Page 9 of Wyatt the Military Veteran

“A friend of a friend. God, I wish my friends hooked me up like that. Motorcycle men galore and not a one for me.” She sighs, referencing the Reaper’s Wolves MC—a local motorcycle club chock full of military veterans, some who are also in relationships with several of her book club friends.

Taking pity on her, because really, it’s not like Chris intentionally set me and Wyatt up, I admit, “It’s someone in Chris’s unit. I wrote a silly note of gratitude on the back of an envelope addressed to Chris, and Wyatt replied. The responsibility of throwing us together really lies with fate, not a generous friend.”

“Ah, fate.Heart sparks.”

I blush at the mention of the legend of love. An old bridge rests at the edge of Suitor’s Crossing, though a replica welcomes new visitors on the other side of town, and there’s a widely believed story about a town founder crossing the bridge with the girl he was courting and being struck by the knowledge that she was his soul mate. Hisheart spark.

I’ve heard the story since I was a little girl, and I’ve dreamed of experiencing the magic myself, but nothing has ever come close to the feeling.

Except for now.

It hasn’t occurred to me before, but could Wyatt be myheart spark?

We certainly have a connection even though we’ve never talked in person. Or met in real life. Or haveplansto meet.

Which is really the issue.

What can happen between two people with half a world between them?

***

Wyatt,

I’ve included a pamphlet from the Suitor’s Crossing Visitor’s Center and highlighted the ‘must-see’ places if you’re ever in town. Notice how I even marked Hearthstone Lodge as a place to visit… ;)

As far as code-breaking, it’s obvious I possess superior skills LOL. The acronym stands for The Duke Who Knew Too Much. It’s a historical romance novel by one of my favorite authors, Grace Callaway.

Speaking of favorite things…

Wow! What an impact that art teacher had on you; I’m sure your parents appreciated your interest in something outside of video games (my brothers were obsessed with our PlayStation growing up, though I was addicted to Crash Bandicoot, too).

I kind of wish I’d thought to explore other sections of the library. Finding an origami book was smart! Who knows what I could have learned if I’d ventured past the fiction section?

Also, thank you for supporting my sticker addiction. You’re right. It could be worse. (I’ll just keep my jars of hair trimmings a secret…)

In other news, the lodge’s van crapped out on me while hauling our set-up for Apple Fest, so I got to spend an afternoon in Dusty’s waiting room, which wasn’t so bad since their receptionist, Faith, had her baby with her. He’s so cute! And squishy.

And… you probably don’t care to hear about a stranger’s baby.

I’m going to take this as my cue to wrap up LOL.

Talk to you soon, and stay safe!

Kennedy

***

Kennedy,

Thanks for the brochure. Suitor’s Crossing looks as beautiful as I imagined.

I never knew my parents. I was dropped off at a firehouse at three days old, so my life revolved around the foster system. None of those families cared what I did—video games, origami, or staying out late at skate parks. But don’t feel too sorry for me, it wasn’t a terrible life, just an adventurous one.

When a friend of mine aged out at eighteen and then joined the military, it seemed natural to follow in his footsteps after high school graduation. There’s actually a lot of overlap between the army and foster care. Although I have more structure now, I still move around a lot and meet a ton of new people.

Some day, it might be nice to settle down and place roots in a place where they have time to grow…

Yours,

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