Love Her - Andrea Johnston Page 0,51

19

Connor

Crawling into bed in the early morning hours after a shift means I typically sleep most of the day away. Not today. No, today I’m up early and watching the clock with nerves coursing through my veins. Nerves. Me. Years of conditioning my mindset to not allow nervousness into my thoughts during a mission did nothing to prepare me for today. Yet, here I am. Nervous to see a woman.

In the short weeks I’ve known Lis, she’s become part of my daily thoughts. Her interaction with Owen still sits heavy in my mind. Rationally, it doesn’t make sense for me to feel so protective of her. We’ve known each other only a matter of weeks. Yet, I have a deep-rooted need to shield her from the scowls and whispers.

As I stood behind the bar last night, I watched the interactions amongst the customers. It’s obvious from watching who has lived in town a long time and who are new or just out for a night of fun. Everyone is kind enough, but the close groups of friends are obvious. Now that I allow myself to think about it, I can see how the new friends I’ve made are one of those close groups. Ben, Jameson, Owen, and Landon have been friends their entire lives. Once Ben and Jameson married best friends, it only made the bond of their group stronger. They’re all great, and I’ve no reason to believe they aren’t as kind and welcoming as they appear.

Except the way Lis has spoken of them and the reputation she holds in Lexington. I’ve never been one to follow the herd, to take on someone else’s opinion as my own. This is no different. I like her. Unexpected and certainly unplanned, meeting Lis Thorne has been a highlight of my move here.

Speaking of the highlight, my phone vibrates with a message.

Lis: Should I eat before you pick me up?

I refused to tell her what I had planned so her question doesn’t surprise me. Truthfully, I didn’t know what to do since I’ve not done much exploring since I’ve been here. With the exception of the night I went to Doris’s, I’ve only hung out with my friends and worked. I had to do some asking around and didn’t want to tell her how unprepared I was.

Me: Nope. I was thinking we’d grab lunch if that works.

Lis: Sounds good. We’re walking into church now. See you in a few hours.

Church. My mom would love if I took myself to church one Sunday. Of course, it’d probably give her heart palpitations first. Speaking of my mom, I should call her. Scrolling through my contacts, my phone rings for an incoming video chat. Meg.

“Connor!”

“Dang girl. I’m right here you don’t have to shout.”

Meg’s effort to cringe and look apologetic is pointless because she’s bouncing in her seat like a child. “Sorry. I haven’t seen your face in so long I got excited.”

Smiling, I lean back on the couch and kick my feet onto the table, crossing them at the ankles. My baby sister’s smile is wide, her happiness obvious. Whoever this Alfred guy is, he definitely brings joy to her life.

“We just talked on the phone a few weeks ago. Which, by the way, I’m still not impressed with Alfred proposing before I laid eyes on him.”

Rolling her eyes, she leans forward, her chin resting in her hand. “I told you to call him Freddie. It’s cute how you think I’d let you meet him before we were engaged. You’re a little intimidating.”

“I am not. I’m protective. There’s a difference.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night. Anyway, I was calling because we chose a wedding date and I wanted to make sure you put it on your calendar. No excuses.”

There’s no question I’ll be there for my sister’s big day but the idea of going back to Cleveland, to our old neighborhood, feels overwhelming. A lot of the guys I served with came home with suffering they didn’t wear on their bodies but in their soul. I was one of the lucky ones. My transition hasn’t been as difficult with the memories. I have nightmares from time to time but it’s the physical injuries that dredge up the negative memories. But, it’s the thoughts of my life before the military, the people I ran with and the crimes I committed. Was I lucky to get away with them? Absolutely. It’s why I knew I had to make a change.

“Okay. When is it?” I ask, swallowing