Chapter 2

“I did. We’ve booked a table at The Windmill at seven. Everyone will be there. We’ll eat, have a glass of wine, and it willbe lovely. You will smile, you will laugh, and you will joke with everyone like you used to.”

Courtland? He was to drive all the way to Courtland? “Lis, I don’t—”

“No, I don’t want to hear it! Either you start living again or I’ll…” She crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. The shade of her red hair wasn’t identical to the one she’d been born with—the shade both of them had been born with—but it was close. She, like him, had white streaks in her hair. She disguised them under a layer of bottled youth, he didn’t have the energy to care.

Madoc didn’t wantto start living again. The first time he’d seen Levi it had been like he’d been hit by lightning. The first touch had lit a fire inside him hot enough to burn his sense away. The first time they’d kissed, Madoc had known what it was like to be whole.

He took another bite of the bagel to chase away the memories wanting to rise.

“Be there.” Lisa closed the door a bit harder than necessary, making him wince. Her bagel sat untouched on the plate, the roses were lovely in a vase on the counter, and the balloons swayed where she’d tied them to his chair. Guilt bloomed in his mind, but he waved it away, grabbed his things, and got ready for work.

* * * *

Levi Campbell saluted the group of fellow green-clad soldiers as he headed for the canteen. The heat was oppressive, sweat pearling on his brow as soon as he walked out into the sun. Iraq—Never in his wildest fantasies had he believed he’d go to Iraq.

It had been such a stupid thing to do. He’d been here for six months, dressed in the same green clothes every day, unless they were patrolling in the desert, then they wore the Cookie Dough Camouflage, staring at the same sand every day, and cursing his decision to enlist…every fucking day

Drills, training, patrols—it all melted together. He’d believed he’d at least be allowed to have his cell phone so he could call home when he wanted; had hoped he could at least, sporadically, send a text to Doc.

He might have promised not to contact him, and he’d mostly kept that promise. He’d only sent one text and it had been right before he’d had to leave his phone behind. But it had been fifteen months now—fifteen lonely months, surely it would be okay to send a text…if he’d been able to text. Groaning, he turned toward the small building with the phone booths.

Sometimes he had to wait in line for ages. There were four phones available and many who wanted to talk to their loved ones, but he’d figured out pretty quickly that it was best to make his calls when everyone else went to eat; less of a line then.

Today he was lucky, there was one unoccupied booth. He punched in Amanda’s number and waited. Several signals rang through, he was about to hang up when there was a crackle.

“Hello?”

“Amanda?”

“Oh my God, Levi. Are you okay?”

He frowned at the dirty doodles on the wall. “I’m fine, why?”

“You never call at this time.”

“Because if you’d worked last night, you’d be asleep, and I don’t know your schedule anymore.” He counted the hours backward on his fingers—nope, she’d be in bed no matter if she’d worked or not. “Sorry, I woke you.”

He pictured her in bed, her long dark hair messy from sleep. When they’d lived together, she’d thrown pillows at him if he woke her too early.

“You scared the fuck out of me. I thought something had happened.”

“Nothing has happened. It’s really calm where we’re at. I’ve told you. You don’t have to worry.”

She snorted. “Right.”

“I promise. All we do is patrol. The people are friendly. Nothing is going to happen.” He hoped. It would be so stupid to die here before he got to see Doc again. He’d done what Doc had told him—to have an adventure—but the plan had always been to go home after and get him back. If Doc believed it was over, he was in for a surprise. It all depended on Levi surviving, of course—and Doc not having found someone else.

He cursed the army. Why the fuck did the contract have to be so long? It wasn’t until he’d already signed up that it had sunk in for how long he’d be away.

Running his hand up and down his thigh until the rough fabric grew heated against his palm, he tried to calm down. Sometimes he was so stupid.