Her Holiday Hero

by Margaret Daley

  “With my son monopolizing your time from the minute you came into the house, I never got to ask you how the walk over here went. I didn’t have you over to answer a hundred questions and practice baseball with him.”

  “Then why did you have me to dinner?” A strand of her blond hair had worked its way out of her ponytail and enticed him to smooth it behind her ear. He balled his hands to keep from following through on that impulse.

  “To help you get out more and feel like you won’t have a panic attack. But also to have food other than from a can or a frozen box.”

  “I’m not starving. I do have a list of places that deliver food when I get tired of frozen dinners.” He couldn’t resist the temptation any longer. He brushed the stray lock behind her ear. The silken feel of her hair sliding over his fingertips made his stomach quiver, his breath catch.

  Her gaze was riveted to his and for a long moment they looked at each other. She finally broke the silence, saying, “I love to cook.” Her voice quavered, and she paused, glancing away. “My husband enjoyed my cooking. I miss that. Josh only wants a simple meal like pizza, spaghetti, macaroni and cheese. I don’t get to experiment with new recipes the way I did when Sam was alive.”

  “You can experiment on me anytime. I know it’s a tough job, but I think I can handle being your taster.”

  “Then you have a standing invitation to come to dinner Sunday night when Josh is at the youth group at church. That way I won’t subject him to any of my fancy gourmet dishes.”

  “I can’t let you do that.”

  “You’d be doing me a favor. I’d be elated to spend some quality time in the kitchen.”

  The thought that he could give her joy made him smile. There was so little of that in his life lately. “Then I’ll be here. Same time as tonight?”

  “Yes. Craig’s mom is driving the boys to church on Sunday so I’ll have plenty of time to wow you with my culinary skills.”

  “After the food I’ve eaten in the army and here, it won’t take much. I used to appreciate good food, but I’m more like Josh lately. Just something simple that doesn’t require a lot of thought or work on my part.”

  “But that’s the beauty of this invitation. You won’t do either. I will and I’ll enjoy doing it. There’s something creative about coming up with a dish that is delicious and different from the usual.”

  “If you feel that way, why didn’t you train to be a chef? Why a veterinary assistant?”

  “Because I love animals more. There was a time I contemplated being a veterinarian, but I got married between my second and third year in college and had Josh about a year later. With my husband having to finish his last year to get his engineering degree, we didn’t have the money.” She stared at her lap, her hands clasped together. “After that, there never seemed to be a good time to go back to school, especially with Sam’s seizures becoming worse.”

  Jake couldn’t see her expression well with her eyes glued to her lap, but he heard the pain in her voice and saw the stiff set of her body. Laying his hand over hers, he wished he could take her hurt away. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. It’s none of my business.”

  She shook her head. “No, I consider you a friend. What I was going to add is that I’ve found something I really love doing, training dogs to help others. I’m not sure I was cut out to be a vet like Dr. Harris. He’s a great boss and handles the bad things that happen to animals so much better than I do.” When she lifted her head and peered at him, she was calmer, her expression neutral. “How about you? What made you go into the army? Josh told me you went to college and got a degree in psychology?”

  “My father was a career military officer. I thought I would work on my master’s and possibly my Ph.D. while I was moving up the ranks in the army. Then when I retired, I would have a profession. All my life that was what was expected of me: to follow my father into the army.”

  “And you regret now that you can’t?”

  “No, but I’m not the person I was. That’s one of the reasons I didn’t want to live in Florida where my father and his second wife are. He sees me one way, and that Jake died the day of the ambush.”

  “That’s understandable when you have a major trauma occur. Ben feels a lot like that.”

  He didn’t look at Emma. He couldn’t. When he’d been with his father the last time, he’d seen the disappointment in the general’s expression. Jake was being discharged because of his injuries, and he didn’t fight leaving the army. In the general’s book, he was giving up.

  “Maybe your parents were more understanding about what Ben was going through. My dad wasn’t. He never said it, but I think he thought I was weak. A man in the Army Special Forces is supposed to get patched up and keep going, return to the field and fight another battle.”

  Emma touched his hand, stroking it before she curled her fingers around it. “I’m sorry. How did he expect you to keep going with your leg like it is?”

  “I was supposed to take a desk job in Washington until I was fully recovered. The general has a lot of pull. If I had wanted, it would have happened, however long it would have taken for me to get back the full use of my leg.”

  Using her forefinger, she turned his head so he looked right at her. “You answer to yourself and God. Not anyone else. You have to ask yourself what you want. Not your father. Not anyone else but you.”

  His eyes slid closed for a few seconds. “I’ve never said any of this out loud. How do you do it—get me to talk about something I’d just as soon forget?”

  “One of my many talents.” One corner of her mouth tipped up. “Seriously, people do need to talk to someone about what’s bothering them or often it makes the situation worse. Not speaking about it doesn’t make it go away, no matter how much we wish it did.”

  “You sound like you know this firsthand.”

  “Yes, but I haven’t taken it as far as you have.”

  “You haven’t said anything to anyone? You’ve kept something painful to yourself?”

  She nodded, slipping her hand to his upper arm to keep the physical connection in place.

  “Forget about the mess I’m in. I do have a master’s degree in psychology. Maybe I can help you. At least I can listen.”

  She checked her watch. “Oh, look, it’s getting late. I need to make sure Josh has finished his homework. It’s nearing his bedtime.”

  In other words, she didn’t trust him with what was bothering her. The thought hurt Jake after he’d revealed nearly everything to her. At least he didn’t tell her how he felt he was pathetic; that part of what his father said was true. He should be able to bounce back and live a normal life, even if it was as a civilian.

  He stood and signaled for Shep to do likewise. “We’ll be going. Thanks again for a delicious meal. I’ll see Josh tomorrow for his self-defense.” He started for the porch steps.

  “Jake.”

  He kept going as though she hadn’t said his name in almost a plea for understanding. “Good night.”

  Even though it hurt his leg to move as fast as he did, he strode toward the sidewalk, holding Shep’s leash, refusing to look back. Somehow he knew she was still watching him.

  When he rounded the corner and walked down Park Avenue, at first he didn’t see the front of his house, but as he grew closer, a chill flashed down his spine. In the glow of his porch light he saw that the large glass window in his living room was shattered.

  Jake’s gaze fastened on the destruction, and he flashed back to the village in the mountains with its windows and doors blasted out, debris and carnage lying everywhere. Fallen buddies. Civilians caught in the crossfire. Huts destroyed.

  The sounds of gunfire inundated him. The moans and cries of suffering soldiers and villagers filled his mind.

  He quaked, his heart racing. Sweat poured off his face. The noise of war all around him and even the scent of gunpowder assailed him.

  Bark! Bark!

  Something wet and cold nudged his hand over and over.

  Another yelp, followed by more, demanded his attention.

  Jake looked down and saw a large dog rubbing hi
mself against his leg. No, his dog. Shep.

  He blinked and knelt, putting his arms around the German shepherd. He clung to him as though his life depended on the dog.

  Time passed. He had no idea how long he sat on the sidewalk in front of his house, holding Shep, feeling the dog’s calm breathing, his warmth chasing away the cold that encased Jake.

  Finally, when the trembling eased, Jake felt his thoughts clearing, bringing him back to Cimarron City. Safe. No enemy was waiting behind a building to shoot him. No more rocket launchers were annihilating buildings or transport vehicles.

  Then he glanced toward his house and remembered the window. Had someone broken in? If he went inside and found someone there, he didn’t know what he would do. He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and called 911.

  Chapter Seven

  As Emma finished cleaning up the kitchen after Jake left, she reflected on what he had told her about his father. It had taken Ben months to start talking about what he was going through, and once he did he was more open to therapy to help with the PTSD. She hoped it was the same with Jake because…

  What? I’m attracted to him? She didn’t want to be. She’d dealt with her husband and his problems and was glad she could be there to help him, but in the end she was the reason he was on the ladder that he fell from. She couldn’t be responsible for someone else that way. But she could be a friend to Jake and help him when he would let her.

  The ringing of the phone startled her, and she gasped. She dried her hands and hurried to answer it.

  “Emma, this is Marcella. I was going to bed when I saw a police car outside Jake’s house. I thought I would let you know. I’m heading over to his house right now.”

  Emma wasn’t sure what was going on, but Jake probably didn’t need a lot of people showing up at his house. “Let me check on him and Shep, then I’ll give you a call.”

  “Promise. No matter how late.”

  “I will.” When she hung up, she rushed to Josh’s room to let him know where she was going. “The police are at Jake’s house. I want to make sure he’s okay.”

  Josh shut down his computer. “I’m coming with you.”

  “You’ll need to stay out of the way. Maybe on his porch until I know what’s going on.” Emma began imagining all kinds of scenarios, causing her breathing to become shallow until she was panting as she headed out of her house.

  A few minutes later, Emma approached Jake’s place as the police officer was leaving. They passed on the sidewalk, her attention trained on Jake in the doorway with Shep right next to him. He looked all right. Relief flowed through her the closer she came to Jake, and she didn’t see any signs of a panic attack.

  “Mom, look at his window.” Josh pointed toward the one in the living room that faced the street.

  She mounted the stairs to the porch, her eyes returning to Jake’s. Beneath his calm expression she spied a hard glitter in his eyes for a few seconds before he masked it. He was holding himself together, his hand on top of Shep’s head.

  “Marcella called to tell me the police were at your house. We were worried. I told her I would find out what happened then let her know.”

  “What happened?” Josh waved his hand toward the window. “Someone rob you?”

  Jake stepped back. “Come in.” As he walked toward the living room, he continued, “I couldn’t find anything missing. The officer thinks it was a prank. There were several large rocks found on the floor. He took them to see if they could pull any prints from them. But he wasn’t hopeful.”

  Entering, Emma peered at the glass all over the carpet, a cool breeze blowing in from the gaping hole. “I’ll help you clean this up. What are you going to do about the window tonight?”

  “I hadn’t thought that far. Tomorrow I can get it replaced but I’m not sure…” Jake stared at the large, shattered pane.

  “We’ve got two sheets of paneling in our garage we didn’t use when redoing the den. They’ll cover most of the window. Josh and I can go back home and bring them. They’re pretty big so it might take two trips.”

  Jake looked at her son still taking in the destruction. “I can help. Maybe between the two of us, we can do it in one trip. What do you think, Josh?”

  He nodded, his chest puffing out. “They aren’t that big. We can do it together.”

  Emma looked at Jake. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, my trip home earlier went fine. But I’m leaving Shep here with you.”

  “No, I’ll be fine.”

  “This isn’t up for debate.”

  She started to argue with Jake, but the determination in his expression told her it would be useless. “Where’s your vacuum cleaner?”

  “In the hall closet.” Jake put his hand on Josh’s shoulder. “Come on, kiddo. You can even help me nail the boards up.”

  “Wait, here’s my key.” Emma passed it to Jake.

  “Good thinking.”

  His chuckles sprinkled the air and made Emma smile. She quickly called Marcella and told her what happened then retrieved the vacuum cleaner. After she picked up the large pieces of glass, she swept the carpet over and over and then straightened a metal lamp that had been hit.

  Shep barked as the guys returned with both sheets of paneling. Josh’s face beamed, and Jake seemed all right, his expression even. Then he focused on her, and a light gleamed in his eyes, warming her.

  “I appreciate these panels. Otherwise, I might have had to sleep on the couch to make sure no one tried to come through the window.” Jake greeted Shep, rubbing him behind the ears.

  “Those jagged edges probably would be a deterrent for most rational people, but I have my doubts about anyone who goes around doing this.” Emma wound the cord on the vacuum cleaner.

  “Mom, I’m gonna help Jake put these up. Okay?”

  She glanced at her watch. “Only if you agree to go right to bed when we get home.”

  “I can manage without—”

  Emma waved her hand. “No, we’re staying and both of us will help you. The job will go faster.”

  “Then I’ll go get my nails. I think there are two hammers in the garage.” He started toward the hallway, stopped and glanced at her. “Did you call Miss Kime?”

  “Yes. Don’t be surprised if she isn’t over here first thing in the morning.”

  When he disappeared from view, Josh moved closer and asked quietly, “What if this is Liam and Sean getting back at Jake? He did stop the fight. Liam went to the principal’s office at the end of class today. What if they do it to us, too?”

  “Stop. You can’t worry about what might happen. Worrying is wasted energy. If someone does something, we’ll call the police and fix the window, just like Jake’s doing.”

  Josh frowned. “Liam gets away with so much. He’s sneaky.”

  “It’ll catch up with him. Sandy and I are rallying the moms. And Mrs. Alexander and the principal are aware of the situation. They don’t support any kind of bullying.”

  “Tomorrow Jake’s gonna work with us.”

  In less than two weeks Jake had become important in their lives. But he had his own problems and didn’t need to be burdened with theirs. She never wanted Jake to regret knowing them. She knew how fragile his world was.

  Lord, if this is the work of Liam and his buddies, please bring them to justice. They need to be held accountable for their actions. Too many people have been hurt by them.

  When Jake came back, carrying his supplies, quivers flashed up her spine. He had a commanding presence that kept drawing her to him.

  “Here we go. Two hammers and enough nails to put these panels up. Who wants the extra hammer?” When Josh’s arm went up, Jake gave him the tool. “You can nail the bottom part while I do the top.”

  “What do I do?” Emma asked as the guys walked out onto the porch, the lighting still bright enough to work.

  Jake gave Josh a look that said they would tolerate her assistance. “Supervise.”

  “I can at least help hold it up until you get enough nails in the panel, and if you need more nails, I can give them to you.”

  “Sure, Mom, that’s a good job
for you.” Josh and Jake shared another look, accompanied by her son’s rolling his eyes.

  “On second thought, I think I’ll take Shep out back. You two can do some male bonding.”

  Josh giggled.

  Snorting, Jake started hammering.

  In the backyard, Emma sat on the top step while Shep went around sniffing the ground. This was what she wanted, her son bonding with a man. There were times she couldn’t help Josh the way a male could. But was this what Jake wanted? Having a young boy looking up to him, wanting his opinion? Was he willing to listen to Josh’s problems while he was wrestling with his own serious issues?

  Finally, Shep trotted to the stairs, mounted them and sprawled across the deck next to her. “Hey, boy, how are you liking your new home?”

  In answer he rubbed against her then hopped to his feet and ambled to the back door. After a series of barks, Jake let him in. While Shep pranced in as though he owned the house, Jake locked looks with Emma.

  He stepped back from the doorway and called out, “Be back in a minute. I need to talk to your mom.”

  She turned toward him and watched him shrink the distance between them in three long strides. His limp was more pronounced after a long day.

  Clutching the railing, he lowered himself down next to her. “You’ve got a fine son. You’ve done a good job with him.”

  “I don’t always feel that way.” She shivered more from the silky thread of his words than the cool breeze blowing.

  “Cold?”

  She nodded, not sure she could adequately explain she was but wasn’t.

  He slipped his arm around her and pulled her closer. “We talked about tomorrow with his friends coming over. He wanted to know if I was sure I wanted to do it. Did you tell him I am suffering from PTSD?”

  “No, there isn’t any reason to. But I’m sure he knows something is going on. He’s a smart kid.” She turned until their gazes linked, their faces only inches apart. “He knows about his uncle Ben, and it hasn’t affected how he feels about him. You aren’t less of a man because of it.”