Page 15 of Until Tomorrow Comes
She isn’t a commanding officer that I need to get approval from, yet I can’t help but want it.
From the corner of my eye, I notice Alan moving toward her. With his back to me, I let my gaze take in the rest of her. It’s obvious by the taut skin of her cheekbones and the way her collarbones stick out as they peek out of the collar, that she’s skinny. Far too skinny.
The sight makes me want nothing more than to feed her right now.
I clear my throat, forcing my attention to Alan as he carefully wraps an arm around her.
I need to get it together.
The last thing I need is to be caught checking out my friend’s sister. A woman who’s only here because she needs a safe place away from her abusive husband. She doesn’t need to worry if the stranger that she’s temporarily moving in with will flirt with her, after going through such an unimaginable trauma.
Not that I would.
Her trauma isn’t the only reason that I shouldn’t have these thoughts.
No, it’s because she’s Alan’s little sister. Even if he wasn’t already on a short fuse after Kat’s abuse, the man might actually beat the shit out of me if I were to show interest in her.
He’s trusting me with keeping her safe. Not seducing her.
And yet, I do find it a bit ironic that this is the first woman that has caught my attention in the past year.
Shoving those thoughts away, I intentionally focus on relaxing my stance, hoping to appear less intimidating. I grin warmly, waving my hand toward her.
“I’m gonna take a wild guess and say you’re Kat.” I scratch the back of my neck as I mentally scold myself and lean against the railing of my deck.
Of course this is her. Idiot.
A light, quiet laugh escapes her lips as she offers a small smile in return, clearly humoring me.
After our final deployment, I spent a lot of time at the Veteran Affairs center in the city and continued going to the VA once a week to help others dealing with the same struggles as me.
Although none of the guys came home and had to immediately find a divorce lawyer.
Even so, my time there has taught me alot about being around people who are learning to cope with their trauma.
I’ll let her lead the conversation and just figure my way out as we go, adjusting my behavior so I don’t accidentally harm her.
“Kat, this is Jackson. Jack, this is my baby sister.” Alan gestures between us as he talks, grunting when Kat jabs him with a finger. Her brows scrunch together in an adorable scowl as she glares up at her brother.
“Why would you phrase it like that?Babysister? It makes me sound like I’m ten again,” she rolls her eyes. She shrugs his arm off her but the small motion causes her to wince in pain.
Shit, she really is in rough shape.
Clutching her side in her hand, she takes a few deep breaths.
“It’s nice to officially meet you,” she says, stepping forward and removing her hand from her ribs, extending it to me. “You know, not just via a video chat from the other side of the world.”
I shake it gently, relishing in the smooth warmth of her palm against my rough calluses. Standing closely now, the height difference between the two of us is more noticeable. Alan is close to my height, only a few inches shorter than me. However, Kat’s head stops just above my chest, forcing her to tilt her head back as she meets my gaze.
Swallowing thickly, I pull my hand back, tucking it in my pocket while I smile down at her.
“Welcome to the Carolina’s.”Original dude.
Apparently, going almost a year, with my mother as the only female interaction, means I’ve completely forgotten how to even talk to a woman.
Kat’s smile falters a bit, turning more forced as she takes a step back. Her hands reach up to absentmindedly rub at her arms while she glances over her shoulder toward Alan.
“Thank you,” she pauses, clearing her throat before facing me again. Only this time, her gaze settles on the ocean behind me. “I really appreciate you letting me stay here on such short notice.”
