The Returning Hero by Soraya Lane Read Free Book Online Page A

while I was out. There’s nothing Sam could have done for me, except worry like crazy from the other side of the world, and that wouldn’t have been good for either of us.”
    “But you’re sleeping okay now?”
    She shook her head, not wanting to tell the truth but wanting to lie to Brett even less. “Last night was the first time since before Sam deployed that I’ve slept through without waking. I’ve been better with Bear here this last month, so I’m not complaining, but being alone isn’t something I’ve ever been good at. I freak out at every sound and then can’t fall asleep again.”
    Brett stared into his coffee cup, which she was sure must have been empty by now. “Did you sleep better because I was here with you, or because of the alcohol?”
    Jamie grinned at him. “Last night might well have been a combination of both, but I have no intentions of turning into an alcoholic just to sleep through the night. Plus I have no plans of turning into my mom.”
    He smiled, but he wasn’t laughing at her joke. “Let me stay for a few days, let you catch up on some sleep while I’m here.”
    His voice was lower than usual, an octave deeper. She shook her head. “You don’t have to do that. I’ll be fine.”
    She might have been telling him no, but inside she was screaming out for him to stay. Having Brett here would make her feel safe, let her relax and just sleep solidly for a few nights at least, but she didn’t expect him to do that.
    And her intentions weren’t pure, either. Because ever since she’d starting thinking about Brett in a certain way last night, remembering how soft his lips had been, how sensual it had been pressed against his body, she’d thought of nothing other than having him here. Keeping him close. Wondering if something could happen between them, and whether he wanted it as much as she did, even if she did know it was wrong.
    She took a deep breath. “I don’t want you feeling sorry for me.”
    That made him smile. “I most definitely don’t feel sorry for you,” he said. “And it’s no big deal. If you want me to stay, just say so. Besides, sleeping isn’t exactly easy for me these days, and I slept through the night last night, too.”
    “If I’m honest, Brett, having you here for a few days sounds idyllic.” She wanted to stay strong, but she also wanted a man in her house again. Wanted the company of someone she could actually talk to, who wasn’t afraid of the truth. Of what had happened to her husband. Because she had no one else to talk to, and no one else to turn to. She’d lost her dad and then her husband to war, and she was tired of being alone. “But only if you’re sure.”
    She listened to Brett’s big intake of breath, watched the way his body stiffened then softened back to normal again. When they weren’t serving, Sam’s two best friends had been as much a part of her life as her husband had, and she missed having them all around. It was like she’d lost all three of them at once.
    “Then I’ll stay. As long as you need me here, I’ll stay.”
    She dropped her head to his shoulder. “He would have liked you being here, you know that, right?”
    Brett shrugged, but she could tell he was finding this as awkward as she was. “You know, he made me promise to look out for you if anything ever happened to him. I just never figured that we’d actually be in that position.”
    Jamie smiled. “I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me, Brett.”
    Brett was her friend. Nothing more. She just had to keep reminding herself of that, because falling in love with her husband’s best buddy? Not something that could happen. Not now, not ever.
    Brett could have been the man of her dreams— once . But now wasn’t the time to look back. Now was about the future. The one she had to build without her husband by her side. No matter how much she was thinking about that kiss.
    “Well, if you’re staying you’re definitely not sleeping on the