Yep. He should have turned tail the moment the instinct to leave swift kicked him in the rear. Her pink face and lowered eyes only made matters worse. She set a stack of papers on what he thought might be her desk. She picked up a ringing phone. Maybe she did reception and accounting? He felt as confused as she looked as she transferred the call. Her body language screamed what part of “she’s not ready to date” didn’t he understand? Oh, he got the message loud and clear. He just didn’t have the common sense to accept it.
She hung up the phone and gave him a hard, emotionless stare. “Can’t. Sorry. I’m behind on the end-of-month reports and plan to eat at my desk.”
Madeleine’s discomfort made him go the opposite direction. Cool, calm and collected. “Maybe another time.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea.” Her head snapped toward the cracked door and the male voice calling her name in a harsh tone. “I’ve got to go. That’s my boss.”
Jess set his jaw. He saw her spine straighten. If that’s how the idiot talked to his wife, no wonder there was trouble in paradise. He had never spoken to any woman for any reason in that manner. He envisioned a drill sergeant he’d not particularly liked whose image still managed to get under his skin.
“Thanks for stopping by,” she said and made a quick exit behind the partition.
This. Was. Not. Over.
Jess became more determined than ever to minimally get a cup of coffee with Madeleine. See what lurked behind the partition with the guy who had BOSS engraved on his nameplate. Besides, too much of a connection flowed between them Saturday night to believe he turned her off. Down but not out, something twisted in his heart. He understood what type of battle she fought. She couldn’t let go of the past to live the future. And now Jess couldn’t let go of the future he saw with Madeleine and to hell with the past.
Three stints in Afghanistan gave him an appreciation for life most men of twenty-eight didn’t possess. He would not blow this opportunity to bring meaning into his life.
Back in his office, he removed the prosthetic arm and tossed it on a file cabinet in hopes the pressure would relieve phantom pain in the limb missing from below the elbow. Today his invisible fingers tingled. He gave a vigorous rub to his upper arm wasted and smaller than his right bicep. Part of him wanted to attribute her rejection to his missing arm. Nah, even he couldn’t buy that sorry old excuse he used to torture himself. Her fear of loving another man besides Danny seemed the real issue. How did you overcome someone’s love for another?
Luckily, he saw something Madeleine didn’t see, or want to see. She showed signs of being ready to move on. She slipped in and out of wanting a future with the ease of a ballet dancer. His job would be to nudge her in the right direction—his direction. Before some other guy got bitten with wanting her and beat him out. It felt right.
The only doubt lurking deep in the recesses of his mind came from that bad date several months ago. Still, Madeleine’s rejection of him came from a different place—one not driven by fear of appearances or selfish needs. He hoped. Who knew the mind of a woman? Which he admitted played to his advantage. After all, he could keep deluding himself he had a chance with male ignorance.
Madeleine was the one. Deep down, she knew it too or she wouldn’t be running scared. His gut instinct said so. That same gut feeling that saved many a life with an unpredictable enemy in the desert. Until that instinct ran out of luck one fateful patrol.
****
Madeleine did a slow burn on the drive home from work. Tired and hungry she found herself zoning and had to jam the brake to the floor for a stop sign. Thank goodness the roads were dry and no one saw her poor driving. Again. She drove on cursing her boss.
Kurt might have a business degree hanging on his wall and another degree in computer technology, but
She hung up the phone and gave him a hard, emotionless stare. “Can’t. Sorry. I’m behind on the end-of-month reports and plan to eat at my desk.”
Madeleine’s discomfort made him go the opposite direction. Cool, calm and collected. “Maybe another time.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea.” Her head snapped toward the cracked door and the male voice calling her name in a harsh tone. “I’ve got to go. That’s my boss.”
Jess set his jaw. He saw her spine straighten. If that’s how the idiot talked to his wife, no wonder there was trouble in paradise. He had never spoken to any woman for any reason in that manner. He envisioned a drill sergeant he’d not particularly liked whose image still managed to get under his skin.
“Thanks for stopping by,” she said and made a quick exit behind the partition.
This. Was. Not. Over.
Jess became more determined than ever to minimally get a cup of coffee with Madeleine. See what lurked behind the partition with the guy who had BOSS engraved on his nameplate. Besides, too much of a connection flowed between them Saturday night to believe he turned her off. Down but not out, something twisted in his heart. He understood what type of battle she fought. She couldn’t let go of the past to live the future. And now Jess couldn’t let go of the future he saw with Madeleine and to hell with the past.
Three stints in Afghanistan gave him an appreciation for life most men of twenty-eight didn’t possess. He would not blow this opportunity to bring meaning into his life.
Back in his office, he removed the prosthetic arm and tossed it on a file cabinet in hopes the pressure would relieve phantom pain in the limb missing from below the elbow. Today his invisible fingers tingled. He gave a vigorous rub to his upper arm wasted and smaller than his right bicep. Part of him wanted to attribute her rejection to his missing arm. Nah, even he couldn’t buy that sorry old excuse he used to torture himself. Her fear of loving another man besides Danny seemed the real issue. How did you overcome someone’s love for another?
Luckily, he saw something Madeleine didn’t see, or want to see. She showed signs of being ready to move on. She slipped in and out of wanting a future with the ease of a ballet dancer. His job would be to nudge her in the right direction—his direction. Before some other guy got bitten with wanting her and beat him out. It felt right.
The only doubt lurking deep in the recesses of his mind came from that bad date several months ago. Still, Madeleine’s rejection of him came from a different place—one not driven by fear of appearances or selfish needs. He hoped. Who knew the mind of a woman? Which he admitted played to his advantage. After all, he could keep deluding himself he had a chance with male ignorance.
Madeleine was the one. Deep down, she knew it too or she wouldn’t be running scared. His gut instinct said so. That same gut feeling that saved many a life with an unpredictable enemy in the desert. Until that instinct ran out of luck one fateful patrol.
****
Madeleine did a slow burn on the drive home from work. Tired and hungry she found herself zoning and had to jam the brake to the floor for a stop sign. Thank goodness the roads were dry and no one saw her poor driving. Again. She drove on cursing her boss.
Kurt might have a business degree hanging on his wall and another degree in computer technology, but
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