A Soldier's Reunion

“What kinda history?” Brock waggled his reddish brows.

Nolan shook his head. “Not that kind. She was a good girl.” Who fell for the bad boy. At least that’s what Mandy’s mother and her pastor claimed. Their influence had been like a tumor in his and Mandy’s relationship, metastasizing it with the poison of pious principles.

Nolan hadn’t shared Mandy’s family’s faith. Therefore she was off-limits, according to them and the Bible they quoted. The book he’d wanted nothing to do with because he feared it would judge him as harshly and unmercifully as they did.

Now, as a new Christian, he understood completely. But at the time, their judgmental precepts had incited and incised him.

“Where are they transporting?” Nolan asked Petrowski and forced his feet to move. He observed a Red Cross volunteer finishing up paperwork with Mandy and directing her to the far end of the parking lot with waiting ambulances.

“Refuge Memorial for now. Completely swamped from so many bridge victims being brought in. So patients will be diverted elsewhere.”

Nolan shucked off his jumpsuit, glad he’d worn jeans and a T-shirt beneath. “So all injured are being taken there initially?”

Zips sounded as Aaron shirked his own suit. “Far as I know.”

“I can go talk with her there. We never had proper closure.” Nolan wadded his suit and tossed it in his rucksack.

Aaron tilted his head. “And, according to her response back there, you need to.”

“Exactly right.” He couldn’t let this go. Not again. He didn’t realize the impact of that open wound until the moment they’d laid eyes on one another after a decade of zero contact.

They needed to talk, if nothing more than to ease shut the chapter of a very painful book. He’d seen it in her eyes.

He’d hurt her. Majorly wronged her.

And he needed to make it right.

“How rude,” Mandy muttered to herself as she stepped away from the volunteer, and Nolan’s scrutiny. Ow, did her hand hurt. Starting to swell, too. A blue-black discoloration had begun. Hand elevated, she trudged toward the distant line of ambulances she’d been directed to. Maybe they’d have pain relievers on board. And another ice pack. To cool off her wrist.

And her temper.

Nolan and his friends had been openly staring and talking about her. Without trying to hide it. What kind of friends did he have nowadays? She couldn’t hear what they said but knew for certain she was the object of conversation.

And she had felt Nolan’s stare above the rest.

Where was he?

She started to look around but stopped herself. She’d jump off the bridge before she’d broadcast how badly he’d rattled her. He had to be tracking her. She could still perceive him. Right now. Gaze drilled into her back right to her heart.

No matter.

This freakish accident tumbled them together but she wasn’t about to make anything out of it. He’d better not follow her to the hospital, either. She had nothing to say to him. Nothing.

Never mind small pings of joy that he would actually make an effort to come see her. Why would he?

The cold, sharp truth smarted like a dull needle. She hadn’t meant enough to him ten years ago or he would have found a way.

And she would not risk her heart to a man like that again. She’d have to mean more to him than his dreams.

To be fair, she hadn’t considered giving up hers, either. Couldn’t have expected Nolan to give up his. He really hadn’t had a choice whereas she had but hadn’t taken it.

Seeing how he rescued people today made her glad he hadn’t. The world needed men like that, willing to risk their lives so others can live. Their relationship had been a casualty of his creed and her cause.

She was no longer on his radar. Not even close. No use hoping for a relationship that had ended a decade ago.

Sweat trickled down Mandy’s back as she continued her trek across asphalt so hot it probably melted the tread on her soles. An EMT approached. “Think you can ride sitting up, Dr. Manchester?” he asked as she reached the line of open-door ambulances that had come from towns around to assist.

“Yes.”

Reece, Caden and Jayna sat like three lost baby ducks in a row inside a middle ambulance. The urge to shelter them hit her. How she loved children. She had an especially tender heart for fragile ones. She nodded that way. “If there’s room in there, I’ll ride with them.”

“Sure. But might be a bit before transport since we may need to stick a couple others in it.” He eyed her injuries.

Mandy nodded. “That’s fine.”

Hand lent, the EMT assisted her inside, and closed the door.

“Miss Mandy!” Reece scooted over and patted a place beside her. Bless the child’s assessment that her bottom could actually fit in that small space.

Caden must have noticed Mandy’s dilemma. He unlatched the strap across his thighs and moved to the bench.

“Scoot an itty bit more,” Mandy said, then sat between Reece and Jayna.

Grinning, Reece fisted her hand and lifted it to Mandy.

She smiled. “Just what am I supposed to do with that?”

Jayna giggled. “You go like this.” She fisted her hand and bumped Reece’s knuckles.

“Hi-fives aren’t hip anymore?”

Caden scowled. “No way. Neither is ‘hip.’ It’s older’n my grandma’s dinosaur’s grandma.”

Reece and Jayna erupted in giggles and squashed themselves up against her.

“Hey, Caden, I never did catch your last name.” Mandy wiggled her nose at the little boy.

“Boyle,” he said. Mandy caught sight of Nolan walking past. Looking for something? Someone? Her heart slammed against her sternum when he passed by, then disappeared from sight.

God, I miss him. Hurts too much to hope…

Mandy consciously repressed it all.

“Chief Boyle…” Mandy tilted her face in a dreamy lilt, making pretense of eyeing the ceiling, while actually looking for emergency items. Habit she supposed. “I do believe I like the sound of that.”

The children chortled.

Mandy joined them and felt the unprecedented stress of an unbearably hard day melt away. “Well all-right-y then. Fist bumps are what people do nowadays.” She raised hers and bumped each child, causing bubbly giggles to fill the ambulance.