Heart At Risk

“Just passing through. I’m being treated at the Vet hospital in Milwaukee and I thought I’d drive out and see the old hometown.”

“Oh, I hope it’s not anything too serious.” Elizabeth’s concern seemed genuine.

“I blew a kneecap, but at least I’m off the crutches now.”

Elizabeth’s face creased with sympathy. “Oh my. I’m sorry to hear about that. It must be painful. So you’re in Milwaukee, you say?”

“I expect to leave there tomorrow and go home.”

“Where is your home?”

“In D.C.” Kurt started to back away. “Well, I better get going. Nice meeting you, Ms. Bennett.”

“Yes, and I hope your leg heals swiftly. Take care of yourself, dear boy.”

“Thank you. Nice seeing you again, Maddie.”

“Yes, take care of yourself,” Maddie echoed.

Her face didn’t crack a smile. Ava Gardner eyes or not, she was one edgy female. But come to think of it, she’d been that way ten years ago, too.

Since she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, she was either widowed or divorced, and he couldn’t help wondering how long it’d been since she’d been laid. With her looks…Oh, hell, grow up, Bolen!

He winked at the boy and departed. Once he was in his car, Kurt realized he’d been so distracted by Maddie that he hadn’t said goodbye to Gertie. Well, tomorrow morning he’d stop in for breakfast and say it then—for the sake of the good old times.

Elizabeth Bennett watched Kurt Bolen walk to his car. A slight limp was perceptible, but he appeared to be coping remarkably well with it. “My goodness, he certainly appears to be a fine young man, doesn’t he?”

“He’s okay,” Maddie said.

Beth eyed her niece warily. “Just okay? Honey, you’re too young for that kind of reaction. He’s gorgeous.”

“And you, Aunt Beth, are too old for yours.”

“I liked him,” Scotty declared.

“What was he like ten years ago?” Beth asked. “He’s too good-looking for you not to have noticed.”

“For goodness’ sake, Aunt Beth, what difference does it make? He’s been gone for ten years. We rarely spoke. I don’t think he even remembered my name. He and Joey hung around together, so that was always trouble looking for a place to happen. Kurt left town right after graduation, and that’s the last I saw or heard of him until a couple minutes ago.”

Maddie reached across the table and squeezed Scotty’s hand. “So have you decided what you’re having to eat, sweetheart?”

“I’ll have a hamburger and French fries.”

“Scotty, that’s all you ever order when we eat out.”

“Hamburger and French fries are my favorite meal.”

Maddie chuckled and tousled his thick growth of dark hair. “How will you ever know until you try something different?”

Beth only half listened to the exchange between mother and son as she watched Kurt pull away in a red Charger. Despite Maddie’s attempt to be casual, Beth could see her niece was still very upset over this chance meeting with Kurt Bolen. This piqued her curiosity. Something here didn’t quite add up…

Beth choked back a gasp when she suddenly realized what it might be, and her mouth curved in a pleased smile. Yes, Kurt Bolen, take good care of yourself. I have great plans for you.

Kurt pumped up the pillow for the dozenth time and leaned back on the bed. The old Laurel and Hardy movie ended and he grabbed the remote and started to channel hop. Television sucked. It bored him royally unless it was a football or basketball game.

Besides, in the six months since his injury, he’d watched enough television to last him a lifetime. He loathed sitcoms, they were an unrealistic picture of family life—at least the family life he remembered. The multitude of crime and horror shows did nothing but demonstrate ghoulish ways to torture and murder. And as for all the alien and paranormal characters, there was no worse monster on this earth than a terrorist with an UZI or a Rocket Propelled Grenade launcher in his hands.

Kurt turned off the tube and tossed aside the remote in disgust. He got out of bed and walked to the window. It was Saturday night and only a little past nine o’clock; the town had rolled up its streets already. Hot time in the old town tonight!

Well he was too edgy to stay cooped up in the motel room. He pulled on his jeans, shirt and shoes and went out. He should have taken up Gertie’s offer at the diner. Instead he’d gotten diverted by Maddie Bennett. Boy that woman was hot! But why in hell did she disturb him so much? There was something about her he couldn’t remember, but it would come to him.

Without any destination in mind, he ended up on Poorman’s Peak, the bluff that overlooked Stoneville’s shanties and railroad tracks where he’d grown up. Kurt parked, then sat gazing down on the site. Light glowed from the factory that sprawled several blocks in length. The second shift was hard at work.

He’d been raised on the “wrong side of the tracks” in the part of town disparagingly called Stoneville, because of the quarry that furnished the major employment for Stoneville’s residents. He’d had no siblings and had run with a tough group of boys. His folks had worked in the quarry and one night in Kurt’s freshman year of high school, his drunk father had staggered in front of a moving train. Two years later his mother had died of lung cancer.

He’d toughed it out alone and finished school. The morning following graduation he’d gone to Milwaukee and enlisted in the navy, got married three years later and six months after that went through a bitter divorce.

The United States Navy had been his salvation. It had steered him on a course away from the gutter he’d been heading into and toward becoming a Navy SEAL and ultimately a member of the CIA’s Dwarf Squad. It had given him the close brotherhood and inviolable friendships of the other squad members. Now faced with the possibility that the squad would be disbanded, he feared the loss of a family again.

There was no kidding himself. That was the real reason for his irritability, his impatience and disgust with everything that crossed his path. The writing was on the wall. Sure as hell RATCOM was going to be disbanded. His family was going to be busted up.

Kurt sighed and looked down on Stoneville. Yeah, for damn sure there wasn’t anything sentimental about this “sentimental journey” home. First thing in the morning he’d climb into his car and Vandergriff, Wisconsin, would see the last of him. This time for good.

Just as he turned the ignition key to leave a car drove up and parked a short distance away.

As he backed out, the headlights of his car revealed the driver of the other car. He recognized Maddie Bennett at once. What in hell was she doing up here alone? Waiting for some guy, no doubt. And he was probably married. Why else would they meet up here unless they didn’t want anyone in town to see them?

Well, uptight or not, it figured if she wasn’t still married there’d be some guy banging her. The thought disappointed him. Why did a gal with an angel face and Ava Gardner eyes have to settle for making out with a married man in the seat of a car?

Suck it up, Bolen. Not your problem. Your problem is that you’re not the guy she’s waiting for.

Chapter 2

Maddie’s brief encounter with Kurt Bolen had resurrected memories best forgotten, and she’d been in a near panic ever since. Ten years had only enhanced his dark-haired, brown-eyed handsomeness. She’d had a crush on him from the time she’d first seen him when the Bennetts had moved to Vandergriff her final year of high school.

Recalling those long-ago days was painful to her now—almost as painful as they’d been then. Since her father worked for the quarry company, they, too, were one of the “Stoners” that the town looked down upon.

It’s ancient history, Maddie, so why dredge it up?

She didn’t have to ask herself that; she knew the answer. How often in the past ten years had she driven up here to Poorman’s Peak and recalled the last time she had seen Kurt Bolen—the night of their high school graduation? And now tonight, she’d turned her head and there he was.

She’d had no close friends that last year of high school and spent most of her time alone, so why she’d even gone to the graduation party at Gertie Karpinski’s was still a mystery to her. After she’d sat in a corner being ignored for two hours, she had decided to leave. On the way out she’d encountered Kurt Bolen sitting on the steps outside.

Kurt and Joey were part of the same gang, but Kurt had never paid any attention to his friend’s shy, freckle-faced sister. Why should he? Every gal in the school had the hots for him.

Throughout the evening she’d stolen peeks at him. He’d spent most of his time sneaking drinks from the flask in his pocket and was too drunk to even remember her name. As if he’d ever remembered her name.

She had declined his offer of a drink, but had gotten up the nerve to sit down and talk to him. It was the first time they’d been alone—and he’d actually spoken more to her than “Hi.”