Page 42 of Wandering Souls

He turned fully, his face only inches away from hers, giving her an up close and personal glimpse into his eyes. Like a sea of green, they glowed at her with hopefulness and a hint of desire. Very slowly, he blinked. Electricity buzzed in her stomach. She couldn’t remember the last time someone looked at her that way.

“Is that a problem?”

His husky voice rumbled over her skin. She wanted to flip him a smart-assed comment but her tongue wouldn’t cooperate. “Not at all.”

“Ahem.”

They both whipped around to find a young man standing at the end of their booth, his notepad and pen poised to take their orders. His stoic expression was completely undercut by the flash of red turning his ears into beacons.

“What’ll it be, folks?”

“Coffee, first.” Ray insisted. “And a plate of your full English breakfast for me.”

The boy’s eyes shifted to her. “Ma’am?”

Abi glanced at the single-sided menu board propped up in the center of the table between the salt and pepper shakers. “The Winter Warmer with berries sounds good.”

The kid scribbled and gave a nod. “Coffee for you as well?”

“Tea, I think.”

He gave a single, firm nod before turning back to Ray. “Anything for your dog, Sir?”

It was only then that Abi noticed the canine menu offerings. Ray ordered a bowl of chicken-flavored kibble. From under the table, Bruce chuffed. He nudged her knee and Abi reached down to scratch his chin. The kid left them.

The café hummed with the quiet chatter of the diners and the smell of woodsmoke permeated the air. The intimate atmosphere of their booth chased away the remaining chill left over from sitting in the cold watching Ray and Bruce in their puppy school lesson. Warmed, she removed her coat and set it between her and the wall.

“How’s the leg, this morning?”

“Sore.” Nothing a couple of ibuprofen and a good night’s sleep couldn’t handle. “But I’m okay.”

He frowned, clearly not believing her. “Really?”

She touched the back of his hand. “I won’t be defined by my injury.”

“Fair enough. What do you have planned for today?”

Abi twisted her fingers together. Nervous energy had her wired for action but considering her current physical limitations, she had to curtail her need for adventure. She’d have to find her kicks another way until she was stronger.

“I could see if Hollywood needs some help with the new cottages,” she suggested. “Do you think he’d be okay with that?”

Ray covered her hand with one of his. His soft smile steadied her jitters while the physical contact grounded her. She’d never thought she needed that sort of reassurance, but she had to admit it felt good.

“Hollywood will be grateful for all the help he can get. He’s been working hard on getting them ready, so the sooner the better. He’s passionate about this project.”

“I can see why. It’s hard to readjust to civilian life.”

“What was it like?”

“Afghanistan?”

He nodded, a hint of wariness in his expression. “I’d understand if you don’t want to talk about it, Abi.”

She took a breath and pulled a face. “It’s hard to talk about. Not that I don’t want to, necessarily, but painting a clear picture of what it was like over there is difficult. Hot, dusty and sandy only scratches the surface.”

Ray took her hand in his. “You were staying on a base, I take it?”

“An international one, yes. Since the fighting had been scaled back and our personnel reduced, we partnered with the British military. Air Force and Army personnel in the one place was an interesting mix but it meant we could maintain safety standards without having to pull overtime all the time. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.”

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