“Why not?”He liked the man, and because Deke had been Delta Force, he would know better than to pry into things Jack didn’t want to talk about.
They were soon sitting on stools at the bar in a hole-in-the-wall place near the physical therapy center.As soon as they each had a beer in front of them, Deke’s gaze fell to the arm Jack was absently massaging.“You tried shooting with that arm yet?”
Or maybe Deke wouldn’t have any problem prying.Yes, Jack had been to the gun range.It hadn’t been pretty.His arm had trembled so much that he’d missed the target completely.He hadn’t been back.
“Not sure I’m ready for that yet.”It wasn’t a lie, and yes, he was avoiding the question, but he couldn’t bring himself to admit that a baby could shoot better than him right now.
Deke tapped his fingers on the bar, his gaze studying the contents of his mug, and Jack had the impression he was debating his next words.Whatever was coming, Jack was sure he wasn’t going to like it.
“I never thought I’d retire from the military.Delta Force was my life.”He glanced over at Jack.“I know you get that.Then I was shot in the leg.Messed up my knee pretty bad.Had to have a few operations.I didn’t handle it well.The idea of not being able to return to my team was hard to swallow.I didn’t know anything else.”
Jack could sure relate to that.
“I arrived for my first appointment with Heather depressed and carrying a lot of attitude.”He grinned when Jack widened his eyes.“Yeah, she was my therapist.That girl didn’t put up with any of my shit.She was exactly what I needed, someone who got in my face and told me like it was.”
“She does do that.”And he’d never admit it to her, but he kind of liked that.Mostly.
“To make a long story short, my knee will never be like it was, but with Heather’s help I got it fit enough to pass the physical requirements to join the police force.”
“And you got the girl.”
Deke grinned.“That I did, making me one lucky son of a bitch.”
“So why are you telling me all this?”Jack frowned.“Did Heather tell you that I needed a pep talk?”
“Lord no.She doesn’t talk about her patients with me.Ever.I don’t even know what you’re in therapy for.Assumed it was your arm since you were rubbing it.I just needed a beer buddy for an hour.But I will say this.I see that haunted look in your eyes that used to be in mine.So, if you ever need to unload, give me a call.I’m always up for a beer.”
“A man can never have too many beer buddies.What’s your number?”
He didn’t need a sympathetic ear because he had nothing to be depressed about.Hewasgoing to heal, and hewasreturning to his team.
Jack stepped out of the shower.In less than an hour he would be knocking on Nichole’s door.Hearing Deke’s voice go soft every time he said Heather’s name had put crazy thoughts in his mind.What would it be like to have someone like that whose eyes lit up at seeing him the way Heather’s had when she’d spied Deke?An image of Nichole flashed through his mind, of the laughter in her eyes as she’d looked up at him when tangled up in Rambo’s leash.
Did he even want someone like that in his life?He’d always thought he would in the distant future, after he was out of the military.That had been his plan.So why did seeing Deke and Heather together have him picturing Nichole looking at him like that?Would she even want to after seeing his scars?
Shortly after arriving home, he’d gone to a downtown nightclub.He hadn’t been with a woman since leaving on his deployment eight months earlier.All he’d wanted was to lose himself in the soft feel of a woman.He’d wanted a few hours of forgetting about the pain he’d endured, some time out from worrying about his future and how long it would take before he was healed so he could return to his team.
The woman he met that night—danced with, flirted with—had invited him home with her.The moment he’d stood in her bedroom and taken off his shirt was ingrained in his memory.She’d gasped as her gaze locked on his arm.“Oh my God.What happened to you?”She’d backed away as if his arm was a contagious disease-ridden thing.“I’m sorry, but I...I just can’t.”Her cheeks had turned red from embarrassment as she apologized.
He’d put his shirt back on and hadn’t tried to hook up since.He turned and studied his right side in the mirror.His arm did look slightly better than it had that night, but it was still an ugly mess, the reason he always wore a long-sleeve shirt.Angry-looking red welts and puckered white skin stretched from his shoulder to below his elbow.He ran his palm over his arm, something he did each day, checking to see if feeling had returned.It was still mostly numb.
He eyed his leg.That wasn’t so bad.The burns there had only been first and second degree, and eventually the scars would fade to almost unnoticeable.But there was an ugly hole where a piece of shrapnel had gouged his thigh.Fortunately, it hadn’t damaged any muscles or nerves in his leg.
After shaving and brushing his teeth, he walked into the bedroom to dress.Stretched out on the floor, Dakota watched with interest as he pulled on jeans.“Don’t get excited, girl.You’re not going anywhere.”As if she understood him—and he often thought she did—she lowered her chin to rest on her paws and peered up at him with sad eyes.
He picked up the blue button-down shirt he’d planned to wear, stared at it a moment, then made a decision.It was time to find out if Nichole was going to have a problem with his arm.He hadn’t worn a short-sleeve T-shirt in public since getting hurt, and after slipping one on, he went back into the bathroom to look in the mirror.The worst of it—his shoulder and upper arm—was hidden under the shirt, but there was no mistaking that he’d been burned.
Dakota followed him, and he glanced at her.“Does this gross you out?”he asked, turning so his bad arm was facing her.She grinned.“You’re a dog.If sniffing another dog’s ass doesn’t disgust you, I doubt my arm bothers you.”But would it Nichole?
Jack hadn’t said anything about dinner, but Nichole decided to have something on hand just in case.Other than pizza, she didn’t know what he liked, but a variety of lunchmeats, cheeses, and bread seemed safe.She’d also added a bag of chips and assorted cookies from the grocery store bakery to her cart.That should be enough food for a man with a good appetite.
She still wasn’t sure if he was interested in her or just being a nice guy willing to help her train her dog.Hopefully she’d get an answer to that question tonight.Also hopefully, the answer was a definitive yes.And maybe a kiss.A girl could dream, right?
Instead of one of her preferred sundresses, she opted for capris and one of her favorite potter T-shirts since the purpose of Jack’s visit was to work with Rambo.She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and then applied some cherry-flavored lip gloss.The doorbell rang, and she glanced at the clock.Jack was early.
Rambo barked as he scrambled to the door.He loved doorbells.They meant people, and people meant attention and belly rubs.She’d played with him before showering to drain some of his energy, but he was giddily bouncing like a lunatic as he stared at the door, willing it to open.
“One of your favorite persons is here to see you.”
