Page 118 of My All American Girl

Jude shook his head with a hint of resignation in his eyes. “You’re still a fool if you think it’s that simple.”

“There’s nothing simple about her, Jude. But she’s worth it,” I affirmed, patting his shoulder. “I’ll take my chances.”

He sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. “Man, you’re not just jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire, you’re diving headfirst into a damn volcano.”

I laughed at his dramatic analogy. It was far from the disapproval I’d expected from my oldest friend, but I didn’t have time to ruminate over it. The movers pulled up. “Need to get out of the driveway,” I said. “These guys are hauling my stuff to storage.”

“And where are you going?”

“Well, I need to turn in my key and then I was going to swing by the bar.” I shrugged.

He shook his head. “I cannot believe you actually tapped out. We’re not done with this. I’ll buy you a beer and I’ll decide if I need to have you committed.”

I flashed a grin. “I’ll see you in twenty minutes or so.”

I strolled to my truck, glancing back at Jude, who was still shaking his head. Climbing into the cab, I took one last look at the duplex that was almost empty. Soon, two families would be moving in and starting their journey in Columbus.

I started the engine and waved goodbye to Jude as I maneuvered out of the driveway. The movers went about their business, efficiently packing up the remnants of my life. With one final glance at the house in my rearview mirror, I drove away.

I turned in the key, signed the paperwork, and headed out to the bar. I wasn’t sure what I was going to be doing, but if I wasn’t coming back to the bar for a while, I was looking forward to one last cold beer.

Business was slow. Jude and the young guy he hired to work with him were behind the bar. The smell of spilled beer and stale smoke greeted me.

Jude gestured to a table. I quickly sat down. Jude carried two beers to the table and sat down.

“This is some shit,” he said. “I can’t believe I’m looking at a civilian.”

“Believe it,” I responded, lifting my beer for a toast. “To new horizons.”

Jude grumbled but clinked his bottle against mine regardless. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. It’s not easy being out here.”

We sipped our beers in silence for a while. “It’ll just be different.”

“You haven’t been outside the military since you became an adult. You don’t know what life is like on the outside.”

“I wasn’t in prison.” I laughed.

“What the hell are you going to do? Do you have a job lined up? Somewhere to live?”

“Nope.” I shook my head.

“Are you staying here?”

“No.”

“Where are you going to go?”

I smiled. “Colorado.”

Two weeks had passed since I last saw Sarah. I missed her every day, but I was trying to make peace with the fact that it was over between us. It was for the best, I kept telling myself. When Mo removed me as Sarah’s mentor, I got lost in the shuffle and it was time to find my way again.

“Do you really think this thing with the general’s daughter is going to work out?”

I smirked. “The general’s daughter?” I echoed, trying to keep my tone steady. “Sarah is more than the general’s daughter.”

“It’s not that easy,” he said. “You and I both know it. This is far more complicated than that.”

“I’m just a guy that wants to be with a woman who wants to be with me.”