Read Online Dead Time Series by Jason Wilcox - Free Book Online Page B

deal with that situation, and home didn’t sound inviting.
    Finally,
the stale warm air in her car began to make her feel uneasy, so she pulled out
of the parking lot and just drove. She rolled down her windows; the fresh air
blew through her hair. Something clanked together next to her. A normal sound,
a common sound, but it caught her attention this time.
    Caden’s metals. There
were two of them hanging from her mirror.
    She
always kept them in her car to help remind her of him. One of the amazing acts
he did to get his last metal happened the same day she met him. She had been
working at the military hospital. A large number of men had arrived from a
gruesome battle. Hundreds of soldiers had died that day.
    There
was a long corridor lined with beds and soldiers. A soldier standing at the end
caught her eye. He was on crutches with a bandaged leg and shoulder, staring
out a small window.
    As
she made her way towards him, believing it was the soldier she heard rumors
about, she could see blood seeping through his shoulder bandage. “Excuse me,”
Bridget said softly trying to get the soldier’s attention. He looked at her
with pain-filled eyes and then gazed back out the window. His heart seemed heavy.
    “Are
you the one that saved these soldiers?” Her voice stumbled at the end from a
strange gaze he gave her. She looked down at the blood that was seeping through
the shoulder wound, not knowing where else to look. There was silence for a
moment as he analyzed her, almost appearing to be staring into her soul.
    “Well,”
she mustered the courage to speak again. His mysterious ways only captivated
her more. “If it’s you, I just wanted to thank you for your bravery. You’re a
hero, and I don’t think you soldiers get enough gratitude for what you do for
our country.” She waited a moment for a response, but nothing came and she
turned to walk away. She took a step to leave, but was stopped, as he pulled
her back. His hand shook as he turned her around.
    “I’m
not a hero,” Caden responded. “Men died out there today. They are the true
heroes, the ones to give your thanks.” He let her go and looked back out the
window. She could only begin to imagine all that was going through his mind and
the pain he was experiencing and probably also reliving.
    “You’re
right, they are heroes, and so are you.” After her stern words, she left to see
to other patients. Their conversations continued and grew over the next couple
of days. In only those few days, she had fallen in love.
    A red
light brought her out of her reminiscing. I don’t want to lose him. I love
him. If he still feels uncomfortable about marrying me, then I can be patient
and wait. Something seemed to wedge in her throat with the thought, but she
swallowed it down, because the time to take initiative was now, and she wasn’t
going to lose Caden. There had to be a way to sit down and talk things out
without fighting.
    A meal
would be nice, especially a romantic one where she could tell him how amazing
he was, and how much she loved him. There was one more night before he left, so
there was still time to put something together. She headed directly to the
store and picked up a fancy meal with lobster tails and all.
    Before
Bridget knew it, she was home. Once inside, she threw her purse down on the
floor and kicked off her shoes. She heard scratching at the back door and
jumped, startled by the noise. Slowly, she set her keys down on the little
table by the door and made her way to the kitchen. Mags stood at the back door
wagging her tail, her tongue flopping out of her mouth. Bridget exhaled. She
opened the door and Mags rushed in, dancing around her in circles.
    “Caden,
are you home?” Her stomach filled with butterflies at the thought that maybe he
was there to surprise her. She walked from room to room calling his name.
    “Caden,
are you in here?” she asked as she entered the spare room where Caden kept his
traveling gear. Clothes and some