Read Online Here And Now (American Valor 2) by Cheryl Etchison - Free Book Online Page A

suggested an MOS that was maybe a little safer, with less chance of being sent to the sandbox.”
    He was taking a huge risk bringing up her brother and his death. But after seeing how she looked at his army photo, his gut told him her thoughts were already on Ethan. Might as well give her an opportunity to talk about him if she wanted.
    “Why?”
    “Because regular army isn’t like Special Forces or Ranger Regiment. We had the best training, the best equipment. Hell, in the early years, a lot of soldiers didn’t have ceramic plates to go in their body armor. I probably would have told him to forego the military altogether and do almost anything else.”
    “That wouldn’t have changed his mind. As a matter of fact, he knew all of that.”
    “You’re certain?”
    “Absolutely. Because I was the one showing him the news articles, trying to convince him to not enlist. But he wasn’t the best of students and the last thing he wanted was to spend the rest of his life working odd jobs and never getting anywhere. He needed to get out of this town. The military was the obvious choice.”
    That was something he could relate to. But to hear her say it surprised him. “If this town’s so bad, why are you still here?”
    “I’ve asked myself the same thing thousands of times since Ethan died. Honestly, I don’t know why.” One corner of her mouth lifted as she pointed at his stack of textbooks on the coffee table. “You’re the one taking psychology, you tell me.”
    “Nope. No way, gorgeous. You won’t get me to touch that with a ten-foot pole.”
    She threw her head back and laughed, at what he said, at him.
    As much as he hated to admit it, for the first time since he’d left regiment, he found something that gave him far more purpose, more fulfillment, than he could ever get from being a college student or ER tech. And that something was putting a smile on Rachel Dellinger’s face.

 
    Chapter Six
    O NE THING L U CKY had learned all those years in regiment was that moving always took far longer and required more help than most were willing to admit. What didn’t look like much at the start often turned into a full day’s work with several trips that in the end could have been reduced to one, if only they’d rented the largest U-Haul truck available.
    Since time was of the essence and Rachel needed to have her things completely cleared out of the place before her ex arrived home from work, he’d traded vehicles with his dad for the day. That way they’d have two pickup trucks at their disposal.
    He followed her through town, down University Boulevard to a newer complex on the west side. With most of the parking lot empty, she was able to back into a spot along the curb with him parking alongside her. And when she stopped in front of her apartment door that was not only downstairs but on the side closest to the parking lot, he fell to his knees in mock gratitude. “Thank God.”
    “Were you that worried I might live upstairs?”
    “Absolutely I was,” he said with a smile.
    She smiled back at him, then turned the key in the dead bolt. “Here goes nothing.”
    The smell of stale smoke hit him the moment she opened the door. Pizza boxes, food wrappers, and empty beer cans littered the living room. On the floor next to the sofa was a cereal dish filled with cigarette butts and, next to it, a small burn in the carpet.
    “Well, it looks like he didn’t starve to death after all.” She turned to hide her embarrassment, but not before he saw tears welling in her eyes. “I’m sorry about this. Usually it doesn’t look or smell this bad. But since I started in the ER . . .”
    Lucky took hold of her shoulders and made her face him, bending his knees just enough to bring his face down to her level. “Do not apologize for this. Do not. He’s a grown-ass man and you are not his maid. It is not your job to clean up after him.” He stared into those crystal blue eyes and waited for his pep talk to take