Page 5 of The Homecoming

He climbed in the driver’s seat and watched her laugh for a moment. “It’s not funny.”

“Sure it is. You act like you’re scared of them.”

He put the jeep in gear and lined up to turn out of the parking lot. “I am.”

“It must be terrifying to have women throwing themselves at you,” she quipped.

“It is.”

“You fight terrorists.”

He leveled a gaze at her. “Those women are far more vicious than any terrorist.”

Sighing, Autumn smiled and rolled her eyes. “No. They just want you for your body.”

Daniel slid on mirrored sunglasses. “Do you want my body?”

Well, yes. But, she would never be so blatant about it.“Most places around here are going to be full for lunch, right now,” she changed the subject and stared out the window.

“Fast food, then,” he said with a smile in his voice. “Aggressive women don’t really interest me…. Although, I don’t mind being bossed around in bed.”

Autumn let out a surprised laugh hoping her face wasn’t as bright red as it felt.He was flirting with her.

“Burger joint, then?”

“Sounds good.”

Autumn scouted out a table while he ordered. She tried to pay him for her food, but he wouldn’t accept. “You’re unemployed, I’m not,” he defended.

“But you also paid for the ice cream. I’m not a freeloader.” Autumn unwrapped the burger and grabbed some fries off the tray.

He waved away the issue. “Just quit complaining and eat,” he smiled. “And more importantly, let me eat.”

“Fine, I’ll take it as restitution for wrapping me in poison ivy as a kid.”

Dan choked on his burger. “Oh my god.” He laughed for a while before continuing. “I promise you, I got the worst part of that.”

“How so? I was covered in it.”

“You may have been covered with a rash, but the vine was in my hands and I ended up with it on...” He looked down indicating a region to the south.

Autumn’s eyes went wide. “On your...”

Dan nodded.

“No way.” Autumn laughed until she couldn’t breathe.

“It was miserable. So don’t worry, I suffered for that.” He bit into a fry. “My mom was so mad at me,” he said as he started laughing again.

“You were such a brat.”

The childhood reminiscing continued long after lunch had ended. They laughed and spoke of old times; it was difficult to believe that it had been nine years since they’d seen each other. In some ways, it was like no time had passed, but the last time they’d both still been teens. And now, sitting across from her was a man who’d been to war, who’d seen and done things he’d never tell her. She wasn’t much different than she’d been then, while he was completely different.

“So, what are you up to tomorrow?” he asked.

Autumn pretended to think for a while. “Well,” she said, “I guess I need to decide what to do with my life.”

Dan nodded. “You can figure that out in, like...half an hour or so, right?”

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