Page 45 of An Adventure For Aster

“What is going on?” Mike asked.

Aster looked at Raine’s father and River. They didn’t know and he didn’t know why Brooks brought this up. And did it when the women weren’t around.

“I had to leave the Army because I was shot in the chest. I can’t pass the physical now after open heart surgery.”

River frowned. “That close to your heart?”

“Yeah,” he said.

Raine walked in and put her hands on his shoulders. “Brooks, tell the whole story if you’re going to bring it up. Aster was shot in the chest saving a teenage girl from an abduction while he was on leave. He doesn’t like people to know and feel sorry for him. I think that makes the two of you a lot alike. But he’s assured me he’s in good health and following the doctor's orders. Now he’s here and in my life. Anything else anyone wants to know about him?”

He saw the smirk on Brooks's face and realized it was done to see if Raine stood up for him. In a way, he was glad it happened as it had, but now Ivy knew and he figured everyone else would too.

“It’s not a big deal,” Ivy said. “Zane told me in confidence. Well, Lily did and I haven’t said a word. Aren’t you all proud of me? Is it not a secret now? Not that I’m going to announce it to anyone. It’s not their business.”

“It isn’t anyone’s business,” Raine said. “We can talk about something else now.”

“It’s fine,” Aster said. “I don’t talk much about it. It happened and now I’m here. End of story. I told Raine before, this is a dream job for me I never thought I’d have. If it comes with meeting her, then I’m happier than I ever thought I could be.”

He saw the soft look come over Raine’s face and felt bad that not once had he said words like that to her and maybe he should have.

15

IF IT HAPPENED

Hours later they were at Raine’s apartment. He’d rather spend the night with her at his place in a bigger bed, but he could suck it up like the next guy.

There was no hardship as long as he was with her and he found that he’d never wanted to be with a woman as much as he did Raine.

There were times in his life he wondered if he’d ever settle down.

The Army was going to be his career. How many women would want to move around and worry about what he did for a living? Not many!

He’d actually resigned himself to the fact he wasn’t looking and if it happened then it did.

In the past few months since he’d been out of the service, his mindset hadn’t changed.

He was going with the whole thing, that it did happen and now it could just go where it would.

“My family wasn’t that bad, were they?” she asked when she came over to sit next to him on the little loveseat.

“No,” he said. “I’m protective of Daphne too so I understand your brothers being the way they are.”

“River is pretty laid back. He always has been. Brooks, he’s just intense. My mother says he was like that as a baby. He’s changed a lot since he met Ivy. All for the better, but he’s still not like River.”

“He should be who he is,” he said. “Everyone should be. No one should change who they are if they like it. I mean, we all make choices in our lives. You just have to live with those choices.”

She put her head on his shoulder. “I know that. I’m sorry I said what I had about you being shot. When I heard Brooks bring it up quietly I thought it was going to turn into this big issue. No one told me about it before so I thought no one knew.”

“They did but didn’t talk much about it,” he said. And he had to say it was surprising that Ivy knew all along and never once brought it up to Raine. So many said Ivy was immature and young, but he didn’t find that about her. He just found her chipper and excitable but always professional.

He supposed he wasn’t so sure why this was a big deal to him that not many knew.

Maybe because deep down he was almost embarrassed over the attention he got for his actions.

He didn’t want to be labeled a hero because with that came every major change in his life.

The loss of his career.

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