Page 68 of Home Town

The staccato questions came in rapid fire, like machine gun bursts. For every answer Corey gave he tried to be honest while at the same time making it sound like it was no big deal. Like he was on the road to recovery. Almost back to normal really.

“What’s two times two?”

“Um, four.” Had they reached the remedial math portion of the test now?

“Square root of nine hundred?”

Jeezus. He hadn’t done square roots since school. “Uh, thirty?”

“Who is the current Secretary of the Navy?”

After a very frightening split second of drawing a blank, Corey said, “Del Toro.”

Phew.

Finally, the doctor set his pen down. “I’m going to schedule another scan. But even without seeing the results of that—I see you didn’t take your full medical leave.”

“No, sir.”

The doctor stared at Corey through his glasses. “Why is that?”

The girl he’d fallen for broke his heart. Living at home again with his mother got a little too comfortable and scared the shit out of him.

“I’m anxious to get back on duty, sir.”

The doctor nodded. It probably wasn’t the first time he’d heard that from a wounded sailor, nor would it be the last.

“I’m going to recommend another three weeks of recuperation. I don’t want to see you back here before then.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Stop by the desk on your way out. She’ll schedule you for that scan.”

Corey nodded and thanked the man and did as he was told and got scheduled for a scan that week.

And then what? Was he going to hang around in his barracks room for the next three weeks doing nothing?

Three freaking weeks.

He knew it only made sense to go back to his mother’s house. She’d be thrilled to have him for longer.

There was only one problem with that. Josie was there, right next door. With Kirk.

That thought was enough to make his brain bleed. And that was the last thing he needed.

* * *

He was on a layover at Atlanta Airport. Again.

Why did he always end up there?

He knew the answer. Because there was a quick flight directly from ATL to Albany, which was just an hour and twenty-minute drive away from Sidney.

But given Atlanta was one of the busiest airports in the world, and Albany was the capitol of New York State, he’d think they’d have more flights. With shorter layovers.

But no. Here he was again at the USO waiting out a long-ass layover. And wouldn’t you know it, the same volunteer was there too.

She smiled the moment she saw him. “Corey. Nice to see you again.”

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