Home Sweet Home (Sweet, Tx. Book 4.5) (Contemporary Romance Novella)

by Candis Terry

  ALL WAS RIGHT in the world when you had a half-empty container of ice cream melting on the nightstand and a completely empty bottle of caramel sauce on the floor.

  In broad daylight.

  Paige gave a happy sigh.

  “We really can’t keep doing this, you know,” Aiden said. “It’s not good for you.”

  “Not good for me?” The vibrations still humming through her body after that knock-your-eyes-to-the-back-of-her-head orgasm felt pretty damned good. “I don’t believe I ever mentioned being on a diet.”

  His silence indicated that party time was over, and his tenacious demons had just entered the room.

  “Oh. Wait. Are we back to your leaving again? Have we opened the door and let all your doubts in on our private moment?”

  “I don’t mean to.”

  She raised up on one elbow. “But you just can’t help yourself. Is that it?”

  “I just get to thinking—”

  “Then stop thinking.”

  “I can’t, Paige.” He closed his eyes and laid his arm across his forehead.

  “Aiden. You just licked ice cream and caramel sauce off my body. We just had amazing sex. Don’t you feel good about that?”

  “Yes.” His jaw clenched.

  “And that’s the problem, isn’t it?”

  God, he just broke her heart.

  “You’re too afraid to let yourself feel good.” She knew he wasn’t alone in the way he felt. There were thousands of soldiers who had returned from war broken in some way, whether physically, mentally, or emotionally. She knew it, but it didn’t make it any easier to accept that the man she loved was hurting so deeply, and there was little she could do about it.

  “You’re an amazing woman, Paige.” He rolled to his side, cupped her face in his hand, and stroked his thumb across her cheek. “Your patience is beyond comprehension. Being with you is the only place I feel at home. Your smile and your laughter take away all the pain. Temporarily. And that’s the problem. It’s not a slight on you. You’re not the problem. I am.”

  So often in a troubled relationship, those words rang empty. But with Aiden, she knew they were true. Everyone had baggage. Aiden’s had just been overpacked.

  “When I close my eyes . . . when I’m not looking right at you,” he said. “When I’m not touching you . . . it all comes crashing back. The sight of my friends being blown into the air. The sound of their screams. The smell of their blood. I miss my friends, Paige. I miss my dog. I miss feeling . . . normal. And I’m so damned afraid I’m never going to feel that way again. I don’t want to drag you into my own personal hell. It’s not fair to you.”

  Paige let go of the breath that clogged her chest. She kissed his forehead, then his lips. “You’ll find your way back. I know you will. And I’ll be right here whenever you need me.”

  “I don’t want to just use you,” he said. “That’s the problem. It can’t be all about me. If we’re together, it’s an us. But . . . I just don’t know if I can carry that weight right now.”

  She chuckled to break the tension in the air. “Are you calling me fat?”

  “No. I’m calling you wonderful. Amazing. Perfect. But I need to be someone you can count on. Someone you know will be there for you when you need someone.”

  “I understand.”

  He kissed her again, then got up off the bed. “I should probably grab a shower and get out of here. I know you’ve got things to do.”

  “There’s nothing more important than you.”

  “You’re wrong, baby.” He leaned down and kissed her again. “There’s nothing more important than you.”

  When he turned toward the bathroom, she somehow managed to keep her tears at bay. “Aiden?”

  He stopped and looked over his shoulder.

  “I’ll be right here. Always.”

  Chapter Ten

  A WEEK LATER, Aiden stepped from the shower, wrapped a towel around his waist, and went in search of something decent to wear that wasn’t camo or threadbare cotton.

  After he’d been cornered at the Touch and Go Market by Gladys and Arlene and shocked to his toes over the whole ice-cream-sundae bit, they’d asked him to be a judge in the festival’s apple-butter competition. Apparently, the prior year there had been a controversy due to favoritism.

  How could he refuse the passion behind their request? At least it momentarily diverted Arlene’s passion for his biceps.

  But now, when he’d rather be enjoying the festivities from where he could blend into the background, he’d be thrust in the spotlight. With respect, he would listen to all the nice things people had to say about his serving in the military, while deep inside he thought of himself as a total screwup. He’d failed his best friends. He’d abandoned his dog. And he’d disappointed Paige.

  Jesus. He was batting a thousand.

  With a long groan, he turned his attention back to matters he could control. There were two sets of clothing choices in his closet. Military and ultracasual. Not much in between. He grabbed a freshly laundered button-down shirt off a hanger, then went to raid his brother’s closet for a pair of khakis.

  Ben came around the corner in the hall and stopped in his tracks. “I don’t mind sharing a house with you as long as you don’t run around in your underwear.”

  Aiden laughed. “I was just on my way to steal a pair of pants from you.”

  “Got a hot date?” Eyes dark like his own assessed his face, looking for a clue behind Aiden’s getting dressed up in the middle of the day.

  “Judging the apple-butter contest at the festival.”

  Ben crossed his arms. “How do you rate?”

  “Arlene Potter likes my biceps.”

  “Arlene Potter likes everyone’s biceps.

  “Yeah. She and Gladys kind of take crazy old lady to another level.”

  “Ah, they’re harmless.” Ben walked into his room, grabbed a pair of khakis from his closet, and tossed them to Aiden.

  “Easy for you to say,” Aiden said. “Arlene wasn’t feeling you up in the ice-cream aisle.”

  “Thank God. You taking Paige to the festival?”

  “No.”

  “Meeting her there?”

  “Nope.”

  “Why the hell not?”

  “None of your business.”

  “You’re living in my house. That gives me the right to be nosy. So why the hell aren’t you taking Paige to the festival?”

  “Because . . .” Aiden poked his legs through the pants and looked down to zip them up. “I’m trying to let her go.”

  A whack upside the head knocked him off balance.

  “What the hell did you do that for?” Aiden put a hand to the area of attack.

  “Knocking some damned sense into that thick frickin’ skull of yours.”

  “I’ve got sense.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “I do. Which is exactly why I’m trying to back away. She deserves a great life, Ben. I can barely figure out what I’m going to do on a day-to-day basis.”

  “Exactly.”

  “What? That doesn’t even make any sense,” Aiden said. “If that’s what you believe, then you should be on my side and see the situation like I do.”

  “No, little brother. What I believe is that you and Paige belong together. You always have. And what I see is the smile on your face when you’re around her. If a woman can do that to your heart, who the hell do you think is going to help you mend? If you’re looking to find your place in this world–where you belong–look no further than her.”

  Aiden hesitated because he always hated to admit his brother was right. But in this case, he was definitely right. “I guess that makes sense.”

  “Guess?”

  Ben went to take another swipe at him, but Aiden was quicker and backed away.

  “I guess you should get your sorry ass in gear and go find her,” Ben said. “Make her yours before she wises up and dumps you.”

  “I still think she’d be smart to do jus
t that.”

  Ben frowned.

  “But hopefully, I’m not stupid enough to actually let that happen.”

  Ben yanked him into a hug. “The war fucked with all of us, little bro. I just want you to be one of those who came home and found his way back into a happy life. I love you, man.

  “Love you too.”

  The mutual backslapping emotionally got to both of them, and they backed away from each other. A split second later, Aiden grabbed up his keys, headed toward his truck, and hoped he would not be accused of favoritism if Paige had entered the apple-butter competition this year.

  Because in his books, hands down, she was a winner.

  And he was damned lucky she loved him.

  A WIDE VARIETY of SUVs, trucks, and economy cars were parked bumper to bumper along the curb at the Town Square–better known as the entertainment hub of Sweet. Whether it was a birthday party, battle of the bands, or the Fourth of July picnic, it happened in the little park smack-dab in the center of town.

  Though the latticework gazebo had seen better days, and the trees were tall and ancient, the folks mingling around the grass lot filled the square with spirit and a sense of renewal.

  Aiden glanced past the rainbow of canopies, where vendors hawked everything from scented candles to homemade cinnamon rolls and handmade animal puppets. Over the brims of sun-deflecting Stetsons and ball caps, he scanned the area to find the banner that would lead him toward the apple-butter-judging area.

  In the distance, someone on the loudspeaker called out a winner of the cakewalk. He finally spotted the big yellow “Judging Zone” sign. The huge crowd gathered in front of the area made him worry that he might be late. A quick glance at his watch verified he was right on time.

  As he started toward the crowd, the two elderly charmers who’d conned him into the gig appeared like magician’s assistants.

  “My, my. Don’t you look handsome.” Gladys Lewis grinned up at him through wrinkly lips smeared with bright red.

  “Shucky-darn. We thought you might have worn your uniform.” Arlene Potter gave him a leering once-over before grabbing onto his arm and giving it a squeeze. “But as long as these sleeves are short, and we can see these yummy muscles, we don’t mind.”

  Hoo-boy.

  “I apologize, ladies. I’m no longer a member of the military. So I’m not allowed to wear the uniform.”

  “Good Lord.” Gladys gave her cohort a whack with her lace fan. “You knew that, Arlene.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Not wanting to cause the elderly women to feel uncomfortable, Aiden flashed them both a smile.

  “Too bad, though,” Arlene added with a wink. “Nothing hotter than a man in uniform.”

  “Good heavens.” Gladys rolled her faded blue eyes. “Come on, young man. Pay no attention to her. She’s just getting old, and her marbles don’t always roll in the same direction.”

  The women in their floral muumuus and straw hats hooked their arms through his and led him toward the crowd. As they drew closer to the gazebo, the festival attendees turned toward them and began to part like a gaping zipper.

  The whole scene felt odd, and a tickle of alarm crept up the back of his neck. Had it not been for the friendly faces turned his way, he might very well have made a beeline in another direction.

  “It’s okay, Lieutenant Hottie. We’re just glad to have you home.” Arlene gave him a light pat on his arm. He looked down into the reassuring smile on her weathered face. She gave a nod toward the gazebo. “Some of us more than others.”

  When Aiden looked up, he saw Paige in a floaty yellow sundress. Her hair had been pulled back in a long braid, tousled by the summer breeze. Her beautiful mouth lifted at the corners. Aiden swore he’d never seen anything prettier in his life. As she held her hand out for him to join her, his heart went warm and fuzzy.

  Gladys and Arlene blended back into the crowd, and he took a few steps forward. It was then he realized Paige wasn’t reaching out to him. She was letting go of a yellow ribbon that slowly fluttered toward the ground. His gaze followed the ribbon down to the green grass and the large golden dog that sat back on his haunches like the most patient soldier.

  Aiden’s heart leaped into his throat, and the ever-present ache in his chest vanished. In a rush of disbelief, he dropped to his knees.

  “Rennie!”

  The retriever’s massive paws dug into the earth, and, within a warm flash of sunshine, Aiden had his arms around his friend’s soft, silky neck. Rennie whined, and wiggled, and did a happy-doggie dance.

  If dogs could smile, Rennie had a full-on grin. Aiden did too as Rennie’s long tongue slurped up the side of his face.

  “I’ve missed you, boy.”

  Aiden thought of all the nights he’d shared his cot with a scared little pup. One who’d grown so big, Aiden had considered sleeping on the ground when that cot became too small for the both of them. They’d seen hell together. Shared sorrow. They’d even shared meals. He gave the dog a kiss on the top of his head and laughed at the exultant bark he received in response.

  With another lick to Aiden’s face, Rennie flopped down on his side and rolled over for a shameless belly rub.

  Forgiven.

  Just like that, Rennie forgave him for leaving him behind.

  Aiden curled his fingers in the dog’s thick fur and did his best to hide the tears swimming in his eyes. When he looked up, Paige came toward him, with Cricket prancing on a leash by her side.

  Paige looked at him with her big blue eyes and smiled. “Welcome home, Lieutenant Marshall.”

  “Welcome home,” the rest of his community cheered.

  If there had been any lingering doubt of where Aiden belonged, who he belonged to, or whom he belonged with, it dissipated right then and there.

  He stood. “How did you find him?”

  “We found him,” she said. “Eagerly waiting to be brought home to you.”

  “We?”

  “Sweet.” She gave a nod to those surrounding them. “All the people you went off to protect. All the people who’ve been waiting to welcome you home. They all came together and made this happen . . . because I told them how much you love this dog. And because they love you.” She tilted her head back and smiled. “Of course, not nearly as much as I do.”

  A smile burst from his heart as he looked at the faces surrounding him. “I don’t know how to thank you. Or how to repay you.”

  “You owe us nothing in return, Lieutenant Marshall.” Bill McBride stepped forward. “You’ve paid your dues. Just be happy.”

  Aiden curled his fingers in Rennie’s thick fur, wrapped his arm around Paige, and gave the Vietnam vet who’d seen plenty during his own tour of duty, a nod. “I’ll do what I can.”

  Paige flashed him a smile, then turned it toward the crowd. “All right. Y’all have seen enough. Judging starts in thirty minutes.”

  As the crowd slowly dispersed, Aiden shook his head. “Do they always mind you like that?”

  “If they want fresh pickles and crunchy lettuce on their burgers, they do.”

  He smiled, gazed down into the passion and comfort in her eyes, and brushed a long tendril of honey-gold hair away from her face. His friends—better men than him—had not made it back home. But he would not dishonor their memories–the freedom they’d fought for–by taking life and all it offered for granted.

  He was grateful to have an opportunity to love Paige for the rest of his life. And there was no time like the present to make that happen.

  If she’d still have him.

  “I’m in,” he said.

  Her softly arched brows came together. “In?”

  “The partnership. I’m taking you up on your offer if it’s still on the table.”

  “Of course it is.”

  “Good.” He tugged her closer. “Then I accept. On two conditions.”

  “Which are?”

  “I pay my half up-front. Equal partners.”

  “That’s one cond
ition.” Her hand slid up to his shoulder. “What’s the other?”

  “We make it permanent.”

  She leaned her head back as though he’d offended her. “I would never offer you half the business if I didn’t expect it to be long-term.”

  “Not the business. You and me.” He lowered his mouth to hers, not caring if they had an audience or if the whole world watched. He kissed her with everything he felt in his heart. When he raised his head, he said, “We’re a good team.”

  “Yes. We are.” Her warm fingers caressed the side of his face. “I’m glad you finally figured that out.”

  “I needed to have several talks with myself to make that happen. And a whack upside the head from Ben didn’t hurt either.”

  “You know, you’re quite the negotiator.” Her smile warmed him all the way down into his heart. “If you’re looking for something to do, maybe you should think about running for mayor in the fall.”

  “Mayor?”

  “Why not?” The music of her laughter danced across his skin. “You’ve proven to be quite a service-oriented kind of guy. Running the town should be easy after what you’ve been through.”

  “I might be too busy to be mayor.” He nuzzled her sweet-scented neck.

  “You keep that up, and I guarantee you will be too busy.”

  A playful bark interrupted them, and they both looked down to where Rennie was snuffling Cricket’s ear.

  “Looks like Rennie’s already quite at home here.” Paige laughed. “He might have even found love.”

  “He’s not the only one.” Aiden caught her hand in his and kissed her fingers. “You’re home to me, Paige. And while I may never be the man I was before I left here—”

  She pressed a finger to his lips. “That’s okay. I’m not the same woman.”

  No she wasn’t. She was more. More than he ever expected. More than he deserved. She was a gift he’d treasure always.

  “I love you, Paige. I always have. And I want to be with you for the rest of my life. If you’ll have me.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “Say yes.”

  “Oh, Aiden. It’s always been yes.” She lifted to her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him. “Always.”