Page 30 of The Rough Ride

“Yup. I get it. Family leave was in the incentive package I offered you.” Although right then, he’d paytripleto get Derek back on the job.

“What are your thoughts about Liz and the baby?”

Nick tightened his hand on the bottle. “She told me it was her body, her decision, her life. I’m not running away, but I can’t imagine being much help to her. I’m scared to death of even picking up that little girl. And I’m burning mad that she cut me out of the process.”

Derek took a swig of beer and turned toward him. “Well, bro, we’ve both seen injured vets turn inward and seal themselves off from the rest of the world while they’re recovering. We returned home whole. She didn’t. And it isn’t like you were married.”

Nick’s stomach clenched. “We’re not married on paper, but in here—” He knocked a fist on his chest. “We’ve belonged to each other forever.”

“Yeah, I get it. Maggie and I were the same way. But we’ve all known for years that kids aren’t your thing. Don’t you think that weighed on her mind when she found out she was expecting? Hell, I wouldn’t have wanted to tell you.” He shook his head. “I’m thinking she did the best she could with a shitty situation.”

Nick grimaced. “Yeah, but to hide a baby that long? It just cuts at the foundation of our trust.”

Derek squirted vinegar on the leftover fries and popped one in his mouth. “And we’ve circled back to the injured vet needing time to put their life back together. Remember Smitty? He lost an arm. I visited him every week for eight months. He never smiled, gave me one-word answers, wouldn’t go anywhere but rehab. Just about the year mark, he called me out of the blue wondering if I wanted to go bowl with him. Smitty laughed and said he still had his bowling arm. Something just clicked, and he got back to living.”

“You’re probably right. I guess I think of Liz as being so fierce, she would’ve plowed through all that shit.”

Derek nodded. “You pissed it’s somebody else’s?”

Nick shook his head and turned to face his friend. “You’re a plain-speaking man, D. What a loaded question. Yes. No. I don’t know. I can’t give her a baby. If you’re asking if I’m mad she slept with somebody? I’m not happy about it, but I’ve got no right to point a finger. I need some time to think it through.”

Derek tapped his empty plate. “Don’t take too much time, bro. A lot of brass would crawl in their dress whites to hook up with retired Purple Heart recipient First Lieutenant Elizabeth Nelson. I was at her heart ceremony, and the room overflowed with officers who respect the crap out of her, and you know, she’s gorgeous. There were lots of divorced majors looking to start over, stuffing their business cards in her hand, and a baby just makes the package more appealing to some. She’s always been up front that you’re in the picture—so hand’s off—but word gets out that she’s single?”

Nick stopped nursing his beer and barked a laugh. “Are you trying to make me feel better or worse?”

Derek laid a hand on his friend’s back. “I’m just telling you like a real friend, dude. I stepped in three times and took her elbow, steered her toward the punch and cake table.”

“Well, thank you for the heads up. I mean it. One of them already sent flowers to her workplace. He didn’t sign his name and made her feel damn uncomfortable.”

Derek glanced behind him. “I’m thinking it’s time to blow this joint. The place is filling with ladies. I miss my girls. I’m going home. I’ve got five more weeks of penance until I get to visit Maggie’s holy of holies again, and I don’t need to be looking at women flaunting their goods.”

Nick pulled out his wallet. He turned his head. “You can deal with a little celibacy. We lasted longer than five weeks overseas.”

“In Iraq, I didn’t sleep next to a rosewater-scented woman. Maggie’s fragrance gives new meaning to playing with my rubber ducky in the shower,” Derek added with a wry grin. “You going home?”

“Naw. I think I’ll drive back to Liz’s. I hate leaving it the way I did.” And Derek’s wordsshe did the best she could with a shitty situationechoed in his head. D was probably right.

Derek looked at his watch. “Pretty late, man. What if she’s already asleep?”

“Then I had a drive to clear my mind, I guess.” Nick slapped a tip on the bar countertop and stood. But if he knew his Liz, she’d be up reading some book on military analytics or espionage during World War II.

19

Liz’s phone rang.Nick.She answered before it had a chance to wake Ella.

“I’m sitting out front. I didn’t want to ring the bell and startle you. May I come in?”

What?She set her book down and scooched across the bed, peeked around the curtain. His truck sat in the driveway behind her car.

“Give me five minutes. I need to pull myself together.”

“You don’t need to fuss, babe. I’ve seen it all before.”

No, you haven’t.He hadn’t seen her leg without the prosthetic yet.“I need to put my leg on to get to the door. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

She hung up and swung herself across the bed to the wheelchair with her leg and slipped on the silicon sleeve.Damn.She’d need to change into longer pants instead of the boxers she loved at night.No—she didn’t.The tears from earlier in the evening had everything to do with full disclosure, freedom from pretense.

She glanced in a mirror. Her eyes were puffed-up liketender plums. Oh, well.Stop by without any notice and this is what you get, Nick Flannery.She finger-combed her hair on the way to the door and waved him in.

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