young boy hug him tight.

“Cool,” Carson said.

The boy’s appreciation for his motorcycle made Shane smile fleetingly. “Do you know what a lug wrench is?”

Carson nodded.

“My tool kit is right over there.” Shane nodded.

Carson dropped his shoes, jogged the short distance to the toolbox and then hurried back with the lug wrench.

“Good man,” Shane said. “Thank you.”

“Are they bothering you?” Rebecca appeared around the corner.

Shane glanced up from his work, glanced down, and then his eyes, almost beyond his control, went straight back to Rebecca. She was wearing a pretty sundress with a wide belt that emphasized her small waist and curvy hips. The dress was modest, and yet, Shane found it to be very sexy on Rebecca. As she drew closer, he could see that her cheeks were flushed, her pretty eyes were shining and her copper-brown curls framed her face in the most enchanting way. Today, Rebecca was happy.

“We’re helping,” Carson said.

“They’re helping.” Shane winked at Rebecca’s eldest son.

Caleb was lying on his back in the grass, giggling and being licked on the face by Recon.

“Oh, my goodness.” Rebecca’s attention was captured by the vintage Indian. “Is this an original 841 or a replica?”

“It’s no replica.” Shane stood.

She circled the motorcycle, admiring his work.

“Did you restore this yourself?”

He nodded. “Most of the parts are original. I’ve been at it for years. I only use reproductions when I can’t find the real deal.”

“Your grandfather would have lost his mind over this, Carson,” she said to her son. Then to him, she added, “My father was an Indian fanatic.”

“What’s so special about it?” Carson asked.

Shane was about to respond, but Rebecca put her arm around her son’s shoulders and said, “This is one of only a thousand that were made specifically for the army during the Second World War. This could be in a museum, that’s how special it is.”

“Why’d they only make a thousand?” her son asked.

Rebecca gave a little shrug. “The Jeep came along and the Army didn’t order any more.”

Shane knew he was staring at her; he couldn’t seem to help himself. He’d never known another woman to know the history of his prized motorcycle.

She looked at him, and he had to quickly avert his eyes before he renewed eye contact to cover up the fact that he had, in fact, been staring at her.

“Would you take a picture of my boys and me with it?”

Shane took her phone and took several pictures for her. She scrolled through the pictures and then smiled at him.

“These are great. Thank you.”

Standing so close to her, he could catch the fresh fruity scent of the shampoo she used in her hair. Rebecca Adams wasn’t the prettiest woman he’d ever seen; she was, objectively, on the plain side. But there was something about her that attracted him. It was a magnetic pull that he didn’t understand, and more important, he didn’t necessarily like it.

Shane put some distance between them, taking the lug wrench back to his toolbox.

“Hi, Recon.” Rebecca leaned down and scratched the dog around his ruff before she waved her hand to the boys.

“Come on, guys. I need you to change out of your clothes, grab some lunch and then call your dad. He misses you.”

Carson and Caleb left the way they had come: chasing each other, screaming and laughing. Rebecca hesitated for a moment.

“Do you want to join us for lunch?”

Shane didn’t want to look at her again, but he did out of politeness. “I appreciate the invite, but I had a pretty hardy lunch not too long ago.”

“Well—” she walked backward a few steps “—if you change your mind...”

He nodded; he figured that they both knew he wasn’t going to change his mind.

In spite of himself, he watched her walk away, liking the way she carried her shoulders and the soft sway of her hips.

Unexpectedly, Rebecca turned to face him again.

“Oh! I almost forgot to tell you. I met your sister-in-law today.”

“Is that right? Which one?”

Rebecca laughed. “How many do you have?”

“Three.”

“I met Savannah. At church.”

“Let me guess.” Shane walked back over to the motorcycle. “She put in a good word for me.”

“As a matter of fact, she did.”

“Well—” Shane knelt down by the back tire “—I don’t just say this because she was talking about me. You can take what Savannah says to the bank. She doesn’t know how to lie.”

* * *

Rebecca quickly changed into jeans and a T-shirt and twisted her hair into a bun at the nape of her neck. The boys, now in their weekend clothes, met her in the kitchen.

“Did you hang everything up?”

“Yes,” Carson said.

“No,” Caleb said simultaneously.

Wordlessly, Rebecca pointed her finger toward the stairs leading to the second floor. Caleb took off running, which made her smile, even as she reminded him not to run in the house.

She made a quick lunch and then sent the boys back up to their room to start unloading the boxes that had been stacked neatly in the corner by the movers. While she washed the dishes, she looked out the window over the sink and watched Shane sitting in a lawn chair between his motorcycle and his front door, brushing Recon’s coat. Much like the feeling she had about the German shepherd, Shane’s outward appearance didn’t seem to necessarily match his outward appearance. Savannah was an earnest soul—that was her impression of the woman—and her words only confirmed her own instinct about Shane Brand. There was a good man hidden beneath that beard, long hair and gruff personality. Thoughtfully, she wiped her hands on a dish towel, and by the time her hands were dry, she had made a decision. She had made one too many sandwiches, and instead of wrapping it up and putting it into the refrigerator, she wrapped it up in a paper towel and took it out to Shane.

“I know you said you weren’t hungry.” She held out the sandwich to him, spotting the open beer at his feet. “But I don’t really consider barley and hops a hearty lunch.”

Shane frowned at her for a split second before he silently took the sandwich. Recon took the opportunity, with his tail wagging, to greet her again. He licked her arm and she found a spot behind his ear that he liked to have scratched.

“I heard you playing the other night.”

Shane had eaten half of the sandwich in one giant bite. He was chewing, so he couldn’t answer right away. He swallowed hard, took a swig of beer and then said, “Ginny never minded me playing at night.”

“Oh. I don’t mind.” She wanted to reassure him. “I...” Rebecca paused, not sure she wanted to share the fact that he had, unknowingly, given her a private concert. “Actually, I sat on the back porch stairs and listened to you.”

Their eyes met, and she was so taken with the blue of his eyes. Those eyes drew her in and held her suspended for a minute before she could remind herself to look away.

“I’ve never heard anyone play a guitar like that before.”

It had been sad and haunting and passionate. Shane played the guitar with all the emotion he couldn’t seem to express in his expression or in his words. In so many ways, perhaps too many ways, Shane reminded her of her beloved father.

“Then I’ll keep on playing for you.”

She tucked her hands into her back pocket and shifted her weight onto one hip. “I wanted to talk to you about the new lease.”

Shane crumpled the paper towel in his hand and she reached out to take it from him instinctively, as she would with Carson or Caleb.

“I like you, Shane. You seem like good people. You know the house, you take care of the yard and I could really use the extra income right now while I’m settling in and looking for work. So, if you want to stay on, I’ll have the attorney send over the lease.”

“I want to stay.”

“Good. Then it’s settled.”

“Same rent?”

“Same rent.”

He stood up, crossed the short distance to her and held out his hand. “I appreciate this, Rebecca.”

“Of course, the old lease only accommodated for one pet. We’ll have to change that to account for Top.”

“I’ll pay an additional pet deposit, if you’d like.”

“No.” She shook her head. “I’m just grateful that you saved her. Any news when she can come home?”

“Tomorrow.”

“That soon?”

He nodded.

“That’s wonderful, Shane. Caleb is going to be over the moon when he hears. I’m going to warn you now, he’s going to beg you to see her.”

“He can come see her.”

“Well, if either of my boys start to wear out their welcome with you, don’t be shy, just tell them the truth and they’ll respect it.”

He gave her another nod.

“Well, I’d better get back to work. Those boxes aren’t going to unpack themselves.”

The last time, she had something to add to the conversation—this time, it was Shane who stopped her from leaving.

“I forgot the thank you. For the lunch.”

It wasn’t his words that made her pulse quicken; it was the way he looked at her, like he really saw her. When Shane looked at her, it felt as if he was able to read all of the secrets of her soul. It was unnerving and, if she was being honest with herself, exciting.

“It was my pleasure, Shane.”

Chapter Four

Rebecca was just breaking down the last box in the living room when an unexpected knock on the door made her jump. She dropped the box and walked over to the front door; she looked through the peephole and saw her sister, Kelly, standing on her front porch. They hadn’t spoken to each other for weeks, and they hadn’t seen each other in person since she moved to Bozeman. It was a fact of their strained relationship that just because they lived in the same town didn’t mean that they would spend time together.

“Hi, Kell.”

“I called. And sent a slew of texts.”

Rebecca slipped her phone out of her back pocket and saw that there was a missed call and several text messages from Kelly. “I probably didn’t hear it over the vacuum.”

Kelly handed her a manila envelope. “Aunt Ginny’s attorney accidentally sent this to me instead of you.”

Rebecca took the envelope, which had been opened and then resealed with scotch tape. She stepped back, opening the door wider.

“Do you want to come in?”

Her sister hesitated, looking at the interior of the house, before she stepped across the threshold. Rebecca shut the door and opened the envelope while she followed her sister into the living room. Copies of Shane’s new lease, with revised stipulations, were inside.

“Thank you for bringing these over.” She set the envelope of the counter. “Do you want to sit down?”

Kelly was standing in the living room area, looking around with a disdainful look on her attractive face. Her sister, in her opinion, had managed to snag all of the good genes in the family. She was tall and slender; her hair was thick and wavy and shiny, while Rebecca was in a constant battle with frizz. Their mother, who hadn’t been inclined to get her braces on her teeth, changed her mind with Kelly, and now her sister had perfect straight white teeth. And Kelly always had a sense of style; she always looked put together even if she was wearing jeans. It was the way Kelly wore the clothes, the way she carried herself, that set her apart from most women, especially her older sister.

“Talk about a time warp.” Kelly didn’t sit down. She held her designer bag, which was hooked on to her arm, next to her body as if she was afraid that something living in the purple shag carpet would grab it and take it back to the abyss.

“I know.” Rebecca smiled. “When I was a kid, I thought Aunt Ginny’s purple shag carpet was the coolest thing I’d ever seen in my life.”

“I never thought that.” Kelly checked her phone.

There was a tense pause between them and then her sister turned toward her, and Rebecca, just by the pinched, superior look on Kelly’s face, braced herself for a sisterly lecture.

“I assume that those leases mean that you are going to keep Shane as a tenant?”

It wasn’t a secret that Kelly had been lobbying Aunt Ginny to find a new tenant, and once her sister knew that she was going to live in the house instead of sell, Kelly’s desire to have Shane find a new place to live had transferred to her.

“What is your beef with Shane?” Rebecca crossed her arms in front of her body. “He was good to Aunt Ginny and, so far, he’s been good to me and the boys.”

“I don’t have a beef with Shane,” Kelly retorted. “I’ve known him for years. He’s a nice guy.”

“So? What’s the problem?”

Kelly sighed in irritation. “You know I don’t like to gossip.”

Sure you do.

“But I know for a fact that Shane has brought drugs onto the premises.”

The way her sister said the word drugs, with a dramatic flair, made it sound as if Shane was operating a drug ring out of the garage apartment. Kelly had, as far as she knew, never experimented with drugs and didn’t drink. But Rebecca had experimented in her youth. And even though drugs weren’t a part of her life anymore, she certainly didn’t sit in judgment of those who did use them, for whatever reason.

“I’ve already handled that, Kell. As far as I’m concerned, he’s welcome to stay as long as he follows the stipulations of the new lease. He’s a veteran and that matters to me.”

Kelly rolled her eyes in annoyance. “It’s always about Dad with you.”

They had both been close with their father, but Kelly was still bitter about his behavior after he came home from war. He could be mean at times, especially when he drank. And he would disappear for days sometimes, only to come back as if nothing had happened. Rebecca forgave her father years before he passed away, and she was glad now that she had.

“I’ve got to go.” Her sister checked her phone again. She paused at the door. “I know you don’t think this is true, Becca, but I worry about you and my nephews. You’ve already put them through so much with this ridiculous move. You wanted to fix Tim, and look where that got you. A divorce. Let’s face it. You’ve always been attracted to broken people.”

* * *

“Hi.”

Shane was in the middle of a sneezing fit when Rebecca showed up at his door. Top had been home for a couple of weeks and one of her favorite places to sleep was curled up in the space between his shoulder and neck. He tried many different sleeping configurations—Recon and the kitten in the living room and him in the bed, or Recon with him in the bed—but nothing worked. Someone was unhappy unless they were all together. So Shane had given up and given in, and the kitten got to sleep where she wished. And he just dealt with the sneezing and swollen, itchy eyes. It wasn’t the worst thing he’d ever dealt with in his life.

“Hi.” He sneezed again.

“Bless you.”

“Thank you.”

“Kitten?”

He nodded as he blew his nose.

Rebecca showed him a pile of papers in her hand. “I have the new lease for you to review and sign.”

He nodded. “Come on in. I’ll look it over and sign it now.”

Shane was proud of the fact that, in a short amount of time, he had turned his environment around. He didn’t have a moment of hesitation inviting Rebecca into the garage apartment. It was clean and organized and, currently, full of balls and stuffed mice for a crazy kitten named Top. But the change wasn’t just about Rebecca and the kitten. It was about Rebecca’s boys. Carson and Caleb both wanted to regularly visit with Top and it was important to Shane that the boys had a clean place to spend time with the kitten they had a hand in saving. It was unexpected how quickly Rebecca and her sons had breathed new life into the old house. Ginny had been great, and he missed her, but she had left him alone to his own devices. She had rarely visited the courtyard and never entered his apartment. And he had appreciated the privacy and the quiet. Now he looked forward to hearing the sound of Carson’s and Caleb’s voices as they got off the school bus. Every weekday, he listened for them. And every weekday, they stopped by to see what he was doing before they headed inside. It was true—in a short period of time, they had changed his life. For the better.

Rebecca handed him the papers and immediately dropped to the ground on her knees to show Recon and the kitten some attention. Shane sat down on a bar stool at the small kitchen bar and began to read over the lease. It was standard—no real surprises. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Top turn upside down in front of Rebecca, her black-and-pink paw pads up in the air, batting at a feather toy the landlady was holding.

“Top! You’ve already gotten so big!”

Shane hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly, but he had fallen in love with that little rascal of a kitten. Yes, he had to load up on boxes of tissues and allergy medicine, but he didn’t mind. Top was the funniest, sweetest little soul he’d ever encountered. And Recon and the kitten were best friends. In fact, Top had taken to riding on Recon’s back like a jockey riding a horse. Every time Shane saw her do it, it made him laugh out loud.

Rebecca picked up the high-octane, wiggling kitten, kissed her on the head and then let her go. Top ran between Recon’s legs, stood up on her hind legs, paws waving in the air, and “caught” Recon’s tail. The dog didn’t react.

“I can’t believe how Recon treats her,” she mused.

“Surprised me,” Shane agreed. “It was love at first sight for those two.”

“You’re the reason they’re still together,” she said to him. “You saved her life.”

“It was a group effort.”

Rebecca stood up and wandered over to a bookshelf he had made in high school—it was a sturdy bookshelf that was carved from a fallen tree at Sugar Creek Ranch. It was one of the few things, other than his truck, motorcycle and his pets, that he cherished.

He was initialing the lease when Rebecca held up a picture frame. “Are these the men you served with?”

Shane didn’t have to look at the picture; he knew which picture it was because it was the only one in the apartment. His fingers tightened on the pen until they ached, his heart began to race and he began to perspire, even though the AC was cranking. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, not wanting to draw attention to his reaction, swallowed hard and then said, “Yes. Those were my boys.”

As if the dog sensed his discomfort, Recon moved to the spot by his feet and lay down. Top, who had run out of steam, sprawled out across Recon’s back and promptly fell asleep. Shane signed and dated the lease and held it out for Rebecca to review.

“Do you have any questions? There were a couple of changes.”

“It’s all good.”

Rebecca took the lease. “I’ll make a copy of the signed lease for your records.”

He walked her to the door and held it open for her.

Just outside the door, she paused. “’Bye, Recon. ’Bye, Top.”

Almost on cue, he sneezed.

“If you’re going to keep her, you’re going to have to go to a doctor.”

“Oh, I’m keeping her. She’s family.”

“Then I see an allergist in your future.”

“I’ve got an appointment at the VA.”

“That’s smart,” she said.

He nodded as he blew his nose, wishing that his eyes would stop itching.

“Well...” Rebecca smiled at him, her pretty eyes full of acceptance as she looked at him. “I’ll let you get on with your day.”