This Time by Kristin Leigh Read Free Book Online

white flowers tucked into a crown on her dark brown hair. The dress looked like a tiny version of a classic wedding dress, with beads and lace forming intricate patterns around the bodice and hem. She was smiling into the camera, a big toothy grin that made Mike think she’d been laughing when it was snapped. He could almost hear her giggles.
    “Did she have fun spreading the flowers?” he asked in a voice rough with emotion.
    Tara laughed and replied, “She had a ball! Tina told her that she was a princess, and she walked around all day telling everyone that. When she went down the aisle with the flowers, instead of dropping them, she threw every handful over her head. She ended up with flowers everywhere! It was adorable.”
    Mike smiled. He could picture the little green-eyed girl in a princess dress flinging flowers everywhere. “I wish I could have been there to see it. Do you have any more pictures you could send me?”
    “I’ve got a bunch on here I could e-mail you, and some snapshots I could mail.” She yawned. “I’m going to bed now, though, so it’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”
    “Okay.” Mike frowned in disappointment. But he didn’t push. Tara had to do this at her pace. “Do you think you could get on here and talk to me again tomorrow?” God, he hated begging this way.
    “Not tomorrow,” Tara answered. “Tomorrow is my night out with the girls. I won’t be in until late.”
    “I’ll wait.”
    * * * *
    Mike woke up in a cold sweat.
    “Get the fifty-cal up!” Jones screamed for the 50-caliber machine gun operator to open fire.
    He wasn’t ready for these memories yet, but they were coming in flashes.
    “We need air support! We’ve driven into an ambush, repeat, we have driven into an ambush!” They were calling for help.
    No, he didn’t want to relive this!
    Gunfire echoed on every side. They’d taken them by surprise, surrounded them, and opened fire.
    Not yet! He wasn’t prepared for this! Mike held his head in his trembling hands, trying to banish the memories deep into his subconscious mind.
    “Patrol 2 vehicle has hit an IED, we need air support and a med evac! Repeat, need immediate med evac! Four men down, repeat, four men down!”
    Mike felt the cold fingers of panic creep up his spine.
    Blood. There was blood everywhere.
    “Chief Davis! Michael!” Mike only vaguely heard the nurse yelling his name over the sound of someone screaming. He wanted to ask who was yelling, what was wrong, but Mike couldn’t get his throat to work. Dimly, he heard someone say “Sedate him! Use the restraints if you need to!” Then Mike slipped into a deep and dreamless sleep.

Chapter 5
    Since Tara refused to go and get a pedicure every month because of the expense, Rebecca insisted on giving her a mini-spa treatment before their monthly night out. Rebecca sold Mary Kay products and had her own pedicure set. She even had a foot-soaking tub she brought with her each month. Callie Alexson had joined them tonight, though Tara had only met her through Rebecca a couple of times. Callie lived in the other half of Rebecca’s duplex, and while Tara was used to it just being the two of them, she didn’t mind the addition. And there was more than one. Callie had brought Sara Winslow. The two of them taught second grade with Rebecca and were apparently very close.
    They’d all been loose acquaintances for years, but this was the first time Tara had actually hung out with the other two women. Rebecca introduced them all again since they’d only met in passing.
    “Why do I keep thinking your name’s Carrie?” Callie asked as she shook Tara’s hand.
    Rebecca laughed and rolled her eyes. “After that guy mugged us at the mall last year and I got shot, the cops called Dumbass Dillian while I was in the hospital because he was still listed as my emergency contact. Idiot that he is, he told them to call Carrie.” She shrugged. “I guess he combined Tara and Callie and made up a new friend for