His brother peered around Adam’s shoulder at the rows of ice-cold beers in the refrigerated unit behind him. “And the two of you decided to stop and pick up a few brews?”
“He decided,” Adam said. “I was just admiring the view.”
Dev smiled and seconds later had a twelve-pack tucked under his arm. “Come on, I think you’ve earned this.”
“You sure?” Dev had walked away from booze years ago after finally admitting his nightly partying led to nothing but sleepovers at the local jail and finally AA meetings. Adam didn’t want to tempt him.
“Hey, this is all for you, bro.” Dev offered an easy smile. “Come on, let’s find your Good Samaritan and let him know you’ve got a new taxi service.”
Knowing it was useless to argue with a Murphy, Adam only nodded. He thanked the old man as he pulled his duffel from the back of his pickup and tossed it into his brother’s Jeep.
The ride home took almost an hour and Adam was grateful when Dev used that time to do what he did best. Talk. He jumped from subject to subject, mostly getting Adam caught up on all he’d missed while serving his last tour.
Yes, he’d been home two months ago, once again as an escort bringing home a deceased member of his command at the request of a grieving family in Cheyenne. He’d managed to add two days in Destiny, long enough to share a couple of meals with the family.
And an amazing night with the one woman he’d always wanted.
And could never have.
But he did have her. And she’d had him. For a few incredible hours on a makeshift bed in his living room in front of a blazing fire. They’d had each other.
Adam turned to the window, closed his eyes and inhaled sharply, certain he could still smell the clean, flowery scent that always surrounded Fay.
He’d answered the pounding on his front door that rainy night, wearing nothing but hastily buttoned jeans and a bemused expression.
Fay had stormed into his living room, hair and clothes damp. Shocked that she’d known he was in town, he’d only stood there and listened as she ranted and raved, releasing all her anger and grief as she blamed him for her husband’s death the previous summer.
He’d escorted Scott’s body home and stayed for the services, but he and Fay had hardly spoken to each other that hot July day. She’d certainly made up for the lapse that night, but hell, she didn’t say anything to him that he hadn’t been telling himself.
So he let her talk. But Fay had worked herself into a frenzy while she paced, not paying attention to what she was doing or where she was walking. When she tripped over his duffel bag, he’d reached out and caught her, pulling her hard to his chest. Off balance, they fell together onto the couch.
Her words disappeared, leaving only choppy breaths that had torched his bare skin like fire. Her fingertips pressed against his chest and not kissing her had been damn near impossible—
“Hey, bro. You okay?”
Adam jerked his head around.
Blinking away the memories, he forced words past the hard lump in his throat. “What? Yeah, I’m fine.”
“You’re looking a bit pasty.” Dev turned his attention from the road to look at him. “What are you thinking about?”
Shaking his head, Adam noticed they’d already driven through the center of Destiny, right past Fay’s shop, and he hadn’t even noticed.
He yanked his BDU—Battle Dress Uniform—cap farther down over his forehead. “Nothing. Go on, keep talking.”
Dev rattled on about the family business, Murphy Mountain Log Homes, and how well things were going even in the current uncertain economic times.
Designing and building a log mansion for local racing champion Bobby Winslow last year had brought in a slew of new customers from all over the country, each with money to spend on their dream home.
Like his parents and five brothers, Adam was a part owner, but much to his father’s dismay he’d walked away from any involvement in the day-to-day running of the business years ago, leaving his younger brothers to fill key management roles.
“Is it too soon to bug you about your plans?” Devlin asked.
“Sleep.”
“I mean now that you’re home. For good. You’re still set to retire, right?”
Adam nodded. He’d recently completed twenty years in the Air Force reserves, most of the last four years spent more soldier than civilian. Thanks to the unused leave time he’d accumulated he was essentially out of the military with his official retirement set to take place in a few months.
He was ready to return to his first love, ranching.
Right after college he’d purchased a share of the family’s holdings from his father with the dream of raising horses and cattle. But other than building his log home, life had gotten in the way of his plans. Now, it was time to make that dream a reality by putting the pastures and the section of the Blue Creek River that cut through his land to good use.
Devlin slowed at a crossroads. A right turn would lead them to the family compound and company headquarters. He looked at Adam and offered an arched brow as if he already knew what the answer would be.
Adam pointed left. “I’ve been up almost twenty-four hours straight. I need sack time more than anything else right now.”
His brother steered them down the road to Adam’s place. The closer they got, the more restless he grew to see his home again. He rolled down the window, letting a cool summer breeze wash over him. It’d been blisteringly hot in Afghanistan when he’d boarded the military transport, but here in Destiny, tucked up against the foothills of the Laramie Mountains, it was a perfect day with lots of sunshine, green trees and the fresh, earthy scent of the great outdoors.
This return was different.
This time he was home for good.
All he wanted was the chance to start his life over again. Alone. Nothing to concentrate on but his land. He was sure his father would try to get him involved in the family business again and his mother would drop hints about wanting her eldest settled with a nice girl.
Been there, done that, and Adam still had the battle scars to prove marriage, kids and a nine-to-five job weren’t for him. Spending as much time alone working on his ranch was the perfect plan.
At some point, he’d have to find a way to make things right with Fay, but there wasn’t any rush. Destiny wasn’t a big town, but he could keep out of her way, positive she wasn’t in any hurry to spend time with him.
Not after the way she’d torn out of his place when she’d awakened to find him dressed in his uniform ready to head back overseas.
No, Fay Coggen had made it perfectly clear two months ago she wanted nothing more to do with him.
He may not like it, but he’d learn to live with it.
