Passionate Calanettis: Soldier, Hero...Husband?

“Sure. I mean, if you’d like to.”

There was something very endearing about seeing this big, self-assured, superconfident Texan looking so unsure of himself.

“I’d like to,” she said softly. “I’d like to, very much.”

And then it seemed slightly and wonderfully ridiculous that they turned and walked home together.

Only it didn’t seem ridiculous when his hand found hers.

It felt not as if she was going to go on a real date for the first time in her life, but as if she was coming home.

* * *

“I’ve gone and done something really stupid,” Connor whispered into his phone.

“Huh? Who is this?”

“Justin, it’s me.”

“Connor?”

“Yeah.”

“What the hell is going on?”

“There’s this girl.”

Something relaxed in Justin’s tone. “This better be good—it’s two o’clock in the morning here.”

Connor contemplated that. Was there one rational thing left in him? No, that’s why he was consulting his friend. That’s what SEALs did when they were in a pickle, they relied on each other.

“She’s not really a girl. A woman.”

“Uh-huh?”

“I asked her out.”

“That sounds like it’s worthy of a two a.m. phone call.”

“The thing is, I didn’t really ask her out for me. I asked her out for her. She’s a widow. She married really young. She’s missed a lot. She’s never been on a real date before.”

Silence.

Connor sighed. “I’m the wrong guy for this, aren’t I?”

Silence.

“I mean, I’m just the wrong guy to try and show her how it can be.”

“How what can be?”

“You know.”

“You’ll have to spell it out for me. I’m having that two-o’clock-in-the-morning brain fart.”

“How it can be, uh, when two people like each other. A lot.”

“You mean falling in love?” Justin asked. He sounded wide-awake now.

“No!” Connor had to backtrack. He was sorry he had admitted liking her. A lot. His mission was one of altruism, and he wanted to make Justin understand that.

“I mean maybe falling in love,” Connor said carefully, “just not with me. I just want to show her life can be fun. I want to show her she’s missed something, and not to be afraid to embrace it. That it is not too late for her.”

“From the embracer of all things romantic,” Justin said wryly.

“You’re not helping! I guess I want to show her what she should be looking for in a guy. Not me. I mean, I’m leaving. I’m here for the short term only. But if I could just give her an idea how a date should feel.”

“Very altruistic.”

“Are you being sarcastic?”

Justin sighed. “Okay. Ask me a specific question, and I will try to help you with it.”

“What should I do with her on a date? I was thinking dinner and a movie.”

“So, basically the same thing you’ve done on every single date you’ve ever been on?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.”

“What does that mean?” Connor demanded. “I hate it when you say hmm like that.”

“It just seems to me if you’re trying to show her life is good, and trying to encourage her to embrace the great adventure, and trying to show her what a good date would feel like, you should put a bit more thought into it.”

“I’ve been thinking of nothing else!”

“Just a sec.” Connor could hear Justin talking to someone, the sound muffled as if he had stuck the phone under his pillow. Connor was pretty sure the other voice was feminine. He strained his ears. Justin came back on a moment later.

“Be original. A picnic in the moonlight. Something like that.”

“That is the hokiest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Well, then, don’t ask.”

“Okay, I won’t.” And Connor contemplated the fact that Justin was with someone. Justin really was getting on with his life. It occurred to Connor that the wheelchair Justin used was holding Connor back more than it was his friend.

“Don’t hang up, Connor. The red line is going off.”