Free Broken Wings by Alexandrea Weis Page B

under bridges without having a panic attack for damn near a year after I came back.”
    “Bridges?”
    “Snipers liked firing grenade launchers at us from bridges. You always had to stop and check out a bridge before you went under it. I used to get out of my car and search around every bridge when I first came back to the states.”
    Pamela took the syringe out of the baby squirrel’s mouth and started rubbing its round tummy. “How long before you felt comfortable being home again?”
    He placed the baby in his hands back in its container. “I’m still waiting for that day.” He snapped the lid closed on the container and then reached for another one. “I sometimes wonder if I will ever feel comfortable again. I don’t take anything for granted anymore.” He pulled another baby out, placed the nipple into its small mouth, and laughed as the squirrel’s impatient little paws wrapped around the syringe like a human baby placing its hands around a bottle.
    “Any time you want to feed babies, you are more than welcome, Daniel.”
    “Thanks, Pamela.” His bright smile dimmed a little. “I’ve got to work for the next few days but after that I’ll be able to return. I’ll be looking forward to getting back to these guys by then.”
    Pamela laughed. “You’re beginning to sound like me.”
    Daniel gazed into her gray eyes and grinned. “Maybe that’s not such a bad thing after all.”

Chapter 5
     
    A few days later, a brooding Daniel Phillips returned to Pamela’s sanctuary. His Jeep slammed into the gravel driveway, spewing rocks all around when he came to a skidding stop just before the entrance to the cottage. Pamela and Carol watched from the front porch as the tall man climbed out of his Jeep, ignoring her pack of barking dogs.
    “Mornin’,” he mumbled as he removed his sunglasses and walked directly to the side of the house.
    Carol turned to Pamela and raised her mug of coffee to her lips. “Obviously not a morning person.”
    Pamela put her mug of coffee down on the railing. “I’ll be back,” she said to Carol and then quickly made her way down the steps and around the side of the house.
    “God, I just love a hot mini-drama in the morning,” Carol whispered, smiling.
    Pamela came up to Daniel, who was banging the ladder around trying to get it positioned right up next to the house. His face looked drawn and there were dark circles under his eyes. His hair was disheveled and he had a thick five o’clock shadow across his square jaw. He looked as if he had just climbed out of bed and headed right over to the sanctuary.
    “Coffee?” Pamela offered, figuring he was probably in desperate need of a caffeine boost.
    “Yeah,” he replied without looking at her. “That would be great, thanks.”
    “Everything all right?” Pamela inquired.
    “Just peachy,” Daniel answered, keeping his eyes riveted on the house in front of him.
    “Peachy, huh?” Pamela folded her arms across her chest. “You look like shit, Daniel.”
    He turned to her and his dark eyes ripped her to shreds. “Shit? Thanks. That’s just what I needed to hear.”
    She stood there for several minutes watching him as he gathered up his tools. Finally, he stopped and glowered at her. “Didn’t you say something about coffee?” he asked as he raised his dark eyebrows at her.
    “After you tell me what your problem is this morning.”
    Daniel sighed and threw the hammer in his hand to the ground. Lester, in the tree behind him, gave out a sudden hoot of surprise.
    Daniel glanced up at the owl. “Great. That‘s all I need today.”
    “Tell me what’s wrong?” she pleaded.
    As he turned to her, a veil of cool indifference descended over his countenance. Pamela felt an uneasy shudder jar her body as her eyes met his.
    He drew a deep breath through his lips and then let it out slowly. He surveyed the land around him. “Do you really want to hear this, Pamela, or are you just pretending to give a shit like the rest of