Giving It All Read Online Free Page B

warmth he never thought he’d feel. There might be some awkward moments when he ran into some of his high school friends, but he’d get through them. What mattered was he was needed here, and it had been a long time since he’d felt needed.
    They turned into his parents’ drive and his heart leapt at the sight of the old farm house. Yellow ribbons were on all the trees in the front yard and a hand-drawn sign with Welcome Home Grant! was taped to the front door.
    “When did you have the time to do all of this?” Grant asked as his mom parked the car near the mudroom door.
    “I’ve had the ribbons up, but Ellie must have done the sign while she was watching Dad.” His mother sounded distracted. Grant realized she just wanted to get in to see his dad but didn’t want to rush his homecoming.
    “Go on. I’ll grab my gear. Am I in my old room?”
    “If you want. You can use our room if having a bigger bed is more comfortable for you. We have a hospital bed in the den and I’m on the sleeper sofa in there so I can be close to your dad if he needs me.”
    “I can sleep anywhere. My old room is fine.” He hefted his bags over his shoulder and followed her through the kitchen.
    The first sight of his big, strong father sitting strapped to a chair, his right arm hanging limply and his face distorted from the partial paralysis, was a kick in the gut. It was all he could do to hide his reaction. Memories of his friends coming to visit him with either false cheerfulness or pity in their eyes kept his face blank, but damn, it was hard.
    He ditched his bags in the hall by the stairs and crossed the living room to his father. “Hey, Dad, I’m home,” he said, his voice a little more husky than he’d anticipated. He knelt down on his father’s left side and hugged him.
    Automatically, he noted the changes in the room, and that his mother was talking to someone quietly, but he quickly dismissed those details. His entire focus was on holding his father close. It took a few moments before he could choke back the tears and look him in the eye.
    When he did, the tears threatened again as his father’s blue eyes were already overflowing. He gripped Grant’s hand tightly, and Grant was reminded of when he was a little kid and had to get a shot. His father would tell him to squeeze as hard as he could until it was over. “Don’t you worry, Dad. We’ve got this.”
    Ellie’s heart beat darn near out of her chest as she hustled up the stairs to the little balcony that ran along the back side of her apartment. Holy cow, but Grant Anderson was still hot . Not that she should have doubted it, but it had been years since she’d seen him up close.
    She’d watched him as he had come through the kitchen, desperate to see him again. He hadn’t shown any hint of a limp from his artificial foot when he rushed to his father’s side. Ellie had been brought to tears when she saw those two strong, injured men hugging. She’d had to leave before she embarrassed herself completely.
    Part of her had wanted to give the family their privacy for their reunion, but a selfish part of her wanted to stay and take in every aspect of Grant’s presence. It had been hard to tell for sure, but she didn’t notice any huge scars. There might have been something along his neck, but nothing crazy obvious. It certainly didn’t detract from his chiseled jaw and gorgeous blue eyes.
    In high school, he’d been nicknamed the Viking because of his height and Nordic good looks. Now that he’d filled out in his chest and shoulders, he looked even more like a warrior of old. It didn’t take much imagination to envision him wearing a horned helmet and swinging a sword.
    She’d taken extra care with her hair and outfit that morning, even though she’d known when she got up at the crack of dawn it was a waste of time. Grant hadn’t noticed her even to say hi. Ellie laughed at herself and her starry-eyed little daydreams. She’d have to tell Peter about it