Page 94 of Kissing Kin
“You make it sound like I wanted to—”
“Didn’t you?” Old wounds reopening, I fingered the disconnect button.
“You know tours last six to twelve months.” He groaned. “You were mustering out. I didn’t want to hold you back.”
The lump in my throat prevented any accusations. I swallowed hard.
“I broke our engagement for you!”
“Like hell you did!” You broke my heart. I squeezed my eyes shut. I will not cry.
“Maeve…” His voice caught. “I’ve missed you.”
I swiped at the tears.
“Could we meet for coffee?”
“You want to just pick up where we left off?” My sniff was sarcastic. “It’s not that simple.”
“Why?”
“Because when you broke up, you set other events in motion.” Like a spring breeze, thoughts of Luke blew across my mind. “Life is a chain reaction of choices…”
“So, you’ve met someone else.”
“Let’s just say I’ve moved on.”
“I see.” He drew a hoarse breath.
I shouldn’t have answered the phone. I fiddled with the disconnect button, debating whether to hang up.
As the seconds ticked by, Teddy woofed and brought me the ball.
“Well, could I write you—put on paper what I have trouble saying?”
Seven hundred miles is a safe buffer. “I suppose.” Despite the warning flags, I gave him my address. “Where are you being redeployed?”
“I’m not. Instead, I’ll help develop plans of actions and milestones.”
“POAM.” I nodded, familiar with the commissioning program. “Where are you stationed?”
“Fort Bliss.”
The name hung in the air as I did the math. Instead of a ten-hour drive, El Paso is only three. The diaries came to mind. Is this how Marianna felt when Mateo returned?
Chapter 14
The next morning, I answered the knock at the door. “C’mon in, Luke. I was—”
“Hello, Maeve.”
I stiffened at the baritone voice. “Cody…” My pulse racing, I took a step backward. “I thought you were going to write.”
“I was. I tried, but then I thought I could explain better in person.” As he handed me a half-finished letter, a stainless-steel watch flashed at his wrist.
I recognized the bezel. “You’re wearing your Christmas present.”
“Haven’t taken it off”—grinning, he flexed his wrist—“not even to shower.”