Carry Me Home (The Home Series: Book Three) Read online

  “Any word on Brandon?” my mom asked when we started eating.

  “Nothing new. Mandy said he should be back in Carver any day.”

  “I still can’t believe that happened to him. It’s been all over the paper. The town’s really come together to raise money for him.”

  “I heard and I think it’s awesome,” I said.

  “Is Jill giving you your job back at the flower shop?” Jack asked, referring to the summer job I’d had since graduating high school.

  “I start the day after next,” I said and then it grew quiet for a few minutes as we ate in comfortable silence.

  My cell phone started ringing and I excused myself to answer it. I cringed when I saw it was Evan, realizing I’d forgotten to call him like I’d promised.

  “Hey…I’m sorry I didn’t call. I got home and got distracted,” I said quickly before he could even say a word.

  “I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I looked at the clock and realized you should’ve called me by now.”

  “I know and I’m sorry.”

  “You know how I love to worry. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

  “We’re just sitting down to dinner. Can I call you tomorrow?”

  “Don’t forget this time,” he laughed.

  “I won’t.”

  “Good night, Riley. I love you.”

  “You too,” I replied and then the line went quiet and I returned to the table.

  “Everything okay?” my mom asked.

  “It was just Evan. I forgot to call him to tell him I’d made it.”

  “That was sweet of him to check on you, although you should’ve called him.”

  “I got distracted. I’m just so excited to be home with you, my dear mother,” I said with a hint of playful sarcasm, which I don’t think my mom appreciated by the glare she shot me across the table.

  “I’m just saying it’s nice to know he cares about you,” she said and I just nodded as we continued to eat. Evan did care about me and I cared about him, but being home suddenly made him feel so far away and the memories I’d worked so hard to suppress so close.

  Chapter Two

  It felt good to get back to the flower shop, almost like coming home. I’d spent the last three summers working there and each summer it was refreshing to come back to a job where my sole purpose was to brighten people’s days with bouquets of beautiful flowers. I loved the owner, Jill, and her son, Matt, had turned out to be a great friend. He was the one who Jesse had given his farewell letter to and he’d been there for me through it all, even taking Holly and me under his wing when we got to K-State. Unfortunately, Matt wouldn’t be at the flower shop this summer. He’d patched things up with his longtime girlfriend, Taryn, when she’d returned from her summer abroad in Italy. They’d gotten married last year and moved to Omaha so Matt could start his graduate program. While I’d been happy for Matt, I couldn’t deny part of me was a little jealous that he wouldn’t be at my beck and call the way he’d been for the past few years. What I’d miss the most though was him being there to talk to when I needed him and offering the advice only he seemed able to give.

  Matt’s replacement had been his older brother, Mark. Mark was annoying and barely tolerable. I’d never met him during my summers at the flower shop, but I’d heard plenty of stories about him. He drove Matt crazy and after years of mooching off his parents and floating from job to job, he’d finally come home to Carver. Even though I missed Matt, I was just content to be back and if I had to put up with Mark’s terrible sense of humor and constant inappropriate flirting, I would learn to deal.

  My return to Carver had been a boring one and I was grateful that work kept me occupied. Mandy seemed to work non-stop, which left her with very little free time. Holly was staying in Manhattan to take some summer classes and Laura had moved away. We’d all been surprised when after her first year at the community college in Carver, she’d decided to transfer to a school in Oklahoma and move in with her cousin. It was just one more symbol of how much everything had changed.

  I spent my evenings alone for the most part, reading cheesy romance novels and watching TV. It wasn’t how I’d envisioned my last summer before my final year in college, but I knew it was temporary and I had to admit, I enjoyed being able to relax after the stress of the school year.

  It was on one of those nights my phone rang and I picked it up to hear an excited Mandy on the other end.

  “Brandon’s coming home tomorrow!” Mandy had screeched before I could even say hello and I let out the breath I felt I’d been holding since first learning of Brandon’s injuries. After hearing Mandy’s words that he was coming home though, I closed my eyes, sending a silent thank you up to the sky. I wanted to go see him right away, but I knew I couldn’t. He needed time to get settled and I didn’t want to intrude, especially since Brandon and I hadn’t been as close as we’d once been after Jesse left. I wanted to change that though and I’d wait for him to say he wanted us to come.

  When Mandy called again saying he was ready to see us, I was anxious and scared and excited all at once. I’d only seen Brandon once since he left for the army and I never expected the next time I’d see him would be under these circumstances.

  Mandy and I made plans to go together because I think we were both too nervous to go alone. She picked me up after her shift and we didn’t say much on the drive to Brandon’s.

  “Are you as nervous as I am?” she asked as we neared his house.

  “Yes,” I answered.

  “What should we say to him?”

  “I don’t know. I guess we just have to see where the conversation takes us.”

  “I mean, what if I can’t stop staring at his leg…or I mean…where his leg used to be.”

  “We can’t worry about that, Mandy. He’s our friend. That’s all he needs to know.”

  She breathed in deeply and nodded as she pulled into the driveway of his house.

  “You’re right,” she said, putting the car in park and turning off the engine. She slid the keys into her purse and looked over to me. “Here we go.”

  My heart started pounding as I stepped out of the car and perhaps I was imagining it, but we both seemed to walk slower than usual as we made our way to the front door. Mandy reached up and rang the doorbell as we waited in silence for it to open. I heard shuffling and then it opened and Brandon’s mother greeted us.

  “Hi, Mrs. Seaver,” Mandy said in her usual chipper voice and a smile spread across Mrs. Seaver’s face. She looked at us with grateful eyes and opened the door, immediately embracing Mandy and they held each other for a few moments. Mandy had grown up with Brandon and she knew his family well. I was a different story though. We never spent much time at Brandon’s house, so his mom didn’t know me all that much. Still, she smiled and hugged me too.

  “Thank you for coming, Riley,” she said as she pulled back and looked at both of us. “He’s anxious to see you.”

  “Are you sure?” Mandy asked doubtfully.

  “Of course,” she said, taking Mandy’s hand. “He just needed some time to get settled.”

  “How is he?” I asked, hoping I didn’t sound insensitive.

  “Surprisingly well. It was tough when I saw him in Germany, but he’s really coming around. He’s been working hard with his therapy and he’s made so much progress.” I saw tears in her eyes as she spoke. I couldn’t imagine what she’d been through. Her only son had nearly died. She still looked a little stunned as if she was getting used to the idea of Brandon’s new life.

  “Hey!” a familiar voice suddenly called from down the hall. “Get your butts in here!”

  Mandy and I looked at each other, smiling as we realized this might be easier than we thought. With those few words, beckoning us to him, he sounded just as we’d remembered, sarcastic and goofy. Mandy grabbed my hand and we walked towards his voice, stepping into the living room where Brandon was waiting for us. We stopped when we saw him and he looked surprisingly like the Br
andon I remembered, only his hair was much shorter, a typical military crew cut. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt and you wouldn’t have any idea he was an amputee just by looking at him. He leaned against the couch and I didn’t know if that was out of necessity or not, but looking at him, the way he smiled at us, he seemed okay and I felt a surge of relief.

  Mandy let go of my hand and practically ran into Brandon’s arms, nearly knocking him over as she squeezed him. He started laughing as he had to brace himself and I thought it was good that for whatever reason, he’d been leaning against the couch.

  “I’m sorry,” Mandy giggled as she realized her greeting may have been a little too exuberant.

  “It’s okay,” he assured her as she pulled back.

  “I can’t believe you’re actually home,” she sighed and he smiled down at her before he looked up at me.

  “Riley. Hey,” he said, seeming more uneasy with me than with Mandy.

  “Hey,” I said, stepping closer to him. We stood quietly for a moment before I closed the gap and leaned in for a hug. When I felt his arms around me, I knew I was going to cry. I hadn’t realized just how much I’d missed him. My eyes grew warm as I thought back to when he held me like this the night we’d found Jesse at rock bottom. It was the first time I’d seen the serious side of Brandon and I’d been grateful for his support that night. Brandon was always the first one to laugh either at himself or someone else. He was always the one looking for a good time. He’d driven us all crazy sometimes, but I loved him and I squeezed him a little tighter, knowing how close I’d come to losing my friend.

  When he pulled back, he looked between both Mandy and me and just shook his head. I turned to Mandy and saw her eyes were moist as well.

  “There will be absolutely no crying. Got that?” he said, his eyes moving from Mandy and then to me.

  “Sorry. No tears,” I said, trying to smile as I wiped the tears from my cheeks.

  “I’m not making any promises,” Mandy said as she dabbed her eyes too.

  “I’m not dead, so there’s no reason for crying…or even thinking about crying.”

  “But you almost died. I mean, seriously…you almost died…you lost…” Mandy rambled, but then stopped.

  “I see Mandy hasn’t lost her tact since I’ve been gone,” Brandon said, grinning over to me.

  “Nope. She’s still Mandy,” I assured him.

  “Okay. I get it. I’m a ditz who always says the wrong thing. I’m sorry.”

  “I’ve actually missed that,” he said, smiling a tender smile I wasn’t accustomed to seeing from him.

  He eased himself into the recliner and Mandy and I sat on the couch. Brandon was a little slower as he sat down and I finally saw an indication that his left leg was missing by the way his jeans seemed to cave in around what should’ve been his calf.

  “You can pick your mouth up off the floor now, Riley.” Brandon’s chuckle brought me back to the present and I realized then I’d been staring at his leg.

  “Omigosh,” I said quickly. “I’m sorry, Brandon…I…”

  “Relax. Man, have I missed razzin’ you guys,” he laughed and then a mischievous grin spread across his face. “You wanna see it for real?” he said, tapping on his calf area, a hollow thud filling the air.

  “That’s okay. I…I didn’t mean to stare,” I stammered, but he continued grinning slyly at me, reminding me so much of the many times he’d been purposely trying to annoy us. And then he lifted up his pant leg. My eyes focused on the prosthetic and I didn’t have to look at Mandy to know she was doing the same. “This thing is state of the art. The best there is out there.” He covered it again and then leaned back, putting his hands behind his head as if the whole situation was no big deal. “I’m practically normal wearing this thing.”

  Mandy and I didn’t say anything as we just looked at Brandon. He’d always been easygoing, but I was surprised at just how nonchalant he seemed about all of this. I wondered if it was just a façade and he was using his typical humor to deal with a situation that was far from humorous.

  “So what happened?” Mandy asked and I nudged her.

  “We don’t need to talk about that right now,” I said, looking over apologetically at Brandon.

  “No. It’s okay,” he said as his voice softened. We waited a few moments before he started talking. “We were on patrol and our convoy hit an IED. Plain and simple.”

  “Did it hurt?” Mandy asked and I nudged her again, but she just turned and glared at me. “I’m just asking a question.”

  “To be truthful, I don’t really remember much. I remember hearing something loud and then I woke up in the hospital and my leg was gone.” He spoke about it as if it was nothing, but Mandy and I just sat there as we tried to imagine everything he’d been through.

  “How are you…really, Brandon?” I asked seriously a moment later.

  “I’m totally fine.”

  “Really?”

  “I think I am. I mean, does this suck? Hell yes, it sucks, but what can I do about it? This is what I signed up for and over the last few months, I’ve come to realize I’m actually damn lucky. I’m still alive, aren’t I? I can’t say that for some of the other guys in my unit.”

  As I looked at him, I believed him, which wasn’t all that surprising when I thought about it. If anyone could handle something like this and come out of it okay, it was Brandon.

  “How are you okay with all of this?” Mandy asked. She looked like she was having difficulty understanding it all, just as I was.

  “It’s been a process, but I’ve had a lot of time to think. My physical therapists pushed me to do things I didn’t think I’d be able to do again and the counselors listened to me bitch and moan way more than they should’ve had to. They deserve some kind of medal for putting up with my bullshit. Let’s just say I wasn’t always this comfortable with my new state in life.”

  “That’s normal though,” I butted in.

  “That’s right,” Brandon said, leaning back. “Our little Riley here is almost a real physical therapist,” he said, referring to my college major. “Perhaps you could be my personal assistant?” We both started laughing and I just rolled my eyes.

  “I’ll see if I can fit you into my schedule.”

  Mandy’s phone started ringing just then and she fumbled in her bag until she pulled it out.

  “It’s work,” she said, flipping it open. We were quiet as she listened to whoever it was on the other end. “Yeah, I’ll be right there,” she said a few seconds later and then hung up the phone and slid it into her bag. She looked at us both and groaned. “I’m so sorry, but I have to run to work for just a few minutes. I forgot to fill out my time card the right way or some stupid thing. Is it okay if I run there real quick? I’ll only be like a half an hour and I’ll get some take-out on the way back and swing by the Red Box and then we can just chill all night.”

  “Are you up for that, Brandon?” I asked and he nodded.

  “Sounds good. I’ll take the kung pao chicken, Mandy.”

  “Awesome! I’ll be right back.”

  She grabbed her purse and walked quickly out of the house, leaving Brandon and I alone. I wasn’t sure how that would be, the two of us alone after everything that had gone down in the last few years.

  “I can’t tell you how relieved I am that you’re back,” I finally said after a few moments of silence.

  “It feels kinda weird to be back and know it’s not just on leave.”

  “What are you gonna do next?”

  “I’m not really sure. I’ll probably take some classes at the college until I figure it out.”

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t better about keeping in touch while you were gone.”

  “I know things got kinda crazy here after I left,” he said and we both knew what he was referring to.

  “Still…I should’ve been better about writing to you.”

  Then he looked at me with a serious expression that I rarely saw on Brandon’s face. �
��Have you talked to him at all?”

  “Who?”

  “You know who. Jesse.”

  I moved uncomfortably in my seat at the mention of his name.

  “No,” I said softly.

  “You know he didn’t want to hurt you, don’t you?”

  “Let’s not talk about this. It’s the past and it’s done. I’m over it.”

  “Are you?”

  “Of course I am. It’s been almost four years. I’d be pretty pathetic if I was still sitting around like a loser reject waiting for someone who obviously didn’t want me to come back.”

  “He didn’t want to do it. He had to do it.”

  “I know that, Brandon. It took me a long time to realize that, but I get it now, but it doesn’t mean we have to talk about it.”

  “I can respect that,” he said and paused for a moment before continuing. “Mandy tells me you’ve got a new man.” He had a smug grin on his face and I just nodded my head. “Tell me about him.”

  “Not that you need to know any details, but his name is Evan.”

  “That’s it? His name? What’s he do?”

  “He just graduated.”

  “Ah…an older man,” he said, shooting me a wicked grin again.

  “He just got a job in Kansas City. He’s an accountant.”

  “Sounds like a real exciting guy. What’d you get him for his birthday? A pocket protector?” Brandon started laughing. I tried not to, but his laughter had always been contagious and soon I was laughing too.

  “He’s not a nerd. He’s actually really great.”

  “Does he treat you right?”

  “He does.”

  “Then I’ll try and like him…if you ever introduce him to us.”

  I just nodded and then took a breath before asking him the question I’d wanted to know since he’d left Carver. Even though I’d just told him I didn’t want to talk about Jesse, it was too tempting and I couldn’t stop myself.

  “How’s Jesse?”

  “He’s good. He’s getting ready to get out actually,” he said and I was surprised. In a way, time had never moved so slowly as it did after Jesse and I broke up, but at the same time, it had also flown by.