Homecoming Hero (10 page)

He watched, fascinated, as she went to the sink and flipped on the faucet. After squirting dish soap in the pooling water, she tackled the task of washing a stack of plates recently freed from their packaging.

Unable to take his eyes off her, Wolf's heart took a tumble in his chest. Hailey moved with a sleek grace that captivated him. She was all poise and fluid motion and beneath her deceptively easygoing manner was the heart of a warrior. She would fight for her beliefs to the bitter end. He'd been kidding himself to think otherwise. She would also stand boldly beside those she considered her own.

Wolf wanted to be hers.

Taking a deep breath, he rocked back on his heels and tried not to disturb her while he was battling this strange mood.

Then again, why not interrupt her?

Decision made, he ambled into the kitchen.

“Are you planning to work through dinner?” he asked in what he hoped was a light tone. He couldn't tell over the drumming of his pulse in his ears.

She looked over her shoulder and smiled. “What time is it?”

Captured in that sweet gaze, he swallowed. “Just after eight.”

“I didn't realize it was so late.” She looked around the town house and her smile deepened. “We've certainly accomplished a lot.”

“Enough for one day.” He concentrated on a spot over her head, searching for anything to keep his mind off
the way his heartbeat continued to pick up speed at an alarming rate. “Let's get something to eat.”

“But I'm not through washing dishes.”

“I say you are.”

He reached around her, turned off the faucet then stepped back. She spun around with a gasp. Blinking rapidly, she looked flustered and confused and adorable. He had to fight not to pull her into his arms and kiss her.

There was something about this woman that called to the man in him. He felt incredibly normal around her. And accepted, truly accepted.

A flood of warmth captured his cold heart. Hailey O'Brien was a special woman. By refusing to hold him responsible for her brother's death, she made him want to forgive himself, to turn back to God and be a better man, the man he never thought he could be but desperately wanted to become.

She moved a step closer, piercing him with her gaze. There was curiosity in her eyes. And something else. Something that told him she was fully aware of him, fully engaged in the moment.

Needing something to do, Wolf grabbed a dish towel off the counter, took her hands in his and began drying them.

She let out a shaky sigh.

He liked that sound. It made him feel like an alpha male, called to protect his woman from danger. And, yeah, Hailey was starting to feel like his woman.

“Are you going to kiss me again?” she asked with unmistakable excitement in her eyes.

He could get used to her looking at him like that. Grinning like the Big, Bad Wolf she'd once called him,
he continued rubbing her hands. Slowly. Methodically. “It's a high possibility.”

“So, um…” She cleared her throat. “Are you going to do it anytime soon?”

He tossed the towel over his shoulder, then lifted one of her hands to his lips. “I'm thinking about it.”

Now she looked annoyed and maybe a little impatient. “Are you gonna think about it much longer?”

“That bother you?” he asked, knowing full well that it did.

“You bet it does.” She tugged her hands free and then skimmed her fingertips across his cheek. “You have exactly five seconds to get busy, soldier. Or I'll take matters into my own hands.”

He liked that idea. A lot. “How long do I have left?”

“About three seconds.”

“One…” He counted slowly, fighting for patience. “Two…”

She let out a feminine huff and grabbed his shoulders. “Three.”

He closed his eyes as she pressed her lips to his. Her kiss was tentative, innocent and so sweet Wolf's eyes stung behind his lids.

Just as he started enjoying himself, she pulled her head back. “There.” Her tone rang with triumph.

Wolf grinned at her, realizing he hadn't felt this good in a long time. Maybe never. “Very nice.”

A blush spread across her cheeks.

He leaned forward for another kiss, but then her stomach growled and he stopped his pursuit. “Hungry much?”

She gave him a wry grin. “I suppose I should warn you. I get mean when I don't eat.”

He doubted that, but he played along. “Then we better get you fed.” He walked over to the counter and yanked Stella's keys into his hand. “If I remember correctly, you owe me a pizza.”

“I'll gladly pay up.” She took the keys out of his hand and twirled them around her index finger. “But before we head out, didn't you want to show me something on your computer first?”

His good mood plummeted at the reminder. With considerable effort, he folded his emotions further inside him and took his keys back. Nothing was going to ruin this moment, especially not a series of video clips of IED explosions. “Later. Maybe after we eat.”

Thankfully, she didn't argue. “Okay.”

Wolf watched, mesmerized, as she twisted her hair into one of those intricate braids only women knew how to build.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“I'm pulling my hair back so it'll fit under the helmet.”

“What helmet?”

She gave him a pitying look. “The one I have to wear to ride on your motorcycle.”

He shook the car keys in front of her nose. “We're taking Stella.”

“Oh, no. No, no.” She plucked the keys back and then tossed them into the sink of soapy water. “You promised me a ride on your motorcycle.”

Wolf was already shaking his head before she finished speaking. No way was he putting her on his bike at this hour. “It's too dark outside.”

“Why would riding in the dark be a problem?” She angled her head at him. “Don't you have a headlight?”

“Sure, but you won't be able to see much. Why bother?”

“Because I'll be able to tap into my other senses. Feel the wind on my face. Hear the roar of the traffic. Maybe smell the pine trees. As a matter of fact…” She drummed a finger on her chin. “Not being able to see just might make the whole experience more exciting.”

It probably would, Wolf silently admitted to himself. But he wasn't giving in to her request. Riding a cycle could be dangerous. Riding at night even more so.

“Come on, Wolf.”

“Absolutely not.”

She gave him a sad puppy-dog look that just about broke his heart. “Please?”

“No.”

“I have tricks to make you change your mind.”

Okay, that sounded interesting. “Yeah? Like what?”

She opened her mouth, shut it, concentrated for a moment, then began again. “You might as well quit arguing. You will give in.”

In the face of all that female confidence, Wolf knew she was right. She was going to win this one. But his pride wouldn't allow him to go down without a fight. The woman was going to have to earn her ride.

“Go ahead, sweetheart.” He folded his arms across his chest. “Convince me.”

S
miling in triumph, Hailey wrapped her arms around Wolf's waist and prepared to enjoy the ride. She couldn't hear much over the noise of the motorcycle's engine.

She didn't care.

She felt great. Free. And to think, she'd nearly missed out on this fabulous experience because of Wolf's stubbornness.

Thankfully, he'd given in to her request. All it had taken was a few steps in his direction, a lot of female attitude on her part and a saucy grin. The poor man had gone down without a fight.

But right now, instead of gloating—there'd be plenty of time for that—Hailey allowed herself to embrace all the wonderful sensations of the moment.

Her pulse raced in time with the roar of the engine. Her stomach flipped over and over and over again. While her eyes filled with happy tears.

This was an adventure she wouldn't soon forget.

No denying it, Hailey had lived a sheltered life. If she'd have continued existing in her safe, predictable world, she'd have missed out on today. She'd have missed out on Wolf.

Smiling broadly, she hugged him a little tighter.

Misunderstanding the gesture, he slowed down. “Sorry,” he yelled over the wind. “Didn't mean to scare you.”

Touched that he was that concerned about her, she shouted back, “I'm not afraid.”

“Really?”

She laughed into the wind. “Speed up.”

With a twist of his wrist, he did as she requested, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like, “Woman after my own heart.”

Hailey sighed, ready to admit the truth at last. She wasn't falling for Wolf, she'd already fallen. It had been coming on for a while, maybe all the way back to Clay's first e-mails about his friend with the odd nickname. In some place deep within her, Hailey had been waiting for Wolf to come home to her.

And now that he was here, she was a better person for knowing him. It wasn't just his good looks that had captured her heart. It was his courage. His integrity. And, oddly enough, his devotion to her brother's last request.

Not that he'd win that particular argument, but Wolf's commitment to his promise showed what sort of man he was deep at his core.

With another twist of his wrist, he slowed the motorcycle so he could take the off-ramp that fed into Savannah's historic district.

The moment they turned onto Liberty, Hailey sighed. Her ride was drawing to an end.

Traffic was light at this time of year. That didn't mean there weren't tourists. They passed three separate walking tours in less than five city blocks.

Determined to squeeze every ounce of pleasure out
of this adventure, Hailey tried to look at the downtown from a visitor's perspective. She knew the draw was the city's rich history and unique architecture. But to her, Savannah was simply home. The only one she'd ever known.

She would miss living here when she left for the Middle East. The city had a quirkiness and charm that couldn't be found in any other place in the world. Once she became a full-time missionary, Hailey would have to leave everything and everyone she loved behind.

She fought back a frown, but couldn't stop the wave of sadness that coursed through her veins.

Wolf pulled the motorcycle to a stop in front of her house and her mood took another turn for the worse. Feeling apprehensive, she climbed off the bike and then yanked off her helmet with a little more force than necessary.

“Why don't you come inside,” she said, eyeing Wolf carefully. “Once we order the pizza I'll grab my laptop and you can cue up whatever it was you wanted to show me.”

Wolf looked up at her house. A shadow of unease crossed his face, but then he gave one firm nod of agreement. “Yeah, okay. It might be better to do this here. Where you're comfortable.”

At his businesslike manner a shiver of foreboding passed through her. Worse, the tension was back between them. Suspecting what he planned to show her, Hailey doubted the evening would end on a high note. And that was the real shame here.

 

Sitting alone at Hailey's kitchen table, Wolf waited for her to return with her laptop. His hunger had all but
disappeared. And with each passing second, his doubts increased.

Maybe this wasn't the best time to show Hailey the video montage he'd found on the Internet. When the idea had first occurred to him, his primary goal had been to scare her into staying home.

Now, he wasn't sure he wanted to frighten her. Not like this. But how else could he convince her of the dangers she would face in the Middle East? Reason hadn't worked. So far the survival classes hadn't done the trick. Even his well-thought-out pleas had fallen on deaf ears.

Wolf was out of ideas.

So here he sat, rubbing his aching leg, preparing to fight dirty. But what else could he do? Walk away? Not going to happen.

He tapped his knee with an impatient drumming of his fingers, wishing Hailey would return soon. The picture of her and Clay still hung on her refrigerator. The sight of all that happiness, now lost forever, was a bold reminder of why Wolf had to resort to shock tactics in order to bring Hailey into compliance with her brother's wishes.

Glancing at the photograph, it struck him once again just how different the tuxedoed Clay was from the fearless soldier Wolf remembered. The guy in the picture looked younger, more carefree, on the brink of continuing the O'Brien legacy.

Hailey looked equally charmed and ready to take her place in the world, as well. In that brief snapshot in time, the future was full of possibilities for them both.

Then Clay had gone off to war. And everything had changed.

Guilt weighed like a stone in Wolf's gut. Had Clay
survived the IED instead of him, would he be the one sitting in this kitchen waiting for his sister to return? Perhaps they'd be planning Clay's next career move, Hailey's unconditional support making the choices seem endless.

What would it be like to have that kind of woman in his life, a woman who knew what loyalty and permanence meant?

Wolf had no answer to the question. The mere suggestion was beyond his comprehension. How could a man whose own mother hadn't wanted him ever understand a woman like Hailey and what it would take to make her happy?

Before he could ponder the question, Hailey returned and joined him at the table.

“We have at least thirty minutes before the pizza arrives.” She slid a high-end laptop computer toward him. “It's booted up. What did you want to show me?”

Against his better judgment, Wolf held Hailey's gaze a moment too long. She wasn't exactly scowling, but her eyes were bright and full of apprehension, as though she sensed what was about to come. With all that emotion brimming in her gaze, she looked far too young to head into a war zone.

If the insurgents got hold of her, they would…they would…

Wolf shook the thought away with a fierce jerk of his head.

He hated what he was about to do, but he hated the idea of this beautiful, untouched woman heading into danger even more.

He swallowed back the last of his misgivings and lowered his gaze to the computer.

A few keystrokes later he found the Web site he wanted. Two more clicks and the video montage was ready to go.

“Okay. We're all set.” He glanced over at Hailey again. “I'm going to show you a few scenarios similar to the one where your brother died.”

“Wolf, no.” Panic filled her gaze. “I don't need to see how Clay died. He's with the Lord now, and that's all that matters. It's not important how he got there.”

“Unfortunately, how he died
is
important.” Wolf covered her hand with his. The idea of losing her to the violence of the Middle East was enough to steal his breath. “I'm sorry, Hailey, I can't let either of us forget why I sought you out in the first place.”

She squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath and then slowly nodded. “Okay, fine. Let's just get this over with.”

“It's for the best,” he said, trying to convince himself as much as her.

But for the first time since Clay's death, Wolf felt the stirrings of genuine anger. Not guilt but anger, bordering on fury. Why had his friend put him in this impossible situation?

If Wolf kept Hailey out of the Middle East, she could easily end up bitter, perhaps never forgiving him for taking away her dream, as misguided as it was. On the other hand, if she did make it to the Sandpit, she could just as easily lose her life to a random act of violence. Or worse.

As bad as either scenario was, Wolf knew his duty.

With a surprisingly steady hand, he pressed the Enter key. An image from a homemade video filled the screen.

No turning back now.

 

Hailey held her breath as Wolf swung the computer to face her again. She braced against the emotions bubbling inside her, with little success.

Relax, relax, relax,
she told herself, but she couldn't hold back the sick feeling of panic whirling in her stomach.

Wolf wasn't playing fairly.

Nevertheless, Hailey would endure this terrible moment. And then she would get through the next. And then the next, holding steady through the entire process until Wolf shut off the computer.

Blinking hard, she took in the scene playing out on the screen. A soft gasp flew from her lips.

The video Wolf had cued up had been taken from atop a military transport vehicle, one that had an upper deck large enough to hold several heavily armed soldiers.

The picture quality was terrible. And there was no audio to speak of, other than the grind of the truck's engine and some off-color bantering between the men. It was the kind of good-natured ribbing Clay and his friends used to give one another while watching University of Georgia football games.

But how could the soldiers be so carefree? Didn't they know what was about to happen?

Her heart constricted painfully in her chest. How was she going to watch these men die?

She wanted to rail at Wolf for making her sit through this. She glanced over at him, ready to tell him what she thought of his underhanded tactics, but then she noticed the tense look on his face. He didn't want to watch this video any more than she did.

“Why are you putting us through this?” she asked, more than a little angry at him.

“Because you need to see for yourself the sort of danger you're heading into.” Determination exuded out of him.

“There are other ways,” she whispered.

“If I thought that were true we wouldn't be sitting here now.”

Frowning, she returned her gaze to the screen and braced for the inevitable explosion.

The image was bumpier now that the highway had turned into a long stretch of uneven pavement.

One moment the soldiers were driving along, with an endless expanse of desert flanking each side of the road, the next moment…

Boom!

The camera jerked.

And then the image blurred, fading to black.

Unfortunately, the audio still worked. “Get out, get out, get out,” someone yelled.

The soldiers were still alive. “Thank God,” Hailey murmured.

But before she could discover their ultimate fate, Wolf reached over and clicked the Enter key again.

The image disappeared. Only to be replaced by another.

This one was from the same camera angle, but the truck moved at a snail's pace along a city street amid heavy civilian traffic.

“That's Baghdad,” Wolf told her.

Hailey ignored him, her gaze riveted to the screen. Hot tears of frustration filled her eyes. Why couldn't she look away?

She didn't have long to ponder before another…

Boom!

This time, the explosion came from several yards up
ahead of the military vehicle. The sound of screeching tires was all Hailey caught before Wolf clicked a button and another video began.

She sat through three more explosions before she slammed the laptop shut and glared at Wolf. “Enough.”

Conviction flickered over his harsh features, but Hailey also saw the haunted look below the hard emotion. The videos had disturbed him as much as they had her.

She opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off. “
Now
do you see how dangerous it is over there?”

The grief in him was palpable. Clearly, this hideous little exercise had backfired on him. And now he was the one most disturbed by the explosions, both guilt-ridden and filled with regret. The poor man needed redemption. What he didn't understand was the Lord had already given it to him. He just hadn't accepted it yet.

The instinct to push him down the path toward healing made Hailey speak too quickly, with little finesse. “All you managed to prove was how random the violence is over there.
In fact,
the only similarity I saw in those five videos was the haphazard nature of the explosions.”

A muscle shifted in his jaw. “That wasn't my point.”

Oh, she knew what his point had been. “Regardless. That's what I'm taking away from this. And so should you. The death of your men was not your fault, Wolf. Please, hear me.” She pinned him with her stare. “It wasn't your fault.”

For a tense moment he just sat there, blinking at her with a glazed look in his eyes. Then he lowered his head and a shiver ran through him. It didn't take all three of
Hailey's college degrees to figure out Wolf was back in the desert, grappling with painful memories.

“This isn't about me.” His head snapped up and he looked fully aware of his surroundings. Too aware. “Why won't you accept how dangerous the region is?” He all but growled the question at her.

“I'm not an imbecile. I
know
it's dangerous over there. But I won't cower my way through life. Not anymore.” She stood, slapped her palms on the table and glared down at him. “If I die over there, then I die. But at least I'll know I gave my life serving the Lord.”