Chapter Seven
Two weeks. That’s how long it had been since Tanner had gone to the clinic, and already he was beginning to feel stiffness in his legs and back – not to mention the lack of progress of learning to walk independently. Part of him was disappointed that he had acted so irrationally about the dog. Sure, it had looked a lot like the one back in Afghanistan – the one that had contributed to his injury and Chip’s death. It wasn’t the same dog, though. This one would never have a bomb strapped to its side… just a beautiful grad student that looked like she spent her days drinking from the golden sun.
Why couldn’t he stop thinking about her? Maybe it had something to do with that alluring combination of being easy on the eyes as well as easy to talk to. At least, she had been easy to talk to until he shut her off and turned her away. Tanner groused at himself.
“Hey. You alright, man?”
He looked up at the taxi driver staring back at him in the rearview mirror, then turned and looked out the window. “Yeah, I’m good.”
He refused to say more. All he wanted was a nice, quiet morning cup of coffee – someplace where he wasn’t going to get the third degree from his mother for blowing off his therapy.
Every day was the same. He would wake up to the smell of something delicious cooking in the kitchen. If he didn’t come out in a timely fashion, mama would knock until he finally invited her in. She always arrived with a tray of sinful goodness and motherly advice.
“You know, you could have this kind of treatment all the time if you found the right woman… what about that sweet girl who was supposed to come around here. Eva or something, wasn’t it?”
Ha! She wasn’t fooling him any. He knew that she knew that they both knew exactly who Eva was. In fact, she had made it more than apparent that she had special designs for them to grow sweet on one another with her fake dog escape.
Fat chance of that happening!
Even if there was a remote possibility of Eva falling for him, he wouldn’t be so cruel as to saddle her – or any other woman, for that matter – with someone like him for a husband. It just wouldn’t be fair.
Not that she’d even be interested.
Tanner couldn’t imagine someone like her falling for his sort anyway. Sure, he wasn’t the ugliest guy around, but even whole he hadn’t been God’s gift to women. At least, not in the sense to get someone like her. She had those long, soft curls that framed the prettiest face he’d ever seen – shapely eyes, a button nose, and a heart shaped mouth a man could kiss all day.
What?!
Tanner snapped out of his reverie. He needed to stop thinking about her like that. He needed to stop thinking about her period! They wouldn’t be seeing each other again. He had made sure of that by disappearing the past two Saturdays before his mother was even out of bed. He had to give her credit for sticking to his mother’s arrangements and still coming by despite wasting the trip out. He had disappeared just in the time to miss the last visit. If he kept it up, Eva would eventually quit and become little more than a pleasant memory. He should’ve been happy with the idea. So why did he feel terrible instead?
“Need any help?” the driver asked as the taxi pulled into the parking lot.
“Nah. I’m good.” Tanner leaned a little to reach into his pocket. “How much do I owe you?”
The driver waved him away. “Don’t worry about it.”
Tanner had a feeling he knew the driver’s reasoning for refusing payment, and felt his mood darken.
“Listen, friend. I’m sure you think you’re doing me some noble service, but truth be told, you’re not. I’m quite capable of paying. So I’ll ask you again,” he pulled out his wallet and flipped it open, “how much do I owe you?”
The driver turned around and studied him for a moment. He grunted, surprising Tanner by popping open his car door and stepping out. He walked to Tanner’s side and grabbed hold of the handle, suddenly jerking the door open.
“Out. Now.”
Tanner was thankful he had opted for the crutches instead of the wheelchair that morning. The tone in the man’s voice told him it was time to square off, and that would’ve been impossible to do from a sitting position. At least he would have something to lean on for support, and could use the other crutch to defend himself! He stuck one outside and quickly exited, using the other to balance.
“You want to go, man?” He glared at the driver. “Then let’s go. I’m ready!”
The driver sized him up, one comical brow cocked as if to say he didn’t make much of the threat. He confirmed Tanner’s suspicions when he let out a chuckle.
“Your foot might be missing, but your spirit sure ain’t!”
Tanner growled. “You don’t know me. Who are you to be saying anything anyways?”
The man raised his left hand to demonstrate the missing fingers. Tanner inhaled sharply.
“Oh, that ain’t nothing,” the man said. He leaned to the right a little, and then lifted his left pant leg. “They got a lot more of me than they got of you.”
Tanner swallowed hard. “You were there, too?”
“Yeah, but not for long,” the driver admitted. “First recon and one of the boys took a bad step – went all seventh heaven on me. When I awoke, I had already been through surgery. Let me just say I was none too pleased at the time, and made sure everyone else knew it!”
Tanner glanced away, a bit of guilt eating at him. It sounded a lot like his story. When he realized he was missing part of his leg, he had lashed out at everyone around. The idea of going home less than whole devastated him. He was positive he would become nothing but a burden. Sure enough, that’s exactly what had happened.
But what about this guy? He was even worse off than Tanner and he seemed to be managing fairly well. Here he was… driving a taxi!
Tanner nodded at the man. “Well, you seem to be doing just fine now.”
“Oh, yeah. That I am,” the man agreed. “Of course, I couldn’t have done it alone. I had a great rehabilitation team and lots of support. I don’t think I could’ve survived without the boys down at the VFW, and the love of my little Rosie. Yep! They were the ones that helped me most.”
“Glad to hear it worked out for you.” Tanner smiled and extended a hand. “Name’s Tanner McKoy.”
The man reached out and grabbed hold. He gave his arm a solid pump. “Nice to meet you, McKoy. Name’s Barrett. Joshua Barrett.”
“Nice to meet you, too, Josh.” Tanner smiled. “Have to say, I didn’t even realize there was a VFW around these parts.”
“Not quite around here. It’s about twenty minutes east – over in Rutherford.” Josh looked thoughtful. “Hey, you know what? You should stop in sometime.”
“Uh, I don’t know about all that.” Tanner hesitated. “I’m not too sure I’d fit in.”
“Not too sure you’d—” Josh ran a hand through his mop of hair. “Boy, you fixing to tell me there’s someplace better for you to be than with others who also fought for this country?”
“Well, if you’re going to put it like that—”
“That’s exactly how I’m putting it.” Josh spoke firmly, but a corner of his mouth turned up in a half smile. “We meet every third Sunday at two o’clock. You stop by and see me. Agreed?”
He eyed Tanner in a way that said he wouldn’t leave until he heard the right answer.
“Okay, then. It’s a deal.”
They shook hands again. Then Josh climbed back into the taxi and drove off. Tanner watched the car disappear before spinning around on his crutches to head into the coffee shop. He yanked open the front door, the smell of roasted beans hitting him full force, sending him reeling with delight.
“The smell of morning,” he softly murmured, entering the near-empty shop. He limped past the only two patrons in the place, returning a brief nod to one, and headed straight to the empty counter. He took a seat on one of the barstools, then looked around. It had been a while since he’d been in there – since before the last tour. Still, he was fairly certain at least one person should’ve been manning the place.
“Hello?” He called out. “Could I get some service please?”
He picked up a drink menu, debating if he should try some fancy latte or stick with his usual.
“Just a minute!” A voice called from the back room. “I’m just pulling a pan of scones out of the—”
The voice broke and Tanner looked up.
“You?”
Eva stared at him, a tray of fresh baked breads in her hands. Her brows knitted together in confusion. She set the tray on one end of the counter and approached him.
“If you’ve changed your mind about the therapy sessions, that’s great.” She smiled. “I don’t get off until later this afternoon, though.”
“What are you talking about?” Tanner sat up a little straighter on the stool. “What are you even doing here?”
His tone sounded a bit defensive even to his own ears. He couldn’t help it, though. All he wanted was to be left alone.
Right?
“What am I doing here?” She crossed her arms, her smile disappearing. “I work here! What’s your excuse?”
“I just wanted a cup of coffee!”
“So you couldn’t make a cup at home? You had to come to my job?” Her voice rose to match his. “Or could it be that maybe you finally realized how important your therapy sessions are, and you’re interested in getting to work.”
She smirked, a single brow arching high. She was obviously challenging him, trying to coerce him into accepting her suggestion. He was in no mood to change his mind, though. The last thing he wanted was to keep falling on his face in front of people – especially someone like her.
He took a steady breath. “Listen, Eva. I know you’re just trying to help, but I really don’t need it. In fact, all I really need is a cup of coffee.”
Eva let out an exacerbated sigh. “Tanner, you need a lot more than coffee. Trust me, I know. I’m a professional.”
Tanner snorted. “A professional what? Barista?”
Eva’s mouth dropped open.
“How dare you!”
Her voice rose, attracting not only the looks of the few customers in the shop, but also the attention of another employee. A woman in her early forties walked out of the back room. Tanner immediately recognized her as the owner for which the café was named after.
“What is going on here?”
Eva snapped around.
“Phoebe! Oh, I’m so sorry.” Eva rushed back behind the counter. “I was just trying to get these scones out when… when…”
She pointed back behind her, flustered.
The owner rolled her eyes. “First you were late, then you brought that—”
“I know!” Eva interrupted. “And I’m so sorry. It’s just that things have been a little… well, a little…”
Tanner let out a sigh. He wasn’t sure what all Eva had going on with her boss, and could justify why he should probably stay out of it, but the truth was that the argument was partially his fault. After all, he had been the one to snap at her first with that snide remark about being a barista.
“Ms. Coffey?” Tanner said. “I don’t know if you remember me, but my mother helped decorate this café.”
Phoebe Coffey turned to Tanner. She gave him a big, toothy grin. “Oh, yes! Actually, I do remember you. How have you been, darling? How’s your mama?”
“She’s doing great. Busy working with, you know, her decorating and all.”
“And how about you,” the woman crooned. She pointed down to his amputated leg. “I heard about your terrible misfortune. If there’s anything I can do for you, anything at all—”
“A cup of coffee would be nice.”
“Certainly! You order anything you want, honey. It’s on the house. Just my little way of saying thank you for all you’ve done.” Phoebe frowned at her employee. “And Eva here would be glad to get it for you. Right, Eva?”
“Of course.”
Phoebe gave a satisfied nod before turning on a heel and heading into the back room again.
Eva’s lips drew into a thin line as she walked over to the deluxe coffeemaker. She poured a cup of regular, then turned back to Tanner and sat it down on the counter.
“Anything else, sir?” she asked, her expression a tad dour.
Tanner smiled at her dour expression. He poured two packs of sugar into his coffee. “Yeah. What kind of scones are those?”
“Blueberry,” she flatly stated.
“My favorite.” He took a sip from his cup. “I think I’ll have one of those, too.”
Eva grabbed a pair of tongs. She slapped one of the scones onto a plate, then placed it in front of Tanner.
“Anything else?”
Tanner took a large bite out of the scone and hardly chewed before swallowing. There was no mistaken the irritation in her voice, and Tanner had to admit – she was kind of cute when she was angry. He chuckled.
“What’s so funny?”
“You are,” he admitted.
Eva planted a fist on one hip. She squinted at him as she waved the other one – tongs dancing in midair.
“Really? It’s funny to see me get in trouble with my boss? Gee, that’s real nice.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Tanner laid the scone down.
“Then what did you mean?”
“Just that you’re, uh…”
“That I’m what?”
Tanner took a large swig from his coffee and fought the urge to spit it back into the cup. Man, it was hot! He set the cup back down and cleared his throat.
“Nothing, really.” Taking a napkin out of a nearby dispenser, he wrapped the scone in it and stuffed it in his jacket pocket. “I think I’ll just take this with me and head on out.”
He grabbed hold of his crutches and began to leave.
“Tanner, wait!” Eva called after him. He stopped when she came around the counter. “Look, I know you probably think I’m being some sort of nag. I suppose I kind of am… but I mean well. I really do. It’s not like I’m hounding you because I just want a passing grade. I spoke to your mom and I know how difficult things have been… for the both of you. I guess I thought I could help, and when I saw you come in… well… I thought that maybe you felt the same way. That maybe your mom had mentioned I work here, and you came in looking for me.”
Her eyes reflected the same mix of emotions Tanner felt. Hopeful, confused… He was being difficult and he knew it. Worse, he was doing it for no good reason other than his pride – the same pride that he had exhibited earlier in the taxi. However, he had accepted help then and things had turned out fine. Why couldn’t this work, too? Even if he never mastered walking without some kind of assistance, maybe it could help with his mother. It would make her happy to see he was at least trying. Then she would stop coming up with all kinds of cockamamie ideas about him getting married.
His resolve finally crumbled. “Fine. We can give it a try.”
“Really?” Eva visibly brightened. “Great! I can swing by later today. Say, the same time as originally scheduled? Two o’clock?”
“Sure.” Tanner reluctantly agreed. “What have I got to lose?”