They worked a little more, the silence warm instead of strained. She found herself almost able to forget the wreckage they were kneeling in. Almost.
At some point, Rina messaged the group chat with Mina and Felicity, stating that she was curled up watching her favorite movie. Mina replied that she was going to visit her neighbor. Felicity glanced at her messy shop and pocketed her phone, not ready to share what happened. Texting it made it even more real—and more awful.
Her brain sifted through the jumble of thoughts inside it and picked out one detail—it was Thursday. She always read to the veterans on Thursday after dinner.
She placed a final book on a stack and glanced at the clock. Too much of the day was gone…and it wasn’t even over yet. She could cancel the reading, but she hated to do that.
“You’ve got somewhere to be.” Gabe’s warm rumble made her focus on him again. “You keep checking the clock,” he clarified.
She huffed out a breath and sat back on her heels. “I read to the vets on Thursday nights.” She set the book she was holding on the stack and flattened a hand over it. “I have dinner in the hall with them, then I read from a few different books to give them a variety.”
He stilled, staring at her for a long moment, not blinking, not looking away. When he looked at her, it felt like he tuned out the entire world just to listen to her.
Suddenly self-conscious, she dropped her gaze. “It’s no big deal.”
“It sounds like a big deal.”
Heat bloomed in her chest, and she busied herself with straightening the pile that was already neat.
“I’m sure it helps the guys a lot. Keeps their minds off their troubles for a spell.”
For a beat, she lost herself in his eyes, noting the flecks of amber brown and a few gold highlights. Beyond that, she saw a gleam of respect for her, and a warmth that curled tight in her chest.
Breaking the connection, he pushed to his feet. “Let’s get you out to the vets.”
She rose too, taking in the stacks they’d built. It was far from perfect, but it wasn’t nearly as overwhelming. Or maybeshewasn’t as overwhelmed.
That open patch of floor did more to restore her faith than she ever would have guessed.
“Thank you.” The words came out soft.
He dipped his jaw in recognition. “We made good progress.”
But the progress wasn’t what she felt as she followed him out. It was the strange pull low in her belly—the one that had nothing to do with the cleared floor and everything to do with the quiet, unshakable man holding the door for her.
She wasn’t just relieved he’d helped.
She was relieved he wasn’t leaving her alone.
Chapter Five
Gabe hadn’t realized how much he missed this room until he walked into it again.
The long tables of the dining hall were already half full, and the smells of roast chicken, rolls and coffee hung in the air.
Voices overlapped, mingled with the occasional rough laugh and silverware clinking. Gabe glanced around. Some new faces. Some old. Back when he joined the program, the noise set his nerves on edge. Now it felt like a homecoming.
A couple of the guys spotted him right away. Luke gave him a lift of the chin from down the table, the silvery scar along his cheek catching in the light when he grinned. Zayne waved him over with a fork in hand.
Carrying his own tray of food, Gabe slid onto the bench beside him.
“You’re back?” Zayne asked without preamble.
The guy was in his mid-twenties. Far too young to be hit with what life served him. He’d entered the program toward the end of Gabe’s own stay. He couldn’t quite remember what they talked about, only that they’d spent a lot of hours working in the sun.
“I’m still figuring it out.”
“Civilian life didn’t treat you well?” Zayne asked between bites.
