Page 35 of Grateful Hearts

Chantel sat curled up by the fire pit, the crackling flames casting shadows that danced across the patio. The warmth of the fire wrapped around her as she tightened the blanket over her legs, sipping from her mug. The day with Zach’s family had been full of laughter, teasing, and love. Being around them had been a bittersweet reminder of her own family.

Her parents had always made the holidays magical. Whether it was the smell of her dad’s cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning or her mom’s slightly off-key caroling, the memories were rich and warm. It had just been the three of them, but it had been enough.

Then cancer stole them both. Her dad first, just after her first year of college, and her mom two years later. Losing them had been like losing her anchor. Since then, she’d been adrift, making her way on her own.

She stared into the fire, her thoughts a whirlwind. The holiday weekend with Zach and his family had been a joyful distraction, but soon, real life would call her back. She needed to figure out her next steps. Where was she going to go? What would she do for a job? Would she ever return to Boston?

Her thoughts drifted to Zach and his easy smile. Three times now, they’d come so close to kissing. She felt a tug in her chest when she thought about him, but would starting something with him even make sense? They’d both be going their separate ways after this weekend.

“Penny for your thoughts?” The deep voice said, breaking the silence around her.

Startled, Chantel looked up to see Zach standing there, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets, his expression soft.

“Oh, hey,” she said, straightening up. “I didn’t hear you.”

“Mind if I join you?” he asked, nodding toward the empty seat beside her.

“Not at all,” she said, motioning toward it.

As Zach settled next to her, he studied her face. “You okay? You looked far away.”

Chantel hesitated but then nodded. “Just thinking about my parents,” she admitted, her voice quieter.

Zach tilted his head slightly. “You’ve never really mentioned them before.”

She smiled sadly, the firelight catching the glint of moisture in her eyes. “They were everything to me. It was just the three of us, and we made the holidays special. But they passed away while I was in college.” She paused, swallowing hard. “Both from cancer. Two years apart.”

Zach’s expression softened, and he leaned closer, his elbow resting on his knee as he looked at her. “Chantel, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she said, though her voice wavered. “It’s been years now, but being here with your family and seeing how close you all are made me miss them more.”

???

Zach listened intentively as Chantel told him about her mom and dad. His throat tightened, hearing her talk about how much she missed them. She had always seemed so independent, so self-reliant, and now he understood why.

“And then there’s the rest of it, with the whole ex-fiance situation. Then figuring out what comes next for me,” she continued with a half-laugh.

Zach’s brows furrowed. “You know, my mom and dad wouldn’t mind if you stayed here a little longer. That is if you wanted to. They’d love having you around.”

She gave him a small, grateful smile. “That’s sweet of you, but I’d feel like I would be imposing.”

“Trust me, you wouldn’t be.”

Chantel shifted the conversation. “What about you? You don’t talk much about you or your job.”

Zach smirked. “That’s because most of it I can’t talk about.”

“Why is that?” she asked, looking at him seriously.

“Have you ever heard of Marine Raiders?” he asked.

She scrunched her eyebrows together as if she was thinking. She looked at him. “I’ve heard the name before, but I can’t say that I’m familiar with it. Though I’m guessing it is part of the Marines,” she said with a slight laugh.

Zach chuckled. “You are right. The Raiders are a part of the Marines. They report under the United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, otherwise known as MARSOC,” he explained to her.

She looked at him. “Special Operations she repeated. Are they like Navy SEALs?” she asked.

He grinned. “Something like that.”

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