The Soldier's Homecoming

* * *

TRAVIS SPOTTED JOSH MANNING the moment he entered the Denver airport baggage area. Josh and he were both around six-two, and though his former sergeant looked relaxed in a pair of jeans, blue denim shirt and jacket, his green eyes held the same steely edge they always had as he studied the incoming passengers.

Josh grinned when he saw him and walked over. “Major, it’s damned good to see you.”

Travis nodded. “Same here, but I’m not Major to you any longer. It’s Travis.” He held out his maimed hand and Josh took it in a strong handshake.

“I was damn sorry to hear about what happened to you,” Josh said. “Are you out now?”

“I’m on medical leave now. I have a little time to decide whether to accept a desk job, if one becomes available. You know how army budget cuts are. There’s no certainty that they’ll have a job for me.”

“Is a desk job something you even want?”

Travis shrugged his shoulders and accompanied Josh toward the door. There was an ease about him that had not been there before, a peace in his eyes that Travis envied. After a long walk, they reached a weathered Jeep with the top up, and he saw a dog sitting like a sentinel in the front seat.

“Amos?” he asked. The former military dog wagged his tail enthusiastically.

Josh grinned. “Sure enough. I found him a year and a half after Dave died. He was a mess. So was I. It was hard to tell which one of us was the worse.”

Travis leaned over and offered his good hand to the dog. Amos licked him.

“He remembers you,” Josh said. “He doesn’t do that with strangers.” Josh made a gesture, and the dog scrambled over the seat and sat alertly in the back seat.

Travis awkwardly fit himself inside and looked back. “Sorry I took your place,” he apologized to Amos, who barked and wagged his tail again.

“It’s okay with him. He knows you’re an old friend.”

“I’m glad you found him,” Travis said. “Lieutenant Warner told me how he’d mourned for Dave. It got so bad, he had to be sent back to the States.”

“Well, he ended up being my savior, along with a kid and his mother.”

“I can’t imagine you with a wife and kid.”

“I can’t either. It’s been a year and a half since I married Eve, and I still have to pinch myself to realize it’s real. Me, married to the mayor of the town?”

“Have to admit it shocked me, too.”

“I was in pretty bad shape when I arrived. Neither Dave nor I had any family, so we made each other the beneficiary in our wills. He owned a cabin in a place called Covenant Falls and all he talked about was moving there after the service and starting a wilderness adventure business with me. When he died, I inherited it.”

He paused. Then he added with obvious pain, “It was a virtual wreck, just like me and Amos were. Dave was like a brother to me, and he died saving my life. I think the only thing that kept me from hitting bottom was thinking I was responsible for saving the damn cabin.”

Travis was caught up in the story now. “Go on.”

Josh fell silent for a moment, and then he shrugged. “Covenant Falls is...unique. There’s about three thousand people in and around town. Then there’s a number of small ranches within a fifty-mile radius. Probably three quarters of the population are over fifty and have lived there all their lives. Its history is interesting—it was one of the earliest trading posts in Colorado. The founder was a Scotsman who saved the life of a Ute chief and in return received protection from the tribe. Thus the name Covenant Falls.”

“Sounds interesting,” Travis said and meant it. He’d always liked history, especially American history.

Josh gave him a crooked smile. “Yeah, but all I wanted was to be left alone, fix the cabin, sell it and get the hell out, especially when brownies and cookies and other baked stuff started appearing on my doorstep. I really didn’t want to have anything to do with anyone, particularly civilians. Then a very pretty mayor ambushed me in the backyard,” he continued. “I’d decided to resign from the human race, but it turned out the town had different ideas. Before I knew it, I was volunteering to join other vets in reroofing houses. For free.”

He sounded chagrined and Travis laughed. Josh had been all warrior and all business. To think of him turning from tiger to pussycat was intriguing. Maybe Covenant Falls was unique. The man looked years younger.

“You’re staying then.”

“Yeah. I’m even part owner of an inn. It’s part of what Jubal and I are thinking about.”

“Jubal? Not Jubal Pierce?”

“You know him?”

“I know of him. There’s not many Jubals in the world. He had one hell of a reputation in the Special Forces community until he disappeared several years ago. It was big news when he returned from the dead. How did he end up here?”

“I mentioned on the phone it was complicated. When Eve and I got married, I moved in with her and her son. I wanted Dave’s cabin to be used by a veteran. An army chopper pilot named Clint was recommended by a military psychologist I knew. He was followed by Lieutenant Andrea Stuart, an army surgical nurse, and then Jubal, who was invited by Clint. They went way back. We’re all in on this project, but Jubal is the driving force.”

Travis looked out at the mountains to their right as they drove south. “Looks like great horse country.”

“The land around Covenant Falls is even better,” Josh replied. “It hugs the mountains and is off the beaten path. There’s some really fine ranches in the area. At least five want to be included in our project. But we don’t know where to start. We’ve been researching different Horses for Heroes programs, including several that include multiple ranches. Now we need a battle plan and you were damn good at that.”

“How did this all get started?” Travis asked.

“Riding helped Jubal immensely after he returned. He’d lost his team in Africa and was aimless until a rancher invited him to ride one of his horses. He says it changed his life, gave him a purpose. I think it’s important to him to help other veterans now. He knows how difficult it is to come back. All of us do. We decided to participate, but none of us knew how to start, what we would need, what kind of program works best for veterans. And us.”

“And you think I do?” Travis said with a raised eyebrow.

“I know you’re damned good at planning and implementing plans. All we know is that contact with horses seems to be very therapeutic. We know there’s different types of programs but they don’t come close to meeting the demand.

“Right now,” Josh continued, “he’s thinking of a long-term project, teaching vets the care of horses along with horsemanship. There’s jobs available in the field. But he’s open to other ideas. What we would like you to do is visit ongoing programs, learn about their pros and cons, staffing needs, requirements for a nonprofit and VA Administration grants.”

“Is that all?” Travis asked incredulously.

It was startling to see the smile spread across Josh’s face. “Probably not,” he said. “But it’s the beginning.”

“Can you find a job for the young soldier I told you about?”

“I’m sure we can. Jubal is working with another rancher on the program, and they both need help with horses. You think your soldier will be interested? If not, I’m sure we can find someone in town.”

“I’ll talk to him. He’s a city boy but I think he’ll grab anything. He’s really a good kid and smart. And scared.”

“He’ll have a lot of support here. The town loves its veterans.”

Travis nodded.

“I’ll take you to the cabin first,” Josh said. “I know you must be tired from the early flight. If you’re up to it, we’ll have supper later at Jubal’s ranch. Some other folks will be there.”

“I’ll be up for it,” Travis said. He’d been growing more and more interested as Josh spoke.

They arrived in Covenant Falls late in the afternoon after stopping for lunch along the way. There were no traffic lights, only a few stop signs. Josh pointed out the City Hall, medical clinic, veterinarian’s office, bank and real estate office. With a glance at the back seat, Travis noticed Amos was regarding the world outside with intense interest. It was good to see the dog thriving. Maybe now that he was in the United States again, he would adopt a dog.

He was struck with a sudden loneliness. He certainly didn’t begrudge Josh’s obvious happiness, but his own future didn’t look promising. Dinah’s expression when she first saw him haunted him.

“Major...?” Josh’s voice was a welcome intrusion on dark thoughts.

“Travis,” Travis corrected again.

“That’s going to be difficult to get used to,” Josh said as they followed a road that bordered a very blue lake. He turned into the last driveway on the street and stopped in front of a cabin with a wide screened porch.

They walked up to the door, and Josh opened it. “The key is in the kitchen.”

“You don’t keep it locked?”

“Crime is rare here, especially since Chris, one of the vets, became police chief.”

Travis looked around. A large stone fireplace filled one end of the room. A wall of windows filled another side. Through them, he could see that the backyard was large and backed onto a forest. A large rock barbecue pit was surrounded by three lounge chairs. The cabin was much more than he’d expected.

“I’m going to let you settle in and get some rest,” his host said. “I’ll pick you up at six. Come hungry.”

After Josh left, Travis explored the cabin. If he accepted the offer, it would be a great place to stay. The cabin was immensely comfortable, and the lake outside was a gem. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and took it out to the screened porch and its comfortable chairs.

Covenant Falls looked like a nice town, but he had grown up near an even smaller one and was familiar with its pitfalls. Everyone knew everyone’s business, and Travis preferred the anonymity of a large town.

But this project of Josh Manning’s was intriguing. Travis was fully aware of the problems vets often had when returning home. Many, if not most, soldiers joined to learn a skill, earn an education or make it a lifetime career. Deployments were long and frequent, and your buddies became your lifeline, as well as your family. Leaving due to injury was devastating.

He knew that first-hand. He would listen tonight, but he already knew he wanted to be involved.

He needed a mission, and this sounded like a good one.

* * *

JENNY’S SISTER LOST no time in finding a three bedroom condo she loved. The owner was being transferred overseas, needed a quick sale and was more than happy to add his furniture to the sale.

Jenny moved in with her two weeks later after her father returned to the family home and railed against both sisters, Lenore for ending her marriage and Jenny for taking Lenore’s side.

In the next few weeks, Jenny found an unexpected friend in her sister and a special kinship with Charlie, who was, as Lenore said, very much like herself. They spent a lot of time together as Lenore studied for the Colorado real estate exam.

They shared books and discussed the news on television, and Jenny recounted stories of overseas adventures minus the bad ones.

But as much as she enjoyed the new relationships, her restlessness returned. She wanted to roam again. Visit new places, meet new people. Charlie seemed to understand, and together they combed newspapers, magazines and the internet to find that special “something.”

It was Charlie who found it in one of Lenore’s Colorado travel magazines that her mother was collecting for future clients.

“Look,” Charlie said excitedly. “Here’s a story about an inn in a town named Covenant Falls. I’ve never heard of it, but it’s in Colorado. It mentions a horse therapy program.”

The article featured an inn with the catchy name of the Camel Trail Inn. One line in the short article really struck her. “Innkeeper Susan Hall said many of the town’s outdoor activities are operated by veterans, and plans are underway to develop an equine therapy program for veterans.”

The latter paragraph struck her like lightning. It was exactly what she’d been searching for.

She smiled. A little-known town named Covenant Falls. An inn named the Camel Trail Inn, veterans offering outdoor activities and possibly an equine therapy program.

It was the story she was looking for.

CHAPTER FOUR

“YOU HAVE TO be kidding!” Travis exclaimed.

“Afraid not,” Josh Manning said over the phone.

Three weeks after Travis’s first trip to Covenant Falls, he’d finally moved into Josh’s cabin.

He hadn’t known at first whether he was the right person for the job. He liked the ideas he’d heard at supper that first night. He liked Jubal Pierce and his business partner, Luke, and their commitment to an equine therapy program. He’d seen enough vets in Walter Reed and rehab to know how debilitating the aftermath of war could be.

But he’d wanted to do some research on his own first. He’d spent three weeks back in Washington on his laptop, getting to know equine therapy programs available for veterans. Some received grants, some fees from the VA and some public support. Still, there was more need than availability.

Jubal, though, was impatient. He wanted to get moving. Riding and a horse named Jacko had helped him survive the rough months after leaving the SEALs. He was determined to do the same for others. He’d read about and talked to providers. He knew the need.

Jubal’s commitment to hire Danny was the deciding factor. The kid had been uncertain, having never lived in a small town nor worked with horses. He wasn’t sure what he could do with one leg, and he didn’t want to let Travis down. Travis felt it was the other way around. He didn’t want to let the kid down.

So Travis was there to work on the details, and Danny had moved out to Jubal’s ranch and was now helping to build a bunkhouse of sorts for single participants in the program. Other vets in town had pledged to help, and Danny would learn about construction, as well as horses.

Danny had been awed by working with a SEAL, and Jubal had been pleased with his work ethic and eagerness to learn. For the time being, he used a spare room at Jubal’s ranch, but would move into the bunkhouse once it was finished. The job offered a small salary, as well as room and board.

Everything seemed fine until Travis received the phone call from Josh.

“I have some news,” Josh said, sounding unhappy.

Travis waited for the other shoe to drop.

“A reporter called my wife, as well as the manager of our inn,” Josh said. “She’d heard about Covenant Falls and the veterans here. She wants to do a story.”

“A reporter?” An image of his ex-fiancé skipped through his mind.

“Yeah. I checked on her, and she’s pretty high-powered. Jennifer Talbot. She works for several news agencies. Did some reporting in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.”

“I know the name,” Travis said. “Concentrated on soldiers and civilians more than tactics. But why the interest in Covenant Falls? It’s peanuts compared to what she’s been doing. We don’t even know if there will be an equine therapy program yet, much less what it might look like. It’s a hell of a long way from being a reality.”

“Eve told her, but she was insistent. Long story short, she wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“Dammit,” Travis said. He’d had contact with reporters before. Many went for the headline, not the meat of the story. And too many got the meat wrong.

“My sentiments exactly. It’s much too early. But she made a reservation at the inn. Indefinite stay starting on Thursday.”

“What is she doing back here in the States?”

“She didn’t say. Susan was too busy answering the reporter’s questions. I gather this Jennifer Talbot is interested in doing a story about veterans coming here, and Susan mentioned the equine therapy project and Jubal’s name. Talbot apparently seized on it.” Josh hesitated, then added, “Talbot then called my wife for more details. Eve was cautious. She knows how we feel about our privacy and that Jubal definitely does not want this project to be about him. One reason he moved here was to get away from the publicity about his captivity and escape. He went through hell, and he doesn’t want to live through it again in the newspapers.”

“It might be hard to avoid it now,” Travis said. After a moment of consideration, he added, “Publicity would probably help bring in donations.”

“We don’t want that kind of publicity,” Josh said. “First of all, we don’t even know if we’ll go ahead. Second, if we do go ahead, the wrong kind of publicity could scare vets away. We’ll want word of mouth through the military community. We don’t want it to be about us.”

“Got it,” Travis said.

“Maybe you can talk to her. I think you might be more diplomatic than the rest of us, you being an officer and all,” Josh suggested. “Tell her to come back in a year or two.”

“Not going to be easy. A missing SEAL who suddenly reappears out of the jungle to open a therapy program, not to mention the army nurse, chopper pilot and you,” Travis said. “Even I know it’s a great human interest story.”

“And a spotlight would be on any program we come up with. We’re thinking about applying for grants, not spreading it all over newspapers.”

“What do you suggest?” Travis asked.

“Pick her up at the Pueblo airport,” Josh said. “Susan apparently offered. She would do anything to make the inn a success, and I’m usually all for that since I’m a co-owner. Except this time.”

“I don’t think that’s in my job description,” Travis said wryly.

“You’re a hell of a lot more diplomatic than I am. As your staff sergeant, I saw you manipulate superior officers and make them think your idea was theirs more than once.”

Travis couldn’t really deny that. He’d gotten Josh out of several scrapes with superior officers.

“I’m just not sure what I can do.”

“Take her by the Falls. Get her interested in the town rather than the veterans.”

“I’ve only been here a few days,” Travis protested.

“But you’ve had a crash course. I tried to get Andy, but she had previous commitments.”

“I still don’t understand why she can’t drive herself here. Must be a prima donna.”

“Susan offered,” Josh said.

Travis knew ambitious reporters. After all, Dinah had been one. He knew her obsession with a good news story. There was little she wouldn’t do to get an exclusive.

Handling another reporter was the last thing Travis wanted to do, but he understood the danger this posed to the program they might develop. Veterans were fighting enough demons without having a spotlight on them.

He wanted to say no. He was still very aware of his own injuries and scars, but he had to get over it sometime. And he was a part of this now.

“I can’t guarantee results,” he warned.

“Understood,” Josh said. “You’ll meet her at the airport then?”

“Reluctantly,” Travis said. “I would call it hazardous duty.”

Josh chuckled on the phone. “Why don’t you come to our house for dinner tonight?”

“A bribe?”

“Now, would I do that?” Josh asked in a wounded tone.

“Not two years ago. I’m not so certain now. This town has corrupted you. Remind me not to stay long.”

* * *

UPON LANDING AT Pueblo’s small airport, Jenny used her good arm to open the overhead storage and take out her carry-on. She was accustomed to traveling light and washing clothes in a bathroom sink. Despite the pain in her shoulder, she was excited. She had a story, one her gut told her was good.

A moment of unaccustomed nervousness hit her as she walked through the terminal area. Was she ready for this? Susan Hall had offered to meet her, but she didn’t see a woman who appeared to be watching for someone. She did notice instead, a tall well-built man, who appeared to be studying every figure coming through the door, He stepped toward her.

“Miss Talbot?”

Interesting looking. His hair was sandy, short and neatly cut. His eyes were an intriguing mixture of green and amber and brown. Difficult to read. He had the alertness of a soldier and the authority of an officer. A faint scar ran down his cheek and turned one side of his lip upward in a perpetual half smile. Rather than marring a handsome face, she thought it made him more interesting. As he approached, she noticed a limp.

She turned on a smile that usually brought one in return. This one just brought a slight twist of the lips that was barely welcoming.

“I’m Jenny.”

“Travis Hammond,” he said in a deep voice. “I’m substituting for Susan Hall.”

She thrust out her hand. His large right hand wrapped around hers, and she noticed he was missing the two middle fingers. It was different from other handshakes, but she was used to seeing injuries and their aftermath. She shook his hand the way she would with anyone else.

“Thanks for picking me up,” she said.

“No problem,” he said, but his expression was challenging.

“I have a small issue with my shoulder. The doctor said I shouldn’t drive yet. Otherwise I would have rented a car. So I truly appreciate you picking me up.” She hated explaining, but she didn’t want him to think she was a diva.

He nodded and reached for her carry-on. For a brief moment, their hands met again, and an odd recognition flashed between them. It was weird and even a bit discomforting. For her, anyway.

After a slight hesitation, she handed her carry-on to him, and he shouldered it. She preferred to carry her own stuff, even now. She’d been doing it for years. She never wanted to be considered weaker or less able than a guy. In the field, you carried your own weight if you wanted respect. Sometimes, she knew she carried it to extremes.

On the other hand, she didn’t want him to believe she didn’t think he could handle it with his hand. There was, she admitted to herself, some irony in that. “Thanks again,” she said simply.

“Any other luggage, Miss Talbot?” he asked.

She gave him her usually effective smile. “It’s Jenny,” she said. “And no. I travel light.”

He didn’t return the smile. Just nodded. “My car’s not far,” he said. “I understand you’re staying at the inn in Covenant Falls.”

“Who could resist staying at a place called the Camel Trail Inn?” she said as he steered her out the door, across the taxi and pickup line and down a row of cars to a silver sedan.

“Too many people, according to the manager,” he replied drily.

He opened the back door and put her carry-on in the back seat. She didn’t wait for him to come around but opened the passenger door and slid inside. He joined her a second later in the driver’s seat and drove out of the lot after paying the parking fee.

* * *

SHE DISLIKE DEPENDING on a stranger, especially one who didn’t appear thrilled with the chore. She had no idea what she would do about transportation in Covenant Falls. Probably no taxis or Uber. She only hoped she could walk most places and beg a ride for longer distances. Maybe, just maybe, she would try driving. Wouldn’t be so hard on near-empty streets.

She looked at her driver, only too aware of his intriguing scent of soap and outdoors and aftershave lotion. He was quiet and controlled, and there was a natural confidence about him. He was polite but a little wary. She wondered why.

“Are you one of the veterans who moved here?” she asked, twisting as much as she could to study him.

“No. I’m just here temporarily. Arrived five days ago.”

She tried again. “What happened to Susan Hall?” His short, cryptic answers were beginning to annoy her.

“Apparently she had an influx of customers.”

“And you volunteered?”

“Not exactly,” he said with a wry grimace.

“You were requisitioned?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

An honest answer. She liked that. “Reluctantly, I take it.”

His silence answered that question.