More Than a Touch (Snowberry Creek #2) Read Online Free Page B

the way out here from Ohio to see if Callie would give Mooch a home. That was his excuse, anyway. Mostly, he needed to put some space between himself and his folks. You know how hard it is to adjust to being stateside again.”
    Leif rolled his shoulders, hoping he could get the rest of it out before he ran out of beer or courage. “This is a real nice town, Spence, and the people are sure friendly. Sarge has decided to stay here in Snowberry Creek permanently. I know you had thoughts about coming back here to Callie, what with the two of you being so close and all. I don’t know how serious you were about that, but she and Nick have hooked up big-time. Hell, they’re planning on getting married.”
    There. He’d managed to get the worst part out. “Not only that, but Nick’s starting his own remodeling business here in Snowberry Creek once he gets clear of the army, starting with your house. He wants me to think about throwing in with him on it. For sure, he’s not going to reenlist, and I’m not sure the army will want me back with this leg. Maybe they’d offer me some kind of desk job, but you know how much I’d hate that.”
    The alarm on his cell phone chimed, reminding him he had places to be, other people to see.
    “I think I’ve covered the high points of what we’ve got going on these days. Guess I’d better head over to the medical clinic now, Wheels. I’ll stop by again soon. I’ll leave the beer for you.”
    Leif set the rest of the six-pack next to Spence’s headstone before reaching out to trace his friend’s name, carved into the polished granite. The stone was surprisingly warm, but then Spence had always run hot, charging through life at full bore.
    “Damn it, Wheels, I miss you so fucking much. We all do.” Leif took a step back. “It hurts so damn much knowing that you died on that street so Nick could drag my worthless ass to safety. He and I are both having a hard time learning to live with that, but maybe we’ll figure it out eventually. I’m not much for the mushy stuff, Wheels, but it was an honor to know you and serve at your side.”
    Leif straightened up, ignoring the fresh stab of pain in his leg. Blinking hard to hold back the sting of tears, he could have sworn he could hear the ghostly strains of “Taps” echoing through the nearby woods. Maybe he was only imagining how it had been the day his friend had been laid to rest here next to his parents on this Washington hillside. Real or not, it didn’t matter. Throwing back his shoulders, Leif stood at attention until the last note died away.
    Clutching his cane in his left hand, he executed a perfect salute, did an about-face, and marched away.

Chapter 3
    “H ey, Zoe, your next appointment is here.”
    “I’ll be with you in a second, Brandi. I need to finish this before I lose my train of thought.”
    Her medical assistant nodded and leaned against the doorframe while Zoe finished typing an e-mail. She scanned it one last time and hit SEND before looking up. “Now you’ve got my undivided attention.”
    Brandi held out a clipboard and a stack of paperwork. “His name is Corporal Leif Brevik. He’s a soldier who needs physical therapy for his leg.”
    Leif? Zoe stared at the forms he’d filled out. How had she missed seeing his name on her patient list for the day?
    Brandi kept talking. “He’s a real cute guy, by the way, if a bit too clean-cut for my tastes.”
    “And how is that last part pertinent to his medical care?”
    Totally unrepentant, her assistant just grinned. “I wanted to make sure you noticed that he is totally drool-worthy. You have a tendency to miss important details like that.”
    If Brandi figured out that she and Leif had not only met but had shared drinks and slow dances, Zoe would never hear the end of it. She gave an exaggerated sigh. “He’s a patient, Brandi, which means what he looks like is completely irrelevant.”
    She pointed her finger at the top of the form. “Besides,