Lindsay McKenna - Wolf Haven

“I’m so sorry,” Iris said, her voice heavy with regret. “Do you have any physical problems because of it?”

Sky shook her head. “No...none. I’m a hard worker, Iris. I love outdoor, physical work. It actually helps me....”

Iris nodded, frowning and giving her a patient look. “It took a lot of courage to tell me this.”

Her fingers knotted a frayed thread on the edge of her purse. “Yes, ma’am...I mean...Iris.” Sky wanted to cry because Iris’s reaction was the same as her mother’s. It gave her the courage to look up and meet the elder’s darkened gaze. “You should know,” she went on, “that I have PTSD. The six months I was at Balboa Naval Hospital I received therapy for it.”

Iris nodded. “You’ll be glad to know you have company here on the ranch. Gray McCoy, the man who runs my wildlife center, is an ex–Navy SEAL. He has PTSD, too.”

Sky’s eyes widened, and she stared over the desk at Iris. “Really?” He was in the military. In the Navy. She knew a lot about the SEALs because so often these operators were wounded in action and arrived at her E.R. at Bagram. They were true heroes in her eyes. Men made of flesh and bone with lions’ hearts. She’d treated them over the years and had come to admire and respect them for their courage, their grit and toughness.

“Really,” Iris murmured. “Can you still operate with people, around children and babies, with your PTSD?”

“Yes, I can.”

“What can’t you do?”

Sky liked her question. “I, um, don’t do well in dark, enclosed spaces that have no fresh air.”

“Crowds?”

Sky shrugged. “I don’t like going into a movie or restaurant that’s full of people.”

“Would six dude-ranch families be too much for you to be around?”

“No.” And Sky’s mouth drew up a little. “Besides, I love kids. And babies. I never feel anxiety around them. Just...crowds.”

“I like your honesty, Sky. It becomes you.”

“Thank you. I feel as if I can trust you. I don’t know why, but I do. I don’t want to be hired without you knowing that....”

“I’ve got a small office in back,” Iris said, pointing behind her. “I was thinking it could be used as a medical office.”

“Does it have at least one window?”

She nodded. “Has two. That work for you?”

“Yes, that would work. Thank you.”

“What kind of symptoms do you have, Sky?”

“Nightmares,” she admitted, scowling. “I have them a lot, and I wake up screaming.”

“Well, Gray and you have another thing in common—nightmares.”

Sky almost felt as if she already knew this man. “I feel for him,” she said. “I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.”

“Do you lose a lot of sleep because of it?”

“I get between three and five hours of sleep a night.” Sky shrugged. “I’m a nurse, and I hate taking drugs. I refuse to take sleep medication. My mother told me a long time ago that dreams were a way of healing ourselves, and I believe her. If I take sleep meds, I don’t dream. I guess I’d rather tough through the nightmares because sooner or later, the trauma will defuse itself through them, and I’ll be free. I hope.”

“You and I hate drugs,” Iris murmured, amusement in her eyes. “I have no problem with you having nightmares and not wanting to take meds to knock you out.”

“Good.”

“Any other symptoms I should know about?”

“I get panic attacks if I’m in a small, dark room.”

“What else?”

Sky bit down on her lower lip, her lashes sweeping downward. Iris was acting as if none of this bothered her. Was she really contemplating hiring her? How much should she divulge? Fear gnawed at her. “I get anxiety when I’m overly stressed.”

“Can you give me an example of it, Sky?”

She lifted her lashes and raised her head. “I got hired at a hospital over in Casper when I got released from the Navy. I found out very quickly I couldn’t stand the constant stress of E.R. work like I had before. I get rattled, and I’m no longer cool, calm or collected in that circumstance.”

“The stress level around here on a scale of 1 to 10 is a 3. Can you handle that?”

“Sure.”

“Good,” Iris said. She folded her hands and gave her a gentle look. “I like you, Sky. We try and hire vets around here. Vets have always been good for our ranch because they are hard workers who are responsible, and they’re loyal. I see those same qualities in you. I’m okay with your PTSD. We have good health insurance for all our employees. Your wounding came from war. It changes a person sometimes permanently, but you know what? No one can steal your soul from you.” She smiled a little. “I’d like to hire you, Sky. I think you’ll be a fine addition to our growing staff. How about I take you around and show you our place, the dude-ranch portion, the medical office? After this we’ll go over to the wildlife center and you can meet Gray, your boss. How does that sound?”

Sky’s heart skittered briefly with joy. It was the first time since her torture that happiness had threaded through her dark depression. “Thank you, Iris. I’d love to come work for you, for the ranch.”

Eyes twinkling, Iris slowly stood up and threw the old straw hat on her head. “Kinda thought this might be the perfect environment for you, Sky. You ready to check out your new digs?”

Was she? Euphoria, sweet and strong, soared through Sky. She sat there savoring the hope that came with it. Iris was smiling at her, kindness shining in her eyes. “More than ready, Iris.”

“Come on,” she urged, waving her hand toward the door.

* * *

“HEY, IRIS, YOU wanted to see me?” Gray closed the screen door to the office. His boss was sitting behind her desk.

“Indeed I do. Come on in for a minute.”

Gray removed his baseball cap and sat down in front of her desk.

“I’m sorry we missed you this morning. I just hired Sky Pascal. She’s an R.N., and I was hoping to have her meet you at the wildlife center.”

Gray grimaced. “Sorry. I had to run into town unexpectedly and pick up some supplies from the Horse Emporium.”

Waving her hand, Iris said, “I understand. Anyway, we need to have a chat about our latest employee, who will be your assistant.”

“Okay.” Gray saw some darkness in Iris’s normally bright, shining blue eyes.

Iris handed him the résumé. As Gray read through it, she shared the details from the interview she’d had with Sky. When she mentioned the PTSD, his head snapped up, his eyes narrowing intently on her.

“None of this is in her résumé,” he said, handing it back to her.

“She came clean with me.” And then Iris smiled faintly. “Just like you did during your interview with me.”

Gray flashed her a wry look. “I like her already. She’s honest.”

“That’s what I felt. It took a lot for her to discuss the situation with me. It was highly stressful on her.”

“What caused her PTSD?” Gray knew nurses would sometimes be at forward operating bases, and they got shelled and attacked by the Taliban. That was enough to give anyone PTSD.

“She told me she was in a helicopter crash and then captured by the Taliban and tortured.”

Instantly, Gray’s brows went down. He felt suddenly protective of the woman he’d seen this morning. “What?” That blew him away.

“Yes,” Iris said, going on in a low voice, “she said a SEAL team rescued her two weeks later. She spent six months at Balboa Naval Hospital after that. And then the Navy gave her an honorable medical discharge.”

His knuckles whitened around the arms of the chair he sat in. Gut tightening, he felt sick about it. “She looked fine this morning,” he muttered. “I saw her drive in and get out of her car.”