by Leanne Banks
He took the short walk to the library and led Smiley inside.
Annabel smiled and greeted both of them. “Smiley, boy, good to see you. And to you, too, Forrest. How did Smiley do?”
“Pretty good except when he ran off,” he said, giving her the leash.
Annabel’s face fell. “Ran off?” she echoed and glanced at her dog. “When did he do that?”
“About halfway through the walk, he took off toward ROOTS. Maybe he was drumming up business for himself,” he said.
Annabel gave a half laugh, but he could tell she wasn’t really amused. “Maybe. He’s trained not to run away.”
“Angie Anderson stopped him. Good thing. I was afraid he would get hit by a car.”
Annabel winced. “I don’t know why he did that. Thank goodness for Angie,” she said, rubbing Smiley’s neck.
“True,” he said. “What do you know about her?”
“The Andersons are a great family,” Anabel said. “They’ve had some tough times, but Angie really came through it well.”
“She seems too young to be working at that youth center.”
“ROOTS?” Anabel said. “They actually like having some younger volunteers. It helps the kids identify with a good role model. I hear Angie’s a sweet, easygoing girl.”
Forrest shrugged, backing off. He shouldn’t be curious about Angie. “Okay. I’ll head on back home now. Thanks for the adventure,” he said.
She bit her lip. “I feel bad that he ran off on you.”
“It wasn’t a problem,” he said. “I caught up to him.”
“Well,” Annabel said. “I think Smiley is due for some retraining, and I’ll start tonight.”
Forrest nodded. “You’ll figure it out,” he said. “You’ve done a great job with him.”
“Thanks,” Annabel said. “But he’ll be even better next time you see him!”
* * *
Angie forced her attention back to the kids at ROOTS, but she couldn’t help thinking about Forrest. Talking with him had made her feel as if someone had lit a lamp inside her. A few other guys had temporarily captured her attention, but she knew that Forrest was totally different from them. It seemed as if every cell in her body was screaming how special he could be to her. The strength of her instant attraction to him was distracting.
As she cleaned up the snack station near the end of her shift, Lilly Evans approached her. Lilly was a beautiful serious-minded seventeen-year-old with long blond hair and green eyes. Lilly had been active in ROOTS during the last two years since her father had gone to prison. Angie admired the girl for keeping her focus during such a traumatic time.
“Hey, there,” Angie said. “How’d the study time go with Max?”
Lilly shrugged. “I’m not sure. He doesn’t seem to concentrate very well.”
Angie chuckled. “That could be because he’s got a crush on you.”
Lilly’s pale cheeks bloomed with color. “I don’t have time for that,” she said. “Too many other things going on.”
Angie heard an undertone of anxiety in Lilly’s voice. “Like what?” she asked.
“My mother’s afraid she’s going to lose her main job, so she’s started working another one part-time.”
“The economy is hard on a lot of people right now,” Angie said and squeezed Lilly’s shoulder. “I hope she’ll get some good news soon.”
“Me, too. If that weren’t bad enough, my brother Joey has been hanging around some bad kids. I’m worried about him.”
“How old is he?” Angie asked. “Maybe you could bring him to ROOTS.”
“He’s thirteen, but he doesn’t think ROOTS is cool,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“What else is he interested in?” Angie asked.
“Violent computer games,” Lilly said with a frown. “He shoots basketball every now and then. He’s a little on the skinny side, so I think he tries to act all tough.” She sighed. “We had a dog for a while and Joey really liked him, but my dad made us give him away.”
“Hmm,” Angie murmured, her mind working. “What about working at the animal shelter? We have a group that volunteers there twice a month. If he really likes it, he could go more often on his own. In the meantime, if he goes with the ROOTS group, he’ll be exposed to some different kids and maybe make some better friends.”
“That’s a great idea,” Lilly said. “If we can just figure out how to get him to go.”
“If you want, I can have one of the ROOTS shelter volunteers give him a call. I can call him, too.”
“That might help, but he still could turn you down. Joey can be stubborn.”
“We’ll wear him down,” Angie said. “I’ll have the ROOTS coordinator contact him first.”
Lilly sighed. “Thanks. I’m really worried about him.”
“We’ll give this a try and see how it works. Make sure you’re keeping your mother up to speed, and if she needs extra help, we’re in touch with some wonderful counselors. Some of them even offer a couple free sessions.”
Lilly impulsively threw her arms around Angie and Angie hugged her in return. “Remember you’re not alone, here,” Angie said and gave the teen a reassuring squeeze. Her heart broke for the trauma Lilly had experienced during the last few years. It was hard always being the strong one. Angie was so grateful that Lilly trusted her enough to talk to her.
After her shift, Angie left ROOTS and walked into her empty home. Since her brother Austin and sister Haley had left, she was all alone. Angie spent as little time at home as possible. She knew she was fortunate to have a rent-free home, but the silence that welcomed her every night disturbed her. After today, she had a feeling she might not be alone forever. She had a very strong feeling about Forrest Traub. So strong she couldn’t keep it to herself.
Even though she could have called Haley earlier when she was at ROOTS, Angie had held off. But now she couldn’t. She dialed her sister’s cell and waited, her heart racing.
“Hey,” Haley said. “How are you doing?”
“Great,” Angie said and took a deep breath. “And I’ve just met the most amazing man today. His name is Forrest Traub. He’s a veteran and he’s the man of my dreams.”
Haley chuckled. “And you know this after one meeting?” she asked.
“I do,” Angie said, wandering around the den. “He’s everything I’ve ever wanted. He’s the man I always wanted without knowing that I wanted him. Haley, he’s not a boy. He’s a man and he’s strong and he has a good heart. You should have seen him with that therapy dog.”
“Therapy dog?” Haley echoed.
“He was taking Annabel’s dog Smiley for a walk. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that he’s hot. But I can tell there’s much more to him.”
“If you say so,” Haley said.
“I do,” Angie insisted.
“Okay, that’s exciting,” Haley said.
Angie could hear Haley’s disbelief and it bothered her. “You’re patronizing me,” Angie said.
“I’m not,” Haley said. “Give me a chance. I haven’t met the guy.”
Angie sighed. “Okay. Fair enough.”
“Good,” Haley said. “Are you doing okay?”
Angie glanced around the den of the house and fought the sense of loneliness. “I’m good. Keeping busy,” she said as she paced.
“You should come to visit us for dinner more often,” Haley said.
“You’re a newlywed. I don’t want to intrude,” Angie said.
“It’s not an intrusion,” Haley countered.
“Seems like it to me. I don’t want to crash a honeymoon,” Angie said.
Haley chuckled. “Just give us a few minutes’ notice and we’re good.”
“I feel so much better,” Angie teased.
Silence followed. “Sweetie, you know we are here for you.”
“Yeah, I know,” Angie said.
“We love you,” Haley said.
“Love you, too,” Angie returned and hung up her phone.
&nbs
p; Taking a deep breath, she meandered from the doorway to the kitchen. A dozen memories flashed through her mind. Her brother making pancakes for her breakfast. Haley helping her get ready for prom.
Angie knew that Haley and Austin had worked their butts off to make up for the fact that their father had left soon after she’d been born and her mother had died during her early teens.
The great blessing had been that both her sister and brother had found true love. They’d moved out of the house to make their new lives with their loves. Angie couldn’t be happier, except for the fact that she was now alone. And she didn’t always quite know what to do with herself.
Austin and Haley checked in on her frequently, but Angie didn’t want to be a burden. After all, she was twenty-three. She should be fully capable of managing her life.
But the house felt so silent. It was too quiet. Stalking into the den, she grabbed the remote for the television and turned it on. She didn’t care about the program. She just wanted the sound of human voices. Returning to the kitchen, she pulled out a frozen dinner, zapped it in the microwave and took it with her into the den.
She sank onto the sofa and pulled out the notebook she kept for her charity projects. With the holidays approaching, she knew her schedule would get busier. Somehow more kids seemed to show up at ROOTS during the holidays, which meant the youth center needed more adults manning different shifts. She would juggle that with working several holiday dinners and parties for the catering company that kept her bank account healthy.
Angie had also learned from her sister, Haley, that helping other people made her less likely to feel sorry for herself. That was why she liked to get the ROOTS kids to contribute to a charity activity. It didn’t have to require money, just some time and effort. The kids learned that it was rewarding to give of themselves.
Her mind turned to thoughts of Forrest Traub as she jotted thoughts in her notebook. She drew a military emblem. She wondered how he had survived the attack. It sounded like it must have been horrible. Yet, she could tell he was no quitter. He was the type of man determined to make the best of his situation. She suspected he was the kind to surpass everyone’s expectations.
An idea fluttered through her mind. Maybe the ROOTS group could do something to benefit the military. But what?
* * *
The next morning, Forrest woke up early. Too early. He turned to one of the few things that brought him solace—working out. Exercise made his body stronger. He could only hope it would eventually. He’d set up a home gym in the second bedroom of his suite at the boardinghouse. Since his brother Clay had fallen in love with their landlord, Clay and his baby son, Bennett, had moved out and were staying in the main house with Antonia and her baby, Lucy. Clay and Antonia would be getting married very soon. Although Forrest was happy for his brother, he couldn’t help feeling overwhelmed by how quiet his place was now that his brother had left.
Forrest lifted weights. His cell phone rang, surprising him. He didn’t recognize the number, but noticed it was local. “Forrest Traub,” he said.
“Hi, Forrest,” a breathless feminine voice said. “This is Angie Anderson.”
Whoa, he thought and set down his weights. “Hi, how are you?”
“I’m fine,” she said. “How are you?”
“Pretty good,” he replied and began to pace. “How can I help you?”
“Thank you for the offer,” she said with a laugh. “I have an idea. I think it would be great if the ROOTS kids got involved in a GI holiday pen pal program.”
Forrest nodded. “Not a bad idea. You can get in touch with a national group—”
“I don’t want to do that,” she said. “I want to keep it more local, and I was hoping you could help me.”
Surprise raced through him. “Me?”
“Yes, you. You would be perfect. You’re a veteran. You could inspire the ROOTS group,” she said.
Forrest shook his head. “I’m not sure—”
“I am,” Angie said. “Let’s get together and talk about it.”
Forrest blinked. Sheesh. This woman moved fast. “I’m not coming into town today, so—”
“I can come to you,” she said. “Where do you live?”
“Hey, that’s not necessary,” he said.
“It’s no problem,” she said. “Where do you live?”
He sighed and gave her the address. “You really don’t need to do this,” he said.
“It’s really no problem. See you later. I’ll bring lunch,” she said and hung up before he could protest.
Forrest stared at his phone and had a bad premonition. This woman was going to be trouble.
A few hours later, he heard footfalls bounding up the steps to the front porch of the rooming house. Since he was currently the only occupant, he suspected that Angie was his visitor. He opened the door before she had a chance to knock and looked at her. The sight of her fresh beauty made something skitter under his skin. She looked so innocent, feminine and real.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey,” she said with a broad smile in return. “Can I come in?”
“Sure,” he said and noticed she was carrying a bag from a local sub shop. “You didn’t need to bring food.”
“I told you I would. If you can drum up some coffee or water, we’re covered,” she said.
“Okay,” he said and led her inside the first-floor-level suite.
“This is nice,” she said, looking around as she followed him inside.
He filled a couple glasses of water in the small kitchen and returned to her. “It fits my needs at the moment.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Listen, I may not be the best source for your pen pal idea. I left several months ago and I don’t really know that many soldiers from around here.”
“Oh, you don’t have to help me with names. I can get those. No problem. What I want you to do is talk to the ROOTS group and tell them how good it felt to receive cards and letters of encouragement. Especially around the holidays.” She jiggled her bag. “Do you want to eat in the kitchen?”
“There isn’t much of one,” he said. “I usually eat in here,” he said, tilting his head toward the den area.
She gave a short chuckle. “You sound like me. Ever since I’ve been living alone, I eat my frozen meal in front of the TV. When I’m home, that is,” she added as she sank onto the sofa. “Most of the time, I’m on the go.”
“Why don’t you get a roommate?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I just haven’t gotten around to it,” she said. “Ever since I was thirteen, it was just my sister, brother and me. It feels strange now.”
He wondered what had happened to her parents, but didn’t want to pry. “I know what you’re saying. Since my brother and Antonia got together and he moved into the main house, it’s pretty quiet here.”
“Well, maybe I can break down and fix a meal and you can come over to my place for dinner sometime,” she said.
Even though Angie was cute as a button and clearly attracted to him, he didn’t want to give her false hope. Forrest cleared his throat. “So what kind of sandwiches do you have in that bag?” he asked, deliberately avoiding her suggestion.
“Oh,” she said. “I made a big guess that you’re not a vegetarian and got you an Italian hero.”
He laughed under his breath as he unwrapped the sandwich. “Good guess. Thanks.”
She opened her notebook. “Now, I’ve done some research on the pen pal programs, and I think this will be very empowering for our ROOTS kids. So much of the time, they don’t feel as if they have any control over their lives. Especially if they’re having problems at home or school. This is a small thing they can do, and it’s not a big commitment, but it has big impact on both the sender and the receiver. Don’t you agree?”
Forrest hadn’t really thought much about it, but he supposed it was true. Angie was so enthusiastic he felt like a heel at the thought of letting her down. “I guess so.”
“I knew you would think
so. I also worked with a local program last year called Presents for Patriots. I’d like to see if there’s a way to expand the program this year,” she said.
“Whoa,” he said, lifting his hand and shaking his head. “I’m not the most jolly guy on the block these days. Maybe you’d better find someone who has more Christmas spirit.”
Angie gaped at him in disbelief. “But everyone loves Christmas. It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”
Forrest blinked. Was she serious? She looked so crestfallen it was as if he’d told her that Santa didn’t exist. He wondered if she was kidding, but quickly saw she wasn’t. The woman was obviously over the moon about Christmas. Forrest had the feeling that refusing her would feel the same as kicking a puppy.
Mentally swearing, he sighed. “Okay, okay. I’ll help.”
She leaped toward him and put her arms around him. “Oh, thank you. I knew you’d be perfect.”
Taken off guard by her impulsive embrace, Forrest tried not to notice how sweet her hair smelled within an inch of his nose and the way her breasts felt brushing against his chest. He glanced down at her pink lips and tried to remember the last time he’d kissed a woman.
At that forbidden thought, he quickly pulled back. “No one’s ever accused me of being perfect.”
Her gaze turned teasing. “Well, I can’t imagine why.”
That quick sexy glint in her eyes made him uneasy as hell. “Why don’t you tell me some more about the Patriots program,” he said, redirecting her attention, and hopefully his, too.
Angie gradually pulled back, but he would have to be a dead man not to notice the way her hand skimmed over his knee or the fact that she didn’t seem to mind sitting so close to him.
Forrest was torn. Was she so naive that she really didn’t know what she was asking for? Or was she trying to seduce him?
Chapter Two
After her visit with Forrest, Angie felt as if she could have flown home. Surely, she wouldn’t have needed her aging red Chevy pickup truck. Not after the way she’d teased a few grins from his serious mouth. She’d seen the way he’d stared at hers in curiosity. She just wished he’d given in to that emotion and kissed her.
