As the door from the hallway opened and a few more people began strolling into the room, Neil quickly switched his grip on Anna’s hand and shook it instead. “Yep—we’re in accord. No more serious relationships.”
He paused, glancing around the room as the craziest thought came into his mind. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t be open to other possibilities. Does it?”
There—he couldn’t believe he’d actually said it.
Anna’s jaw dropped, and she sat there, looking stunned.
Hopefully, she wouldn’t slap him.
But to Neil’s surprise, clearly understanding his proposition, she gave him an undeniably mischievous smile before answering, “No, it doesn’t. I’m definitely open for possibilities.”
Neil blinked. Really? He’d better not give her a chance to change her mind. “How about we talk about it later?”
“That sounds like a plan,” she responded, sounding unusually cheerful.
When he realized they were being stared at, Neil dropped Anna’s hand turning his attention to the man who appeared to be in charge.
First, Lieutenant Josh Logan introduced Sarah Benton, who was second in command of the program. Neil had known Sarah for a while but hadn’t seen her since before he’d lost his leg. Apparently, Sarah had a prosthetic too.
They would all be on a first name basis, Josh said, making introductions before the meeting began.
Chapter Three
What in the hell had just happened? Anna was startled to realize that not only had Neil propositioned her, but she’d actually said yes.
Probably because it was the exact same thing she’d been thinking herself. It was as if he’d read her mind. She was lonely, and apparently, he was too. She had no idea if he’d had women in his life since his divorce, but she hadn’t been intimate with anyone since breaking up with Brent, because trust had become an issue.
For the next few hours, Anna had half her mind on the meeting, and the other half on Neil. There were four instructors who’d been hired, including her and Neil, and each of them spoke about the resources that would be needed in implementing their independent phases of the program.
Anna would need a target range, and land to implement a tactical program, while Neil would eventually need access to a plane and climbing terrain, as well as parachuting and rock climbing equipment; but for now he would settle for a climbing gym and trampolines.
Air Force Captain Phil Verdun, would be working with service dogs, and initially he would be training at the Crystal Rock animal shelter, where a program had already been initiated for transforming strays into service animals for veterans and the disabled.
The fourth instructor, Nathan Granger, who was a former Navy seal, would be handling all things water related; not just swimming but diving and endurance since many amputees might have trouble manipulating underwater gear. The lake would come in handy, but eventually they would require an indoor Olympic sized pool for year-round training. They’d had a big break, because the police chief here in town owned a resort near Lake Superior, which was less than two hours away, and he’d donated some of the more isolated lakefront property to be used for further training.
When the meeting ended, they were all invited on a tour of the property. Everyone would be living on the grounds for now but would be free to rent elsewhere or even purchase a home if they would like. There were cabins available for rent and Neil and the other two male instructors would be staying together in a three bedroom, while Anna would have a two-bedroom cabin all to herself. She was the only instructor who had actually been hired full time, she discovered. Neil and the other men would rotate with other active duty military personnel when they returned on tour.
Somehow, that information made her feel a little sad. Would Neil only be here for the next few months never to return for another rotation? Whatever happened, she wasn’t going to change her mind about being with him during the time she’d have. Life was way too short, and he was the only man she’d ever felt this instant attraction for.
It was a beautiful April day, the sky a cerulean blue, and the sun beat down brightly on the clear, calm water of the lake.
Anna gave Neil a side glance as they walked along the path leading down to the beach near the wounded warrior home. His stride was still confident as he strolled beside her, pointing out the canoes and lone paddleboat tied at the end of the dock.
“I used to spend a lot of time on the lake near the base back in Alabama,” he said, his drawl more pronounced than usual. “I think I want to give water skiing a try again, if I can get the equipment I need to do it.”
One thing was for sure, he had about the sexiest voice she’d ever heard in her life.
“Can you sing?” she asked suddenly.
He blinked. “I used to. Why do you ask?”
“I don’t know. There’s just something about your voice. I’m a soprano.”
“I’m a baritone.” Coming closer, he whispered in her ear, “I’d be happy to sing for you later, once we’re alone, if you’d like.”
Anna stopped and began to laugh, suddenly noticing the two men walking behind them staring back and forth from her to Neil. They were both grinning, and she was pretty sure the only reason they weren’t giving her and Neil a hard time was because of their rank.
Josh and Sarah were walking ahead of them along the lakefront, and Josh turned and grinned, apparently hearing the laughter. “Hey. It’s such a nice day, we’re going to go ahead and show you your cabins before we return to the cafeteria and have lunch.”
Anna resumed the walk, still wearing a smile on her face as they walked along a wooded path bordered by pines and birch.
Josh veered off from the path with the men and they headed toward a large cabin overlooking the lake, while Sarah smiled and motioned for Anna to come along with her further down the trail.
Anna broke the silence as they walked inside the cabin. “I hear you and Brand Reardon are getting married? I’m really happy that you found each other again.”
Sarah looked surprised. “You know Brand?”
“I sure do,” Anna answered. “He’s a great guy. You know, I’m one of the few people who know what happened to you in Iraq. I worked behind the scenes for a while after I lost my arm, doing some high security office work.”
Sarah looked stunned.
“Sarah. You’re actually the reason I’m here today. Brand talked about you and how strong you were, even back before he ended up here in Crystal Rock. I was going through a really severe bout of depression after I first lost my arm, and I wasn’t up to contacting my family because I knew my dad would want me to come home and give up my career. But Brand told me to quit whining and put myself back together because it could have been a hell of a lot worse. And then he told me about a woman who’d been assaulted and held captive. I realized when he asked me to consider this position, that you were the one he was talking about back then.”
Sarah nodded her head tightly in acknowledgment. “It took me a long time to snap out of my depression too.”
Anna sighed. “I had it easy compared to you.”
Sarah shrugged. “It’s never easy Anna. But life goes on, and you need to decide whether you want it to go on with or without you.”
Anna grinned. “Brand said the exact same thing.”
Sarah snorted, muttering, “At least he’s listening to something I say. He has it in his head that he needs to be romantic with me. I’m not used to that silly kind of stuff, like getting flowers all the time.”
Anna studied Sarah closely and smiled. The woman was beautiful, that’s for sure, but that wasn’t why Brand was in love with her. She sure played it tough on the outside. “But you love it. Don’t you?”
Sarah’s sudden smile was dazzling. “I do.”
They both laughed.
And then Anna noticed her surroundings. “This place is fabulous.”
“It is, isn’t it?” Sarah answered, glancing around. “Jake Loughlin, who owns the
Dragonfly Pointe Inn, which is located straight across the lake, had all the cabins remodeled after he purchased the property for Crystal Visions.”
“That’s the school for kids with disabilities that we just walked past?”
“Yep, that’s it. Aaron and Kiley Davidson were responsible for building the original wounded warrior home.”
“Kiley Davidson? Isn’t she an artist?” Anna was looking at the open floor plan of the cabin; its huge living room and kitchen with windows overlooking the lake.
“Yep. The family spends summers and holidays in Crystal Rock.”
“I have a feeling I’m going to love it here,” Anna said.
Sarah answered, “I sure do. When Brand gets back from D.C., we’ll have everyone over to our house. Talk about fabulous.” Sarah rolled her eyes. “We have a house on the lake with an indoor swimming pool, several bedrooms and a huge basement. But Brand just bought the house without telling me, and the perks go on and on. I don’t even know if we can afford it. We even have pets. A cat named Baby and a dog named Abby, since Brand has to travel a lot, he didn’t want me to be alone.”
“If I’m staying in town for good, I wouldn’t mind having a dog.” Anna smiled, because Sarah was sure something else. She was an open book when it came to Brand. “I’ll bet you don’t mind being taken care of for a change. Do you?”
Sarah looked surprised. “You seem like you can read me just as well as Brand.”
“It might have something to do with the fact that I have four brothers. When I was growing up, I had females kissing up to me all the time, asking me about their availability, even though most of the girls pretended like we were going to be the best of friends.”
Sarah laughed, and suddenly looked sad. “Four? Wow.”
“Now you’re thinking about Hawk?”
“I forgot that you probably knew him.” Sarah looked even more taken aback this time. “Hawk was my twin. His real name was Alex. How did you guess...?”
Anna answered grimly, “I was on that mission Sarah, along with Neil.”
“You saw the Raptor explode?”
“I did. It was horrific.”
There were suddenly tears in Sarah’s eyes.
Although they barely knew each other, Anna had felt drawn to Sarah from the moment they’d met. Stepping up to her, she gave her a quick hug and backed off, allowing her the time to compose herself.
“I’ll be alright. Sometimes thinking about it really overwhelms me,” Sarah finally said. “Thank you, Anna.”
Anna smiled wryly. “If you ever need to talk about it, I’ll be here. I was the only woman on that mission.”
Sarah nodded, sighing deeply. And then suddenly looking speculative, she smiled. “So what’s the deal between you and Neil?”
Startled, Anna replied without thinking. “I’m not exactly sure yet.”
At that moment, standing outside on the deck beside Josh and the others, Neil peered at them through the living room window.
Sarah grinned. “Hmm. Looks like he’s keeping an eye on you.”
Anna blinked.
Sarah snickered before saying dryly, “Something tells me you’re going to find out what he wants from you pretty quickly.”
Chapter Four
He was being a little overly obsessive about Anna, Neil decided, staring at her through the window. Less than four hours after meeting her again, he was already treating her like she was his.
He’d better start playing it cool before he scared her away.
While they stood outside on the deck waiting for Sarah and Anna to finish inside, Phil and Nate decided to walk down the staircase to the pier and take a look at the lake. Neil and Josh began discussing Luke Bryant and Kelly Callahan’s wedding, which would be happening next month. Recently reunited, Josh and Luke were stepbrothers, and Josh had returned to town to be treated for blindness at the wounded warrior home the previous fall. Luckily, Josh’s vision had finally returned, although it would never be one hundred percent.
“You got an invitation, right?” Josh asked Neil.
“I did. How’s Luke holding up?” Neil asked.
“Really well, considering. He told me to let you know he’ll be stopping by to see you later today.”
“Great. I’m ready to meet this superwoman he’s engaged to. Luke is the last person I ever expected to see get married.”
Josh laughed. “Yeah, well, he met this girl when he was thirteen years old.”
Neil blinked. “Nah. Not really?”
“Oh, yeah. And she was only six. He saved her from drowning at the beach, over there at Dragonfly Pointe.” Josh pointed at a huge resort that’d been built directly across the lake.
“I never heard anything about that, and Luke and I were together a lot before he was injured.”
A shadow seemed to cross over Josh’s face. “Well, Luke probably didn’t talk much about his childhood. He had it pretty rough, but let’s just say the Callahan family came along in his life just in time to save him.”
“I knew he had some secrets,” Neil said quietly. “But I never pressed.”
“It’s a long story, having to do with my father.” Josh sighed heavily. “Who I’m glad to say is no longer in this world.”
Neil nodded his understanding. “I heard there’s been a lot of trouble here in Crystal Rock.”
Josh nodded, and grimaced. “And Luke and I were right at the heart of it, because of my father. Human trafficking, kidnapping, murder—you name it. But Luke’s changed, from what everyone tells me. I hadn’t seen him for eighteen years when I came back last year. He was only fourteen when I decided to turn in my dad. Jake Loughlin was the one who believed in me and gave me a second chance.”
“I can’t wait to meet the guy. From what I hear, he had a lot to do with rebuilding the town of Crystal Rock, not to mention this special needs school and wounded warrior home.”
Josh appeared thoughtful. “You know, I’m trying to figure out why we’ve never met before. You were in pararescue—right?”
“I was. But I also switched up and worked in some covert operations in Afghanistan, along with a few other places I’m not allowed to talk about,” Neil answered.
“Ah, that’s probably it. We must’ve crossed course a time or two.” He looked through the window. “Here they come. Just in time, cause I’m starting to get hungry.”
At that moment, Anna slid open the patio door and walked outside with Sarah following behind her.
Apparently hearing the tail end of the conversation, Sarah said dryly, “Either that, or you’re afraid you’ll miss having lunch with Nina.”
Josh grinned. “I’m not going to deny it.”
“I don’t know what it is about this town, but it’s like there’s some kind of love potion whipping through the air,” Sarah grumbled.
Just the way Sarah said it made Neil’s eyes go wide, and he stared accusingly at Anna.
Shrugging and shaking her head in denial, Anna blew out a breath, obviously trying to contain her laughter.
Apparently, it wasn’t working, because she began laughing hard.
God how he loved the sound of her laughter, Neil thought as a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, and before long, he and Josh joined in.
Even Sarah was laughing by the time they rounded up the other two men and began making their way back to the Crystal Rock Wounded Warrior Home.
Chapter Five
A few minutes after they returned to eat lunch, Luke Bryant came walking through the breezeway into the cafeteria wearing a smile on his face.
He really looked good, was the first thing Neil thought when he approached their table, where Josh, Nina, Sarah and Anna had taken a seat along with the other instructors, Phil Verdun and Nathan Granger.
“Luke,” Neil said, standing up and slapping him on the back. “Damn, you look good.”
“Well if it ain’t the Handler.” Luke studied Neil from head to toe, shaking his head with apparent disbelief. “You look exactly th
e same. When they told me you had the same kind of injuries and issues that I had, I couldn’t believe you actually made it back on active duty. And into pararescue? Geez, Neil that’s frickin’ amazing. When I think of what you must have gone through to get back, it really makes me ashamed of myself.”
“Hey, Man, don’t be. I’ve had plenty of issues myself. But the Air Force was my life. What would I do otherwise?”
“Let me go get something to eat and I’ll be back to join you.” Luke grinned, glancing at Josh and Nina.
And then his eyes fell on Anna. “Drummond? Hey, how in the hell are you?”
“Great, Luke,” she answered. “You’re looking pretty good yourself. After everything that happened, I’m so glad you made it through.”
Luke grimaced. “You lost an arm? Geez, that’s gotta be tough. I heard about what you did at the base to stop those insurgents.”
“What did she do?” Nina asked, looking curious.
Luke glanced at his brother. “It’s not top secret, is it Josh?”
When Josh nodded no, Luke continued, “She took out three insurgents in like five seconds right before all the trouble happened. They were the ones targeting and shooting up the planes.”
Not only did Nina’s jaw drop, but so did Phil’s and Nate’s.
“Yeah, well, that doesn’t surprise me,” Sarah drawled, in her typical dry voice. “Women are known to be much better at keeping their heads under duress.”
Luke snorted, while everyone, including Anna, began to laugh. “Typical Legs,” he muttered under his breath, winking at Sarah. “Come to think of it, Brand might have been the one who came up with that call name.”
“Now that I didn’t know,” Sarah muttered, pursing her lips.
“Uh, oh,” Neil said. “I hope you didn’t get him in trouble, Luke?”
Luke laughed. “I’m pretty sure he likes Sarah’s kind of trouble.”
Sarah rolled her eyes.
“Speaking of Brand, when’s he due back?” Anna asked.
Sarah smiled agreeably. “Soon.”
Two Hearts In Accord (Two Hearts Wounded Warrior Book 7) Page 4
