To Love and Heal (The Power of Love Series) Read Free Page A

apparent overdose of hair gel.  He
was easy enough on the eyes, and Anna had no doubt that many women would
consider him a prime catch.  But attraction in her book went far beyond a
man's bank account, and all the money in the world couldn't buy her interest if
someone was lacking in the way of character or values. 
    As they enjoyed a
leisurely paced meal along with a premium bottle of wine, Anna felt herself
finally begin to relax despite the fact that Steve seemed stuck on one
conversation subject: himself. It wasn't until dessert arrived that he finally
switched gears.
    "So, how's
the remodeling situation going?" he asked, his eyes looking up briefly
from a mouth-watering slice of caramel cheesecake. "The last time I saw
you, you had been interviewing people without much luck."
    Anna nodded as she
helped herself to a spoonful of grapenut pudding. "I know – I never
thought it would be so hard to find someone both capable and reliable enough to
do the job.  But I finally did."
    "Good for
you. A contractor?"
    "No. He
actually spent the last five years in Afghanistan, but did some remodeling work
before that."
    Steve arched an
eyebrow.  "Afghanistan … really."
    Anna shifted
uncomfortably in her chair, slightly taken aback by Steve's dismissive tone of
voice. "I have a feeling he's been through a lot, but he's a really good
worker and I'm happy with the job he's doing."
    "I suppose it
beats getting your ass shot off for a stupid war."
    Anna studied Steve
for several bewildering moments before finding her voice again.  "I
don't think we've ever talked politics before, but I would have expected you
leaned more to the right than the left."
    "Politics has
nothing to do with it.  These wars are bankrupting our country – I'm talking
as a financial advisor."
    "I don't
disagree with what you're saying about the financial burden of these
wars.  And I'm not going to pretend that I was a proponent of either the
Afghanistan or Iraq Wars from the get-go – I wasn't, and the longer they drag
on and the more people who are killed, the more I question why we ever went
there in the first place. But that doesn't change the fact that these guys –
and gals – are not having an easy time over there, especially with repeated
tours."
    Steve shrugged. 
"They got what they signed up for.  If they come back in a body bag
or without a pair of legs, they only have themselves to thank."
    Several moments
passed before Anna realized she was staring at Steve with her mouth slightly
agape.  "Did you really just say that?"
    Steve couldn't
appear more nonchalant if he were merely commenting on the weather. 
"Just telling you what I think.  You can't hold that against
me."
    Anna pushed her
chair back and stood up, her hands nearly shaking as she rustled in her purse
for some cash.
    "What in the
world are you doing?" Steve asked, arrogance replaced with bafflement.
    Anna threw two
twenty-dollar bills on the table.  "I think that about covers my
portion of the check."
    Steve viewed her
through narrowed eyes that revealed both anger and insult.  "I don't
want your money.  This was a date−"
    "It may have
started that way, but that's not how it's ending."
    "I don't
understand – is this because of what I said about the wars?  Are you
really that thin-skinned?"
    Anna knew that
normally the answer would be "no", but something about this subject matter
had admittedly set her off.  Deep down she realized that she wasn't
defending the wars as much as she was defending Caleb – a man she barely knew,
yet who had somehow already gotten under her skin.
    "Have a good
night," she said in a weak attempt to end the evening on a somewhat civil
note. And with that, she headed for her car, feeling as though she couldn't get
home soon enough … especially knowing that Caleb would be in close proximity.
     
    Anna dropped her
keys on the kitchen counter and looked out the back window, doing a double-take
as she spotted Caleb sitting by the fire with a