Declan
Page 15
Ethan resisted snapping back at the guy. He wasn't sure if the hospital had chosen Carter to be his bunkmate on purpose because the guy'd lost both his legs just below the knee or if it had simply been luck of the draw. Either way, it worked. Not that Ethan wasn't still mad as hell at the world and the damn GTAM that had sent his helo spiraling into the cold mountainside. But when the docs finally finished with him, Ethan would be walking out of rehab with the same two legs he'd been born with. A few extra screws and pins, but his legs.
"Mail call." An overly bouncy nurse came in and dropped a stack of letters in front of Ethan. "Don't see much snail mail anymore. And certainly not this soon. You're lucky."
"Yeah. Regular rabbit's foot," he mumbled to her back.
"Man," Carter pulled himself up with the overhead bars, staring at the letters, "you a Duggar or something?"
Another time and Ethan would have laughed. "Or something."
His aunt Eileen was a force to be reckoned with. The rest of the world had caught on to texts, emails, and computer calls, but his aunt still did paper and pen—every day.
Drugged and under the knife more often than he'd been awake and alert had kept him from receiving any outside news. Today was pretty much the first day he'd been lucid enough, and not quite as angry at the world, to even look at the communications from his family. And shit, they'd all gone off the deep end.
DJ alone had managed to shoot off what seemed like a thousand emails and private messages. His other brothers weren't far behind. The temptation to just select all and delete was quickly winning ground.
"You going to read them?" Carter asked, pointing with his chin at the stack Ethan had set aside on the bedside table.
"Yeah." In a minute. Shifting the angle of the bed, ignoring the hand written correspondence a while longer, using his good hand he clicked over to see what the family had been posting online lately. Straight off a pic of Adam and Meg with a couple of guests at her B&B made Ethan smile. Damn, he loved how happy that woman made Adam. More photos of each of his brothers and their new significant others took over the page. The women sure as hell took a lot more photos than the guys. A year ago he'd have been lucky to find a handful of pics on all the pages combined.
A rumble of laughter slipped out at a shot with little Stacey photo bombing her mom and Connor's carefully posed picture. He hadn't had a chance to meet her yet, but from what he'd heard and seen on the family's pages, he loved her already.
"Good news?" Carter asked.
Ethan nodded. He didn't want to lose the feeling of home that had taken over. Wasn't ready to go back to dealing with the reality of war. Scrolling down with his unbandaged hand, his fingers jerked off the keyboard. Becky stood beside DJ, she'd done something different to herself. Her hair? Makeup? Her clothes? That was it. He clicked on the photo to make it larger. Ethan didn't think he'd seen Becky in anything but jeans and scrubs for years. "Wow." Still in jeans but this time with a form fitting blouse that teased at a hint of cleavage, Ethan's eyes almost popped out of his head. Then he saw it. Not the blouse, or the figure, but the look. Her gaze was fixed on DJ and the damnedest thing, DJ was looking back at her with the same unswerving adoration that Ethan had come to recognize in Adam, Brooks and Connor. "Well, I'll be…" DJ and Becky.
Now eager to see what the heck was going on, he moved the cursor passing over the pics of his other brothers, ranch animals, and stopped at what had to be the Saturday poker game. All the social club ladies were there, as were his Dad and Finn. But it was DJ and Becky that had him grinning. Yep. Another one bites the dust. And Ethan couldn't be happier. Every single shot where he could see his brother and Becky, the two were attached at the hip. Some looking at each other like they couldn't hit the sheets fast enough. Wasn't that an odd thought. Little Becky. Ethan shook his head. Spunky and innocent Becky. He so wasn't going there.
Another shot of Brooks, Toni and someone's baby showed DJ in the background and the way he was staring off in the distance, Ethan would bet a year's pay that the beauty on the other end of that besotted gaze was Becky. Too funny.
More pics of smiling faces, happy couples, and the baby. The kid seemed to be passed around like a Monday night football. But it was the look on Aunt Eileen's face that had him studying the photo a little more closely. She looked way too enthralled with the infant. "What the?"
"Bad news?"
Ethan looked up to see a middle aged nurse with an artificially bright smile at his side and closed the window into his family's world. “No."
She nodded and shifted the blanket, poking and moving his toes. From where he lay, the exposed portion of his foot not swaddled in the cast resembled sausage stuffing overflowing from the snug skin. He wondered what his hand looked like beneath the thick bandage.
“Can you wiggle your toes for me?”
He did as instructed, although the maneuver didn’t happen without a pain shooting up his leg.
"Swelling is improving," the attractive nurse informed him, directing her attention from his foot to his hand, "and I'll be changing the dressing on that next, but first can you wiggle your fingers as well?”
Not quite as swollen as his foot, his fingers moved stiffly, but thank God they moved.
"I'd say for a fellow who walked away from a crash—"
"Controlled crash," he corrected.
"A controlled crash, you're in pretty good shape. Very lucky."
There was that word again. Grounded for weeks of recovery and months of therapy, he felt anything but. "How long before I'm released?"
"You'll have to speak to Commander Billings. She should be making rounds soon."
Billings, the surgeon. Good looking, pretty face, nice smile when she used it. And even under the white coat he could tell she hid an A-1 figure. Another place and time and maybe…but not anymore. Except for Brooks, Ethan didn't want anything else to do with doctors. Especially one who might keep him from flying. All he wanted was out of this place and back in the cockpit, and if he never dealt with another doctor again as long as he lived, it would be too soon. Even one who looked like a bit of heaven on earth.
***
Turn the page for an excerpt from Ethan!
Curious to read more about Brooklyn? Find his story in the Aloha Series prequel SHELL GAME. Note: Shell Game contains one love scene inappropriate for minors.
MEET CHRIS
USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen contemporary novels, including the USA TODAY Bestselling Aloha Series, Chris Keniston lives in suburban Dallas with her husband, two human children, and two canine children. Though she loves her puppies equally, she admits being especially attached to her German Shepherd rescue. After all, even dogs deserve a happily ever after.
More on Chris and her books can be found at www.chriskeniston.com
Follow Chris on Facebook at ChrisKenistonAuthor or on Twitter @ckenistonauthor
Chapter Excerpt - Ethan
"Clear to lift." Weeks of planning, coordinating, training until the team could have pulled this mission off in their sleep was about to pay off. Eight souls aboard and another pilot on their way home.
Out of nowhere shouts of "Missile, Missile, Missile" sounded in Ethan's headphones. Over his shoulder he caught the signature of the ground-to-air-missile. Damn. A kaleidoscope of orange and yellow flashed to his right and the helicopter rocked left. Son of a… The aircraft pitched up and down, then side to side. Not how he'd planned to end this mission. Using the intercom, he called for the other pilot to empty his weapons system, "Fire it out." Making a spiral descent, this bird was going down. Fast. Crap.
Surrounded by difficult terrain, the GPS, radio and emergency beacon probably wouldn't be worth a damn, and time was not on his side. Riding a pissed off bull with his nuts strapped was a piece of cake compared to controlling a helo with its tail boom severed. He had nine men on board. They'd come too damn far not to make it back to their families. You go home with the one that brung ya. Today was not a good day for these men to
die. Ethan had brought 'em and he was taking 'em home.
The pounding repetition of gunfire blanketed them like the constant static crackling of a struggling comm system. Smoke seeped into the cockpit and the mountain side grew too damn close. "Not today," he muttered. Flames licked at his aircraft like a lizard trapping its prey. "Brace for impact!"
Ethan's eyes sprang open. Breathe. Calm. He was alive and… not hanging upside down. Blinking hard he glanced down at his hand. No shrapnel, no blood. A bandage. He blinked again and swallowed a hard gulp of calming air. "The men," he muttered before he remembered what was left of the helo had gotten all his passengers on the ground in mostly one piece.
"Are fine, Major." Commander Billings crossed the short distance from the doorway to the bath and emerged with a wash cloth. Not saying a word, she dabbed away the sweat that had settled over his brow and trickled down his face. "I'm told what you did was nothing short of miraculous. Not many people survive helicopter crashes—"
"Controlled hard landing." He didn't want to hear the word crash again.
"Sorry. As I was saying, not many survive a hard landing, never mind an entire crew."
"How fine is fine?"
The pretty doctor frowned and then smiled again. "The other pilot is already patched up and back with your unit."
The fog in Ethan's brain continued to lift. He knew that. Knew his buddy Hammer was okay.
"The majority of the team are recovering from a range of broken bones, minor concussions and lacerations. A few first degree burns from getting everyone to safety. Lieutenant Bishop had to undergo surgery for a ruptured spleen along with internal bleeding, but he's recovering nicely."
Ethan knew that too. "You already told me this didn't you?"
The commander nodded. His forgetfulness must have been what had her frowning before, now she seemed pleased to have him remember. "You're progressing well. Foot looks good. Your hand too."
He wiggled his fingers and his toes. He wasn't sure how many days he'd been here, but he did know he was ready to get off his back. "How long before I return to duty?"
A single brow arched high on her forehead. "Marines," she muttered, softly shaking her head. "That's a serious break. You've had two surgeries and a nasty infection. Your bones need the same six to eight weeks to heal as mere mortal men."
Something about the way she teased made him relax. Reminded him of home. Now he remembered. He'd been looking at the computer, catching up, when he couldn't stay awake any longer. "My family?"
"Yes, well. It seems there was a bit of a paper glitch."
"Glitch?"
"They only received notice of your status yesterday. I understand your father and brother are on their way."
"No." If the doc was planning on keeping him on medical orders for two months, that meant he'd be going back to home station when released. In that case he might as well use up his accumulated leave and get his ass home. If he had to be laid up he'd rather do it on the ranch. Not that going back to Pendleton was a bad thing—it just wasn't home. "That's not necessary."
"The hell it's not." Sean Farraday strode into the room. Over six foot dressed in standard West Texas attire, jeans, button down shirt, first place rodeo buckle, well worn—and polished—boots and of course, his Stetson, the man was an imposing presence. And a bit of an anomaly in Washington D.C. "You're just lucky Aunt Eileen isn't here or she'd be hugging the stuffing out of you already."
Ethan began to chuckle and a pulling pain stabbed at his side.
"Bruised ribs," the doctor explained. He didn’t remember that. Of course, he hadn't had anything to laugh about since arriving at Walter Reed. "I'm Commander Billings," she said as she extended her hand.
"How do you do?" His dad shook the offered hand. "You been taking good care of my boy?"
The woman's eyes twinkled with humor, but she had the decency not to laugh at Ethan being referred to as a boy. "We're all doing our best."
"Good." His father turned, a crease between his brow, and approached his son. "How you feeling really?"
"Like a swim in the creek. Should be nice and high about now."
His dad smiled. "Could be better."
"Not enough rain?" Not all of the brain fog from the post surgery drugs had lifted. He should know the answer.
"Enough," Sean answered, studying his son from head to toe as if he were a brand spanking newborn.
"So what's the other guy look like?" Slipping a phone into his pocket, DJ came into the room and stuck his hand out at the doctor who seemed a bit awestruck at a second six foot plus man in cowboy hat and boots. "I'm Declan."
"Declan?" Ethan muttered in surprise. "You in the doghouse?"
His dad shook his head, smiling. "Seems Becky thinks Declan is a nice name."
So he wasn't misinterpreting the internet posts. "I'll be…"
"If you'll excuse me." Dr. Billings stepped aside. "I have rounds to make. If you have any questions the nurse can page me, otherwise, your son should be on his way back to California any day."
DJ and their dad exchanged a quick sideways glance and Ethan didn't like the look of it. When he'd first discovered the barrage of contacts from his siblings he'd wondered what was up. Once he'd seen the doe-eyed photos of his brother and Becky, he'd figured that's what the messages were all about. The Farraday brothers were dropping like flies. At least he knew for sure not only was Becky a great catch, but he would kick his brother's sorry ass from here to Bagram if he let her down. But that look had nothing to do with lovesick sons.
"So what the hell is going on?"
***
Read more of ETHAN... available now on Kobo!
***
Books by Chris Keniston
Available on Kobo
Aloha Series
Aloha Texas
Almost Paradise
Mai Tai Marriage
Dive Into You
Shell Game
Look of Love
Love by Design
Love Walks In
Waikiki Wedding
Surf's Up Flirts
(Aloha Series Companions)
Shall We Dance
Love on Tap
Head Over Heels
Perfect Match
Just One Kiss
It Had to Be You
Honeymoon Series
Honeymoon for One
Honeymoon for Three
Family Secrets Novels
Champagne Sisterhood
The Homecoming
Hope's Corner
Farraday Country
Adam
Brooks
Connor
Declan
Ethan
Finn
Grace
More on Chris and her books can be found at www.chriskeniston.com
Follow Chris on Facebook at ChrisKenistonAuthor
or on Twitter @ckenistonauthor
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty - Epilogue
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