Page 32 of Sweet Devotion

“Morning.” Kade’s voice had the easy authority of a man who was never fully off duty even when he was. “How’s the hip?”

“Better than yesterday. Worse than tomorrow.”

“Good answer.” A pause. “You got a minute?”

“I’ve got nothing but.” He moved to the porch steps and sat, Romeo shifting to stay within range, his nose finding Aiden’s knee. “What’s going on?”

“Hanson.”

The name settled between them the way names from that day always did. Aiden waited.

“TBI.” Kade didn’t need to explain to Aiden what it stood for—traumatic brain injury. “He’s been in the system since the blast. Standard rehab, standard protocols. Not improving the way they need him to.”

“How bad?”

“Bad enough that his doctors are looking for something different.” Another pause. “Mom agrees he should come to the ranch.”

Aiden looked out at the paddock where Boots was already watching the yard with the patient attention of a horse who understood schedules better than most people. “Same setup as me?”

“Same setup. Calm, structure, something to do, room to breathe. His docs are on board—quiet rural environment has documented benefit for TBI recovery. The current situation isn’t cutting it.”

“When?”

“Sooner than later would be better.”

“Agreed.” Being here the last few weeks had made all the difference in his life. Not just the therapy, but the therapist. Colleen had become very important to him, more than he had a right to allow.

“You know how military paperwork is. Could be two or three weeks. Think you’ll still be there?”

Would he? His mind drifted to Colleen, to how important she’d become to him, to how much he didn’t want to leave her. His hand stilled, his gaze locked on a point in the distance and he almost dropped the phone. He didn’t want to leave Colleen. Not now, not ever. Holy crap. He was falling in love with the woman.

“You still with me?” Kade’s voice broke into his thoughts.

“Uh, yeah. Sorry. Just thinking. Things are going well, but hard to say when I’ll be clear to leave.”

“Is it a problem if he comes while you’re still there?”

“Not for me. I haven’t spoken to him since I left rehab, but if it’s okay with him and your mom, it works for me.” He thought about that. Hadn’t taken the time to call and check on the others wounded in the blast. The ones still in rehab or recovery of some kind. What an idiot he was. Every time Josh or Kade called or visited it had made his day. Reminded him that he mattered. That his recovery was important. “I think I’ll give him a call.”

“Good idea.” The smile came through in his voice. “Let me know what the doc says at your next checkup.”

“Will do.” They exchanged a few brief pleasantries before ending the call. Aiden stared at the phone in his hand for a long moment.

Romeo nudged his hand. Smart dog.

“Yeah.” He scratched behind the dog’s ear. “No feeling guilty. Just call. Got it.” He found the number and dialed. It rang four times. He was calculating whether to leave a message when the line picked up.

“Yes?” Hanson’s single terse word reflected a man who had stopped expecting good news from phone calls.

“Hey. It’s Aiden.”

A beat. “Boglioli.” Something in tone shifted. “What the—how are you?”

“Better.” He meant it. “Listen, whatever you’re thinking, don’t. There’s no place like the Sweet Ranch. Don’t argue. Just come.”

“That’s what Kade and Josh said.” Silence hung longer than Aiden liked. “They make it sound like one step short of heaven.”

“Whatever you’ve heard, it’s better.” He looked out at the yard, at Brady trotting past with a stick that was approximately half his size, at the barn sitting solid in the distance, at Boots watching the paddock gate with her particular brand of patient certainty. “I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking it’s going to be two months of people feeling sorry for you and trying to get you to talk about your feelings.”