Page 13 of True Valor
He knew the feeling.But through the last fewgrim weeks, his family had stood by him.The team was with him inspirit, sharing his grief.Julie only had him, though.The sight ofher, so recently angry and now, small and defenseless, tugged himover to sit on the bed beside her.
Without hesitation, he stacked the extrapillows, stretched out, and pulled her to rest against him.
“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice slow withsleep, “for being so snippy.”
“It’s okay.”Nic reached for the remote,shifting her slightly.“Go back to sleep.”
With a Christmas truce in effect, Nic andJulie spent a quiet evening watching TV and playing cards.Neitherof them felt like going out to find a restaurant that was open.So,Nic fixed tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner.
Chapter Four
Julie pulled cartons of Chinese food from thebag that had just been delivered to the room, setting them on thecoffee table.Nic had convinced her to go skiing and they’d spentthe day after Christmas on the bunny slopes with a bazillion otherpeople.
Nic itched to ski the hardest slopes.But, ifJulie had ever been on skis before, it wasn’t evident.So he stayedwith her as she learned the basics, encouraging her and longing tolose himself in physical exertion.
“So how does a paramedic from Boston afford ahotel room like this in Lake Tahoe?”
“He doesn’t.”Nic plucked a handful ofnoodles from the nearest carton and, head tipped back, lowered themto his mouth.“My mom’s uncle was with the Tenth Mountain Divisionduring World War II.He actually helped establish some of the skiareas here.This hotel room is actually a timeshare.It’s part ofhis estate.”
“Nice uncle.A little more than kin, and lessthan kind.”Julie snapped her mouth shut and frowned.“What did Ijust say?”Her brown eyes showed bewilderment and she tugged herlower lip between her teeth.
Nic grinned.“Um, I think it was Hamlet.”
“Oh.”She nodded as if he’d just explainedit.She arched an eyebrow at him when he popped a hunk of chickeninto his mouth.“There are forks, you know.”
He almost choked on the chicken.When he wasable to speak he replied, “That wouldn’t be as much fun.”Anotherfit of coughing took over and Julie slapped him on the back withgusto.“You’re not supposed to...”Another cough, another smack,“slap people on the back when they’re choking.”
“Really?What are you supposed to do,doctor?”
“Just encourage them to keep coughing.”
She winked at him.“That wouldn’t be as muchfun.”
Nic lounged on the couch, his legs stretchedout, feet on the coffee table, watching hockey, drinking a beer.Content.Stomach full, almost tired from a day on the almostslopes, and hockey on TV.It didn’t get better than that.
Or so he told himself.Several times.If Joeywere...
Ambushed.Damn.Waves of despair slammed hischest.
The Julie issue was no easier to ignore.Hesteadfastly pushed away thoughts of pulling her down on his lapand…
“So, Paramedic Nic from Boston, tell me aboutyour job.Do you work for a fire department or an ambulanceservice?”Julie pulled her feet up onto the couch, balancing hermug of cocoa on her knees.One slurp left her with a marshmallowmustache.
Damn if he didn’t want to kiss the mustachefrom her lips.On a blown-out breath, he focused on theconversation.“No, I actually live here in California, just outsideMerced.I’m a PJ.”
“Really.”
The way she said it made him feel like he’dtold her he was an escaped murderer.“You know what a PJ is?”
“Of course I do.Why wouldn’t I?”She put herlegs down and set her cup on the coffee table.
She was defensive again.Nic backpedaled.“Sorry, I just didn’t expect you to know.”
“Because I don’t know my name?Is that why?Iknow all the names of the presidents and all the state capitals.I’m not stupid.I just can’t remember whoIam.”
Borderline hysteria.She stood quickly andwalked to the window.
Nic threw his hands up in surrender.“Whoa,Julie.Back up.The only reason I didn’t expect you to know what aPJ was, is that very few people do, okay?”
