Kieran’s gaze remained steady—not the tiniest flicker of“What the hell am I getting into with this woman?”
Heartened by his quiet interest, she continued. “I’ve been in therapy ever since returning from my second tour in Afghanistan, and it’s not helping much. I’ve been using my duties as an excuse to avoid doing the hard emotional work I need, and I’m starting to…” She rotated her wrist as she searched for the right words. “Fray, I guess. Like a worn-out rope that’s about to snap.”
He nodded slowly. “And leaving the military would give you the chance to…” He repeated her gesture.
“The chance to breathe. Maybe if I don’t spend every day surrounded by reminders of war, I’ll find peace.”
“Hmm.” Holding her gaze, he nibbled his lip for a moment before giving his head a tiny shake. “You mentioned three choices. What’s the second?”
She slumped against the seatback. “Moving home to a small rural town in the middle of, well, cornfields. And soybeans. And probably more cows than people.”
His eyes narrowed. “You’re talking about your family’s home, Addy. Where’s your home?”
“That’s a damn good question.” She huffed a laugh. “For the past eleven years, home has been wherever the Army sent me.”
“You like Washington?”
“Very much.” She gazed past his broad shoulder to the window beyond, where the shadows of pine branches danced in the coastal wind. “It’s so green. And people are tolerant here, not always trying to squish you into a box. Then there’s the mountains, the ocean, excellent coffee…” Trouble was, one way or another, she’d be leaving this state soon.
Only a quick change of subject could save her from an embarrassing flood of tears.
“How did you end up here, Kieran?”
A shadow crossed his face. “Let’s save that story for dessert. We can take our pie outside and watch for the ghost. Deal?”
Grinning, she leaned onto her elbows. “Evasive, aren’t you?”
“Look who’s talking. Don’t think I didn’t notice how you change the subject just as we’re getting to the meat of your dilemma.”
She laughed again. “Okay, okay. You sound like my friend Liv. She’s a psychologist, and she never lets me wriggle out of hard conversations. In fact, she was supposed to be here to help me talk through all this, but…” she shrugged. “Duty calls.”
Kieran’s warm hazel eyes sparkled with humor. “Well then, ’tis a good thing you met me. So—option two is going to Nebraska because…”
“My mother is ailing—or so she says.” The opening salvo of a headache throbbed behind her forehead. “She’s only seventy-three and remarkably active for someone who claims she can’t manage her affairs, but she insists I come take care of her.”
“You’re an only child, then?”
She snorted. “Half that tiny town is related to Mama. But I’m the only single female in my generation, so in their eyes, it’s my job.”
“Got it. The old crabs in a bucket mentality.” His brogue thickened and took on a whiny tone. “You’re no better than any of us, and don’t you forget it.” He laid his hand over hers and squeezed gently. “But you are, you know.”
“I am what?”
“Better than them. And it’s not because of your education or earning power or skills. It’s because your heart and mind are open, and theirs are closed.” He laced his fingers through hers, and pleasure flowed through her veins like honey.
“So, lovely Addy, why even consider living where you’re not appreciated?”
“Duty.” Her sigh emptied her lungs. “If I’ve endured two tours in a war zone, I should be able to handle a few years in a claustrophobic small town.”
“And if she lives longer than that? The malicious ones often do. Spite keeps them going.”
She growled her frustration. “But what kind of daughter refuses her sick, elderly mother? That’s what it boils down to, even if she is mean as a snake.”
Kieran folded his other hand around hers, surrounding her with warm strength. “She’s got her guilt hooks into you good. So, option one: stay in the military. Option two: go home to Mama. Option three is…?”
She groaned and slumped onto the table. “I don’t know.”
He released her hand and rubbed soothing circles between her shoulder blades. “Someone with your qualifications must have lots of options. Why not find a job somewhere you’d like to live? You can finance your mother’s care while the rest of the family looks after her.”
