Military Heroes Bundle: A Soldier's Homecoming / A Soldier's Redemption / Danger in the Desert / Strangers When We Meet / Grayson's Surrender / Taking Cover

They were talking about some very painful things, Connie realized, and both of them were acting as if they meant nothing. Just chatting casually about things that had at one time or another nearly cut them in two emotionally.

When she thought about her marriage, which was rare, she thought of it as being behind a glass wall. She could see it, remember it, but it no longer had the power to touch her. She wondered if Ethan had learned to do the same thing.

Unfortunately, the feelings, the pain, were still there and could escape at any time to inflict emotional mayhem.

Growing uncomfortable, she withdrew her hand from Ethan’s and tried to slow her suddenly racing heart.

After a moment she said through a constricted throat, “I just realized something.”

“What’s that?”

“When the unthinkable has happened in your life, you live in constant fear of the worst.”

He fell silent as they continued walking. They reached the corner, then continued to the right. The school was only two blocks away.

“Yeah,” he said finally. “You do.”

It was then that she noticed he wasn’t looking around in the same way she was. She scanned things at street level exclusively, seeking shadows behind shrubs, people sitting in cars, danger in alleyways.

He scanned the ground level, too, but spent much less time on it. He looked higher, as well, to rooftops and upper-story windows. His perception of possible threat seemed significantly greater than hers.

But of course it would be, she realized. Nothing in her life could compare to war.

All of a sudden she felt as if she’d been whining. He’d seen things she couldn’t even imagine, had probably lost friends in the ugliest ways imaginable.

But Sophie... Sophie was precious, too. Incalculably precious. To her. Ethan seemed to understand that or he wouldn’t be here with her right now.

Nor had he given her any sense at all that he didn’t consider her feelings and her daughter to be as important as anything he had ever dealt with.

She felt a warm flutter toward him, and a burst of gratitude. “Thanks so much for helping me with this.”

“What kind of man would I be if I didn’t?”

She glanced at him before returning her attention to the street. “Trust me, there are men who wouldn’t.”

“Well, I’m not one of them. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that every single life is precious.”

She believed him. And in believing him, she understood the horror of the life he’d led. By choice or by mandate, he had sundered his soul.

They reached the school. Around it, everything was dead quiet, so they took the time to walk the perimeter. Nothing caught their attention, but by the time they reached the front of the school again, busses were pulling into the circular drive, and cars were pulling into the parking lot.

Connie looked at her watch. “Five minutes till the bell.”

He nodded. “I’m going to stand back a little and watch while you collect Sophie.”

She understood. Only one of them should be looking for Sophie, the other should be keeping a lookout. “Don’t stand too far away,” she said. “You don’t want to look suspicious yourself.”

He nodded acknowledgment and stepped back only a couple of feet. In his chambray shirt and jeans, he looked pretty much like anyone else around here who was over thirty, except perhaps for the heritage writ plain on his face. He received more than one look from arriving parents, but no one approached him, perhaps because he stood in a way that indicated he was with Connie.

A group of teachers and administrators emerged from the building, smiling and saying hello to everyone, but taking no time to pause in conversation. They looked around as uneasily as anyone.

Shortly after, the bell rang over speakers inside and out. Within fifteen seconds kids began erupting through the doors, headed for buses or parents.

Sophie arrived within a couple of minutes. She ran over and threw her arms around Connie’s waist, hugging her tightly but giggling at the same time.

“Jeremy has green hair!” she exclaimed.

“How did he get green hair?” Connie asked, squatting to eye level with her daughter.

“He painted it in art class. Mrs. Belgia tried to wash it out, but it stained. His mom is gonna be sooo mad.”

“Maybe.” Although if Connie knew Jeremy’s mother as well as she thought, she figured the woman was going to laugh herself silly. Far better than getting angry, in her experience. And Jeremy would have to live with the hair.

Connie stroked her daughter’s blond curls. “I’m glad you didn’t decide to paint yours. I like it the way it is.”

“Me, too.” Sophie beamed.

Connie straightened, taking her daughter’s hand. “I want you to meet a friend of mine. He’s going to be staying with us for a little while. Ethan, this is my daughter, Sophie. Sophie, this is Mr. Ethan.”

Sophie looked up, then up farther, her eyes widening. “You’re an Indian!” she blurted.

For an instant Connie wished she could stuff cotton in Sophie’s mouth.

But Ethan only smiled and squatted, the soccer ball still under his arm. “I am,” he said. “You’ve seen Indians before, right?”

“Yeah.” Sophie grinned. “I think they’re cool. I wish I was Pocohantas.”

“Like in the movie?”

“Yeah. She’s beautiful.”

“Not as beautiful as you.”

Sophie’s brow creased. “Why not?”

“Cuz she’s not seven years old, plus she’s only a cartoon.”

Sophie giggled. “I know that. What’s the ball for?”

“I thought we could kick it around a little at the park.”

“Cool.” Sophie tugged her mother’s hand. “Let’s go.”

With Sophie skipping and holding her hand, Connie started walking toward the park. Ethan was on her other side.

Part of her felt relieved that Sophie didn’t seem afraid, but another part worried about Sophie’s ready acceptance of Ethan. Of course, she’d introduced him to Sophie herself, but still...

“Maybe,” she said quietly as Sophie sang cheerfully about the wheels on the bus as they passed the long line of waiting vehicles, “a little shyness would do her some good.”