Page 36 of A Soldier's Return

Yeah, those things had been terrifying. Melissa Blake Fielding posed an entirely different sort of threat.

The woman got to him. She always had. He’d had a thing for her all those years ago when he was in high school, and apparently the intervening years had done nothing to work it out of his system.

This wasn’t a date, despite the flowers on the seat next to him. They were friends and coworkers, he reminded himself. He had no intention of making things more complicated with her.

Sure, he liked her. The pretty cheerleader she had been in school had grown into a woman of strength and substance, someone who showed compassion and kindness to everyone.

She hadn’t kissed him out of kindness. His abdominal muscles tightened at the memory of her sweet response the day before and the eagerness of her mouth against his. She had been as into the kiss as he was. He knew he hadn’t misread the signs.

That didn’t change the fact that he never should have let things go as far as they had.

Melissa had become an indispensable part of his father’s practice. His father had told him how very much he relied on her. Eli had no business coming into town for a few weeks and messing with the status quo simply because he wanted something.

This wasn’t a date, and he needed to remember that he wasn’t the kind of man she needed. He couldn’t be that man. She needed someone focused on home and family, not somebody who was simply marking time until he could go back and finish the job he had left undone overseas.

He found deep satisfaction working for the Army Medical Corps. He was helping other people and making a difference in the world, in whatever small way he could. Since Justine and Miri had died in that market square, however, his responsibilities had taken on vital urgency. Justine had been a dedicated physician, passionate about providing care to the desperate and helpless. He felt driven to continue her work.

Her life had held purpose and direction. Her death—and Miri’s—had been meaningless, the result of a cruel, fruitless act of violence. He was the trained military officer, and he should have picked up on the signs of unrest they had seen when they entered that village. He should never have let her go to the market that day. Instead, he had ignored his instincts and she had died as a result.

Because of him, she would no longer be able to help anyone, and he felt a sacred obligation to continue his own work in her memory. What else could he do?

He wasn’t free to let himself fall for Melissa, no matter how attracted he was to her. It wouldn’t be fair to either of them.

He wasn’t in love with her. They’d only kissed once, for heaven’s sake. She was his coworker and his friend.

He was half-tempted to throw the flowers his father had insisted he bring into the garbage can over there, but that would be wasteful. Friends could bring friends flowers. That didn’t mean this was a date.

With that reminder firmly in his head, he walked up the porch steps of Brambleberry House and rang the doorbell just as another woman trotted down the steps carrying a backpack, with Fiona the Irish setter on her leash.

The woman was pretty, with warm brown eyes and wavy dark hair. She stopped and smiled at him, eyes widening a little when she spotted the flowers. He tried not to flush but had a feeling he wasn’t very successful.

“Hello. You must be Dr. Sanderson’s son. Eli, right? The army doctor.”

What had she heard about him? And from whom? Had Melissa mentioned his name? He sighed, annoyed with himself. This wasn’t junior high. It didn’t matter if Melissa had mentioned him to her friend or not.

“That’s right.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Rosa Galvez. I live upstairs, third floor.”

“Any relation to Anna Galvez?” he asked as he petted the dog with his free hand.

Rosa nodded. “She’s my aunt, sort of. I was adopted by her brother and his wife, anyway, when I was a teenager.”

He sensed a definite story there, especially when the warmth in her eyes seemed to fade a little.

“Anna was always kind to me when I used to go into her gift shop. I understand you’re running the place now.”

“That’s right. I love it,” Rosa said. “How is your father doing?”

He couldn’t go anywhere in town without people asking him that question, but Eli didn’t mind. It was further proof of how beloved Wendell was around Cannon Beach.

“Okay. He had a little setback yesterday, but he should be home soon. The knees are better than ever, he says. Soon he’ll be ready to chase all the ladies again.”

She smiled. “Give him my best, will you? I like him very much. Your father, he is truly a good man and a good doctor.”

“I’ll tell him. Thank you.”

“You are here to see my friend Melissa, no?”

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