AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“A lot of the women who come through here have been isolated by their partners. This is one way of interacting with others in a comfortable setting. They’re responsible for bringing a dish and take a turn planning the meal and assign who brings what food item.”
“I get it now. I’m not great in the kitchen, but I’m a barbecue master when it comes to roasting meat over flame. After picking up the lights, I was checking out grills. I’m thinking I might get one and bring it over, if that’s okay.”
“As long as you keep it away from the houses. You can take it with you when you move.”
“I meant for here. Thought it’d be a nice addition for your residents. You can think on that and decide whether you want to invite Boss and me to your next potluck.”
“The dinners are Friday nights. I thought you might have plans.”
“At the moment, my social calendar is wide open. And right after I get home from overseas, I prefer smaller get-togethers to reintegrate.”
“I’ve heard crowds can overwhelm soldiers returning from deployments.”
“The dinner sounds like the kind of therapy I need.” He gave an easy smile.
“Food therapy as opposed to females’ tendency to do retail therapy?” It didn’t surprise her that he objected to the idea of counseling. The stigma attached to getting help still prevailed, especially in the military. “I do want to caution you, however, that it’s not a good idea to be alone with Wren or Ariana.” He needed to take her at her word because she wouldn’t disclose their stories and issues.
“I understand. Order acknowledged, ma’am.”
“Thanks.” She’d been prepared to encounter resistance. Hopefully, he’d follow orders from a civilian. Her father hadn’t always followed orders from his superiors, much less civilians. So far, John acted nothing like her father.
Instead of scary and domineering, John was fun and thoughtful and had a way of endearing himself and putting people at ease—even her. Despite denying it to Jillian, Elizabeth did find John’s appearance appealing. His build, his eyes, his smile. And he got better looking every time she saw him. It was a good thing he was only going to be here a short time, or she might regret giving up men.
ChapterEleven
I WILL SURVIVE – Gloria Gaynor
After dinner,Elizabeth sat reading on her front porch when John’s truck drove past.
Minutes later, Boss lumbered over to join Elizabeth. He raised his face for her to scratch.
“Sorry. He took off for here before I could stop him. I guess he got used to roaming free at your house.”
“No worries. He’s welcome anytime.”
“I see the ‘no alcohol’ rule doesn’t apply to you.” John grinned from the base of the steps.
“I own the property. I get to make the rules.” She took a sip of her wine and held onto the glass. “Burnout is high for counselors, especially ones trained to deal with trauma. A glass of wine, reading, watching my hummingbirds, and listening to the leaves rustle in the breeze helps me unwind and separate.” She rarely drank more than a glass or two now that she didn’t need it as a coping mechanism.
“I can only imagine.”
“I’m guessing you’ve seen your share of traumas too.”
“I have.” His pause before answering was telling. He also didn’t elaborate as he glanced around her property. “I’m jealous of this place. I’d love to find something like this when I move to Florida.”
“The family who owned this land raised tobacco, pigs, other crops, and timber around here. This was part of the timberland. I liked that there was a house already, even though it needed a lot of work. It still does.”
“I hear ya. I had big plans to renovate my house when I bought it. The kitchen needs to be gutted and completely redone to bring it into this century. The carpet’s like twenty years old, so it needs new floor covering throughout. One of the bedrooms is painted a bright yellow that has to go. But every time I go look at options, I get overwhelmed. Décor and design are not my thing. Now, I’m getting down to the wire with moving. I need to get it done to flip it or keep it as a rental property.”
“My realtor friend, Rachel, has a great eye for design and loves picking out cabinets, counters, flooring, lights, paint, hardware. She helped me pick out everything for Sanctuary Lodge. I can get you her contact information. She charges a reasonable fee, or if you decide to sell and need a realtor, she’ll do it for the listing.”
“That would be great. Will she help you with your house too?”
“She will, after I put aside the money to do it.”
“Which you don’t have because you keep sinking your money into buying tiny homes.” He eyed her knowingly.
“Guilty. But I got great deals on them.”
