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I was met with a smirk that definitely saidyeah, fat chance.
Damn, he reminded me of Savannah at that age. My mom had always said if she hadn’t already planned to stop at five, Savannah would have been the one to convince her she was done.
From what I’d seen, Teddy was just as impulsive. His situation at the lake probably wouldn’t be the last.
That was all I could come up with. The reason I’d so randomly volunteered to give her kids swimming lessons. Tina wasn’t the only one surprised when the words left my mouth. Maybe it was my way of atoning for not saving her husband. It was my job. One I’d trained two years for. One I was damn good at. Until that deployment. Until I fucked up.
At the self-checkout, I shook my head to clear it and scanned the items in my basket. Outside the automatic sliding doors, the humid august heat hit me in the face, but a loud bang had me halting where I was on the sidewalk.
I didn’t experience flashbacks, not like several of the guys I’d served with. But every now and then, a noise or sensation would draw out memories of my time overseas. My injury, ofcourse, was a constant reminder as well. Of what I lost that day, of what was taken that day.
I scanned the parking lot, searching for the source of the noise. It was easy to pinpoint. Across the street, in an area surrounded with construction fencing, a dump truck was emptying its load.
Once I’d assessed that there was no danger, I forced myself to head toward my truck, only to be struck with a pain that shot through my thigh.
Fuck.
I should have been prepared for it after the way I’d pushed myself on my morning run. Sucking it up, I climbed into the truck and started it up.
I drove through town, toward home, but slowed when I approached the small park at one end of Main Street. Families and couples with dogs walked along the pathways that weaved through the large grassy area.
For a minute, all I could do was watch the kids chasing one another, laughing and happy. The joy that flowed through them so easily made my chest constrict. The fulfillment that radiated off the adults as they kept an eye on their children or interacted with one another knotted my stomach. The simple, quiet life worked for some, but long ago, I’d realized it wasn’t for me, and I’d come to terms with it. I wasn’t opposed to the idea of a life with someone or a family. I’d just never experienced a connection that came close to what I’d want in a forever kind of way.
Even so, I’d had a purpose.
Saving lives.
That was enough.
But now that was gone.
A loud honk pulled me from my thoughts, and I maneuvered around the park and toward the road that would lead me home.
This wasn’t where I belonged, and I sure as shit wasn’t going to let my bum leg stop me from getting the hell out of this town and back to what I was meant to do. What Ilovedto do.
For the next month, I’d push myself, work to strengthen my leg further. Because if today went well, I would be living and working in New York in the near future. Seabass, a buddy from my time training to become a special operations combat medic, now worked for a private security firm and had reached out to me to see if I was interested in joining their team.
Fuck yes, I was interested.
Today, I was scheduled to interview with the owner, Nick Evans. If I couldn’t serve my country like I’d always dreamed of doing, then this was the next best thing. Doing what I loved. Doing the one thing I’d been good at for so many years.
I parked my truck in my parents’ driveway and followed the path that led down to the guest house. After making myself a cup of coffee and booting up my computer, I was ready to meet with Nick.
Finally, after nine months, I was getting my life back on track. Even if it was no longer with my team.
This life—tying up boats, helping run my family’s business—might be perfectly fine for my brother, but it wasn’t what I was meant to do. Being a Special Forces medic gave me purpose. Gave me the opportunity to make a difference. Working with Seabass, though not what I’d envisioned for my future, would allow me to get back to helping those in need.
Three hours later, the lake was still. I let the kayak drift on its own, holding the paddle horizontal at my waist. This was my go-to activity when I needed to clear my head. Being on the water when it was quiet like this helped calm my mind.
The interview with Nick had gone a hell of a lot better than I expected. He said he’d be in touch about next steps, as though an in-person interview in New York was a given.
I tracked a flock of birds flying overhead for a moment, focusing on slow breathing, then went back to rowing. My thoughts drifted to the gorgeous brunette with the bourbon-colored eyes. I wasn’t giving up. I would convince her to let me teach her kids to swim. When I put my mind to a task, I rarely failed, and this was no different. I would wear her down with my badgering if I had to. Because I needed to do this.
For myself.
For Hughes.
For her.
