The Soldier's Homecoming

by Patricia Potter

  Enthusiasm had been in short supply in his life. And a rustic lodge and one room sounded great. To hell with being a Boy Scout. They were consenting adults. Sharing a room didn’t mean sharing a bed.

  Except with the sexual tension radiating between them, it undoubtedly would, which is why he’d mandated two rooms. It wasn’t morality that made him pause. It was the fact he was falling in love with her and he couldn’t see a future together. He’d already had one painful experience, and he knew this one could be far worse.

  But just the thought of sharing a bed changed the contour of his jeans. And this time, he did have protection.

  He tried to quench some of the blaze by remaining silent.

  “It would be financially responsible to share,” she pointed out in a perfectly reasonable tone. “We could cancel the extra room tonight and save even more money.”

  She had no shame.

  He liked that.

  “We need some sleep tonight,” he said gently. “Tomorrow will be a long day.”

  “Why don’t we just compromise,” she said. “Two rooms tonight and one tomorrow in a wonderful rustic lodge.”

  He wasn’t going to fight it any longer. Not when every ounce of his 180 pounds were urging him to agree. “Sounds reasonable,” he said, though it was a perfectly unreasonable situation.

  “I’ll make the reservation,” she said cheerfully.

  “And tonight, we’ll work,” he said. “I want to coordinate your discussions with the participants with my notes on the theories behind the programs. I talked to some of the participants, but I imagine they talked to you more frankly.”

  “They all said how grateful they were. They felt they were getting their lives together. They’re having goals again. Especially valuable was knowing they weren’t alone. Several said it probably saved their lives. Just knowing people cared meant a lot.”

  That, he knew, was why she was a good reporter. She listened. She cared. She remembered what people said and even the inflections in their voices as they said it.

  He also realized, however, that as good an observer as she was, she very rarely spoke about her family or personal life. Nor had she spoken much about her life overseas.

  She soaked up everyone else’s story but was extremely stingy with her own.

  It was a little before six when they arrived at the Sedona motel, just in time to see the setting sun glow against the red rocks, turning them gold. He glanced at her and saw the awe on her face.

  They registered and discovered they had rooms next door to each other but not connected. He helped carry in Anna’s dog bed, food and dishes. Then they watched the rest of the sunset from her balcony. She’d brought her camera and took a number of shots.

  When the moon replaced the sun, he left her room and asked the desk clerk about restaurants and where to get a bottle of wine. The clerk suggested a Mexican restaurant about a mile away that allowed dogs on the patio. Like their last stop, Sedona was a dog-friendly town.

  Travis washed and shaved, while Jenny changed clothes. He was slowly unwinding. It had been difficult rushing from one program to another, especially with the ongoing sexual tension between them. His leg was stiff and hurting from being cramped for so long. He was tired physically and mentally.

  He was ready when she knocked at his door. He opened it, and his exhaustion fled. His world always brightened when he saw her. There was usually a smile on her lips and a dare in her eyes.

  He’d thought at the beginning of the trip that familiarity would dim the attraction he’d felt from the first minutes they’d met. Instead, it was the opposite. She was tireless, smart, funny and liked by everyone she met. He couldn’t remember when he’d smiled so often. Anna barked a welcome, too. It was a first.

  “Hi,” he said, taking in the casual green shirt that highlighted her eyes. “I do like a prompt woman.”

  “What about a very hungry one.”

  “I’ve never met a woman with such a big appetite.”

  “Should I remind you we had a bag of potato chips for lunch?”

  “Only so you could get here for the sunset,” Travis defended himself. “No one has really lived until they’ve seen a Sedona sunset.”

  “You’re right,” she said. “You did good. Let’s go.”

  She turned and headed for the door. He was laughing as he followed.

  * * *

  JENNY WAS FALLING in love. She knew it. It was a first for her, and she couldn’t seem to stop it from happening.

  She liked every aspect of Travis. He was serious and dedicated, and yet his sense of humor emerged at the most unexpected times. He was a great questioner, thorough and thoughtful. He not only tolerated Anna but was probably more sappy about the dog than she. She knew that, although he’d been a major and Josh a noncom, they were close friends, equals in every way. She suspected there were depths and depths of him yet to be discovered.

  He drove to a colorful Mexican restaurant. Anna was welcome, and they found seats on the patio. To the sound of Mexican music, they ate a huge meal, helped along by margaritas. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had one, but they were good. Wonderful, in fact. She had a second one, and the world grew even grander.

  For the first time in a week, they didn’t have to worry about being alert in the morning. A cool breeze tempered the day’s heat, and the dark blue sky was decorated with a million stars and a rising moon.

  Candles were lit as they ate their desserts, tres leches for him and sopapillas for her. They tasted each other’s and debated which was best.

  They finally left and dropped by a local wine-tasting room, which offered samples. Jenny stayed outside with Anna, while Travis bought a case of six bottles, two of which, he said, were for Josh and Eve, in appreciation of dinner at their house, and two for Jubal. The final two were for them.

  Travis drove back to the motel and carried the wine to her room. He opened one of the bottles and poured them each a glass, and they sat on her balcony. The moon provided enough light to see the rock formations.

  Warmth filled her, and a sense of well-being. She was with someone who accepted her for what and who she was, not what he wanted her to be. She didn’t realize until then how much she’d needed that. One reason she’d always fled from any lasting relationship was the fear that the other person would discover her wanting in some major way. Did it go back to her father, who was always disappointed in her?

  The stubborn, redheaded child who always disappointed. She’d made her own world in which she would never let anyone in. They couldn’t disapprove then. Or be disappointed.

  He took her hand in his. “You’re thinking deep thoughts.”

  “Too deep,” she said wryly.

  “Sedona does that,” Travis said. “A lot of people come here because they feel it’s a place of meditation, that it’s a special spot where energy is entering the earth.”

  Jenny was fascinated. She never would have expected him to have an interest in the spiritual. But then he was full of surprises.

  “It’s one reason Sedona has become so popular, and you’ll see a lot of shops displaying spiritual music, books, jewelry and related items,” he said as he put his arm around her. “You can add it to your list of interesting places.”

  “What about your friend? Did he believe the spiritual part?”

  Travis shrugged. “I don’t know. I looked most of it up when I left. It was interesting.” He hesitated, and then he added thoughtfully, “I do know the beauty of this area helps whatever ails you. I needed it after the last few years. I thought you might, too.”

  Another side of him that surprised her. He was so damned perceptive. She had needed it, only she hadn’t realized how much.

  She leaned over and kissed him. “I like you,” she said. “I like you very much.”

  “Ditto,” he said, using the word she had
days ago.

  He stood and offered his hand. She took it and they went inside, closing the balcony door. Then he kissed her long and hard, fierce and gentle, until her knees were weak. Her arms went around him and played with the back of his neck.

  She leaned against him, welcoming the warmth of his body against hers. It felt so natural, as if it was made just for her. She looked up at him. A hank of hair had fallen on his forehead, and his hazel eyes seemed darker, the amber in them more evident.

  Emotions swirled, each one different but growing in strength. Tenderness, wonder, need, want. They kept tumbling into each other like a snowball going downhill. Her chest tightened, and her breathing became more difficult. She wanted to lie in bed with him and feel him everywhere. She wanted him to feel her everywhere.

  He gave her a crooked smile. “Are we both done with being cautious?”

  “Yes,” she said simply as she started to unbutton his shirt.

  “I do have protection this time,” he said.

  “Good thinking.”

  He unbuttoned her blouse and then unhooked her bra. He fondled each breast until the nipples hardened.

  “My turn,” she said, anxious now to hurry the process. Her body ached. She pulled his shirt over his head and caressed his scars. She then stood on tiptoes to kiss him.

  It was gentle at first, but then his lips moved passionately on hers. Eddies of desire enveloped her.

  She unzipped his jeans and pulled them down, but then discovered a problem. She couldn’t slip them down over his shoes, and he couldn’t move with them like they were. Perplexed, she looked up at him. “I didn’t think about that,” she said.

  He burst out laughing.

  “I love that look,” he finally managed to say when he finished laughing. He leaned down and pulled his pants back up. Then he went over to the bed and took off his shoes. “Now you can take them off,” he said as he stood.

  “The moment is over,” she declared indignantly.

  “No, it isn’t,” he said as he discarded his pants and skivvies and pulled her down on the bed.

  She fell on top of him. “Now how are you going to take off my clothes?”

  “Easily,” he said, turning her onto her back. He then unzipped her pants and slid off her panties.

  “Damn, but you’re delectable,” he said as his hands caressed her body and his tongue explored her mouth. She was consumed with wanting. His lips left her mouth and nibbled her ear, sending shivers of pleasure through her. He kissed the pulse at her throat, and she felt tenderness in each caress.

  Tremors ran through her body as his hands continued to stroke it, sparking blazes wherever they touched. She savored each new jolt of sensation.

  He bent his head and his mouth touched her breasts, teasing and nibbling until her nipples hardened and ached. Sizzling fires danced up and down her spine. He left her for a second, and then he returned and kissed her again.

  His lips touched her cheeks with such tenderness that her heart hurt. Then his mouth recaptured hers in a kiss that rocked her to the core. Her body strained against his, and he entered her slowly, deliberately, igniting ripples of warm, expectant sensations. Her body moved with his as his rhythm increased, until bursts of exquisite pleasure rushed through her and his body fell on hers.

  They lay there together, Travis holding Jenny in his arms as aftershocks continued. And, for the first time in her life, Jenny felt truly content.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  JENNY WOKE UP to Travis’s gentle nudging.

  “Hmm,” she murmured. She was in his arms, and she didn’t want to move. “What time is it?”

  “A little after six.”

  She yawned and snuggled deeper into his arms. “My internal clock is off.”

  “Good for your internal clock. I like feeling you next to me.” He kissed her long and hard.

  She responded with enthusiasm, even as a worrying little voice in the back of her head had questions. “What have we done?” she asked when his lips relinquished hers.

  “I think they call it making love,” he said lazily.

  “And it was splendid but...”

  “You want more than splendid?” he asked. “Greedy little devil, aren’t you?”

  “Practice makes perfect,” she said suggestively.

  “I think it’s already perfect, but I’m up for more practice,” he retorted.

  She ran her tongue over his chest, and his body reacted immediately.

  “Dammit, woman, you’re playing with fire,” he said. “And I woke you for a reason.”

  “What better reason could there be?”

  “The most spectacular sunrise you’ve probably ever seen.”

  “Even better than yesterday?”

  “Yep.”

  “That’s a big promise.”

  “And I have a surprise.”

  She broke into a huge smile. “I love surprises.” Still, she couldn’t decide between his arms or the sunrise, but then her curiosity won. They were leaving in a few hours. She might never again have a chance to decide whether a Sedona sunrise would be the most spectacular she’d ever seen.

  He knew she could never resist a challenge. She rose and peered out the balcony door and was instantly beguiled. She couldn’t remember seeing anything quite as beautiful. The sun’s rays bounced off the spectacular red rocks, spreading an artist’s palette of gold and bronze and every possible shade of red.

  Travis joined her, wearing his blue jeans. He held her long T-shirt, reminding her she was utterly naked. Before she could slip it on, he kissed the back of her neck, sending tremors down her back. “That was not fair,” she said, “but nice.”

  He disappeared again and, in several minutes, showed up with coffee he’d brewed in the room’s coffee machine. She gratefully took a sip and, now at least partially clothed, opened the balcony door and stepped out. The view was wider outside, even more spectacular. She knew now what he meant.

  The colors, the rock formations and the pure deep blue of the sky made her soul sing. She doubted whether the energy of the place had anything to do with it. But Travis certainly did. He knew her. Despite the short time they’d been together, he knew her better than anyone ever had.

  And he still liked her. Maybe even more than liked.

  “We have so little time here,” he broke into her thoughts, “and there’s so much to see, I thought maybe you would like to take a Jeep trip up into the hills. It goes off-road and it’s about two and a half hours. The drivers are great, really knowledgeable about the history of the area, wildlife and flora. You can learn a lot about the area in the shortest possible time. I checked, and we can get one at nine thirty.”

  “What about Anna?”

  “Since we’re the only passengers, we can take her.”

  “How did you arrange that?”

  “I have my ways,” he said.

  She eyed him suspiciously. This was probably a very expensive Jeep ride, but it sounded wonderful. Just the kind of adventure she loved.

  She stood on tiptoes and kissed him roundly.

  “Do we have time for anything else?” she asked suggestively.

  He grinned. “I can always make time,” he said.

  And he did.

  * * *

  JENNY COULDN’T STOP talking about the Jeep trip during the two-hour drive to the Grand Canyon. It had been a wild off-road trek over rocks and through trails with a humorous guide who was a retired banker. It had been scary, educational and fascinating.

  “How did you know about the Jeeps?” she asked, petting Anna in her lap.

  “That Ranger buddy of mine took me on one years ago. As a teenager, he used to help in their office and filled in as a guide when necessary. Each guide does his own thing, although there are some central musts.”

  “They seemed t
o enjoy scaring the wits out of passengers,” she said of the hair-raising ride up and down giant rocks without roads, but she got a close glimpse of the trees and plants, and even some wildlife. She loved every moment of it. Anna, on the other hand, slept all the way through the experience.

  “That’s part of the attraction, I think,” he said. “You should come back sometime and take the hot air balloon tour. It’s always early in the morning, when there’s usually less wind.”

  “You’ve done that, too?”

  “Yeah. I have good memories of Sedona, although it’s changed a lot since I’ve last been here. It’s a lot larger, and the traffic is a hell of a lot worse.”

  She’d wondered how he’d arranged the Jeep trip for just the two of them on the spur of the moment, but suspected a lot of money was responsible. She would insist on paying half. It was worth every cent.

  She stopped talking then and concentrated on the drive up to the Grand Canyon.

  It was a two-and-a-half-hour drive. They stopped for a quick lunch in Flagstaff, at a restaurant with a dog-friendly patio, and then they were off again.

  She was in awe of it all. The drive was spectacular, and Travis pointed out the golden aspen, the giant pines and the majesty of the ponderosa giant oaks.

  She’d been in the Alps and the German Black Forest and the Scottish Highlands, and all had their individual beauty, but there was something about the majesty of these red mountains that took her breath away.

  Was this what she’d been looking for? She’d found so many stories on this trip. Stories that weren’t about death and destruction and starvation and the murder of children.

  But then who would tell those stories?

  “You’re very quiet,” Travis said as he pulled into an overlook.

  “I’m just soaking it all in,” she said. “It’s breathtaking, and I don’t use the word often.” She petted Anna, who repositioned herself on her lap. Anna’s whiskers signaled approval.

  “I like that dog,” Travis said. “She has good taste.”

  “I knew you would,” she said with satisfaction.