Free The Wounded by Eden Winters, Parker Williams Page A

could hope for was
    a commitment ceremony.
    The cramped apartment over the bookstore had been home since Jay’s student days and Michael’s discharge. Wall by wall they were
    building their house on a piece of land Michael’s grandfather had given him; move-in could be as soon as three months from now. Creating a home
    from bare ground was a big commitment, but not big enough—Jay wanted to stand with Michael before their friends and family to promise his life.
    Michael had to understand he was promise-worthy, hearing loss and PTSD or no. Jase and Mark had fought the same kind of adversity. Meeting them might, just
    might, convince Michael that he and Jay could do the same.
    Now to get Michael to Atlanta.
    ***
    “Put that away.” Michael frowned at the plastic-covered uniform Jay held in his hands.
    “But you might want it for the parade.”
    No. Never again would Michael wear those clothes. “I’m not a soldier anymore. And I only said I’d go to Atlanta. I never said
    I’d march.” The disappointment in Jay’s eyes gave Michael pause. Jay must think standing in formation amid a sea of other
    uniformed men and women a small thing to ask, but his days as a soldier were over. Uncle Sam had said so, softening the blow by letting him ride out the
    last few months of his enlistment rather than issuing an immediate medical discharge. All because an explosion blew out an eardrum that hadn’t
    properly healed.
    Jay hadn’t mentioned the disappearance of Michael’s medals—one for being injured in battle, another for saving the life of a
    brother-in-arms. Michael didn’t deserve recognition. He’d done his duty, no more, but some unknown force always stopped him from
    dumping the symbols of his enlistment in the trash. He’d hidden them in the display at Gramps’ house, tucked into the case with the
    medals won by Gramps’ two brothers, who’d both died in Korea.
    “Okay.” Jay’s smile showed signs of strain. “Jeans then? Or shorts?”
    “Jeans and a T-shirt will be fine. And what you picked for the banquet.”
    Michael fumbled under the bed for tennis shoes while Jay rummaged in the dresser for shirts. Once he’d zipped both their duffle bags, he gave
    Michael a brief kiss. “Thanks for agreeing to go. I can’t tell you how much this means to me.” He grabbed his car keys off
    the nightstand. “I’ll bring the car around.” No question who’d drive. Loud noises still freaked Michael out.
    Erratic drivers and blowing horns weren’t his favorite things. Neither was Atlanta traffic.
    With Jay out of sight Michael stumbled into the bathroom on shaky legs to stare at himself in the mirror. “You can do this, Ritter.
    It’s only for a few days.” A bottle from the medicine cabinet yielded up two pills that he popped into his mouth and washed down with
    water directly from the faucet. Depositing the bottle into his jeans pocket, he surveyed the apartment to ensure he hadn’t left anything. The
    uniform caught his gaze, left hanging on the bedroom door. How proudly he’d once worn the trappings of his rank. No. Definitely, definitely not.
    Never again.
    ***
    Mark ran his hand over Jase’s crisp dress uniform. The medals pinned to the chest caused his heart to flutter as he remembered what Jase had done
    to earn them and what they ultimately cost the man. He sighed and laid the clothes back on the bed.
    “Marky?”
    “Yeah, hon?”
    “My prosthetic fell over. Can you give a guy a hand?”
    Mark chuckled to himself, knowing that Jase didn’t really need him for what he claimed. He sauntered to the bathroom, finding Jase sitting on the
    bench, leering at him.
    “We could just stay home, you know.” Jase’s voice was husky.
    “Nice try. You promised we were going and that’s what we’re doing. I really want to meet some of these people from the chat
    room. Especially Jay. He’s become a really good friend.”
    Jase ran a hand over his enticing erection. “Are you sure?”
    Mark leaned into