by J. M. Madden
“Renita,” he nodded with a smile. “He’s got something else to do today.”
She nodded. “You’ve got your work cut out for you today, sir! Full house.”
Duncan gave a wave and headed through the security door and into the largest room in the facility. It served as a cafeteria and game room. Large round tables waited at the front of the room for those eating, and the tables at the back of the room were for card or board games the men played with each other. A flat-screen TV played cartoons on one wall, and a soap opera played on another. There were a line of cots along the side wall, and Duncan knew they would be full by the time night rolled around. Through the security door at the back of the room was a hallway that led to a dormitory of sorts. Homeless men came here when they reached their limit on the street. If they ran out of money or food and just couldn’t go any longer, men came here for short term room and board. It gave them a chance to catch up on whatever they were lacking on the streets.
Denver tried to house all of its homeless, but did a less than stellar job. There were still about six thousand homeless men, women and children on its streets, though the city had enacted a program years before to eradicate homelessness. Harmony House provided services for men only, with programs specifically designed for veterans.
When he walked into the room, several men called out to him. Duncan waved and continued on back through the double doors, then down a hallway to the right. Alex followed at his shoulder, and he could feel the attention her presence garnered. Men would come in just to see who she was.
There were men already in the room waiting for him to arrive. Clean and not-so-clean, tall, short and every possible ethnicity. Duncan went around the group, shaking the hands of those that didn’t mind the contact. As he did so, he introduced Alex to those same men.
“Why’d you bring a doc, Wilde?”
Duncan looked at Crazy Charlie, not exactly sure how to answer the man. “Well,” he paused.
“I was interested,” Alex interjected gently.
Charlie’s cagey eyes looked her up and down, not impressed with her looks. Crazy Charlie wasn’t impressed with much of anything. He turned away without saying a word.
Mike P. came up next, along with his buddy he never went far from, Mike R. If you saw one man on the street, you saw the other. Duncan had learned a couple of years ago that they had served in the Army together. They had been in the same battalion and pounded the same dirt together. It was one of those amazing stories of veterans reconnecting after years apart.
Duncan had seen it many times. Anytime he went anywhere with John Palmer, it seemed like the man had a nose for reconnecting with other Marines. Bars seemed to be especially good places to find them, because that was the nature of the beast. Fighting men liked to relax, and the quickest and easiest way to do that was in a bar drinking beer.
Smiling, he shook the men’s hands, then introduced Alex.
“Oh, a doctor,” Mike P., the more talkative of the two, drew out the last syllable like it was an expensive word as he shook Alex’s delicate hand.
“She’s a lot prettier than that Jarhead you normally bring with you,” Mike P. told him with a nod.
“Hey, now, no slamming Jarheads,” Alex warned, holding up a finger. “I come from a long, proud family of them.”
After a pregnant pause, the men laughed with her. Alex had officially broken the ice.
As Duncan moved through the room, talking to the men he’d come to know over the past couple of years, Alex wandered off with the Mikes. She didn’t seem concerned so Duncan tried not to be either, though he watched her closely. He didn’t fool himself in thinking that just because these guys were vets they were all okay. Some, he knew, had criminal records, both serious and not. The guy in the back corner with the heavy black parka on had been convicted several times of carrying a weapon, and even though they were not allowed to bring weapons on Harmony House property, Duncan had a feeling he still wore the parka inside for a reason.
Granted, some of the guys in here were very protective of their property, but there were lockers for them to use so they didn’t need to drag the carts, bags or shopping buggies inside. The House tried to make it as convenient and welcoming for the residents as possible.
Duncan moved to his normal spot at the end of a long, rectangular table. There was no official agenda when he came in to talk to these guys, just a caution to be respectful. Duncan would talk as long as anyone had anything to talk about. Sometimes it was about the crazy cold weather in Denver, other times it was about the political climate in China. The range of topics wasn’t limited in any way. Duncan’s main motivation in coming here twice a week was to let the guys know they were not forgotten. The military and the families may have let these men go, but Duncan hadn’t and he wouldn’t, ever.
Tonight, he was unsurprised to find himself not the focus of the attention.
Alex moved to sit at his side and the questions started, mostly directed to her. She was an unusual, intriguing item on display in the group. Duncan was prepared to break in if any became too personal, but she didn’t seem to mind any of them.
“Where’d you meet Wilde?” one asked her, and Alex had to pause for a moment, as if gathering her thoughts.
“I met him in Kansas City when he came out for Aiden Willingham, another veteran.”
The men turned quiet then, and shared looks between them. They knew Duncan had gone out to identify him. A few of the men looked away completely.
“You guys knew Aiden?”
She directed the question to the Mikes, and Duncan wasn’t sure if they would answer or not.
“Yeah, we knew him,” Mike P. confirmed. “As much as you can know anyone on the streets. Didn’t seem like the kind of guy used to living like we did. Only came in when something was going on. Even on the coldest days he stayed outside, said someone else could use the bed.”
Alex nodded. “So you guys haven’t seen him for a while, then?”
Several of the men shook their heads, but a couple Duncan knew wouldn’t even tell her if they had seen him. He’d asked a few times, more subtly than she just had.
The homeless, as a group, were very protective of each other. To a certain extent they became their own family, watching out for each other as much as possible. And they had a network to keep track of people.
“He didn’t come in during the storms or anything. He was a different kind of duck,” Mike R. told her.
That was a lot coming from him.
Alex seemed to sense she wasn’t going to get anymore from them, so she moved on to a new subject.
Duncan watched her charm most of the twenty men in the room. A few would never be charmed because they just weren’t the type. If they’d had any kind of domestic history that led to their homeless situation, they could harbor resentment against women in general. There were a couple of guys he’d talked to like that. They stayed on the streets so they didn’t have to deal with life, or the entanglements they might have created at some point.
They’d talked for about half an hour before the topic shifted to Christmas. Immediately, the mood in the room seemed to gain weight.
“Okay, no sad faces,” Alex told them. “Tell me one of your greatest Christmas memories. It can be recent or old.”
The silence stretched in the room, until one wizened faced man spoke up. “It was five days after Christmas but I still remember it. Getting off the plane when I returned from Korea and seeing the face of my brother waiting for me. I had been told he’d been KIA. He had one less leg and was a lot grumpier, but I still kissed his shiny head.”
Alex laughed, appreciating the humor. “I would have, too.”
Another man cleared his throat. Duncan recognized Tom Wolford, though he twisted his trademark bedraggled hat in his hands. Duncan had never seen his bald head before. No wonder he protected his hat. Colorado winters could be fierce.
“I’ll always remember coming home after being in Vietnam for a year and a half. I
was worried my son wouldn’t remember me, but he did. Ran right across the tarmac to me, snow suit bright red against the snow.”
His voice faded off.
“Anybody come back to new babies at Christmas?” Alex asked.
Several of the men waved their hands.
“From another perspective,” Alex murmured softly. “I’ll always remember waking up one year and finding my dad sitting under the Christmas tree. My mom died later that year, so it was a big one for me.”
Duncan felt like they could end the talk on a good note there. “Well, gentlemen, I believe I’m going to take the good doctor out and show her Denver.”
The crowd began to break up and people lined up to tell them goodbye. Alex handed out business cards, promising she would answer if they ever needed anything. The men tucked the cards away. A couple of the guys refused to take them, but Alex didn’t seem offended.
“And you all know where I am,” Duncan told them. “I’ll be back in a few days.”
The room emptied slowly. A couple of the guys wanted some of Duncan’s time so he stepped aside to talk quietly as Alex told the rest of the men goodbye.
When they finally left Harmony House, she heaved a sigh. “That was interesting, and sad, and fascinating.”
Duncan chuckled, knowing she had a lot to process. “I think you did a great job. You weren’t condescending and you didn’t belittle their experiences.”
“Of course not,” she gasped. “I would never do that.”
No, she wouldn’t. Duncan was realizing that even though she was very much a polished professional, Alexandra Hartfield was also a very decent woman. He worried that being in the shelter would shock her, but she’d controlled herself well. Even when they’d crossed the main room and the catcalls had started. Rather than getting offended, she’d waved a hand and smiled as she walked through the door. She’d shrugged when he’d given her a look. “If you steal their thunder, it’s not as much fun. I’ve gotten that before.”
If any other woman had said that, Duncan probably would have thought she was bragging, but Alex didn’t work that way. Her looks were inconsequential to what she was doing. The only time he’d seen her play them up was for him.
His body clenched as he remembered taking her on his desk this morning. That had been unexpected and… thrilling. Dangerous. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, Duncan knew he had fallen into a rut. Home, work, home, work, shelter. Rinse and repeat. The only breaks had been speaking to potential new hires or sometimes vetting the new cases that came into the office.
Alex was definitely out of the everyday. And he would miss her when she was gone.
She was in the prime of her life and he was on the downhill slide. Her youth and energy was invigorating, but he doubted he could keep up with her. She would find him dull and stodgy in the long term.
They stopped at the front door of the shelter and bundled up. He blinked as his eyes adjusted to the light outside. The snow had disappeared but it was still bone-shuddering cold. Clenching his jaw he very carefully planted his cane to cross the sidewalk.
A bundled form brushed behind him and headed down the sidewalk in the opposite direction.
“Hey! Wait. Hey, you!”
Duncan turned at Alex’s call in time to see her start jogging down the sidewalk after one of the homeless. The bundled man glanced back, then disappeared around a corner. Alex tried to speed up, but her heeled boots were no match for the icy sidewalk. In spite of the nimble way she took off, the ice got the better of her. Duncan’s heart lurched as he watched her feet slide out from beneath her. She crashed to the cement on her side, her hip and elbow seeming to take the brunt of her fall.
Duncan hurried to her, as quick as he dared, but she’d already rolled up into a sitting position by the time he reached her. “What the hell, Alex? Are you okay?”
Tears were dripping down her cheeks. She dashed them away with her gloved fingers. “I think that was Aiden. The guy that passed us.”
Duncan glanced down the street, but the man had long disappeared. He’d seen the homeless do that before, it was as if they faded into the landscape itself.
In spite of the pain in his hips, he went down on his knees beside Alex. “Whoever it was, I don’t see them now. Are you okay?”
She cringed and flexed her right arm. “Yeah, I think so. Damn, that was stupid. He moved so fast though. As soon as I saw the shape of his face, I took off after him, but it was like I was standing still.”
Duncan sighed and used his cane to lever himself up. Then he held a hand down to her. “I didn’t see him. Come on. Let’s get you off the concrete.”
Alex took his hand and he hoisted her up. She gasped and brushed against the seat of her pants. “I think I cracked my ass,” she moaned.
“It wasn’t cracked already?”
She snorted and shook her head at him. “Lame, Wilde.”
His mind eased, he tugged her into an easy hug. Alex leaned against him for a moment. “I’m sorry I took off,” she murmured. “I could have sworn it was him, but maybe I’m seeing what I want to see.”
Duncan sighed. “I’ve thought the same thing a time or two, but I know it’s not him. I would think that if he returned to Denver, he would have contacted someone. Or one of the guys would have seen him.”
Alex nodded, her eyes clouded with aggravation. “I know. He just seemed… familiar, and it wasn’t one of the men in the meeting earlier.”
Duncan wished he could ease her mind, but he refused to lie to her. “I seriously doubt we’ll see Aiden again, Alex. I think he’s long gone.”
Sniffing, she nodded her head. “I know you’re probably right, but I have to hope otherwise. I’ve had nightmares about the look in his eyes when he realized he was in restraints that day. I would never hurt a person like that deliberately.”
He cupped her cheek in his palm. “I know you wouldn’t. Those were extenuating circumstances. You were protecting your staff.”
With another nod, she looked down the street, obviously trying to get hold of her emotions. After a couple of heavy breaths, she gave him a smile. “Let’s go soak our bones. I’m about frozen through.”
That sounded perfect to Duncan. “I know it’s a little late, but want to grab some lunch to take back to the house?”
“Sounds like a plan. I’m in the mood for Italian. What’s good around here?”
Chapter Eleven
Damn it.
Aiden cursed as he went around the corner, then darted into an alcove. He pressed himself against the brick, knowing that they couldn’t see him here as long as he was still.
What a lame ass attempt.
The problem had been, he was focused on Duncan and not the doctor. She’d gotten too close and she’d seen him, even under the homeless disguise.
It had been a little humorous when she’d chased him in heels, but the humor had snapped away when she’d fallen. He hadn’t meant for her to get hurt. Fuck. Lingering on the corner, he waited until she sat up and seemed to be okay, then he bolted.
Duncan hadn’t seen him, he was sure.
It was supposed to have been a simple tagging operation. Bump into the target, attach the tracking chip and disappear. Yeah, no go on that.
After about twenty minutes, he stepped out of the alcove.
Denver thrived around him, oblivious to what was going on in its heart.
* * *
They settled on a little place a few blocks from his house. Duncan called in an order and they picked it up on the way. Within twenty minutes, decadent scents filled the cab of his truck and they were both ready to eat.
Alex grabbed silverware and glasses of water and set them on the small table. Duncan unpacked the aluminum tins and removed the covers. Alex had order fettuccine with broccoli and chicken, and he’d ordered something he’d never tried from there before, a chicken parmigiana.
With little fanfare, they dug into the food. Duncan shook out three tablets of ibuprofen from the bottle that
stayed on the table. “Maybe between the hot tub and these you won’t feel the affects of your fall too bad.”
She took the pills and tossed them back. “We’ll see.”
They ate until they were stuffed. “I don’t think I’ll have room for dinner tonight.”
Duncan grinned. “Good. If you do, we have leftovers.”
The other half of his chicken parm would be excellent later. Maybe a midnight snack after he’d taken Alex to bed again.
“I have to say, this has been an interesting day. Thank you so much for giving me a glimpse into your life.”
Duncan lifted a brow. “You are very welcome, Alex. I’ve enjoyed having you here.”
“You know, I haven’t given you your Christmas present yet.”
He looked at her, brows furrowed. “Why would you get me a present?”
“Because,” she huffed. “It’s what you do at Christmas, silly. I’ll be back.”
She retrieved the package from her room and brought it to him. He took it with a frown. “I feel a little awkward because I don’t have anything for you.”
She shrugged. “It was my idea to come out here and surprise you. I didn’t expect you to have anything for me. That’s okay. I enjoyed shopping for you.”
Duncan sighed and carefully ripped open the paper. It was pretty obvious by the size and weight that it was a book, but he still sighed appreciatively when he revealed the cover.
Alex had looked long and hard for something that would recognize his service, but hopefully wouldn’t remind him of all the bad crap. A photographer had gone over and taken pictures of the beautiful things the military had done while they’d been in Iraq and Afghanistan. There were pictures of schools that had been built with laughing children running outside. There were pictures of family dinners where they were all linked by touch. A medic handing over an Afghan infant to her weeping father. Alex thought it was her favorite in the book.
Duncan didn’t say anything for a long time, and she worried that she had offended him or insulted him, but he eventually looked up. His dark eyes seemed a little moist as he smiled at her and tugged her in for a long hug.
