Page 11 of Welcome Home, Cowboy
With a smile, she walked to the door and opened it, laying a hand on his shoulder before he exited. “I’m here to help you, Captain, not hurt you in any way. I hope you know that.”
He wanted to tell her he didn’t need help, that whatever he was dealing with, he could deal with on his own. Instead, he nodded. “Thanks, Dr. Pierce. I’ll, uh, see you next week.”
Chapter 4
Julie had been sitting at her computer for over an hour. Her yoga class with the Marines started in just a few days, and she needed to do a little more research to prepare.
After pulling up Google and typing in a few keywords related to Marines and stress, she’d found several sites devoted to yoga and PTSD, even a couple specifically talking about the benefits of yoga for soldiers returning home from war. The reading was fascinating, and if she didn’t have plans to go out with the girls tonight, she’d probably fall asleep sitting right here with her reading glasses on and a half-eaten bar of chocolate by her side. Margaritas with her sister, Kat, and their friend Val were in order, though. She’d made baby steps toward securing her life in Seaside, but she still had miles to go. She needed advice, and a paying job in the meantime. The nest egg she’d saved since college had helped, but it was almost gone.
Julie glanced at the bills she’d pulled from her mailbox earlier. Unopened bills that she didn’t want to think about right now. Instead, she headed to her room in the back of the house and pulled open her closet to survey her wardrobe. After trying on and discarding several skirts and dresses, she squeezed into a pair of tight jeans that complemented a fitted knit shirt and checked her image in the mirror. She’d forgotten how much work went into being single.
She stared at her reflection. Not bad. Yoga helped maintain her figure and the push-up bra she was wearing helped showcase what she had going on upstairs. Tonight was about hanging out with the girls, though. Not attracting the opposite sex. Lawson crossed her mind again, and she wondered if he’d be out tonight. If they were going to the bar that Kat’s husband, Micah, liked to go to, then it was also the bar that Lawson might be at. Why should she care, though? She didn’t, she decided, inspecting her reflection one last time. Slipping her feet into a pair of high heels to top off the look, she headed toward the front of the house just as the doorbell rang.
Kat and Val greeted her as she opened the door. Kat was dressed in a fitted black dress. Val sported an ensemble similar to Julie’s, except her top sparkled and screamed sass, which was fitting for the smart-mouthed brunette.
“You look great,” Kat said. “Ready to go?”
“So ready.” Julie grabbed her purse and locked up behind her.
A few minutes later all three walked into Heroes, a local bar that catered to the town’s military. There was dim lighting inside and easygoing music that didn’t compete with the lively cacophony of conversation coming from all directions. Along the walls hung military memorabilia: a helmet, a few uniforms, medals that the bar’s owner had been awarded during his service. They headed to a table in the back and ordered a pitcher of margaritas, then began catching up on the details of each other’s lives.
“I was sick three mornings in a row,” Kat said, halfway through her first drink. “I would’ve bet money that I was pregnant.”
Val and Julie frowned at their newly married friend. “Maybe the test was wrong,” Julie suggested.
Kat shook her head. “No, I took three. And I got my period last night.” She took another sip.
“It’ll happen,” Val said. “And you should just savor the first year of marriage without trying to have a child, anyway. You’re in the honeymoon period. Enjoy it.”
Julie nodded. “True. Although I have to admit, I can’t wait to be an aunt.”
“You’re already a step-aunt,” Kat reminded her. Kat’s new husband had a fourth-grade son from a previous marriage.
“I know, and Ben is an amazing nephew.” Julie lifted her glass to her mouth, and then froze as she saw two men enter Heroes and head to the bar.
“What’s wrong?” Val asked, following her gaze. “Oo-la-la.” Her lips puckered down. “Wait, isn’t that Micah’s friend, Lawson?” she asked, turning to Kat.
Kat nodded. “Yep. And that’s Griffin with him. He’s a friend of Micah’s, too.”
Julie was still staring. “I had a run-in with Lawson the other day.” She looked between the girls. “I saw him at the Veterans’ Center and he completely ruined my interview.” She left out the part where she’d treated him like a leper. Guilt spiraled inside her chest. She’d already apologized for that, though, and he’d accepted. Then she’d bailed on him as quickly as possible at the café this morning.
“He ruined your interview?” Kat asked, confused.
Julie lifted a shoulder. “Not intentionally, of course. He just showed up as I was talking to Allison and startled me while I was doing Downward Dog.” Julie met Kat’s and Val’s confused faces. “Don’t ask. I started to fall, he caught me. Then my car wouldn’t start and he insisted on taking a look and following me home.”
Kat and Val grinned at her.
“What?” she asked, her defense rising at their expressions. “It wasn’t like that. It was completely innocent.” Except for the way her body had reacted to his hands on her hips when she’d been in the Downward-Facing Dog position. That hadn’t been innocent. Neither had her thoughts about him since.
“I think he’s single,” Kat told her.
“No, no, no. He’s nice, but…” She shook her head. “After breaking up with Daren, I’m not ready for anything serious just yet.”
“It’s been a year,” Kat reminded her.
Julie sipped her drink and shook her head. “It’s not been a full year yet. And what does that matter?”
Kat tilted her head. “Maybe it’s time to start testing the waters.”
