Nursing the Soldier's Heart

But he intended to put his charm into full gear.

* * *

“Now there’s a fine-looking man, wouldn’t you agree?” Jen leaned on the counter.

Kirsten shook her head. “If you like tattoos and the scruffy, unshaven look.”

“I was concentrating on those golden-brown eyes and that tousled brown hair.”

Shaking her head, Kirsten frowned. “He looks like he’s been sleeping in his clothes, and that tousled brown hair hasn’t seen a barber in weeks.”

“Looks good on his six-foot-plus muscled frame.” Jen let out a low whistle. “I think somebody needs an attitude adjustment.”

“I suppose you mean me.”

“Uh, yeah.”

Kirsten sighed as Jen came back around the counter. “I know I was rude, but he made me angry. He was impolite not to let us know he was coming or that he’d arrived.”

“Did he tell you why he never responded to your messages?”

Kirsten lowered her head and put a hand to her forehead. “He implied my messages were curt and unfriendly.”

Shrugging, Jen frowned. “I thought you sounded okay when you left messages.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t hear them all. Maybe my anger came through even when I was trying not to let it show.” Kirsten raised her head. “Oh well, he’s here now, so I don’t have to worry about it. I hope his presence will make Cora happy. That’s all I care about.”

An unsettled feeling washed over Kirsten as she tried to concentrate on her work. She didn’t want to spend time defending her reaction to the smooth Mr. Hewitt. The man had waltzed in here thinking he could flash around his good looks and charm and make everything okay. Nothing about a cocky guy appealed to her, especially one with a plethora of military and animal tattoos decorating his arms. She suspected there were probably more that couldn’t be seen.

Jen raised her eyebrows. “Did Cora seem happy to see him?”

“Don’t know.” Kirsten shrugged. “She was sleeping, and he was sitting there beside her bed when I looked into the room. All that matters is Cora’s happiness.”

“You’re right.” Jen nodded. “But I was thinking he might be a good candidate for your date to Annie and Ian’s wedding.”

With incredulity screaming through her mind, Kirsten turned to Jen. “You’re joking, right?”

“No, I’m as serious as can be.” Jen tapped her fingers on her keyboard. “Taking Brady would show your dad you can get your own dates.”

“My dad would have a fit if I showed up with a guy sporting tattoos.”

“And the plot thickens.”

Kirsten shook her head. “There’s no plot, and the only thickness is in your skull.”

They worked for several minutes in silence until Jen craned her neck to see down the hallway. She chuckled. “The hero of our story is on his way back.”

“Will you please behave?” Waving a hand at Jen, Kirsten stared at the computer monitor and hoped the man would pass by without a comment. “Don’t say a word to him.”

“Can’t be unfriendly.”

“We have work to do.” Kirsten tried to concentrate on the scheduling chart on her monitor and to not be tempted to see where Brady was. Why was she letting him bother her? She had to admit Jen was right. Underneath the tattoos and scruffy appearance was a good-looking man, but she couldn’t let that interest her. Charm and good looks didn’t undo bad character. What kind of man would ignore his grandmother for years?

“Hello, ladies. Care to share some of my contraband?” Brady held up a plastic bag bulging with unseen goodies. “I caught some of the cafeteria workers before they’d completely closed down. They loaded me up with treats.”

“No, thanks. We’ve already eaten.” Kirsten berated herself for not following her own advice. She had engaged the man in conversation. Now she’d have to pay the price.

Jen cast Kirsten a quizzical look, then smiled up at Brady. “She’s not speaking for me. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

“Sure.” Brady set a large drink on the counter, then proceeded to take several plastic containers out of the bag. “Roast beef. Gravy and mashed potatoes. Corn on the cob. Chocolate cake.”

Jen stood and surveyed Brady’s bounty. “How did you manage to get all this?”

Brady grinned. “I used my considerable charm on the ladies.”

With her gaze downcast, Kirsten rolled her eyes. Besides being ill-mannered, this guy was full of himself, too. Hardly a captivating combination. But who was she to judge? She’d been rude, too. The urge to apologize sifted through her mind, but she couldn’t find the words and quickly dismissed any desire to join the conversation.

Kirsten recognized that it wasn’t just Brady’s unresponsive behavior toward Cora that bugged her. He reminded her of Lance Tucker, the man who’d broken her heart in college. A charmer just like Brady, Lance had convinced her that he loved her. In the end, though, he’d broken her heart. She’d gone to his apartment unannounced and found him with another woman.

Jen nodded. “Looks like you used your charm well.”

“There’s more. I helped myself to the vending machine, too.” Brady dumped several bags of junk food onto the counter. He picked up one bag and held it up. “I haven’t had pork rinds in a long time.”

“Not my favorite snack.” Jen wrinkled her nose. “On second thought, Kirsten’s right. We’ve already eaten so I’d better refrain from eating more, but you must be hungry.”

Don’t you have a grandmother to see? Kirsten wanted to ask him the question, but she pressed her lips together to enforce her own silence.

“Yeah, my stomach’s been growling since I hit Interstate 285. I would’ve stopped to get something, but I wanted to get here.” Brady split open the bag of pork rinds and popped one into his mouth.

“How far did you drive today?” Jen asked.

Brady swallowed. “Too far. Started out in Dallas this morning.”

“Wow! You’ve driven a long way. You must’ve been eager to visit Cora.”

Brady nodded and gathered his haul. “And I’d better get down there and see if she’s awake.”

As he sauntered down the hall, the bag swinging by his side, Kirsten couldn’t help but look. She watched him until he disappeared into Cora’s room. Aggravated with herself, she turned to find Jen grinning. “Okay, so you’re right. He is good-looking.”

“Aha. So are you going to ask him to the wedding?”

Frowning, Kirsten narrowed her gaze. “Absolutely not. I just met the man. What would he think if I asked him to a wedding when he barely knows me or anyone here?”

“He’d think his abundant charm had wooed you.” Jen laughed.

Kirsten shook her head. “Maybe I’ll take Dad up on one of his date suggestions just to put an end to this discussion.”

Jen tapped a finger on her head. “Oh, good thought. Make the new guy jealous.”