Read Online True Devotion by Dee Henderson - Free Book Online

would spontaneously give him a hug as she said thanks—but then reality would intrude and he would force the idea away. She had been his best friend’s wife, and he never planned to marry until he was out of the SEALs. He had seen what Nick’s death had done to her. He was thirty-eight; Kelly was thirty-one. Both of them were cautious about change.
    He tried to pay attention to the details of how she was moving on so as not to say or do the wrong thing. Kelly would laugh at Liz’s attempts to get her to go on a date, always turning them down. Joe had seen her wistfulness when she held Liz’s infant son, Christopher, but that was the only time he ever wondered if Kelly thought about getting married again. She seemed content to let her life drift by as it was. He didn’t think that was good for her long term, but he had been reluctant to add his voice to Elizabeth’s. He sensed a fragility that had yet to fade, and he didn’t want Kelly making major changes until she recovered some of the self-confidence that had been there in the past.
    It wasn’t going to be easy to ask her what she had meant. He wasn’t even sure which answer he hoped for. He knew the danger that his emotions toward Kelly could be survivor’s guilt—Nick had died saving his life—but when his emotions had grown over the years instead of fading, he recognized they were based on something much deeper.
    Kelly was a wonderful lady, a great friend, and his emotions were already at the fine line of wanting more. He knew what kind of wife she made, and his life would only be better for having her in it. But he had to think about what was best for Kelly; he owed her that. And for her to get involved with a SEAL, for it to be the man her husband had died to save— She didn’t even know the truth of what had happened. He didn’t know how to make this work out.
    Regardless of the complication her words had created, he wanted to give her a solid hug for having said them. Down in the depths of his heart it had felt so good to hear those words. Those three words had the power to cut right through to his heart.
    She had likely known that too. The words made her vulnerable, yet she still went ahead and said them. A gift. She had given him so many over the years: birthday parties she never let him ignore, Christmas gifts, and more than once he had come home from a mission to find a note on the kitchen counter and a home-cooked meal waiting in the refrigerator.
    It wasn’t just him; she made the lives of the entire SEAL team easier. In a platoon of sixteen men, she knew the wives, the girlfriends, and what had been happening when his men were away. And when something needed to make its way to his or Boomer’s attention, it did so quietly through Kelly. It was her nature to look out for the best interests of the people around her. Joe smiled. She also looked out for him.
    Lord, don’t let me make a mistake with how I handle this situation. She’s one of my best friends, and if I hurt her, I’ll never forgive myself. But if I let myself dream, I wish there were a way to make this work.
    Joe sighed as he stretched out his legs. The cold water had sapped his strength and he was tired, but overriding that was his worry. For three years there had been slow, steady progress as he fought to keep his word to Nick and watch out for Kelly. Tonight everything had changed, and he didn’t know how it was going to turn out.

Five
     
* * *
     
    “You’re awake.” Joe sounded pleased. Kelly wanted to pull the covers over her head and hide.
    She looked over at the doorway of her hospital room and saw him standing there—needing a shave, his fatigues wrinkled, holding a military mug of coffee. There was something uniquely fascinating about looking at a military man when he was relaxed and at ease. He looked wonderful and she knew she looked her worst. “Hi, Joe.”
    “Hey, why the frown?” He moved to the bedside chair and grasped her hand in a reassuring grip. His