The Soldier's Homecoming - Patricia Potter

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      “I can understand why they might want to keep it private,” she said. “It’s so peaceful here. I feel I could reach out and touch the end of the rainbow.”

      “I thought you were an action junkie.”

      “Is that your impression?” she said. “I do like to be where things are happening. I also like full moons, soft misty days, ocean sunsets and especially rainbows. Quiet things. They center me. Especially after being in a war-torn area.”

      “How long have you been back in the States?”

      “Four months, nearly five.”

      “Planning to go back to Syria?” he asked.

      “If I can. My shoulder was damaged by a piece of shrapnel during a ‘truce’ there. The shoulder joint was injured, and the rotator cuff torn. My shoulder is getting stronger, but then I make a move and wow, it feels like someone is tearing it off. I’m working up to driving again.”

      He liked the way she replied frankly. No drama. Just how it was.

      “But I do want to go back,” she repeated. “Someone needs to tell the story there. The civilian population is being slaughtered. I was accompanying a medical group during a promised cease-fire. They—we—were bombed. I keep reliving it.”

      There it was again. No self-pity. Damned if he didn’t like her.

      “I didn’t advertise it,” she continued. “I was afraid it might scare off some of the news services I worked with. I just told them I needed time off.”

      He didn’t ask any questions. It was none of his business, and he sure as hell didn’t want to talk about his own injuries. But he empathized with her. More than he wanted.

      “Tell me more about the town,” she said, changing the subject. “It sounds even more interesting than I thought.”

      “I don’t know that much. The two people who can help you are Andy Stuart, the army nurse, and Eve Manning, Josh’s wife. She’s also the mayor.”

      “Special Operations?” she asked suddenly.

      She did it again. Threw out a question, seemingly out of the blue. She was smart. Too smart. He hesitated.

      “Forget I asked that,” she said. But he knew she had her answer by his silence.

      He looked as his watch. “It’s nearly four,” he said. “What about those burgers?”

      “You heard my stomach,” she accused him.

      “I heard my own.”

      “A duet,” she said with that quick, open smile.

      As they walked back, he saw her stop and turn. She hesitated. It was obvious she didn’t want to leave.

      He didn’t want to either. For a moment, he’d felt alive again, more alive than he had in years. He wanted to catch her hand, as a high school kid would.

      Instead, he walked in silence beside her, reminding himself of another newswoman. Jennifer Talbot was here for a few days, no more. Then she’d hopefully get back to her life, although he was very aware of how difficult shoulder wounds could be. He liked that she wasn’t giving up.

      Hell, he liked her too much. But then, he’d liked his ex-fiancé immediately, too.

      Hopefully, she would talk to Eve and Josh and Andy and write a story on Covenant Falls, minus Jubal’s pet project.

      He’d done his part. There shouldn’t be a need to meet again, although Covenant Falls’ size made that unlikely.

      Unless he sped up his plans to go on the road. Like maybe tomorrow.

       CHAPTER SIX

      WHAT IS HAPPENING?

      Jenny tried to keep her cool. From the moment Travis Hammond met her at the airport, bells began to ring, bells that had grown louder and more persistent as they walked to the waterfall. When she felt the spray and saw the sky filled with color, she’d almost leaned against him. She wanted to.

      She didn’t believe in romantic bells. She could admire a good-looking guy from a distance and enjoy social time, but any internal reaction? Not really. No blood rushing inside. No confusion. No craving to touch.

      She tried to shrug it off now, especially since he didn’t seem afflicted with the same reactions. He was cool, and even amused at times, but nothing seemed to penetrate his shell.

      That was a good thing.

      He stopped the car on what looked like the main street. Maude’s was proclaimed on a sign above the glass front. It looked like many of the small-town diners she’d seen throughout the United States, and she’d always sought them out over the franchise restaurants.

      It was getting late in the afternoon and she hadn’t had anything but toast since breakfast. When he parked, she slid out of her seat and had started for the diner before he caught up with her. “You really are hungry,” he said.

      “I warned you earlier,” she said as they reached the door.

      A middle-aged woman with a maternal air immediately came from behind a counter and greeted them. “Welcome back, Major Hammond,” she said with a wide smile. “And who is this?”

      “Jennifer Talbot,” Travis said. “She’s a reporter. She flew in from Denver today and claims to be in dire need of a hamburger.”

      “Or two,” Jenny added. “With fries and pickles. And everyone calls me Jenny.”

      “I’m Maude,” the woman said, “and I’m delighted to meet you, Jenny Talbot. Why don’t you take the back booth? Hopefully, no one will bother you there.”

      Jenny felt her face flame at the intimation that they might want to be alone. “No need,” she said.

      “I’m giving her a ride,” Travis explained. “Josh asked me to pick her up at the Pueblo airport. She’s staying at the Camel Trail Inn.”

      Maude nodded, but Jenny noted a gleam in her eyes.

      “Well, welcome to Covenant Falls,” Maude said as she plucked two menus from the counter and led the way to the back. Jenny noticed five tables were occupied and another four people were at the counter. They all turned, and she felt their eyes on her as she and Travis followed Maude to a booth set against the window and the back wall.

      Jenny slipped in ahead of Travis to grab the seat against the wall. He looked startled but grinned ruefully and took the seat across from her. She had learned from her time in dangerous countries to always take a corner seat where you had full view of the interior. She couldn’t help but feel a ripple of satisfaction at beating him to it.

      If Maude noticed anything, she kept it to herself as she handed them worn menus. “We have great hamburgers,” Maude said. “The beef is fresh, and we use a mix of ground sirloin for taste and chuck for texture. But the steaks are great, too, as the major can testify to.”

      “The burger,” Jenny said. “Two of them with cheddar cheese, if you have it, and onions and ketchup on the side. And french fries.”

      “You have a keeper here, Major,” Maude said. “Steak or hamburger for you?”

      “She ordered with such relish, I guess I’ll have the same,” he told Maude. “And unsweetened iced tea for me.” He glanced at Jenny with a raised eyebrow.

      “With lots of lemon,” Jenny said.

      Maude laughed. “I’ll have to hire her to sit at the door and eat cheeseburgers. I bet my business would double.” She turned back to Travis. “I heard you brought a young man with you.”

      Travis turned to Jenny. “There’s no secrets here. Not for long.”

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