Kate Hoffmann - Seducing the Marine

She’d had their whole life planned out for them, the wedding, the house, the family, all without bothering to get his opinion. She’d been aware that he’d always wanted a military career, but sure she could talk him out of it. After all, how could she attend medical school if she had to follow Will around the country?

And when she’d sent him the letter, she’d meant to punish him for all the lonely nights apart and all the shattered dreams. Olivia had assumed that he’d come home on leave and they’d work everything out. But he’d never written or called. And he’d never come home. She knew he must have had the opportunity, but he’d stayed away.

After finishing college, she’d left for Chicago and medical school. And with that, the end of what they’d been was final. She had other dreams now, she reminded herself. After all, she’d just received enough grant money to set up a string of local wellness clinics for the residents of the UP, a dream she’d had since med school.

She reached out and wrapped her hands around her coffee mug. “How long will you be home?”

“I’m not sure. I can’t go back until the medical board clears me for active duty. I know I’m not ready yet. I was supposed to check in at the VA hospital in Iron Mountain and then they’d check me out and find me a local doctor to handle my case.”

“I could do that,” she said.

Will shook his head. “I don’t think it would be a good idea for us to play doctor.” He grinned and raised his eyebrows and Olivia pictured the two of them, alone in an exam room.

“I could recommend someone, then,” Olivia countered, her cheeks warming with a blush. “I’m familiar with all the doctors in the area.” She took a sip of her coffee. “How are you going to get down to Iron Mountain if you don’t drive?”

“J.T. was supposed to take me. We were supposed to drive down this morning, but he got a job so I had to cancel the appointment.”

“I could drive you,” Olivia offered. “I have a couple days off next week. We could go then.”

“I won’t get in on such short notice.”

“I’m sure if you call, they’ll take you right away.”

“You don’t know the VA.”

“I could call them,” she said.

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I’ll take care of it.” Will reached out and grabbed a packet of sugar. He tried to tear it open but his hand trembled. He met her gaze and she could see a flicker of frustration in the blue depths.

“It comes and goes,” he murmured. “It’s worse when I’m tired.”

“What else is going on with you? You can talk to me.”

“I don’t want to complain about my problems,” he said. “I just want to get better and get back to my unit.”

“Are you taking any medication?”

“I don’t like the drugs. They don’t help. And they make me...fuzzy.” He shook his head. “Can we talk about something else? How are your parents?”

Olivia shook her head, surprised by the ease at which he’d turned the tables on her. “You really want to talk about my parents?”

“We’re done talking about my medical condition.”

“My parents are fine. They’re divorced now, but they’re fine. My mother lives in San Diego. She’s got a studio there and she’s had a couple of very successful shows. My father retired from Michigan Tech a few years ago and he’s teaching physics at the high school in Houghton.”

“I didn’t hear about the divorce. What happened?”

“There was a disagreement between them that they couldn’t get over.”

“About?”

“My mother never bargained for a life as the wife of an unimportant college professor. She’d always imagined herself as an artist, living in an Ivy League town on the East Coast, not stuck in some frozen wasteland in the UP. She put her dreams aside to follow her husband, but after a while she decided she didn’t want to live his life.”

“Well, that clears up a lot of questions I have about her feelings toward me,” Will said.

Olivia wanted to reach out and touch him, to cover his hand with hers. The need for physical contact was nearly overwhelming, but she held back, knowing that the attraction would only lead to trouble. The whole point of this talk was closure, not to pick up where they left off. “How so?” she asked.

“She didn’t want you to follow me around. Hell, I don’t blame her. Military life isn’t for everyone.”

“She wanted me to become a doctor and she wouldn’t let anything get in the way of that—not you, not my father, not even me. She never stopped pushing. And I guess I was such a mess after you left that she finally convinced me she was right.”

“Was she?” Will asked.

Olivia thought about the question for a long moment. In truth, she’d been thinking about that question for years, since the day she’d dropped the letter in the slot at the post office. “We were so young.”

“We were in love,” he replied softly. Their gazes met for a long moment, and then he glanced away. “I should go. I have to meet my sister and her kids for dinner.”

“You haven’t finished your coffee,” Olivia said.

“It—it was good. This place is nice.”

“I’ll drive you,” she offered.

He quickly shoved his chair back and stood. “No, I can walk. I’d rather walk.”

“It’s freezing out there.”

“And I’m sure I’ll survive.”

Olivia decided to let him go. The aftereffects of his brain injury had become apparent to her even in the short time they’d spent together today. His mood could shift in the blink of an eye. He often jumbled his words, which put him even more on edge. Will had never been the type to accept his imperfections, and she could see that it wore on him. So she understood why he would prefer to be alone.

Olivia held her breath as he leaned over the table and brushed a kiss across her cheek. But this time, he didn’t take the opportunity for more. “Take care,” he murmured.

She watched as he walked out the door, then disappeared down the dark street. There were moments when he seemed more like a ghost than a real man. She could just barely detect the Will she’d once known, but he was a strange, vague being that could suddenly vaporize in front of her eyes.

The emotions surging up inside her were hard to describe. They were so twisted with regret and guilt that Olivia wasn’t sure whether it was affection or pity that drove her forward. How could she keep her distance when he needed her? It was her duty as a physician—and a friend—to help him heal. And maybe then she’d be able to let him, and the guilt, go.

* * *

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?” Elly said when he entered the restaurant. “I’ve been worried. You can’t just wander off like that, Will. You don’t have a car and it’s bitter cold. I was about to call the police.”

“I’m not a goddamn child,” Will shot back, rubbing the ache in his temple. “I am perfectly capable of caring for myself, so just chill the hell out.”

Elly, her husband, Jim, and their two boys stared up at him, wide-eyed, their pizza dinner spread out on the table in front of them.

Will glanced around the small pizzeria, suddenly realizing that he’d been a bit too loud in his response. His first instinct had been to react defensively. But everyone in the place was watching him now, wondering what was going on. The place was too crowded, the patrons too close. He mentally calculated the fastest path to the door, then gritted his teeth. It took every ounce of his patience to remain calm and rational. She had a right to be worried.

“Sorry,” he murmured. “I shouldn’t have used language like that. Kyle, Nate, it was wrong.”

Nathan, the five-year-old, nodded. “At least you didn’t use the F word. That one is the worst.”