A Soldier's Journey (8 page)

CHAPTER NINE

W
HEN
N
ATE
REACHED
HOME
, his mind was in turmoil.

He'd been reluctant to take Andy Stuart to Eve's house that evening. He'd been attracted to her at their first meeting, and warning signals had flickered in his brain since.

It was especially true when she'd had the flashback. He'd been closer to her than the others and had caught her as she fell. Then the medic in him had taken over. He wondered whether the others had noted his slight hesitation before carrying her into Eve's bedroom. He didn't want to be involved, dammit. But she was a vet in need of help.

That her flashback had been terrifying was clear, and he admired how she had tried to shake it off, the gallantry in returning to the others and even participating in a discussion that had little to do with her. Or perhaps that was why she'd participated. Why she had so quickly wrapped herself in Covenant Falls history. She could avoid the present.

He, on the other hand, wanted to remember the past so he could reshape the present.

But, dammit, he'd had that sudden urge to hold her at the door, to try to erase some of the pain from those very wide gray eyes. He'd wanted to kiss her. Hadn't he learned anything from Margaret?

He'd watched her go through the door, and then the lights go on. He'd done his job. He had seen her home safely. Joseph would take over now.

So why hadn't he driven off? Maybe
he
needed a Joseph.

He wondered whether both he and Eve might have underestimated Ms. Stuart. It had taken courage for her to move to a totally new town, especially having PTSD.

He hesitated, then did something he never thought he would do—he went online and ran a search. He shouldn't have. It was none of his business and she was entitled to her privacy, but her reaction to the wine spill prompted him to learn more. Several articles came up almost immediately when he searched her name,
army
and
Afghanistan
. One article mentioned she was the lone survivor during a terrorist attack on a field hospital in Afghanistan eight months ago. He remembered reading about the attack when it happened, but no names were mentioned at the time. It had been big news, especially in the military community.

Nate continued his search and then found an article that stunned him.

Lieutenant Andrea Stuart had been engaged to one of the two murdered doctors.

Nate took a long, deep breath. He closed his eyes and he saw the attack in his mind. The intruder, the shots, the blood. Probably everything she had seen again last night.

He had no intention of sharing that information with anyone else, not even Eve and Clint, although they might know, since Josh was instrumental in bringing her here. He had intruded into something extremely painful, more painful than he could have imagined.

No wonder she'd had a panic attack last night. He had lost friends in Iraq. Too many of them, but she had been a healer, not a warrior.

After a sleepless night, he rose early, took a shower, drank a cup of coffee and walked several houses down to his mother's. Her home, which had harbored three generations of Rowlands, was close enough that he could keep an eye on her, but far enough that they were independent of one another. She, and her failing health, was one reason he had returned to Covenant Falls after his divorce.

They usually had Sunday breakfast together, and he rather dreaded it this morning. His mother had been curious about Covenant Falls's newest resident, particularly when she'd learned it was a woman, and she would want a full report.

He would edit it considerably. He would omit Andy's PTSD episode, and the way he'd felt as he'd helped her.

He liked her. He admired her courage. Even worse, he was attracted to her and far more intensely than he'd been to any woman in a very long time.

That disturbing discovery meant he had to keep his distance, although it would be difficult. Eve had evidently taken her under her wing. And he was in business with Eve's husband, which meant they would be thrown together. Often.

Nate sure as hell wasn't ready for any kind of relationship. Neither was she. She had stay-away signs all over. And himself? He doubted he would ever be ready to trust any woman again.

But dammit all, she wouldn't leave his thoughts.

Hell with it. He could avoid her as much as possible.
He would.

Agnes Rowland greeted him with her usual wide smile. “My turn this week,” she said. “Pancakes okay?”

“Sounds great.”

His mother wasted no time in getting to the point. “What is she like?”

“Nice.”

“Nice? That doesn't tell me much.”

“You'll like her,” he added.

“I like everyone.”

“Well, then, there you go.”

“Nate!” she said in a disgusted voice.

“You'll meet her and make your own decision,” he said. “Eve has sort of trapped her into writing a short history of our town. I expect her to be talking to a lot of people.”

“She's smart, then.”

“Very. She came up with a new name for our inn. Susan thought Covenant Falls Inn didn't have much kick to it.”

“I thought Covenant Falls Inn was a good name,” she said as she poured pancake batter in the frying pan. “Are you going to keep me in suspense or should I ask Josh?”

“The Camel Trail Inn.”

His mom burst out laughing. “
That
certainly does have a kick to it. A pun. From you. I'm amazed. Now I'm more curious than ever about her. When do I meet her?”

“She just arrived, Mom. She needs to take things a little slow.”

“Should I take her some chili?”

“I would wait a few days,” he said. “She's been flooded with food.”

Her eyes danced with curiosity but thankfully she dropped the subject. For the moment.

The pancakes were great as usual, and afterward he drove Agnes the four blocks to church, then headed to the inn to discuss the proposed name change with Susan and Josh.

* * *

S
USAN
LOVED
RENAMING
the inn. It was different enough from Camelback that there should be no confusion, not to mention that their inn was a speck compared to the mammoth in Arizona.

They had planned a simple, stylish sign, but now Josh suggested a weathered wood sign with the name and a camel silhouette.

“No ordinary camel,” Nate said. “We need one with an attitude.”

“I'll pass that on to the artist,” Susan said. While they were there, Susan called an artist she knew who said he would send three logo designs by midweek. She thought the sign company could expedite the work.

“It's going to be an expense we didn't expect, but I think it will add a quirky twist that sets it apart,” Josh said.

Susan grinned.

“As soon as we get a design,” Josh said, “I'll send it to Clint and he can redesign our website. In the meantime, I'll send those who accepted our invitation for the preview a letter explaining the name change.”

“It was Andy's idea,” Nate said. “Maybe she could write a few paragraphs, an explanation of the name. We can use it on menus and a card for each room.”

“Will you ask her?” Josh said.

Nate hesitated. He'd put his foot in it again. Why had he mentioned it?

Maybe because he had seen the flicker of interest in her eyes when she'd suggested renaming the inn, and he wanted to feed it. He'd experienced aimlessness when he'd returned from Iraq.

“Okay,” he said. “I'll ask when I see her.” That gave him some time. He might not see her for a while.

The discussion then went to other details. Mel Edwards, a local rancher, had offered the use of several of his horses for trail riding in hopes of building another source of revenue. Then there was the old but lively Herman Mann, who knew the area's mountain trails and mining sites like the back of his hand. Not only did he know mountain lore, but he looked the part, with a full gray beard. He could lead adventure tours to abandoned mines and a ghost town.

“Do you think Herman knows anything about the camels?” he asked.

“If he doesn't, he'll make it up,” Josh replied.

“We could always buy a camel,” Nate mused in jest.

He choked when Josh said, “Good idea. Find one.”

It wasn't until Josh, who almost never joked, grinned that Nate realized he was kidding.

With a straight face, Nate replied, “What's my budget?”

Their inn manager merely shook her head. “I am not feeding and boarding a camel.”

“But it would make a great mascot,” Nate said slyly. “I bet I could convince Eve if I found a camel in distress.” He glanced at Josh.

“One word to Eve,” Josh warned, “and we end this partnership. I'm sure she would find an orphaned, moth-eaten camel somewhere, and heaven help us if young Nick even got a hint of it. He would be on the internet in seconds and would have several candidates he couldn't live without.”

Nate knew this was only too true. He'd been cruel to mention it. He chuckled. “Love sure does change a man.”

“Just wait until you get bitten by the bug.”

“Been there, done that. No intention of ever doing it again.”

Josh just smiled.

“I think I'm going to love working for you guys,” Susan said. “But right now you have decisions to make.”

They went through the items one by one.

The inn was just outside the city limits, and he'd had to get permits from the county. It passed the building inspection with flying colors, but there were a dozen last-minute details. The hiring of staff, training, final purchases.

“Oh, I called Mrs. Byars,” Susan said. “She would be delighted to provide brownies for our guests. I didn't give her a price yet, but if it meets your approval, I figured twelve dollars for two dozen. It would make it worth her time and wouldn't bankrupt us. We also have to decide whether we want to offer free wine and tea in the afternoon.”

“What do you think?”

“Clients really appreciate it. It makes them feel as if we're going the extra mile. I know you haven't settled on final prices, but a glass of wine when guests come back after a busy day more than pays for itself in goodwill and repeat business.”

Josh nodded. “I know damn little about the hotel business, but I trust your judgment. Nate?”

“Agreed.”

Susan nodded. “I'll have some figures ready for you next week. I know you've been quoting some promotional rates, but they're a bit on the low side.”

“We're not trying to make a lot of money,” Josh explained. “It's the first step to revive the town, to introduce it to Denver and maybe get another couple of businesses going.”

“Understood. But I don't want you to lose money, either.”

“I like that,” Josh said.

Josh and Nate walked out together. “Thanks for recommending her,” Josh said. “I'm not sure how all this would go without her.”

“We were lucky. Our moms are good friends and when she wanted to leave Nevada, Mom thought she might be just what we needed.”

“She's pretty,” Josh noted.

“Yeah, I guess she is.”

“Any interest?”

“Nope,” Nate said. “She was a couple of years ahead of me in school. Too familiar, I guess. Besides, she just left a bad marriage and I left a bad one in Seattle. I suspect neither of us wants to repeat that experience.”

Josh changed the subject. “How was Andy when you drove her home?”

“Embarrassed, I think, though God knows she shouldn't be. She's been through hell.”

Josh shot him a look. “Did she say anything?”

“No, but I guessed from last night it was pretty bad.”

“Dr. Payne didn't give me any details. He just told me that she needed a safe haven right now.” He took a long breath. “I know how that feels.”

Nate felt even worse now that he had snooped into Andy's story.

“Dr. Payne never tells me much. That's kind of one of our rules for the cabin. I'm there if he, or she, needs help, but otherwise it's up to the vet to decide what, if anything, they want to reveal.”

“I know,” Nate said, “but last night...”

“She came out of it, and joined us. She listened and even made a contribution. A darn good one, I might add. I called Dr. Payne and told him about it. He thought it was a huge step forward.”

Nate nodded.

“I have to get home while I still have a family,” Josh said, hesitated, then added, “It still sounds strange saying that. Family. Getting home.”

“You've got a good thing going.”

“I know,” Josh said somberly. “At times, I can't quite believe it.” He hesitated again. “I know I said I wouldn't push you and Andy together, but she needs to see the falls to really understand Covenant Falls, and I just got home from Denver. She's also very alone. Can you take her there? Fill her in on what we talked about today? I swear I won't ask again.”

“I seem to remember we had a deal. I would pick her up for supper yesterday and you would desist from calling on my services again.”

“I promised for Eve, not myself,” Josh replied with a smile, then he lost it and his tone changed. “That was before last night. You saw how devastated she was after the flashback, then how she changed when we talked about the history of this area. I think we should encourage that interest.”

“Don't you think we might be pushing too hard? She's only been here three days.”

“Maybe, but she doesn't have anyone here. It can get lonely in that cabin.”

“I thought
you
liked it that way.”

“Don't rub it in,” Josh replied with a grin, “but it's up to you.” He climbed in his Jeep and drove off.

* * *