“What? Nightmares? Flashbacks? PTSD?”
“All of those things. I was causing them to lose sleep. My mom worried a lot about me. My father wanted to fix what was wrong with me.” Reese smiled halfheartedly, remembering those emotional conversations with his caring parents. “I couldn’t put it all into words. I couldn’t tell them what I’d seen, what I’d survived when others didn’t . . . You know how it goes.”
“Yeah, I do. Ten years in black ops fried my soul.” He ran his hands down the arms of the chair. “I was so far down when Shay found me, I didn’t think I was going to make it back up to the surface. I’d given up. I wasn’t doing drugs or drinking like my old man. I—didn’t know where to go. I’d just given up.”
Reese heard his pain. “I was heading there myself.”
Garret smiled a little mischievously. “Too bad Shay isn’t here to hear us talking about this shit. In our Friday-night gabfests, we’re supposed to open up and talk, but you know how vets close down. We can’t talk about it.”
Reese chuckled a little. “Yeah. Been there, done that. She told me about it, but I don’t know . . . I couldn’t even talk to my parents.”
Nodding, Garret stood. “Listen, I’m going to hang my ass out on a long limb that could break off on me, but I think you need a heads-up, Lockhart.”
Reese looked up at him, puzzled. “What?” He saw the seriousness in the vet’s face, his hazel eyes somber.
“Shay likes you. Do you realize that?”
Stunned, Reese blinked. “What the hell are you talking about?” His heart started to pound in his chest.
“I’m black ops. I’m trained to see little things everyone else misses,” Garret said in a low tone. “Shay behaves differently around you.”
“I just got here. I’m a stranger to her.”
Rubbing his jaw, Garret said, “Doesn’t matter. She’s not in a relationship, Lockhart. She’s alone. The three of us try to be her friends, but she needs something more than what we can supply.”
Reese looked away. “I’m a bad bet. You know that.”
A grumbling laugh filled Garret’s massive chest. “Oh, we’re all losers, no question. There ain’t a woman who’s gonna give us a second look.” He waved his hand toward the door. “But there’s something in Shay’s eyes when she’s looking at you. She’s interested in you, Bro.”
“Christ,” Reese said, shaking his head. “I don’t need this . . .”
“Hey, she’s a damn fine-looking woman. You have to agree with that. And she could do a helluva lot worse than falling for you. If you ask me, she’s better off with a vet. At least we’ll protect her and stop this shit that’s happening to her because of her father. Plus, she deserves a good man.” Garret’s eyes gleamed. “And you’d make a good partner for her in my estimation.”
Chapter Six
Shay couldn’t sleep. Tossing and turning was something she was too familiar with, so she got up. Max followed her and took his place near the couch in the living room, watching over her. Out in the kitchen, she put on the kettle to make herself some tea. The clock on the stove read 2:00 A.M.
Rubbing her burning eyes, she kept on the stove light only, and tried to be quiet so she wouldn’t disturb Reese. Her faded fuzzy red slippers, which were nearly five years old, shushed across the cedar floor as she put a napkin and spoon on the table. The quiet felt good, embracing her. Max came and lay on his dog bed in the corner, curling up, watching her with large brown-gold eyes.
“Shay?”
Shay jerked around, gasping, her hand flying to her throat. “Oh, God! You scared me!”
Reese gave her a sheepish look, standing uncertainly in the entrance.
Her heart banged away in her throat as she stared at him with wide eyes. He was dressed in a pair of dark blue pajama bottoms, a tan T-shirt covering the expanse of his broad chest. Shay couldn’t help but think he looked like a sleepy-eyed young boy in that moment, his hair mussed, eyes puffy from sleep. “I-I must have woke you. I’m sorry, I tried to be quiet.”
He shrugged. “I’m a light sleeper by nature,” he murmured, wiping his eyes with the heels of his hands. “Are you okay?”
Her heart warmed in her chest. “Yes . . . fine.” She gestured toward the stove where the kettle was beginning to whistle. “I get nights like this. Do you want to share a cup of tea with me? Or would you rather go back to bed?” She saw his well-shaped mouth curve faintly as he studied the teakettle.
“Not much of a tea drinker, but I’ll give it a try. If I drink coffee now, I’ll be up the rest of the night.”