Touch of Home (Blessing Montana Book 2)

by Marissa Dobson

  Small world. Christopher Barrett and I met after boot camp and ended up having the same duty station. We exchange e-mails regularly and visit whenever we’re in the same area, which isn’t often. His mother, Mrs. Barrett is the sweetest woman I know. With both of her sons deployed, I’ll have to make time to give her a call. I don’t know Lawrence as well as his younger brother, but give him my best. Stay safe, both of you.

  Emily

  Daniel read through the email twice and still wasn’t sure how to take her response to the Barrett brothers. A twinge of jealousy ran through him with the thought of her visiting Christopher. It was insane. He barely knew the woman, but the idea made him want to call his sister and find out more about Emily. Possibly even get her number to call her himself.

  “This is fucking stupid.” He ran his hand over his face. He wasn’t a high school kid anymore. He was almost forty, yet she made him feel like he was twenty. Relationships never worked for him mostly because of his time away. Now with his military service coming to an end it left that option open for him to explore. Did he want to explore the possibilities?

  Unlike ever before it held appeal. Or maybe it was just Emily that made it appealing. He wanted to get to know her and wanted things he never wanted before. More than ever he was looking forward to returning stateside.

  “Let’s just see where this can go.” Rolling his shoulders, he clicked the reply button.

  Emily,

  I can picture you in front of your class, your long blonde hair tucked into a bun, as you scold a student for not completing an assignment. I never had a teacher fantasy before but if I did, you’d be the perfect one for the star role.

  I’m sure you’re wondering so I’ll answer your unasked question. I looked you up on the Blessing Elementary website. You’re beautiful. From the couple pictures I found it looks like you’re in your element when you’re teaching. So happy and full of life. Your students actually paying attention. I don’t know if I ever did that in school. That might be the reason my parents were always yelling at me about my grades while beaming with joy over Hazel’s. Maybe if I had a teacher like you, things would have been different.

  Speaking of your students, have they received responses from their letters overseas? I know things get hectic here, but I bet they would really like some response. If you need some replies I can get some of the guys to write a few letters. I know it might not be from the ones they wrote, but something is better than nothing. Isn’t it? I wouldn’t want your students to be disappointed. Who knows, a letter could inspire one of your students to join the military someday. Let me know if there’s something I can do for you and your class.

  I’ll agree to lunch at Blessing Café—without Hazel—if you’ll agree to dinner one night. Just the two of us. Deal? That is unless you’re already seeing someone.

  I’ll be waiting for your answer. We’re heading out on patrol. I’ll check when I can.

  Daniel

  He read over what he wrote, wondering if he was being too forward. He was a firm believer that if someone wanted something in life they had to go after it. If they didn’t, they couldn’t bitch about it when they lost their chance. The military taught him life was too short to beat around the bush. Every moment was precious and should be lived to the fullest.

  This e-mail was straight and to the point. He wanted to get to know her better and it was time to make those intentions known. When she replied he’d find out if there was anything between her and Christopher or not. Even if she wasn’t in a relationship with Christopher it didn’t mean there wasn’t another man in her life.

  Time will tell.

  Before logging off he brought Hazel’s email up. He’d been putting off replying to his sister since he got the letter. First it was because he was angry that she’d convinced Emily to write. As much as he wanted to bitch about it then, he kept his anger locked up. If something happened to him while he was overseas he didn’t want the last communication with his sister to be one filled with irritation. Even after exchanging a couple e-mails with Emily, he wasn’t sure what to say to Hazel. Before he ran out of time, he clicked her e-mail bringing it up on screen.

  Daniel,

  By now I have no doubt that you’ve received the letter from Emily Sharp. Don’t be angry with me and certainly don’t take your annoyance out on her. She’s a good person, one that I hope you will give a chance. You won’t talk to me. Maybe she can get through to you.

  Within a few weeks of Emily moving here I knew she was special. I’ve been trying to get you to take leave to come here and meet her. She’s truly amazing and I know you two could hit it off if you give her a chance. Let her in.

  No excuses. Your service is coming to an end, it’s time to start thinking about the future. Possibly a family. At the very least a girlfriend. You can’t live your life alone.

  Stay safe little brother. I want you home in one piece.

  Love,

  Hazel

  “I knew it,” he mumbled to himself. His sister and her matchmaking. How could someone who spent her nights alone be so interested in everyone else’s love life? She needed to worry about her own future and stop worrying about his. He lived life on his own terms. Maybe lately he did want more but he had it under control.

  Glancing at the time he closed the email. It would have to wait. He needed to get ready to go out on patrol. As he rose from the chair he tried to shove off the annoyance. His sister had tried to set him up before, but things had never worked out. Now instead of shrugging off the woman Hazel had tried to push him toward, he found himself drawn to Emily. He’d already asked her for dinner and they hadn’t met. That made two commitments to her so far.

  Fuck it. My life, my rules.

  Chapter Nine: Support

  Dinner with Daniel. Why did his proposal send butterflies to her stomach? He probably only wanted to talk to her about her experiences adjusting to civilian life and instead she was overthinking it. They barely knew each other, the few e-mails they’d exchanged were basic, nothing special about them.

  “Then why can’t I get him out of my thoughts?” She mumbled to the empty classroom. She’d come in early, hoping the change of scenery would keep her focused on the grading she needed to finish before the upcoming parent’s night.

  Yet the first thing she did was launch her e-mail and found Daniel’s response waiting for her. It was becoming an addiction. She stalked her inbox waiting for the next high. She finally understood what her students went through whenever they received a reply from one of the service personnel the class wrote.

  “Morning.”

  At the sound of Hazel’s voice Emily minimized her e-mail and glanced toward the doorway. “You’re here early.” Noticing the dark circles under Hazel’s eyes, Emily rose from behind the desk. “What’s wrong?”

  “I screwed up.” Hazel stepped into the room and dropped her bag on one of the student desks. “I haven’t heard from Daniel since a couple days after you sent the letter. He must have received it by now. Have you heard from him? He must be so angry with me if he’s not replying.”

  Stopped dead in her tracks she debated what to say to Hazel. The truth was the best except it could backfire big time. She hadn’t meant to keep this from Hazel but silence had been easier than trying to explain the connection between her and Daniel. How could she put into words what she was feeling? Faced with the fear in Hazel’s eyes, her chest tightened, as she worried about coming between Daniel and Hazel. Why did I even get involved in this?

  “I e-mailed him again last night and still no reply. I’ve been up all night, wondering what’s going through his head. What if something happens to him because he lets his anger get in the way of doing his job? I’ve made things worse. He was shutting me out before, but not like this. He’s cut off communication and there’s nothing I can do. It’s not like I can jump into my car and drive to wherever he is. He’s in Iraq. I’m sorry Emily, I shouldn’t have dragged you into this.”

  “It’s o
kay.” She took a step closer and put her hand on Hazel’s shoulder. “He’s fine, I’ve heard from him.” The words were out of her mouth before she had time to think them through.

  “When?” Hazel’s eyes were wide as she stared at Emily.

  “A couple times. The last e-mail came through during the night. They were heading out on patrol. I’m sure he ran short on time and wasn’t able to reply to your messages. He’ll probably reply whenever he gets back and can get on the computer. Give him time. There’s only a handful of computers and normally there’s a wait.” She squeezed her friend’s shoulder. “Everything is going to be okay.”

  “He’s okay.” Hazel’s body shook with relief.

  “He’s fine,” Emily reassured her.

  “Has he discussed anything with you? What can I do for him?” Hazel pulled back and sank down on to one of the student’s desk chairs. “He’s my little brother and I’m worried about him. I want to fix whatever’s wrong and protect him. I know it sounds strange since he’s an adult and he’s been protecting us all these years but…”

  “You’re his older sister, it’s normal.” She leaned against the opposite desk. “We really haven’t talked about much. He told me he’s coming to Blessing and we’ve agreed to meet for coffee at Blessing Café while he’s here.”

  “He loves their coffee.” Hazel squeezed the bridge of her nose and let out a deep sigh.

  “He might not talk to me, even once he’s here. A lot of people bottle up what happened overseas and try to bury it. Still I’ll be there for him if he wants to talk. If he sticks around, I’ll introduce him to some of the other veterans living in the area. He’ll have a strong support system.”

  “Thank you.” Hazel moved her hand away from her face to look up at Emily. “All these years I’ve been scared something would happen to him while he was deployed. Now we’re weeks away from the end and I’m petrified it’s all too good to be true. I want him back home. I want him to settle down with a wonderful woman and make me an aunt. More than anything I want him happy and safe.”

  “He will be stateside soon. You have to trust him. Experience gives him an advantage. He knows the risks he’s facing and I’m sure he’s taking the precautions to protect himself and those with him.” Emily placed her hand over Hazel’s, gently squeezing it. “You’ve done this for twenty years, you can get through a couple more weeks.”

  Someone else might have wanted to comfort Hazel by telling her everything would be fine, that she was worrying for nothing, but Emily couldn’t do that. She’s seen the worst-case scenario happen before and as much as she wish she could say those things to Hazel she couldn’t spread false hope. Instead, she’d be supportive and help Hazel through the next few weeks. A shoulder to cry on, someone to scream at when she needed to let her rage out, whatever she could do because in a way she understood what Hazel was going through. Once Daniel was back in North Carolina, Hazel would breathe easier.

  “Hazel…” She grabbed one of the other chairs and pulled it close so she was sitting alongside the other woman. “I’ve been debating about how to bring this up for a couple days now. No matter how many times I go over it in my head it never seems right. Like now this isn’t the setting I had in mind. I thought we’d be at your house, or even mine, maybe we’ve opened a bottle of wine. Something to put you at ease.”

  “You’re starting to freak me out.” Hazel’s gaze shifted to Emily’s face. “What’s wrong?”

  “I know you’re hoping when Daniel comes home it’s going to be like old times, but you need to be realistic. This is going to be a huge adjustment for him and it’s going to take him time to get used to it. For someone who just came back from a year-long deployment on top of being discharged from the Marines, it’s going to make the adjustment more of a struggle.”

  “I know…I mean I figured. Not this last tour but the one before it, I was there when he arrived home. At first, he was all smiles and easygoing. But later…”

  “He was distant.” Emily offered. “It’s normal. It’s hard to go from being alert all the time to being home where you don’t have to worry about…” She let her words trail off instead of listing the things a Marine had to face overseas. Hazel refused to watch the news or even read the newspaper or online articles. It had been her way of dealing with her brothers’ commitment to the military and even day to day life.

  “I know what you’re thinking.” Hazel dragged her hand through her hair. “Because I don’t follow the news you think I don’t know what he’s facing, but I do. Two months after our parents were killed in the auto accident, he was gearing up for his first deployment. I was terrified I was going to lose him too. After he left I was glued to the television and scrolling through newsfeeds online. Terrified every time a Marine died that someone would show up knocking on my door to inform me he’s dead. That whole year I lived on pins and needles. Every time the doorbell rang my chest tightened. Every phone call I prayed it was him. It consumed me to the point I couldn’t function. Fear overtook my life, to the point I was unable to leave the house. I was forced to take the semester off from college, delaying my graduation. If our parents hadn’t planned for the inevitable I don’t know how I would have survived. The money they left us gave me means to continue paying for the house and bills.”

  “You moved past that.” Emily reminded her.

  “It wasn’t until he was home on leave. He wanted to surprise me, so he didn’t tell me about his leave. When he arrived home, I was sitting on my bed, the television on the news channel and my laptop on my lap, scrolling through the news. I was a mess. I couldn’t remember the last time I showered. Meals were anything I could microwave because the kitchen didn’t have a television. The circles under my eyes were so dark it looked like I had two black eyes.” Hazel shook her head. “Let’s just say I was a mess and so was the house. He forced me to go talk to someone. Well, that was after he forced me to shower.” She let out a halfhearted chuckle.

  “You got through it and every deployment since.” Emily squeezed Hazel’s hand. “You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

  “It was a turning point in my life and in a weird way brought us closer. Looking back now I feel horrible he had to spend the first few days of his leave cleaning the house top to bottom because of the state I left it in. After he spent days cleaning the place, we finally sat down and discussed what we were going to do with the house. He wasn’t living here any longer and the place was too big for me. So we decided to sell it. We spilt the proceeds and I bought my condo. It helped me live a little. That house reminded me of how sudden life can change. He shouldn’t have had to come home to find me in such a state.” She shook her head. “I never wanted him to see how terrified I was.”

  “He did and because of that he was able to get you help. You couldn’t have lived like that through every deployment. It worked out for the best.” Emily shot her friend a smile. “Just like I believe things will work out with Daniel once he adjusts. You’ll see. They’ll be changes in him, but they’ll be for the better.”

  “I just want him home, preferably here in Blessing.”

  “He’ll figure it out. Don’t put too much pressure on him.” Glancing up at the clock and noticing the students would be filing in soon she rose from her chair. “When I reply to his e-mail I’ll remind him to touch base with you.”

  “Thank you.” Hazel rose, slipped her bag over her shoulder but before she left she stepped closer to Emily wrapping her arms around her. “You’re amazing. I hope Daniel sees that.”

  Before Emily could question Hazel, the bell rang, interrupting them again and Hazel dashed out the door just as students began to come in.

  “Miss Sharp!” Adaline ran toward her. “Guess what? I’m a big sister now! My mom had Andrea yesterday.”

  “Wow. That’s wonderful.” She smiled down at the young girl. “You’re going to make a great big sister. I bet you’ll help your mom out with her, won’t you?”

  “Yeah. I can�
��t wait. I got to hold her last night and she’s so small. I can’t wait for school to be over, so I can go see her again.”

  “Well, if you do a really good job in class today and pay close attention to the lessons, I won’t assign any homework, so you can play with her all evening.”

  “Really?” Adaline’s smile stretched across her face. “I’ll be good, I promise.”

  “Great, now take your seat.” Emily pushed the chair in and went back to her own desk. Her gaze shifted to the computer screen but replying to Daniel would have to wait until at least lunch.

  With the thought of Daniel, she was reminded of Hazel’s parting words. What had she meant by them? Oh no! Please tell me she’s not playing matchmaker again. The last time was a disaster.

  Chapter Ten: Breakdown

  Alarms rang out through the camp, waking Daniel from a dead sleep. He shot off his bunk, surprised to see he was still fully dressed. Only then did the night come back to him. Yesterday had been long and rough. He only meant to sit on his bunk for a minute, to gather his strength before heading to the shower trailer. Exhaustion overtook him the moment he closed his eyes. It worked in his favor now. While others were struggling to throw on clothes he grabbed his helmet and rifle before heading outside.

  The dark sky was enough to alert him that much time hadn’t passed since his team returned from patrol. Had insurgents followed them? The small town nearby knew their location but so far, they hadn’t had any issues with the residents. Though that didn’t mean insurgents had found them again. It wouldn’t be the first time their camp was under fire.

  Listening for gunfire he scanned the ground looking for the threat. He trusted his instincts, they had kept him alive this long, yet he couldn’t sense anything. Everywhere he looked everything appeared normal. No boom of gunfire echoed through the night air, yet something had to be amiss for the sirens to go off.