by Mina Carter
“She deserves better than a chewed-up old soldier who can’t sleep the night through without nightmares, and who can’t run for shit anymore. She doesn’t need me, the Army doesn’t want me. Fuck a duck, I’m screwed, ain’t I, mate?”
He drained the remainder of the can in one go. His fist tightened around it, the metal crushing until it bit into his skin. He welcomed the pain, deserved it.
“I’m sorry, mate. For everything. For not saving you, for loving Hattie. I’ll leave you the rest of the six-pack. Cheap, shitty stuff, but the kind you said you liked.”
Hell. The tears were really running now. What a fucking twat. Levering up off the ground, he wiped them away with the back of his hand. He’d completed his job there, achieved his mission. Time to go home, and try to forget.
He touched the headstone, squeezing it as though it were Billy’s shoulder. “See you on the flip si—”
He froze at the sharp intake of breath behind him then spun around. Hattie stood not five feet away, her eyes bright with tears.
“Oh, shit. How long have ye been there, lass?”
She took a step forward, letter in hand, her gaze fixed on him. Fuck, how did he get out of this one with his dignity intact? Everything in him wanted to cross the distance between them and pull her into his arms. Never let her go. She was his, should be his could never be his.
“I just wanted to say ’bye to Billy. I’ll get out of your way,” he muttered and shifted to the side, but she moved with him, blocking his way.
“Did you mean that?” She stepped forward, looking up into his face. Squinting a little in the sun, she still kept her focus. “What you said. That…you love me?”
There were many different types of courage. The courage to be the first into battle when the bullets were flying, a type Rick had never been lacking in. He’d leapt from planes with little more than a parachute and his rifle, jumped out of moving Land Rovers to cover injured colleagues, and tiptoed his way through minefields to extract kidnap victims. However, nothing he’d ever done compared to that moment.
Gathering every ounce of courage he possessed, he nodded. “Aye, lass.” He gave her a wry smile. “Love at first sight and all that.”
“Uh-huh.” Her face gave nothing away as she held the paper out to him. Any residual hope he’d harbored crumbled to dust.
“Nay, lass.” His glance shot from the letter to her face. “That’s yours. He gave me that to give to you.”
She smiled and held it out higher. “This was inside. It’s for you. From Billy.”
“What?”
He took the paper without thinking and, sure enough, his name was on the front. Without a word, he opened it. He couldn’t forget Billy’s unmistakable scrawl.
Look after her. Love her.
B
Oh…. Rick tried to reconcile the words, have them make some form of sense in his head. Billy had…how had he known?
“He sent you to me,” Hattie whispered, placing a hand on Rick’s arm. Hope and something else, something deeper, shimmered in her eyes. “He knew he wasn’t coming home, and he sent me an angel instead. You.”
Rick blinked and said the first thing that came to mind. “His plan would have been fucked if I’d'a sent it through the post, eh?”
She laughed, the light sound full of joy and hope. Her light grip shifted, pushing his hand aside. Opening his arms, he pulled her against him.
“So,” he said, while she smoothed the shirt over his shoulders. “How about it? Wanna give this old soldier a try? Despite what Billy said, I’m no angel. But I’ll love you as long as I have breath in my body.”
She lifted on her toes and pressed a gentle touch to his lips, filled with promise. “I’ve loved you since that first kiss, so do you think I’d let my angel get away after all the effort Billy went to bringing you to me?”
Elation filled him from the boots up. Grinning, he spun her around, claiming her mouth, hard and fast. She loved him, he loved her, and Billy had given his blessing. As though the thought had somehow roused Billy, the branches of the nearby trees rustled. Rick looked up and froze, Hattie following his gaze until she, too, stiffened.
In the shadows, beneath the trees, stood a soldier.
With a smile, Billy Lees saluted them, turned, and faded from view, his last mission complete.
~From the Author~
Mina Carter was born and raised in Middle Earth (otherwise known as the Midlands, England). After a slew of careers ranging from logistics to land-surveying she can now be found in the wilds of Leicestershire with her husband, daughter and a cat who moved in and never left.
Suffering the curse of eternal curiosity Mina never tires of learning new skills which has led to Aromatherapy, Corsetry, Chain-maille making, Welding, Canoeing, Shooting, and pole-dancing to name but a few.
A full time author and cover artist, Mina can usually be found hunched over a keyboard or graphics tablet, frantically trying to get the images and words in her head out and onto the screen before they drive her mad. She's addicted to coffee and Nutella on toast.
You can visit with Mina at:
http://mina-carter.com
Other Stories in the Decadent Publishing Calendar Men Series
Outback Dirty by JoAnne Kenrick
Chris Ruter's plan for Australia Day is to beat the heat by letting the beer flow. His New York ex, Janine, seems determined to drive the heel of her sharp stiletto right through the wall he's built to avoid memories of her--but does she want him in front of her camera or in her bed?
Janine Red is ready to get outback dirty to win back her sexy ex. Following him to his plantation, their bushwalk turns into a trip down memory lane. Can the magic of the outback heal her sprained ankle--and their hearts?
The Other Brother by Lucy Felthouse
Photographer Melodie Carr moved to New York City to escape the death of her fiancé in Iraq. Struggling to come to terms with it ever since, she sees a call for photographs for a calendar to benefit family members of fallen heroes, and is eager to help out.
Unfortunately, she doesn’t know any men that fit the profile. Not until Patrick Brogan—her late fiance’s brother—turns up in New York. Seeing him brings up all kinds of memories, but she’s determined to push them aside and persuade him to take part in the calendar. But is that all he’ll take part in?
Coming August 1, 2014
Burning Love by Cassandra Carr
Firefighter Jude Mason is hurt on the job and placed on disability. While he rehabs his injuries, doubts start creeping in. What if he never heals? Worse than that, is the question he barely dares to contemplate—what will he do for work if he can never go back to the station? Firefighting is all he knows.
Michaela owns a café and lives her life with the constant threat of her business failing. She works long hours making her restaurant a success, leaving little time for romance. And who would want her anyway? She’s far from model-thin, for one thing. Sure, she’d like to have someone to share the good times and bad with, but her prospects are few, so she concentrates on her job rather than bemoaning her complete lack of a love life.
A collision at a photo shoot brings Jude and Michaela together. They both feel the pull, but with Jude’s uncertain future and Michaela’s nonstop job, can they find common ground? If they’re lucky, Jude and Michaela might discover a future that burns brighter with true love.
Contents
Title page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
~From the Author~
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