More Than a Touch (Snowberry Creek #2) (10 page)

Chap
ter 10

Z
oe picked up her keys and headed outside for some fresh air. It was well past her usual bedtime, but despite being tired to the bone, she was far too restless to settle in for the night. It had been a long day at work, and she’d been unable to shed the stress since walking out of her office. Looking back over the day, she realized that all but one of her appointments had been routine, not a bad average.

But that one had been a doozy. Isaac had shot her an e-mail with a copy of his report on Leif’s progress attached only minutes before the corporal had limped his way down the hall to her office. She’d barely had time to assimilate the content before having to explain it all to Leif.

The good news was that he was making progress. The bad news was he was hoping for a miracle cure, and there wasn’t one. Not for the kind of damage his leg had sustained. She knew better than to remind him he was lucky to have a leg at all. He wouldn’t see the bright side of anything unless it was a full recovery with no residual damage.

In the end, she’d laid it all out for him. Progress of any kind was a good thing. Patience was as much a part of his recovery as was diligence in doing his therapy. No one, especially not her, could give him a hard date where he would be able to walk out her door and not look back.

The more she’d talked, the quieter he’d gotten. She would’ve been more comfortable with a show of temper than she was with the unnatural calm that had masked his real reaction. She had been tempted to whack him on the head with her rubber hammer to try to break through the stone wall he had erected between them.

It was hard to believe the chilly stranger sitting across from her was the same man who had been so charming the night they’d had dinner at the café and at the potluck before that. As the two of them sat in her office, the distance between them had grown far greater than the width of her desk. She couldn’t imagine ever having kissed the guy, much less wanting to do so again.

Didn’t the idiot realize how fragile the human body was? Doctors sometimes worked miracles, but they could do only so much with what they had to work with. The reports on Leif’s leg and ankle had made it clear that the surgeons had been working on a jigsaw puzzle where not all the pieces were made to fit back together.

In the end, he’d thanked Zoe for her time and quietly promised to continue his exercises and appointments with Isaac. He’d said all the right things, but she couldn’t quite believe he had meant any of it. She’d cursed and thrown his chart against the wall as soon as he walked out the door.

But that was then. Right now, she needed to get past the frustration so she could sleep. At least tomorrow was her day off. Outside on the sidewalk, she debated which way to go. She ignored the late-night siren call of the Creek Café and a piece of Frannie’s pie. A long walk would be a far better use of her time. The exercise would burn off the tension and give her a good workout at the same time.

She set off at a brisk pace, following a familiar route that would take her down to the park by the creek. Experience had taught her that a few minutes listening to the soothing sound of the water rippling over the rocks would help her relax enough to sleep.

•   •   •

Her steps slowed when she reached the edge of the park and realized she wasn’t the only one out for a stroll. A man stood by the creek, his attention riveted on something down at the edge of the water—a dog.

Well, there was no need to disturb the pair. She could cut across to the path a little farther up the creek and walk upstream from there. Still, something about the guy seemed awfully familiar, maybe in the way he stood leaning a bit to one side. She slowed her steps as she studied him from a distance.

It finally hit her that the guy was leaning on a cane. Could it be? He was the right height and build. He stood with his back to her at the edge of some dark shadows, so it was impossible to tell for sure. Come to think of it, the dog looked familiar, too.

Deciding it was worth the risk, she changed directions again. After making her way to the edge of the water a short distance from where he stood staring out into the night, she called his name.

“Leif?”

No response. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t him. She edged a little farther away and prepared to retreat to the street behind her. Before she’d gone two steps, he finally realized he was no longer alone.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but did you . . . Zoe, is that you?”

The familiar voice had her spinning back around again. “Leif, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to intrude, but I was pretty sure that was you.”

The nurse in her noticed he was leaning pretty heavily on the cane as he stepped onto the lighted pathway. However, it was the woman in her who took note of the broad shoulders, the ruggedly handsome face, and the engaging smile that he aimed in her direction.

“I see I’m not the only one who needed a breath of fresh air before turning in for the night.”

She nodded. “Sometimes the day closes in on me, and I need to get out for a while.”

The dog had been sniffing along the edge of some bushes. As soon as he realized she was talking to his human, he came trotting over to check her out.

“Who’s your handsome friend, Leif? We were never formally introduced at the potluck.”

“That’s Mooch. My unit adopted him after he saved us on a night patrol in Afghanistan.”

She knelt down to pet the dog. “Seriously? He did? That’s great you guys could bring him back to the States with you.” Leif shifted restlessly as if the subject made him uncomfortable. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”

“No, it’s all right. We’d been clearing streets for hours and were dragging our exhausted asses back to camp. From out of nowhere, this half-starved mutt started following us. Mooch would’ve sold his soul for a piece of beef jerky and was smart enough to peg Spence Lang as the soft touch in our squad.”

He paused for breath. “Anyway, a few minutes later Mooch started pitching a fit and barking at something in an alley we were about to pass. Turns out one of the locals had a little surprise planned for us. The bastard shot Mooch to shut him up.”

“Oh, no!”

The dog whined softly and licked her hand as if to remind her that he’d clearly survived the incident.

“Yeah, our boy there definitely took one for the team. You can still feel the scar underneath the fur on his shoulder.”

Leif leaned down to give his buddy a good scratching. “When we got back to camp, Spence got the dog patched up, figuring he deserved that much. Our deployment was winding down, and Spence couldn’t stand the thought of tossing Mooch back out on the streets when we left. Actually, none of us could.”

Leif sounded embarrassed to admit that about himself, but she thought it was sweet. “I can understand why. He’s a handsome fellow.”

“Not so sure about that,” Leif said with a soft laugh. “Anyway, Spence did all the grunt work on the arrangements to have Mooch shipped home. It was Nick who made sure it happened when Spence couldn’t, figuring he would’ve wanted it that way.”

Aware that he wouldn’t want her sympathy about what had happened to him and his friends, she settled for giving his furry companion a quick hug before straightening up. “Were you two heading back home?”

“No, we just got here. Mooch likes to explore off his leash, so I was letting him wander a bit. I thought I’d walk along the creek for a while before we go back to the house.”

“Mind if I walk with you?”

“Not at all as long as I don’t slow you down too much.” He patted his leg again. “As long as I don’t push it, it feels good to be out moving around.”

“I’m glad to hear that, Leif.”

A few steps later, he said, “I was a jerk again today in your office. It was a lot to process.”

On impulse, she looped her arm through his in the hopes he would understand that the gesture meant his quasi apology was accepted. “I know it was, Leif, but let’s agree that what happens in the office stays in the office. Out here, we’re simply two people and one heroic dog out to enjoy the evening air. Fair enough?”

His smile was more genuine now. “Fair enough. Come on, Mooch, keep up.”

The silence that settled between them was comfortable and relaxed. Once again, she’d given in to the temptation to enjoy this man’s company. It wasn’t smart, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. He was hurting; they both were. Yeah, she was skirting the edge of impropriety with a patient, but right now he needed her more than she needed to follow the rules.

That was her excuse and she was sticking to it.

•   •   •

Early the next morning, Leif was wide awake and feeling pretty perky, especially considering how late he’d gotten to bed. After he and Zoe had walked along the creek, he’d coaxed her into splitting a piece of Frannie’s pie. Since Mooch was with them, they’d wound up outside on the wooden bench where some of the town’s old codgers sat during the day.

Afterward, Zoe had insisted that they walk to her place so she could drive Mooch and him back home. Since he’d gotten to bed well after midnight, he shouldn’t be feeling perky at all. Leif frowned. Okay, maybe “perky” wasn’t a manly enough word to describe his mood. It was more like something Spence would’ve said to get a rise out of his friends.

Leif stared up at the ceiling, determined to linger in bed a little longer. “Spence, you always were a pain in the ass, but I miss you, buddy. It seems strange to hang around here in Snowberry Creek with people who knew you, too.”

Rather than the usual sharp pain of grief, he found himself grinning. “You must have been a holy terror when you were a teenager, Wheels. Frannie at the diner has promised to share some hair-raising tales about your high school exploits next time I’m there. Wish I had known you back then. We’d have kept the cops around here on their toes—that’s for sure.”

The patter of claws on the hardwood floors served as warning that Leif’s horizontal time was at an end. Rather than wait for Mooch to pounce on the bed, Leif rolled upright and sat on the edge of the mattress.

Disappointed that his favorite morning game had been canceled, Mooch parked his backside on the rug by the bed and waited impatiently for Leif to get moving. The dog’s tail did a slow sweep across the floor when his human managed to stand up.

“Come on, dog,” Leif grumbled as he shuffled out of the den and headed toward the kitchen. “I’ll let you out while I start breakfast.”

Mooch barked his approval and headed over to wait by the door. Leif left it propped open so the dog could come back in when his business was done. Mooch’s morning routine was pretty involved. He would start by marking his territory and then do a full perimeter search of not only this yard but also the one next door. After all, who knew how many squirrels had invaded his territory during the night?

Lucky bastard. Leif envied the dog’s easy acceptance of his new purpose in life. Mooch had it good: a permanent home here in Snowberry Creek with two people who would make damn sure he lived out his days in peace.

Leif should have it so good. When he tried to picture himself settling down here in Snowberry Creek, the picture wouldn’t quite come into focus. It came close, though, especially since he knew his friends would be living there.

Tired of his own pity party, he slammed a skillet down on the stove and got out the bacon and eggs. When Mooch started barking like crazy, Leif glanced outside. Callie was headed his way but was having trouble walking with Mooch bouncing all around her like a damn yo-yo.

Leif stood in the doorway and yelled, “Dog, if you want any of this bacon I’m cooking, you’ll stop that before you trip her.”

Mooch immediately settled down to trot by Callie’s side. Leif returned to the counter and set out another coffee cup. “I’m just starting the bacon, Callie, but the coffee’s about ready. Help yourself.”

She poured each of them a cup, automatically loading his up with sugar and cream.

“Want some eggs, too?”

“I wouldn’t turn down a couple of pieces of real bacon. Mom is watching Dad’s cholesterol like a hawk, which is a good thing, so I’ll have to depend on you to keep me supplied with the good stuff.”

Leif dutifully added another couple of strips to the skillet while Callie set the table for two and put bread in the toaster. He waited until she sat down at the table to speak.

“So, what brings you out so early this morning?”

Callie bent down to rub Mooch’s belly before answering. “Gage Logan stopped by yesterday evening to talk to me. He’d hoped to talk to Nick, too, but hadn’t realized he was already gone. He wanted to update us on Austin’s hearing that’s scheduled for next week. Thursday at ten o’clock.”

“I know. I wrote it down.”

He pointed toward the calendar on the side of the refrigerator with the tongs he was using to turn the bacon. Deciding it was done, he set the strips on a paper towel to soak up the excess grease and dumped the eggs into the skillet.

“He didn’t need to drive out here to remind us of the court time. What else did he have to say?”

Callie took a sip of coffee before answering. “It seems the public defender staged a preemptive strike and asked the court to consider giving Austin probation and maybe community service instead of more jail time. Since it’s his first offense, the judge is actually considering it.”