Page 23 of Embattled Ever After

Duncan worked his way around the table and gave the man a surprisingly long hug, not one of those lean in and back-slap things, then he headed to the door. His hand trembled on the cane, but Alex thought she was the only one who noticed.

Leaning in, she gave them each a hug, then followed Duncan out of the house and toward the truck. She wanted to offer to drive, but had a feeling he would only growl at her. She circled the truck and climbed inside when the locks clicked.

Once inside, he started the vehicle, then leaned back in the seat as much as it would allow him.

“Are you okay?” she asked softly.

With a grimace, he nodded. “We both hit the deck when that shotgun went off. It’s been a while since I did that.”

She winced in sympathy. “Do you have pain medication you can take?”

“I do, but I can’t take it right now. Not safe to drive when I take it.”

Damn. Must be a serious dose for that kind of pain. “Well, let’s head back. You’re not going back to your parents, are you?”

He shook his head. “No, but I should call them real quick just to let them know I’m okay. My mother tends to worry.”

He did as he said and at the end of the call promised to see them in a few days.

“You’re a good son.”

He snorted. “Well, I guess as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized how important it is that I still have both my parents.”

“Very true.” She glanced over at him, but couldn’t see much in the illumination from the dash. “You did well with Hank. I don’t think it could have turned out any better.”

Duncan sighed, leaning forward in the seat. “Yeah, I guess. I hope he follows up. I’ve learned not to get my hopes up about it though.”

“You don’t think he’ll go to the doctor?”

“I hope he does. He seems like he will, and the wife was shaken up enough tonight that I think if he doesn’t follow up, she will. I’ve just learned not to bet on unsure things.”

Alex hummed in agreement. Aiden had probably been part of that learning process. He’d definitely been part of hers.

They drove through the silent streets back toward his house. There were a few more cars out now, even though it was Christmas night. The roads had been cleared of snow and the lights were on in full force.

It seemed very surreal driving through the night with him like this. For months she’d wondered about him, and his life. “Is this typical in your world? This being called out at any time of the night or day?”

He tossed her a sad smile. “Yes. The holidays are usually bad, but you will never hear me complain about it. If I can save a veteran’s life just by being there and listening to him talk? Hell, yes. Hell, I’d post my phone number on a billboard if I thought it would save a life. It seems like after the fact you hear they had no one to talk to about what was going on. I’ll talk to anyone, anytime, if it will save them.”

Alex admired the sentiment, and after seeing the good he did it was no wonder he felt that way. “But how many of these calls have you gone on and it totally turned things around?”

Glancing at her, he gave her an amazing smile. “Several. Enough that it totally makes it worth while.”

She’d had a feeling he had a good success rate. Duncan Wilde was a man people looked up to. There was a quiet authority to him that wasn’t diminished in any way by the cane or his disabilities. If anything, those gave him legitimacy—visible, physical reminders that he was one of them, those who’d been forever changed by war.

The return trip to his house was quiet for the rest of the drive. When he pulled into the garage and turned off the truck, he seemed to gird himself for what was to come. Alex’s heart ached at the obvious pain she could see him suffering. She followed him slowly into the house. “Is there anything I can do for you? Is this normal pain for you?”

Duncan moved to the sink and ran a glass of water, then tossed back a couple of pills he had ready. “No. I shouldn’t have overreacted to that shotgun blast. I’m paying for it now. I may hop into the hot tub for a while and try to relax some of it away.”

“Hm. That sounds lovely. May I join you?”

The thought of soaking off the chill of the day sounded fabulous.

He stared at her for a long moment, but then told her quite firmly that she would be welcome to join him. Alex headed to her bedroom excited, then halted in the hallway. She didn’t have a damn bathing suit.

In the end she settled for a modest pink cotton sports bra and a pair of boy shorts that she usually slept in. Everything else was lace and would be incredibly see-through when wet. She just hadn’t planned on swimming on Christmas night.

Damn. She sat down on the edge of the bed. What an incredible day it had been. If she had had any idea what she would have gotten herself into, would it have changed her plans? No. It wouldn’t have. Yesterday she had teased him about being in a time warp, but tonight she felt like the one losing time. In one day she felt like she’d lived through lifetimes with Duncan. She’d gained insight into his personality she’d never expected. Now her emotions for the man were changing faster than she’d ever expected.

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