A Maverick for the Holidays

Angie frowned. “Are you saying you didn’t want to kiss me?”

His gut twisted into a square knot. “I didn’t say that,” he muttered. “That’s not the point.”

“Why isn’t it?” she asked. “If I want you and you want me—”

“It could be a big mess,” he said and stood, feeling out of control. “What else do we need to cover for the charity stuff?”

Feeling her gaze on him, he picked up the rest of the Chinese food and took it to the kitchen. “Do you want to take any of this home?” he called from the kitchen.

“No,” she said. “I’m good.”

Forrest shoved the leftovers into his fridge and took a deep breath. Why had he gone after her like that? It made him feel like some kind of sexual madman. He took another deep breath, determined to take responsibility. Returning to the den, he steeled himself before he met her gaze.

She rose to face him. His gut tightened and he thought about all the reasons he shouldn’t be attracted to her. She leaned toward him.

“This isn’t a good idea,” he muttered.

“I think it’s a great idea,” she said and smiled her wicked, innocent, sexy smile.

He clenched his jaw again. “That’s because you don’t know better,” he told her. “I’m too old for you.”

“Too old?” she echoed. “That’s crazy. How old are you?”

“Thirty-one, but in terms of experience—”

Angie rolled her eyes. “You exaggerated. You’re just finding your feet and your way. That’s why you feel unsure.”

“I don’t know about that,” Forrest said.

“Well, I do,” she said in a husky whisper as she leaned toward him.

“You need to leave,” he said.

“Isn’t that a bit drastic?” she asked.

“Not at all,” he said and steeled himself not to respond to her.

“Just one more kiss,” she whispered in an inviting voice.

“No,” he said, but it killed him.

Later that night, Forrest settled into his bed, but his mind continued to race. He needed to be more careful about Angie. She was more impulsive than he was. She clearly wanted him and had no interest in waiting. That meant trouble. She was making herself completely available to him.

How the hell was he supposed to resist that?

Forrest took another deep breath as he rested his head on his pillow. He needed some of that Zen stuff. He did not want to be fighting his sexual needs with Angie. Step back, he told himself. In every emotional and physical way, he had to walk away.

Since he was clearly more mature than she was, he would have to take the high road. Even though he found her far more tempting than he should. And now he would have the memory of that kiss they’d shared. Swearing under his breath, he turned on his side and closed his eyes. But the image of Angie’s sexy mouth taunted him.

It seemed to take hours, but Forrest finally fell asleep. When he awakened in the morning, he felt a sense of anticipation. He hadn’t had that in a long time. Today he was holding the first meeting of the war veterans support group. Part of him wondered if anyone would show up. He’d included a photo of Smiley in the flyers and website announcement for the group. He supposed if nothing else, some of the veterans might show up for some free food. A local deli was donating sandwiches and cookies for the first meeting.

Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, he sat up and stretched his bad leg, willing it to get stronger. Forrest knew he would be struggling with his injury for the rest of his life, so there was no room for feeling sorry for himself. Rising from the bed, he headed toward his workout equipment. He might have a bum leg, but he was damned if the rest of him wouldn’t be as strong as possible.

A few hours later, Forrest arrived at the hospital conference room early with the sandwiches and cookies, and set the chairs in a circle. Annabel Cates rushed into the room with Smiley on a leash.

“Here he is,” she said. “Ready to work his canine magic. Plus a few treats you can give him,” she added, handing him a plastic bag.

Forrest’s heart lifted at the sight of the dog. “Good to see you, Smiley,” he said and rubbed the dog behind his ears. Smiley thumped his tail in response.

“He should be on his best behavior since I gave him some retraining. Can’t let him forget the rules. If you need me for anything, give me a call,” she said. “You’ve got my cell, right?”

“I’ve got it and thank you for loaning him to us,” Forrest said. “I think he’ll help break the ice.”

“This is a good thing you’re doing, Forrest. I’m glad if Smiley can help in any way. Just don’t give him any of those sandwiches,” she warned him. “No matter how sweet he looks, we’ve got to keep him disciplined if he’s going to be helpful.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “You’re the one giving the orders.”

Annabel gave a quick nod with a smile. “I’ll see you afterward. Have fun,” she said and darted out the door.

“Fun,” Forrest echoed. That was one word he wouldn’t have associated with a support group. He shrugged and looked at Smiley. “Maybe she knows something I don’t.”

Less that two minutes later, a man wearing a ball-cap and an open down jacket walked through the door. “Is this the war veterans support group?”

“It sure is,” Forrest said. “I’m Forrest Traub, army.”

The man nodded. “Iraq?” he said.

Forrest nodded. “And you?”

“Afghanistan. Steve Henderson. I’ve been back almost eighteen months.”

Smiley walked toward the man and looked at him, thumping his tail in welcome.

Steve bent down to pet the dog and gave a half grin. “Is this our mascot?”

“Yep, that’s Smiley. He’s a therapy dog on loan to us, and I’ll vouch for him. He’ll always be glad to see you,” Forrest said.

“Well, that’s a lot more than we can say about most humans,” Steve said.

Just then, another man walked through the door, then another. Smiley greeted each one, and Forrest could practically see a bit of tension ease out of the men at the sight of the dog. Eyeing the clock, he sensed that he should start the meeting and closed the door.

“Welcome, everyone. I hope you enjoyed the sandwiches and Smiley.”

The men took their seats and murmured in agreement.

“The first thing I want to tell you is that you don’t have to talk if you don’t want to. I have to be honest. Most of the time, I would rather do anything than talk about what I saw and experienced in Iraq.”

Several of the men nodded.

“But since this group was my idea, I guess I’ve got to go first.”

A few chuckles rippled through the small group.

Forrest took a deep breath. “During my last two tours, all I could think about was the day I would finally come home. I was determined to be career military, but seeing all those guys get hurt was tough. Being in Iraq was surreal, and not in a good way. Once I got home, though, it was Montana that didn’t seem like the real world anymore. People couldn’t understand what I’d been through, what I’d seen. And I got tired of explaining it.”

“So what helps?” one of the vets asked.

Forrest shrugged. “I don’t have all the answers. I have to admit, I took the coward’s way out—leaving home. After being home, I had to get out. I just moved to Thunder Canyon a few months ago. Folks don’t know me here as well since my brother and I haven’t lived here very long. They don’t have any expectations.” He paused. “What helps? Smiley sure does.” The dog licked him and laughter rippled through the small room.

The laughter turned to silence. “The nights are the worst. I’m back there, and the shells are flying, and I can’t stop screaming,” Steve offered. A few of the others nodded in agreement.

“The nightmares are bad. They feel so real,” Forrest said.

“Coming back to my wife helped me,” one of the men said. “She’s the reason I keep going.”

“I felt that way about my girlfriend,” another soldier said. “But it’s hard now. I’m not the same man I was before. I’m not sure it’s going to work out. What about you, Forrest? Do you have anyone special in your life?”

An image of Angie flashed in his mind, taking him by surprise. He shook his head for his own benefit as much as the others. “No. I’m not ready for a relationship. I’m busy putting Humpty Dumpty back together. That doesn’t mean you guys aren’t ready, though,” he quickly added. “We’re all at different places in this. It’s not easy. That’s why I wanted to start this group.” He glanced at the clock. “Hard to believe, but our time is up.”

He gave a wry grin. “And we all survived.”

Chapter Three

After Annabel picked up Smiley, Forrest headed home, his mind swimming with the stories the men in the group had shared. Most of them had said they would return. That made Forrest feel good about starting the group and putting himself out there. Lord knew, he was the last man to want to expose himself to anyone, let alone a group of strangers. That said, even though he’d never met any of the men who’d attended the meeting before, he’d felt an immediate connection with them.

He pulled into the driveway to his current home. Driving toward the boardinghouse, he spotted his brother outside the main house. He waved and slowed as Clay lifted his hand. Forrest lowered his window. “Hey, how’s it going?”

“I could ask you the same question, stranger,” Clay said. “You haven’t been by for breakfast in over a week.”

Forrest shrugged. “Hate to interrupt the lovefest,” he said and shot his brother a half grin.

“Yeah, yeah. That excuse doesn’t wash with me. Why don’t you come in for some coffee?” Clay asked. “Or soda…. Or something? Antonia made some great pastries this morning,” he added in a tempting voice.

Forrest wasn’t the least bit hungry, but he’d missed his brother. “Okay, you twisted my arm. Where is your woman and the babies?”

“She’s gone to town for her post-baby checkup with the doctor and took the baby with her. Bennett is inside taking a nap,” Clay said and lifted a nursery monitor. “But I’m never far away.”

Forrest nodded, raised his window and pulled his car to the main house. He stepped outside and felt his leg dip. Cursing the weakness, he leaned more heavily on his other leg. He knew, however, that he couldn’t do that on a regular basis because his whole body, including his spine and neck would eventually feel the strain of it. That was why he needed to continue his strength conditioning.

He strode slowly up the steps to the porch. Clay skipped past him to the door and pushed it open. For a sliver of a second, Forrest couldn’t help envying his brother’s agility. Pushing it aside, Forrest followed his brother inside toward Antonia’s kitchen where he’d consumed many hearty breakfasts with her, his brother and his nephew Bennett.

Clay reached for the coffeemaker and poured two cups. “Here ya go,” he said, handing one to Forrest.

“Thanks,” Forrest said and followed Clay to sit at the kitchen table.

“So, what’s up with you?” Clay asked. “Did you have a doctor visit today?”

Forrest shook his head. “Not today. I started a support group for veterans at the hospital. I’m even using a therapy support dog.”

Clay blinked. “You’re kidding.”

Forrest shook his head. “Nope. It went pretty well. Gotta tell you I think the free sandwiches and Smiley made a big difference.”

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