Page 48 of A Soldier's Return

After he hurried down the steps, she smiled at her daughter, who was busy petting Max.

“Why is he really here?”

“I wanted some company last night. The house was pretty empty since everyone but me was gone for the night.”

“Even Fiona?”

“She went with Rosa on a hiking trip out of town. So, yes, it was just me.”

“We should get our own dog.”

It was not a new request. Skye had been pushing for their own dog since they had moved from Hawaii.

“Maybe when we get into our own house. I’m so glad you had a great time with your father and Amalia. Is she nice?”

“Really nice. She doesn’t say much, but she’s trying to learn English. She taught me a little Portuguese. That’s what they speak in Brazil, not Brazilian, did you know that?”

“That I did know.”

“I don’t know why. It’s weird, if you ask me. But she taught me how to say hello—olá, which kind of sounds likehola. And goodbye isadeus, which also sounds likeadios.Thank you isobrigada. Dad would sayobrigadobut I’m not sure why. It was fun, except I missed you a ton. Maybe you could come next time.”

Wouldn’t that be delightful? She swallowed a groan and chose her words carefully. “That’s sweet of you, honey, but it’s important for you to enjoy your special time with your dad and new stepmom. And soon you’ll have a new baby brother to love. You get plenty of time with me.”

“I guess. I still missed you.”

“I missed you, too. So much, I had to borrow Max here to keep me company.”

“I wish we didn’t have to give him back.”

“I know, honey. But you like sleeping in your own bed and I’m sure Max does, too.”

“I guess.”

Melissa didn’t want to fall into the trap of trying to compete with her ex for most fun parent, but she’d been without her daughter for an entire day and wanted to have a little fun with her while she could. “Why don’t you go get your kite and we can take Max home, then fly your kite on that good stretch of beach by Dr. Sanderson’s house.”

Skye had been begging her to take the kite out for several weeks and she latched onto the idea with enthusiasm. “Yay! I’ll go get it.”

She skipped to her room, leaving Melissa to gather up the dog’s things and try not to be nervous at the idea of seeing Eli again.

As he finished putting together the lift recliner he had purchased that morning, Eli wasn’t sure whether his father would be happy about the gift or would accuse him of trying to turn Wendell into an old man before his time.

His father was recovering from a double knee replacement. Nobody would think less of him for using anything that might make his life a little more comfortable. And after all his father did for his patients around town, didn’t he deserve a comfortable chair at the end of the day that he could get into and out of without pain?

It was a good argument, if Eli did say so himself. Whether his father would buy into it was another story entirely.

He pulled the chair into the corner where his father’s beat-up old recliner held pride of place. He would never dare to get rid of the thing, but he could at least offer this one as an alternative. If nothing else, Max would probably like it.

He looked around automatically for the dog, then remembered. Max had spent the night with Melissa.

Lucky dog.

He pushed the dangerous thought away as he settled into the recliner to check it out. He couldn’t think about her like that.

How had she made it through the night? It had taken all his strength that morning not to walk up to Brambleberry House to check on her.

That hadn’t stopped him from thinking about her all day. Their hot, intense kiss had haunted him, kept him awake most of the night.

What was he going to do about this attraction to her?

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