up any second. Rock fragments needled into his cheek and neck, but he’d felt no pain. He’d felt nothing. Tim wasn’t moving, didn’t look like he was breathing.
“He’s gone and I’m not.” He felt the weight of his brother in his arms. Heard Tim’s gasp of pain. Shouted out for the corpsman, knowing it was too late. His brother’s last words rang in his memory. “Tell Mom and Dad. I’m not sorry. Do-on’t g-grieve. For. Me.”
Sadness drowned him. He cleared his throat, forcing the memories and the grief back into the vault. “You’re getting around real good on those crutches.”
“You, sir, are very good at changing the subject.”
“I think it’s important to stick with your strong suits.” He gave thanks for the cooling rain, washing away the grit of the memory on his face. “I never asked what you’re majoring in.”
“I’m in the counseling psychology program.”
Why wasn’t he surprised? The gentle questions, the faithful understanding and her ability to see deep. She would make a good counselor. “You’ve been analyzing me?”
“Yes. I might make you a case study.” She winked, crutching slowly along. She had to be hurting, but it didn’t show. Her smile was relaxed and honest. “I’m teasing you. I’m only in the first year of my graduate program, and even if I knew how, I’m not counseling you. We’re friends.”
She’d gotten closer faster than anyone ever had. That made him uncomfortable right there. He had a lot of choices. One of which was the easiest: he could see her to her dorm, say goodbye and that would be the end of it. Or, he could pull back a little, keep things friendly, but not so close. Knowing he would be leaving in a few days for home would make that easy. There was a third option: he could step up and follow his gut. She wasn’t looking for more than a friend. He couldn’t be more than one.
“That we are.” He agreed, friends after all. “As I hear it, you’ve been a good support to my sister, as well.”
“It’s part of my job.”
“More than that. You’ve helped her a lot this year. I know, because she’s written enough about you. My R.A. this. My R.A. that. It’s taken me a bit to piece it all together, but you were the one who helped her when she was so homesick back in September.”
“She wasn’t the only one. I had a homesick circle. Everyone gathered in the floor lounge and we had prayer and a support session a couple times a week.”
“It meant a lot to her. And after meeting you, it means a lot to me.” His voice dipped sincerely, as solemn as the night.
Why did that make her heart tug? Admiration for the man filled her. The more she got to know him, the more she liked him.
“I’m grateful for the support you’ve given her. You seem to get her.” He paused, as if wrestling with the right words. “We talked some today. That’s why I was sure she was going to let this go.”
“You mean her campaign to entice you to choose college over the Army?”
“That would be the one. But she won’t give up.” The shadows clung to him. “Neither will I.”
“She’s afraid of losing you.” That was something she could completely understand. Since she’d caught her breath, she crutched forward into the sting of the rain. “Have you always wanted to be a soldier? What made you want to join the military?”
“My dad was Army. When I was a little kid, I didn’t think there was anything greater than wearing the uniform. I still don’t.”
There was the surface answer, she realized. The safest answer, the easiest. “Was he a Ranger, too?”
“Yep. He was on the ground back in Desert Storm. He had it rough. He lost a leg in an attack. He was never the same.”
“I’m sorry for him. That had to be devastating.”
Pierce stayed silent, letting the crescendo of the rising wind speak for him.
She tried to imagine what it would be like to give so much of your life in service. Putting on hold all the wholesome pleasures
“He’s gone and I’m not.” He felt the weight of his brother in his arms. Heard Tim’s gasp of pain. Shouted out for the corpsman, knowing it was too late. His brother’s last words rang in his memory. “Tell Mom and Dad. I’m not sorry. Do-on’t g-grieve. For. Me.”
Sadness drowned him. He cleared his throat, forcing the memories and the grief back into the vault. “You’re getting around real good on those crutches.”
“You, sir, are very good at changing the subject.”
“I think it’s important to stick with your strong suits.” He gave thanks for the cooling rain, washing away the grit of the memory on his face. “I never asked what you’re majoring in.”
“I’m in the counseling psychology program.”
Why wasn’t he surprised? The gentle questions, the faithful understanding and her ability to see deep. She would make a good counselor. “You’ve been analyzing me?”
“Yes. I might make you a case study.” She winked, crutching slowly along. She had to be hurting, but it didn’t show. Her smile was relaxed and honest. “I’m teasing you. I’m only in the first year of my graduate program, and even if I knew how, I’m not counseling you. We’re friends.”
She’d gotten closer faster than anyone ever had. That made him uncomfortable right there. He had a lot of choices. One of which was the easiest: he could see her to her dorm, say goodbye and that would be the end of it. Or, he could pull back a little, keep things friendly, but not so close. Knowing he would be leaving in a few days for home would make that easy. There was a third option: he could step up and follow his gut. She wasn’t looking for more than a friend. He couldn’t be more than one.
“That we are.” He agreed, friends after all. “As I hear it, you’ve been a good support to my sister, as well.”
“It’s part of my job.”
“More than that. You’ve helped her a lot this year. I know, because she’s written enough about you. My R.A. this. My R.A. that. It’s taken me a bit to piece it all together, but you were the one who helped her when she was so homesick back in September.”
“She wasn’t the only one. I had a homesick circle. Everyone gathered in the floor lounge and we had prayer and a support session a couple times a week.”
“It meant a lot to her. And after meeting you, it means a lot to me.” His voice dipped sincerely, as solemn as the night.
Why did that make her heart tug? Admiration for the man filled her. The more she got to know him, the more she liked him.
“I’m grateful for the support you’ve given her. You seem to get her.” He paused, as if wrestling with the right words. “We talked some today. That’s why I was sure she was going to let this go.”
“You mean her campaign to entice you to choose college over the Army?”
“That would be the one. But she won’t give up.” The shadows clung to him. “Neither will I.”
“She’s afraid of losing you.” That was something she could completely understand. Since she’d caught her breath, she crutched forward into the sting of the rain. “Have you always wanted to be a soldier? What made you want to join the military?”
“My dad was Army. When I was a little kid, I didn’t think there was anything greater than wearing the uniform. I still don’t.”
There was the surface answer, she realized. The safest answer, the easiest. “Was he a Ranger, too?”
“Yep. He was on the ground back in Desert Storm. He had it rough. He lost a leg in an attack. He was never the same.”
“I’m sorry for him. That had to be devastating.”
Pierce stayed silent, letting the crescendo of the rising wind speak for him.
She tried to imagine what it would be like to give so much of your life in service. Putting on hold all the wholesome pleasures
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