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Charm might not work on her father, but
Lena’s mother flushed at the compliment.
The waiter interrupted, depositing two trays of mixed appetizers. Another followed with Lena’s wine. Chad saw her father’s brow furrow when the glass was placed in front of his little girl.
“I went ahead and ordered a few things to start,” Chad said. “One plate is vegetarian.”
“We love our meat down in Texas. But thanks, man, I can’t wait to dig in. It was a long trip to get here. Three flights,” Joe said, his voice light and friendly. But Chad could feel Lena’s brother studying him closely.
“Lena,” Mr. Rodriguez said as his wife filled his plate. “Have you given more thought to going back to the army? With a Silver Star—”
“No, Daddy, I’m not going back.” Lena reached for her wine. “I found a position in Independence Falls.”
“Doing what?” her father demanded.
Lena explained the details of her job as if she were reading the listing from the classified ads. She left out the battle she’d fought and won to secure the position.
“Security?” Mr. Rodriguez tossed the second half of his egg roll onto his plate as if the mention of her job stole away his appetite. “Lena, you went to West Point.”
“I know.” Lena raised her wine to her lips and took a long drink. “I pointed that out during the interview.”
Mr. Rodriguez shook his head. “You were an officer in the United States Army.”
“Yes, I was,” she said. And this time, her voice trembled.
Chad stared across the table at the man who dared to dismiss Lena’s accomplishments. How could anyone look at the woman sitting beside him and see failure? He reached for her, knowing she need support, not a friend who challenged her father. But Hero beat him to the punch, choosing that moment to climb into Lena’s lap as if he were a Chihuahua. The golden retriever rested one paw on her shoulder and his head on the other side, as Chad held tight to the table’s edge to keep it from tipping.
“Is that your new dog?” her mother asked.
Lena wrapped her arms around the retriever, clinging to him. “Yes.”
Her father opened his mouth as if ready to offer his two cents on the subject when the waiter appeared.
“We’re ready to order the main course,” Chad said quickly. “Joe, are you still hungry?”
“You bet,” Lena’s brother said.
They went around the table placing orders. With her family’s attention diverted to the mundane, Chad felt Lena relax. Hero abandoned his post at her shoulder. The big dog settled on her lap, determined to play the part of an animal a quarter his size to keep Lena calm. From what he’d witnessed of Lena’s family so far, Hero’s training would be put to the test tonight. No wonder she’d spent the past couple of days tied in knots over seeing her father. Warm and welcoming wasn’t in the man’s vocabulary.
Chad watched Lena as she spoke to the waiter. Maybe she had come to Independence Falls looking for greener grass. After seeing where she’d come from, hell, he couldn’t hold that against her.
LENA HAD FACED armed insurgents determined to harm or capture her and her fellow soldiers. In Afghanistan, she’d fought to save the lives of the men and women fighting at her side, and defend her own. But sitting here, trembling with a dog in her lap, it was as if her bravery, her fearless ability to fight, her resilience, all existed in another world.
She glanced over at her father, his gaze fixed on the menu. He was so close. She could reach out and touch him. But first she’d have to break through the wall between them.
It felt as if her father had arrived at the Red Dragon with her brother, her mother, and his expectations. When he’d challenged her about her security job, she’d been tempted to ask if they should pull up a chair so his disappointment could have a place at the table.
But she knew better than to play the can’t-you-see-I’m-suffering card with her father. Serving his country had left her dad confined to a wheelchair, and it had robbed his only son of a leg, yet she knew he’d do it all over again. For as long as she could remember, his willingness to sacrifice for their country had been a thing of awe and wonder. And she’d followed in his footsteps, ready and willing to serve.
Some days it was hard to admit that she had nothing left to give. To acknowledge to the brave men at this table that something as abstract as PTSD held her back when they had given physical parts of themselves to the fight. And it was just as difficult for her father to accept that fact.
“Did Joe tell you he competed in the Warrior Games?” her mom asked, the familiar sound of her Texas drawl reminiscent of the best parts of Lena’s childhood.
Lena’s eyes widened as she glanced at Joe. “No. You never mentioned a word.”
Her big brother smiled. “I figured you had your hands full.”
With her life falling apart?
