Page 40 of A Soldier's Return

“I enjoyed every minute of it,” she said honestly.

“Thanks, you guys. Seriously, thanks. I like working for your dad—it’s a good job—but I kind of feel like I need to take a break from everything and put all my energy into this, you know?”

Melissa remembered being young and passionate, ready to put all her faith into helping her husband follow his dreams.

What about her own dreams? What had she wanted?

“My parents think I’m crazy,” Tiffany said with a little laugh. “Do you really think we’re good enough to go for it anyway?”

She asked the question of Eli, who looked uncomfortable at being put on the spot. “I’m, uh, probably not the best person to ask. I’m not very musical.”

“But you know what you like, right? I saw you getting into the groove.”

He looked to Melissa for help, and she tried to tell herself they weren’t really a team even when it felt like they were.

“You guys were terrific, Tiff. Seriously. If this is what you really love, I say give it a try. You’ll have another chance to get into nursing school, and you’ve already got your nursing assistant certification to help support you while you follow your dream.”

As she spoke the words, she was fully aware of how hypocritical they were. She had given the same advice to Cody, to follow his dream and go for it, then had resented him for devoting all his time and energy to it.

It was too easy to fall into the trap of blaming all the problems in their marriage on his immaturity and lack of commitment. She held a fair share of the responsibility, had been completely unprepared when hard reality hadn’t matched up to her rosy expectations.

Tiffany didn’t need to hear that right now. Her friend glowed. “You’re the best. Both of you! Are you guys staying for the next group? Glass Army is pretty good.”

Melissa glanced over at Eli, who shrugged. “We’ve paid the cover. Might as well get our money’s worth.”

“Cool.” Tiffany looked over her shoulder to where the drummer was gesturing to her. “Looks like J.P. needs me. Thanks again for coming. I’ll see you guys Monday.”

She gave Eli a radiant smile, hugged Melissa and returned to her bandmates.

Melissa sighed. “Did somebody just warp time in here? Because I feel about twenty years older than I did when we walked in.”

He smiled. “I know what you mean. But for the record, you don’t look a day older than Tiffany.”

She told herself not to read anything into that. She picked up her drink again, determined to ignore the heat sizzling between them and focus on the music.

Chapter Eight

His date-who-wasn’t-a-date was a little tipsy. She wasn’t precisely drunk—she had only had two and a half mojitos over the past two hours—but he could tell she had let down some of her barriers and seemed more soft and relaxed than he’d seen her since he’d come back to town.

She yawned in the middle of a conversation about which band she preferred—Tiffany’s, obviously—and he smiled a little. “We should probably get you home. It’s late.”

“I don’t want to go home,” she declared with a hint of defiance in her voice. “It’s too quiet there.”

The bar didn’t close for another hour, but without the live music it had lost most of its appeal for him. Other than The Haystacks, the options for late-night entertainment in Cannon Beach weren’t exactly what anyone could call extensive.

“I guess you’re right, though,” she said with a sigh. “We can’t stay here all night.”

She rose and started gathering her purse and the jacket she had brought along. She walked out to his dad’s SUV with her usual elegant grace, but stumbled a bit when she reached to open the door.

“Here. Let me,” he said.

She gave him a broad smile, another hint that she might not be completely sober. “You’re just as sweet as your father. Don’t tell him I said so.”

“I won’t,” he promised. He made sure she had her seat belt on securely before walking around the vehicle, climbing in and starting it up.

“Oh, look at that dog,” she exclaimed as they passed a late-night dog walker with a large yellow Lab on a leash. “I wish I had a dog. Too bad I can’t borrow Fiona, but Rosa took her with her out of town. Everyone is gone.”

She seemed genuinely sad, but that might have been the mojitos talking.

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