“My folks don’t get out there much anymore, but I know they wouldn’t mind. Mom always liked you better than me, anyway.”
Shane looked away. “What about Holly?”
Mitch’s smile was wry. “She definitely liked you better than me.” Seeing Shane’s expression, he grew serious. “She was released from the hospital over three weeks ago. They stopped by to see you before they left, but you were still too doped up to realize it. You didn’t even know they were there.”
Which was just as well. Shane didn’t think he could face the Durants, and if Holly had been with them…well, he definitely didn’t want to face her. He’d never understood what she’d seen in him, but he’d rather not face her censure now. She must hate him for what had happened, if not at the lake house three years ago, then in Iraq four weeks ago.
“But she’s…okay?”
Mitch snorted. “She’s ready to go back to Iraq, that’s how okay she is. Mother is driving her crazy, trying to anticipate her every need. She insists on treating Holly like an invalid and poor Holly is climbing the walls, probably wishing she was anywhere but home.”
Shane almost smiled, he could picture it so clearly. Even as a teenager, Holly had chafed under her parents’ constant supervision. Mrs. Durant was sweet and generous, but Shane knew firsthand that she could also be a little overwhelming in her attentiveness.
“So what about you?” he asked, wanting to change the subject. “How long are you home?”
Mitch shrugged. “I’m actually on my way back to my ship. I came back as soon as I heard about Holly. And you. I’ve been home for a couple of weeks, but I fly out tonight.” He paused. “I hear you’re being released. I have just enough time to drive you out to the lake, if you’d like.”
“That ain’t necessary.” Shane’s father came to stand next to Mitch. “If you won’t come home with me, son, then at least let me drive you out to the lake. It’s out of the Lieutenant’s way, while I practically have to go by there on my way home.”
Shane shook his head. “It’s okay, Dad. You don’t need to do that.”
His father blew out a frustrated breath. “Goddammit, son, when are you going to let me do something for you? Like I said, the lake is on my way home and at least the drive would give us a chance to catch up.”
Sure, Shane thought bitterly. Four hours in a car with his father, reminiscing about his crappy childhood. The combat he’d seen in Iraq had been nothing compared to the battles that had raged between his parents. He sighed in resignation.
“Sure. Fine.” Whatever.
Mitch looked sympathetic. Shane cleared his throat. “How, um, is Holly, really?”
Mitch hesitated, as if weighing his words. “She’ll be okay. She’s more concerned about you than she is about herself.”
Shane felt his gut twist. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Whatever happened out there wasn’t your fault.” He raked a hand over his cropped hair. “Look, I should get going. You remember where the key to the lake house is kept, right?”
“Yeah.”
“If I know my mother, the pantry should be pretty well-stocked with dry goods, but call Pete Larson if you need anything,” Mitch advised. “As far as the house goes, my mother has a cleaning service come in every couple of weeks to air the place out and run the water, so you should be all set.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“Okay, then.” Mitch paused, studying the hat he held in his hands. “About Holly…I know you’re probably blaming yourself, but don’t.”
Shane snorted. “Why not? The incident report said I abandoned my post without due cause. If I hadn’t left my position, then I wouldn’t have been shot. And if I hadn’t been shot, then Holly wouldn’t have put herself in danger by running out to rescue me. She would have stayed by the trucks and been safe.” He gave Mitch a challenging look. “So you see, it is my fault.”
Mitch looked unconvinced. “The doctors said you have a form of amnesia…that you have no recollection of what actually happened that day, so I’m sure there was a good reason why you left your gun. You’re not the type of soldier who would just abandon your position.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I know you. And I know you’re not the kind of guy who gets caught up in the heat of the moment and does something stupid.”
Shane glanced sharply at his friend, but Mitch’s expression was sincere. He really believed what he’d just said. But what he didn’t know, what Shane wasn’t about to tell him, was that Holly Durant was the one person who could make him lose his head.
Again and again and again.
3
HOLLY HADN’T BEEN OUT to the lake house in years, not since she’d graduated from the Naval Academy. That night had been both the best and worst of her entire life. The best, because she’d finally known what it was like to be loved by Shane Rafferty, and the worst because…well, because she’d known that she would never experience anything like it ever again.
Now, driving along the densely wooded road that led to her parents’ summer place, she wasn’t prepared for how those memories made her chest ache and her throat tighten.
“Hey, you okay?”
Holly turned toward her childhood friend, Susan, and gave her a bright smile. “Yes. Absolutely. It’s just that I haven’t been back here in so long…”
“Mmm-hmm,” her friend murmured knowingly.
Holly narrowed her eyes at her. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Susan looked away from the road long enough to give Holly a tolerant look. “I was there that night, remember? And the next morning, after he left. I know what he did to you.”
Oh no, she didn’t. The things that Shane Rafferty had done to her that night still caused Holly’s toes to curl in recalled pleasure.
She dragged her gaze away from Susan’s and looked out the window at the passing trees. “Don’t put all the blame on him. I was shameless in the way I chased after him, and it’s not like he ever made any promises to me.” She gave a huff of laughter. “Just the opposite, actually. He made it pretty clear that he wasn’t interested in anything more than sex.”
“But you were hoping…”
Yes, she had hoped. For the next three years, she’d hoped. She still hoped that his feelings ran deeper than he let on. The fact that he had abandoned his position during the fire fight to try and rescue her gave her some optimism, although knowing Shane the way she did, he probably would have done the same for anyone.
She shrugged in response to Susan’s question, hoping her friend didn’t see through her bravado. Let her believe that she no longer held a torch for Shane Rafferty. She’d managed to fool everyone, except herself.
“It was a one-time thing. A mistake, actually. I’m no longer interested in Shane and he’s definitely not interested in me.” Seeing her friend’s dubious expression, she plunged on, as if by getting the words out fast enough, she might believe they were true. “Even when we were on the same base in Iraq, we didn’t run into each other very much and when we did, it was just sort of awkward. We don’t even have anything in common.”
“So you didn’t get to see him afterwards…at the hospital?”
Holly shook her head. “Not really. We went to his room before I was released, but he was still unconscious. The doctors had him in