Free The Returning Hero by Soraya Lane

years, but never alone like this without the other guys around.
    “Did you wonder sometimes why you were there? Wish you weren’t?” Jamie asked him. “I mean, it must have been hard dealing with being away so often, doing what you were doing.”
    He chuckled. “There were plenty of times I wished I wasn’t there, but that was usually because of boredom, or missing things from home.” He paused, took a long sip of his drink, clearly deep in thought. “I never lost sight of why we were there, though. And without us? So many soldiers would have been losing their lives. There would be convoys blown up everywhere without our dogs detecting IEDs. Men coming home in body bags. The young guys standing on those bloody things is enough to make you physically sick. Just kids, in their twenties, and having to have prosthetic limbs fitted just to be able to walk again.” He sighed. “And besides, the army was like my family. They were all I had.”
    “I can’t even imagine what you went through. How you could put your life and your dogs in danger…” She froze, catching her lip between her teeth. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…” Jamie wished she could have crawled into a hole and died. She knew why they did it, she just couldn’t imagine dealing with it, living it. And she hadn’t meant to bring up his dog dying again.
    Brett smiled, but she knew the reminder of his dog must have hurt.
    “It’s okay, you don’t have to worry about offending me,” he said. “We all know the risks when we go in, but nothing prepares you. Especially for the hatred, of how desperate they are to blow each and every one of us into pieces. It’s kind of hard to understand until you’re there, and once you are, you just have to stay focused on the job.”
    “I heard about that dog they found. The one that survived despite everything she went through.” Jamie sighed. “I should be embarrassed by how much I cried when I read it.”
    He laughed, his smile wide. “Yeah, she was injured, survived one of the harshest winters and summers on record, and managed to be spotted by troops more than a year later. Sarbi is the poster dog for never losing hope. And better still, she’s an Australian citizen.”
    They sat in silence for a bit, and Jamie hoped she hadn’t ruined the night by bringing up war and death. She’d been trying to avoid mentioning Sam, but somehow the conversation had reverted to soldier talk, which seemed to lead straight back to her husband.
    “Do you think I’m going to make it? As a dog owner, I mean?”
    Brett had been leaning back, his chair on two legs, but when she spoke he pushed in closer to the table and leaned toward her instead.
    “Sweetheart, Bear is in love with you and you’re desperate to look after him properly. If there was ever a partnership destined to work, it’s this one. And besides, you were already doing well, it was just that he was a bit confused by your signals.”
    The smile that spread across her face was genuine, because if Brett thought she could make it, then maybe her chances weren’t so bad after all. Especially with his help to make her understand her new canine—she wouldn’t have ever given up on Bear, but they sure could have struggled for a while trying to figure one another out.
    “Talking of partnerships,” she said, digging her fingers into her palm to force herself to continue. “Are you sure I’m not keeping you from seeing anyone? I mean, I don’t want you to feel that you have to be here babysitting me.”
    He stared at her, face expressionless. For a moment she wondered if she’d offended him, wished she hadn’t said anything, until he shrugged and grinned at her.
    “I’m not seeing anyone, if that’s what you’re asking,” he said. “And for the record, I have no plans to babysit you.”
    Jamie fought the blush that was heating her neck and cheeks, refusing to give in to it. “I didn’t mean to be nosy, it’s just you’ve been spending so much