“Oh goodness, Miller, it’s good to see you.”
Miller gave her a side hug, then stepped back quickly. “What are you doing in DC? Do you live here now?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m here for a job interview.”
“Oh.” Miller glanced at the building she’d just stepped from. “State Department?”
She nodded. "Translator. Just part-time. I wouldn't be in the office here."
“Oh, bummer. Daniels lives here.”
“Daniels. I don’t?—“
“The guy who ate the burger then went on a run and?—“
“Oh, him. Okay, I remember him.”
“Yeah, all over the sergeant. He didn’t win any points on that one.”
She checked her phone for the time. “I’d love to stay and chat, but I have to catch a train.” She didn’t like being out in the open for this long with Pete being free. Paranoia was a terrible bitch, and she wanted her life back. But when had anything been easy? It seemed like there was always something.
Miller squeezed her shoulder. "It was good seeing you. Next time you're in town, get in contact. I know a few men and women who served with us. They'd love to see you."
“Thank you. It was great seeing you.”
“Bye, have a good trip home.”
She caught a taxi to the station and ran inside. Running into Miller had been great, but she was on edge since she thought it had been Pete. But Pete wasn't here. He wasn't around, and she didn't need to worry about him. Not here. There was no way he knew she'd traveled to DC.
On the train home, she thought about her friends in California. She needed to call them and see how they were. She'd already lost contact with so many people, and she didn't want to lose her connections to everyone. But how realistic was it to keep up with friendships when she lived across the country? She wanted to keep up with Luis, for sure. While on the train, she sent him an email, telling him how life was going. Before she got to Fayetteville, Luis replied, telling her that everything was great in California. She felt better after contacting him.
She would make an effort to keep up with her friends. They had been close while serving. Maybe some of them would drop off the radar, but she would make the effort. She looked through her contacts and made plans to send emails to the people she wanted to keep in contact with.
The train ride went by fast. She caught a taxi and was glad to see Link's vehicle in the drive when she arrived home.
He opened the door and was outside beside her when she stepped out from the vehicle. His lips were on hers as he held her close.
The kiss ended, and she leaned back, staring up into his beautiful eyes. His smile spread wider.
“I’m so glad you’re home.”
She nodded. “I am, too. I’m so happy to be home.”
“So how did it go?” Link asked as he took her bag from her.
“It went really well. I should hear in the next few days.”
“That’s great.”
They stepped inside, and he turned on the alarm. "I need to freshen up and then I just want to relax."
“Sure. Dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes.”
Before heading into the bathroom, she turned to him. "I ran into someone I used to serve in the Marines with. Miller is his name."
“Oh, cool. Is he living there?”
"Yeah. What's weird is he looks a little like Pete, and it scared me."
