Soldier on Her Doorstep Read Free

enough already.
    He felt her sit up straighter.
    â€œWhat’s in here?”
    â€œSome letters, a photo of Lilly, and his old tags.”
    â€œHe asked you to give these to me?” she pressed.
    Alex nodded.
    â€œHave you read them?” she asked, her fingers already clasped around the cluster of papers inside.
    â€œNo, ma’am.”
    She slipped them back into the bag and leaned forward to place it on the table.
    â€œMy husband trusted you to come here, to visit me, and I don’t even know your name,” she said lightly.
    Alex stood.
    â€œAlex Dane,” he said, arms hanging awkwardly at his sides.
    â€œAlex,” she repeated.
    The smile she gave him made him want to run. Even more so than earlier, when she’d opened the door. This woman was supposed to be grieving—unhappy, miserable, even. Not kind and smiling. Not ponytail-swishingly beautiful.
    He had been prepared for sadness and she’d thrown him.
    â€œThank you for the tea, but I’d better get on my way,” he announced abruptly.
    â€œOh, no, you don’t,” she said.
    He grimaced as she grabbed a hold of his wrist, but didn’t let himself resist.
    â€œYou’re staying for dinner and I won’t take no for an answer.”
    He let himself be frog-marched toward the front door and fought not to pull away from her.
    He should never have come.
    A set of blue eyes peeking out from beneath a blonde fringe watched him from the end of the hallway. The smell of baking filled his nostrils. A framed photo of William smiled down at him from the wall.
    He was in another man’s house. With another man’s wife and another man’s child. He had stepped into someone else’s life and it wasn’t right.
    But, even though he knew it was wrong, he felt strangely like he’d arrived home.
    Not that he should know what a home felt like.
    Â 
    Lisa filled the kettle and set it to boil. Despite his odd behavior, she felt at ease with Alex in her home. It wasn’t like she had a lack of visitors—ever since she’d heard the news of William’s passing she’d had family and friends constantly dropping by. Not to mention her sister, acting as if she was a child needing tender care. It seemed she always had an excuse to drop past.
    And she’d had plenty of soldiers visit. Just not for a while now.
    She glanced over at Alex. He was sitting only a few feet from her, yet he could have been on the other side of the State. There was a closed expression on his face, and she was certain he was unaware of it. From what she’d read about returned soldiers there were many who never recovered from what they’d seen at war. Others just needed time, though, and she hoped this was the case with Alex. She could feel that he needed help.
    Part of her was just plain curious about him. The other more demanding side of her wanted to interrogate him about William’s death, and about what it was that troubled him. Sheguessed she had some time to ask questions, but how much could she ask him over one afternoon and dinner?
    â€œDo you take sugar?”
    She watched as he looked up at her, his gaze still uncertain.
    â€œOne sugar. Thank you.”
    She spooned coffee granules into each cup, added sugar, then poured the now boiled water. Lisa could feel him watching her, but she didn’t mind. There was something oddly comforting about knowing that he’d been with William at the end.
    She cleared her throat before turning around and passing him his coffee. She noticed that his eyes danced over her body, but she had the feeling he wasn’t checking her out. It was more as if he was making an assessment of her, looking for something.
    â€œI don’t have a handgun on me, if that’s what you’re worried about.” She laughed at herself, but he didn’t even crack a smile. Instead his face turned a burnished red. She felt an unfamiliar flutter herself. Maybe