RaeAnne Thayne - A Soldier's Return

Eli had a feeling Wendell was trying to convince himself as much as he was the little girl. His father wasn’t thrilled about the time that loomed ahead of him in the rehabilitation center, but that was the price for his impatience and desire to do both knees at the same time, when he needed daily therapy and his house wasn’t fully accessible.

“Free popcorn! You’re lucky. I love popcorn.”

“So do I, but if I eat all the free popcorn, I might have a tough time getting back on my feet.”

“I guess.” She appeared to consider that. “Do you think I could have some now?”

Wendell laughed. “Maybe. You’ll have to ask your mom. Where do you think she is?”

“Probably still talking to her friend,” Skye said.

A moment later, as if to prove her daughter wrong, Melissa appeared in the doorway, looking slightly frazzled.

He had seen her three times that day, in three different wardrobe changes.

This morning on the beach, she had been wearing running clothes—leggings and a comfortable-looking hoodie, with her hair up in a ponytail. All day he had been aware of her moving around the office in burgundy-colored scrubs and a black cardigan. Tonight, Melissa had changed into jeans and a soft coral sweater and had let her hair down to curl around her shoulders.

He wasn’t sure which version he found more attractive. It was a little like being asked to choose among his favorite ice cream flavors.

“Oh,” she exclaimed, slightly breathless, with a stern look to her daughter. “Here you are. I didn’t know where you went. I was busy talking to Jan and when I turned around, you had completely disappeared.”

He could still see the shadows of unease in her expression and felt a wave of sympathy. He didn’t have children, but he knew that panicked feeling of not being able to find someone you cared for deeply. He had a flashback of running through a panicked crowd, everyone else screaming and trying to escape the market center while he ran toward the chaos and fear. He closed his eyes, trying to scrub it away and return to the moment.

“I told you two times I was going to carry the basket to room forty-one,” Skye informed her mother. “I guess you just didn’t hear me.”

More of Melissa’s fear seemed to seep away and she hugged her child. “I’m sorry, honey. Jan is an old friend of mine from nursing school. I didn’t know she was working here. I’m afraid I got a little distracted, catching up with her.”

“My arms were too tired to keep holding the basket, so I found the room and gave it myself to Dr. Sanderson.”

“I see that. Thanks, kiddo.” She ran a hand over her daughter’s hair and the sweet, tender familiarity of the gesture sent an odd lump rising in his throat.

The unexpected emotions intensified when she leaned forward and kissed Wendell on the cheek.

“And how are you? How are the new knees?”

His father shrugged, clearly pleased at the visit from Melissa and her daughter. “I can’t complain. Though I’m not ready to dance the salsa yet, I can tell they’re already less painful than the old ones. They’ll be even better once I break them in.”

“Don’t be in too big of a rush. How many times have I heard you tell your patients that true healing takes time?”

His father made a face. “Do you know how annoying it is to have your own words thrown back in your face?”

She laughed. “It’s for your own good.”

“I know.” He gestured to the brace she wore. “What happened to your wrist?”

Her gaze shifted to Eli, and he thought he saw a soft brush of color soak her cheeks. “It’s a long story. Let’s just say Fiona was in a strange mood this morning and I fell. But it’s feeling much better. Your son checked it out for me.”

Whether she had wanted him to or not. She didn’t say the words, but he had a feeling she was thinking them.

“That’s good to hear. He’s a good boy and an excellent doctor. I’ve been waiting for him to come back so he can meet you.”

Oh, no. That sounded entirely too much like matchmaking. He had to cut that off before Wendell got any inappropriate ideas.

“We’ve met, Dad. You remember. Melissa and I went to high school together for a year, though I’m older. I knew her ex-husband, too.”

“My dad got married again and his wife is going to have a baby.”

Melissa gave her daughter an exasperated look, and Eli had the feeling she wasn’t thrilled with Skye for sharing that particular nugget of information.

“Yes,” she said. “We’re very happy for them both.”

“Sounds like you’ve got a lot on your plate,” Wendell said. “That makes your visit mean even more. A visit would have been enough, you know. You didn’t have to bring along a huge care package, so heavy your strong seven-year-old daughter could barely carry it.”

“It’s only a few things, I promise. The fancy packaging always makes baskets look bigger than they are.”

Except for that fleeting glance, she seemed to be avoiding looking at him directly. Why? Had he done something wrong that day in the office? There had been a little awkwardness early on, but Eli had thought by the end of the day they had started to establish a bit of a comfortable rhythm.

Skye nudged the basket closer to Wendell. “Open it. I want to see if you like the stuff we picked out.”

“I’m sure I will love everything. It came from you, so of course I will.” He smiled at the girl, who beamed back at him.

His father’s rapport with both Melissa and her daughter didn’t surprise him. Wendell loved people, one reason his staff adored him and his patients returned to him for generations.

“Go on,” Skye pressed. “Open it.”

He helped his father out by setting the basket on Wendell’s lap, then watched as his father went through the contents. There was nothing elaborate, but all the gifts seemed thoughtful and sweet—a paperback mystery he knew Wendell would adore, a book of crossword puzzles, a box of chocolates and a bag of lemon drops, a journal, a soft-looking knit throw that would feel perfect on chilly spring mornings.

His father was delighted with all of it.

“Thank you so very much,” he said after he had unearthed each new delight. “How did I ever get so lucky to have you both in my life?”

“We’re the lucky ones,” Melissa said with a smile.

“I don’t have a grandpa and he doesn’t have a grandkid, so Dr. Wendell said we can both pretend we belong to each other,” Skye informed Eli.

It warmed his heart that Melissa appeared to watch out for his father. She struck him as someone who couldn’t help caring about others. He had witnessed it all day. Even with her own injured wrist, she had been kind and caring to each patient they had seen.

“What are you two up to tonight, besides coming here and making my day?” Wendell asked them.

“We’re going to have pizza,” Skye informed him. “It’s Friday and we always have pizza on Friday. Sometimes we make it ourselves and sometimes we order it from a pizza place and sometimes we go out. Tonight we’re going out.”

“Nice. Where are you heading?”

“We’re going to A Slice of Heaven.”

“Oh, good choice,” Wendell said. “It’s one of my favorites. Have you been there yet, son?”

Considering Eli had only been back in town for thirty-six hours and had been working or sleeping for most of that time—or visiting his father—hitting all the local hot spots hadn’t exactly been on his priority list. “Not yet.”

“You can’t miss it. Trust me,” his father said.

“You could come with us,” Skye offered with that charmer of a smile. “Mom says maybe we can even get cheesy bread. They have the best cheesy bread.”