Free Middle Ground by Denise Grover Swank

 
    Chapter One
     
     
    The sounds of laughter hit Will before he walked through the door of the banquet room. He took a deep breath and forced himself to relax, not an easy task. Only a few days before he’d been in charge of a unit that had raided an Iraqi village, and now he was at his sister’s wedding rehearsal dinner in Morgantown, Missouri. The change in environments was always jolting, but becoming harder to manage every time he came home.
    His best friend James put a hand on his shoulder. “Hang in there, buddy.”
    James served in the same unit, but he never seemed to struggle as much as Will with his reacclimation.
    Will stepped into the room and found Meagan sitting at the center of the table, surrounded by her friends. A pang of happiness and nostalgia washed over him. He still couldn’t believe his baby sister was getting married.
    “Will!” Meagan called out, jumping from her chair.
    “The hero’s come home!” someone shouted, and everyone in the room turned toward him.
    Uncomfortable with the attention, Will cringed.
    James face lit up with a big smile. He’d always loved the limelight more than Will. “It’s good to be home.”
    Meagan made her way through the crowd, throwing her arms around Will’s neck. “You missed the rehearsal. I was worried you weren’t going to make it!”
    He held her tight, as memories of their childhood rushed through his head. “What? And miss my baby sister’s wedding? Our plane was delayed, but if I had to, I would have walked to make it to your wedding.”
    She pulled back smiling, love in her eyes. “I would have held the ceremony until you got here. I can’t get married without you.”
    Will’s eyes scanned the room. “Has Dad made it yet?”
    Her back tensed. “No.”
    “He’s coming though, right?”
    Her smile fell. “He said he’d try. Mom’s not very happy.”
    Will hid his disappointment. “Well, he’s got a lot going on, although I was sure he’ll be here.”
    She shrugged. “We learned a long time ago to never count on him.”
    Will was about to protest when James grabbed Megan and pulled her into a hug. “What’s this terrible rumor I’ve heard that you’re getting married, Meghead? You were supposed to wait for me. Now you’ve broken my heart.”
    She giggled as James nuzzled her neck.
    Her fiancé watched with anxious eyes, but Will knew he had nothing to worry about. While Megan had had a crush on James when they were younger, they were more like siblings than friends.
    She pushed away from him and hugged Will’s arm, snuggling into his side. “I couldn’t wait forever. Dan swooped in and stole my heart.”
    “Well if you decide he’s not man enough for you, you know where to find me.”
    She laughed, then stood on her tiptoes and kissed Will’s cheek. “I’m glad you’re here, Will.”
    “Me too.”
    Winking at James, she laughed again. “And you too, as long as you don’t go stirring up any trouble.”
    James tilted his head with a cocky grin. “Who, me?”
    She gave him a fake scowl. “Stay away from my friends.”
    “Hey, it’s been a long eight months.”
    Her eyes narrowed. “Even more reason to stay away.”
    Will laughed. “I’ll keep him on a leash.”
    “Somebody has to.”
    “Where’s Mom?”
    “In the back with the manager, making sure everything’s perfect.”
    “I thought the groom’s family took care of the rehearsal dinner.”
    She waved a hand. “You know Mom.”
    He did, only too well. She had always gone out of her way to make sure their birthday parties were close to perfection. He’d always assumed that was her way of making up for their father’s absence. He could only imagine the lengths she was going through to make sure Megan’s wedding turned out to be a fairy tale come true.
     Glancing over at her fiancé, Megan twisted her mouth with uncertainty. “I really need to get back to Dan…”
    He gave her a gentle push. “Go. I’m fine. This is your weekend, Meg. You’re