A Soldier's Heart

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Authors: Alexis Morgan
Tags: Romance, Literature & Fiction, Contemporary
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back.”
    While she rooted through the stack, he continued to stroke Mooch’s soft fur. The dog was sleeping peacefully, but Spence needed to feel the encouragement of his heartbeat and each breath the exhausted animal took.
    Amanda was back with a handful of films, hugging them close. “Looks like you found a few to your liking.”
    She gave him a puzzled look. “I was expecting mostly aliens and explosions, but instead you’ve got a whole bunch of romantic comedies I’ve been wanting to see.”
    Leif laughed. “He has a friend back home who sends him movies all the time. She figures watching a few chick flicks every now and then will help civilize him and hone his skills with the ladies.”
    Amanda’s expression said she wasn’t quite buying his explanation. “And how has that been working for him?”
    Nick answered that one. “What can we say? The boy’s a slow learner. We’ve all but given up on him.”
    She gave Spence a long look as he ignored his human friends and petted his furry one. “If Mooch takes a turn for the worse, send someone to get me day or night.”
    Then she patted Spence on the shoulder and waited for him to look up. “And just so you know, personally, I always figure you can tell a lot about a man by the way he treats animals.”
    Spence wasn’t sure what to say to that, which no doubt only gave proof to Nick’s comment about Spence’s talent with women. When he finally looked up again, Amanda was gone.

Chapter 9
    “Spence, get some sleep.”
    He shook his head. “I can’t. He might need something.”
    Nick had just gotten back from a late-night trip to the john. Rather than return to his own bed, he wandered over to sit on the edge of Spence’s.
    “How is he doing?”
    Spence studied the dog, looking for any sign of change. “He whimpers every so often, but he seems to be breathing all right. It’s almost time to disconnect the IV the vet started.”
    “After you do that, grab some sack time. You won’t be good for anything tomorrow if you don’t.”
    “I’ve tried, Nick, but every time I shut my eyes, I hear him and wake up. I’m afraid I’ll miss something.”
    The two of them stared down at the dog for several seconds. Finally, Nick said, “Go sack out in my bed. I’ll stand watch.”
    Okay, that was the last thing Spence would have expected. “Are you sure?”
    His friend slid down on the floor beside him. “Yes, consider it an order. After yesterday, I won’t be surprised if they don’t have most of us out patrolling the town to make our presence felt. If so, I’ll need you at your best.”
    “Promise you’ll wake me up if he . . .”
    He let the sentence drift to an end, unable to finish the thought out loud because the idea of Mooch dying sent a crippling pain ripping right through Spence’s chest. How could he have gotten so attached in such a short time? But then, combat had a way of heightening all emotions, good and bad. The two of them had been through a battle together, one that had almost cost Mooch his life and very likely saved Spence’s.
    “I will. Now go, or don’t you trust me to keep an eye on him for you?”
    Spence pushed himself up to his feet, stiff and sore from sitting in one position too long on the hard concrete floor. “I trust you, Nick. I always have.”
    He stretched out on Nick’s bed, not really expecting to sleep. But as soon as his head hit the pillow, he must have fallen right into a dream world.
    Either that, or Nick really was over there talking to Mooch and thanking him for saving his ass, too.
    •   •   •
    Three days later, Mooch was up and about, poking his nose into every corner of their quarters. Right now he was in the process of tugging the pillow down off Nick’s bed.
    “Damn it, leave it alone, Mooch. Nick will kick both our asses if he catches you doing that.”
    He’d just returned the pillow to its rightful place when there was a knock at the door. “Hide, Mooch!”
    The dog immediately

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