Page 38 of Embattled Ever After

***

They settled ona little place a few blocks from his house. Duncan called in an order and they picked it up on the way. Within twenty minutes, decadent scents filled the cab of his truck and they were both ready to eat.

Alex grabbed silverware and glasses of water and set them on the small table. Duncan unpacked the aluminum tins and removed the covers. Alex had order fettuccine with broccoli and chicken, and he’d ordered something he’d never tried from there before, a chicken parmigiana.

With little fanfare, they dug into the food. Duncan shook out three tablets of ibuprofen from the bottle that stayed on the table. “Maybe between the hot tub and these you won’t feel the affects of your fall too bad.”

She took the pills and tossed them back. “We’ll see.”

They ate until they were stuffed. “I don’t think I’ll have room for dinner tonight.”

Duncan grinned. “Good. If you do, we have leftovers.”

The other half of his chicken parm would be excellent later. Maybe a midnight snack after he’d taken Alex to bed again.

“I have to say, this has been an interesting day. Thank you so much for giving me a glimpse into your life.”

Duncan lifted a brow. “You are very welcome, Alex. I’ve enjoyed having you here.”

“You know, I haven’t given you your Christmas present yet.”

He looked at her, brows furrowed. “Why would you get me a present?”

“Because,” she huffed. “It’s what you do at Christmas, silly. I’ll be back.”

She retrieved the package from her room and brought it to him. He took it with a frown. “I feel a little awkward because I don’t have anything for you.”

She shrugged. “It was my idea to come out here and surprise you. I didn’t expect you to have anything for me. That’s okay. I enjoyed shopping for you.”

Duncan sighed and carefully ripped open the paper. It was pretty obvious by the size and weight that it was a book, but he still sighed appreciatively when he revealed the cover.

Alex had looked long and hard for something that would recognize his service, but hopefully wouldn’t remind him of all the bad crap. A photographer had gone over and taken pictures of the beautiful things the military had done while they’d been in Iraq and Afghanistan. There were pictures of schools that had been built with laughing children running outside. There were pictures of family dinners where they were all linked by touch. A medic handing over an Afghan infant to her weeping father. Alex thought it was her favorite in the book.

Duncan didn’t say anything for a long time, and she worried that she had offended him or insulted him, but he eventually looked up. His dark eyes seemed a little moist as he smiled at her and tugged her in for a long hug.

“Thank you,” he murmured into her ear. “This is precious to me.”

Alex felt her own throat close up at the rough sound of his voice. Ithadactually meant something to him. He acted as if he got very few presents.

“Why aren’t you in a relationship?” she asked.

Duncan glanced at her and shrugged. “I was engaged years ago, but my fiancé at the time apparently got lonely while I was deployed. When I came back from Iraq she was pregnant with another man’s child. She was going to break up with me anyway. When I came home broken it just made it easier for her to leave.”

Alex knew her mouth was hanging open. “She left you in thehospital? Injured?”

He shrugged, moving to set the book on the table. He avoided her eyes. “She had already chosen someone else over me. Honestly, it happens to deployed military all the time.”

Alex shook her head, amazed at the audacity of some people. At that moment she had little respect for her own sex, because it was usually the female half of the relationship left behind. “That is so wrong. What a bitch.”

Duncan looked up at her, as if deciding whether or not her words were true. “We wouldn’t have been a good match anyway. Yes, it hurt at the time but we’re both better off for not being together. What about you? Why no ring?”

Alex blinked. “Well, seems like there are more frogs in my life than princes. I’ve been in a couple of relationships but nothing epic. It just never happened.”

She moved to straighten up the table, taking his wrapping paper to throw away. She couldn’t hide a wince when she turned toward the trashcan, her hip hurt like hell.

Duncan must have noticed. “Let’s leave this for later. Go get into whatever you’re soaking in and I’ll get the tub ready.”

Without a word, she disappeared down the hallway. By the time Duncan had changed his own clothes, she was just getting ready to get in the tub, until he took her arm in his. “Look at these bruises,” he hissed.

---