Page 6 of Embattled Ever After

Fuck it. He took a swig of his beer, then focused on Alex. If she wanted to hang out, he would make sure she would have a good time, then he would ship her back to Kansas City.

Chapter Two

Alex watched the peoplearound her with fascination. She’d been around military folks her entire life and seen many impressive displays, mostly by cocky young men who knew the weight of the country rested on their shoulders, but she’d never seen a group interact like these guys did.

They were all former military, she knew that by listening to their banter, but they were all changed. They had all been in combat and injured during their service, so there were prosthetics and scars, and a wheelchair for one man. Some injuries were very visible, like Zeke, the guy that had brought Duncan the beer. But others, like Duncan himself, didn’t show any outward signs of injury when you looked at them.

The injuries didn’t seem to bother them, though, because they were all with women that lavished love upon them.

All except Duncan, that is. Physically, he was the most appealing to her. How had he managed not to get hooked up with someone? There had to be a story there. Too bad she was too nervous to ask him about it.

It was hard to keep her eyes off the man across from her. She wanted to prop her elbow on the table and just lose herself in his deep chocolate eyes and sinfully deep voice but she was afraid she would drool. Every time she looked at him she saw something else about him that appealed to her. When he’d come to the hospital months ago, she’d been struck by the experience she could see in his eyes and etched into every mature line of his face. Duncan seemed like a man that could be relied upon, someone she could trust. Yes, he limped and used a cane, but that didn’t bother her.

Tonight his face had the barest hint of stubble. It had been hours since he’d shaved, probably, and his beard had begun to grow in. The glasses that he wore were tucked into the pocket of his shirt. In the low light of the bar he seemed mature and totally sexy to her.

Trying to center her thoughts, she looked around the room. Even though she was a doctor, it was strange for her to be part of a social gathering with so many injured men, but they didn’t seem the least bothered to have her there. She searched for something to talk about so that she could turn back to Duncan and watch him speak. “So, tell me about your business. It seems like you have a lot of people working for you.”

Duncan tilted his head a little. “I have twenty men and women here at the Denver location and about another ten at the Vail branch. Grif, over there in the corner, runs the office. You might recognize his wife Kendall standing beside him. She was a model for years, and runs Herrington Limited now.”

Alex looked at the woman more closely. Yes, she definitely recognized her now that Duncan pointed her out.

“So, how many employees at the Vail branch?”

“Three full time employees, plus a half-dozen part-timers.”

Alex nodded, impressed. All of the men he hired were disabled—she’d already gathered that, but she hadn’t realized there were so many. “Women, too?”

Duncan nodded. “Yes. Rachel Searles is working a surveillance case, otherwise she’d be here. And there are two more women going through the interview and hiring process now. They bring a great perspective to things.”

“I guess I’m a little taken aback at female veterans that have been injured.”

Duncan blinked at her and lifted one dark brow. “Why?”

Alex shrugged. She didn’t like feeling defensive. “I guess because I mostly see men come through the hospital with issues. And most of the news reports male casualties.”

Duncan winced. “I can’t change the news reports, but proportionately we have as many females injured as males. The bombs and bullets don’t discriminate.”

“True.”

A little girl ran over with bright blond curls bouncing. “Mr. Duncan, did you see us? You were right. I told Santa what I wanted for Christmas and he made it happen right away.”

Duncan leaned down on the table conspiratorially. “I told you, didn’t I?”

The little girl nodded, flinging her arms around his neck. She pressed a big, wet kiss against his cheek before she tore off across the room.

Alex watched the genuine affection in Duncan’s eyes change to guardedness as he turned back to look at her. “She’s a cutie,” Alex told him.

His deep brown eyes softened again. “Yes, she is. I love seeing her this way. It wasn’t too long ago that things were very dangerous for them at home.”

Alex was surprised at that. “Really?”

Duncan gave her a considering look, as if wondering if she was truly interested. “Yes. Lora struggled with an abusive ex-husband and we had to get her out. Mercy was present when Lora fought for their lives. She had to kill her ex to secure their safety.”

Alex had heard a lot of incredible stories over the years, but his words made her gasp. She looked across the room at the blond-haired woman and child. Wow. What an incredibly harrowing experience. Chad, the man who had dressed up as Santa for a while and checked on her in the back room smiled at the two and opened his arms. One of his hands was curled painfully, the skin contracted with burn scars. Lora and Mercy didn’t seem to mind. With slow, confident smiles, knowing he would catch them, they sagged into his arms.

“This is an interesting group of people,” she told him softly.

Duncan turned his head to look at the people congregated around each other and his eyes softened as he smiled. “Yes, they are.”