Free The Second Chance Hero by Jeannie Moon Page A

me.” She paused and shrugged. “He said my work is too dangerous.”
    “Your work is dangerous. But you were doing it, successfully, when he met you. It’s not like it’s a surprise.”
    “I know, right? He said if we’re going to start a family I’d have to give it up.”
    “He might have a point there.” He couldn’t see her embedded with a military unit if she was pregnant.
    “Yes, but he wants to have kids right away. I want to wait a couple of years. I’m only twenty-nine!”
    “Have you talked to Mom about it?”
    “No.” She shuffled along the pavement like a little kid. “She’s going to be disappointed.”
    Owen reached out and looped his arm around her shoulder. “The only thing Mom and Dad want is for you to be happy.”
    “I know.” Melinda leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked. “What about you? Don’t you have someone special so the pressure is off me? You are the first born.”
    “There’s someone I’d like to know better, but she’s not interested.”
    “Not interested? Is she slow?”
    He kissed the top of Mel’s head. Almost six years younger than him, his sister turned out to be an incredible woman. It was too bad for Alex that he was going to lose her. “She’s had a bad time of it. Lost her fiancé in the war. It hasn’t been easy.”
    “Oh, and here you are, fresh from combat. That’s going to throw up some red flags.”
    The military service was the most obvious deterrent, but Kim was sporting scars no one could see. “She’s still hurting, but I like her. She was a navy nurse, has a good heart. You’d like her.”
    “You may have to be patient,” Mel said. “Do you see her often?”
    “I could.” He wanted to. “She’s Harper’s nanny.”
    “Nurse to nanny. Interesting.”
    “I think I should step back for a while. Give her some space. Get my own life back in order.”
    Owen was doing his best to get back into some kind of routine, like Mel said. Going back to work tomorrow would definitely help. After living in close quarters with so many people for all those months, his house, which was at first a blessing, was now a curse. Since going to the party at Jason and Meg’s house yesterday, he wasn’t so thrilled about waking up in the quiet.
    He’d been up at dawn, the sun breaking over the harbor and flooding his room with light. He thought about what he had to do today, and other than finally breaking down and getting some groceries, he’d done everything.
    Over the past week, he’d stowed his gear, hung his uniforms in the spare-room closet, done all the paperwork for his separation, and had a physical. He was going to see his parents, too.
    That morning, he was more reflective than usual. He’d lain back on his bed and stretched his arm over his head. His life had become a fucking to-do list. He’d looked at Kim’s text at least a dozen times since last night, and he hadn’t been able to get his head around her response. He’d open a text to her and then close it. He didn’t want to be a pain in the ass, but he wanted to know why she’d blown him off. Then the text came from his sister, the only other crazy person who was awake at the crack of dawn on a holiday, asking him to meet for breakfast.
    He used meeting her as a reason to get his ass out of bed and ran five miles before even arriving at The Shanty in Northport. Getting sore and sweaty was just what he needed, because otherwise he was going to explode.
    Ever since seeing Kim yesterday, he’d needed to blow off some steam. He’d dreamed about her last night and woke up wishing she was there in bed with him because, as his raging hard-on told him, he’d like nothing better than to make those dreams a reality.
    The elbow he felt in his ribs made him look down at his sister. “Penny for your thoughts?” she asked.
    Not a chance. His thoughts about Kim were way too dirty to share with anyone, especially his baby sister.
    They’d traveled up and down Main Street and were