Page 4 of Strength

Chapter Two

Emmett

“Emmett.”

I glanced toward the door of my office to find Teddy lightly tapping on the doorframe.

“Hey, Teddy.” I got to my feet, an old military habit of standing at attention I hadn’t yet been able to break.

“What are you still doing here? It’s late.”

“Just finishing up a few notes. I’ll be done soon.”

Teddy stepped into the office. “That was good work you did with Billy before. I’ve never actually seen that kid smile, but he had a grin on his dial as wide as the Grand Canyon when he walked out of here.”

“He needed some encouragement, is all. I’m guessing it’s something he’s never had in his life before.”

My last counselling session of the day had gone well over the allotted time. I was usually strict about keeping to a schedule. Structure and schedules were a great tool in teaching self-discipline to the boys we cared for. A lot of them came from awful backgrounds with no rules whatsoever. Kids needed rules. Rules showed that they were cared about. That the people who ought to love them the most—their parents—loved them, even though that love might look a little tough sometimes.

Tough love certainly turned me around. When I was having behavioural problems in high school after my cousin died in a car accident, Dad threw me into a boxing class. That taught me how not to get hit, but not much else. So, then Dad went a step further and sent me off to a military school. That was where I learned discipline and how to show respect again. The Navy was where I became a man.

It was also where I trained as a psychologist.

When I left the service and moved to LA, I heard aboutCorporate Cares, and I knew I wanted to help these kids become the good men I knew they could be. Teddy interviewed me, and I got the job the same day. At the time, I’d thought the Navy was the best job in the world, but I was wrong; being a counsellor atCorporate Careswas infinitely better, in a different way.

“Don’t be here too late. You’ll upset Lonnie, our cleaner.” Teddy jabbed his hand down the hallway where the sound of a vacuum cleaner was coming from.

I chuckled. “Alright, I get the message. Five minutes.”

Teddy sighed. “I’ll give you ten.”

“Thank you, sir.”

* * *

It was late when I arrived home from the centre. I’d stayed much longer than ten minutes. I ended up being chased out of there by Lonnie, who declared she couldn’t do her job properly if she had to work around me.

Juggling my briefcase and my takeaway dinner from a local steak restaurant, I unlocked the front door of my modest, timber beachside house, only to almost be bowled over by my overzealous dog. “Tank, buzz off!”

You’d think he’d listen to me by now, but given I’d been at work all day and I had food in my hand, I guess his doggy instincts overrode his training. He was an amazing dog, and I didn’t know what I would ever do without him. He’d been instrumental in helping me transition into civilian life. Whatever happened with that silly dating app, I knew no woman could ever love me the way my dog did. Still, I wanted to try because I felt like the only thing that was missing from my life was the love of a good woman.

I gave Tank his kibble and then sat down for my dinner. As I did, I openedSierra’s International Dating Agency’s app and was pleased to find a response. It was a woman named Olivia, and she’d sent me a text message.

Olivia:Hi, thank you for contacting me. I enjoyed your profile. If you’re still interested, I would love to meet up with you sometime.

I looked at her profile again and smiled. Not only was she naturally beautiful; she also came across as a sweet person. Mind you, you couldn’t tell too much from a single’s dating profile. Some people were artists at making themselves look like the perfect match. I could only find out for sure by talking to her.

Emmett:Hey there. I’m glad you messaged me back. Yes, I’m still interested.

Olivia:Sorry for messaging so late. I’m pretty nervous about this whole process.

I smiled again.

Emmett:There’s no need to be nervous.

Olivia:And yet . . .

Emmett:Will it comfort you to know that I’m nervous, too?

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