Reckless Hero

She hadn’t yet noticed me, her eyes focused on the ground while she animatedly talked to a man beside her.

I squinted in the sunlight, trying to take in his face. He looked oddly familiar, but I couldn’t place him.

Her, on the other hand, I would have known anywhere.

“Anna,” I said loudly, without thinking—something that was rare for me these days due to my military training. But whenever I saw Anna, my impulses took over. I hadn’t even known what I wanted going to say. I just knew I couldn’t let pass her without saying something.

Without seeing those beautiful grey eyes…

She jumped at the sound of her name and looked over at me with wide eyes. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, but I could tell it was longer than I remembered. She wore the same glasses on her face and her eyes looked exactly the same—grey with a hint of blue.

I walked over to her slowly, letting her shock wear off.

As I approached, her eyes roamed my face like she couldn’t quite believe it was me.

“Hi,” I said, my voice breathless. “What are you doing here?”

“I go to school here,” she answered, her words slow and reluctant.

“Really?” I said. “Wow. I didn’t even know you were still in the area.”

“I could say the same about you.” Her voice had grown guarded and her eyes watched me carefully, sizing me up.

I could tell she was nervous, as was I. My heart was beating faster each second. “I just got back a few months ago,” I said. “My tour ended, so I moved back home.”

“With your mom?” she asked, her voice softening somewhat. “How’s she doing?”

I nodded. “She’s okay. Doing a lot better. It’s been five years now, so…” I trailed off, not wanting to talk about my father. This wasn’t the way my conversation with Anna was supposed to go; we weren’t supposed to talk about my dead dad or my depressed mom. She was supposed to see me and be overwhelmed by how good I looked and want to get together for old time’s sake. My confidence was supposed to attract her like it had all those years ago.

After being relocated by the Savage Soldiers, I’d spent so many nights in Iraq imagining how she would greet me whenever we crossed paths again. I’d always envisioned it would be with the trademark smile she used to give me—the one that told me I was the only man in the world for her.

Damn, you’re still whipped over this girl, a voice taunted from deep inside my head.

I couldn’t deny it.

“Yeah,” she said. “I remember.”

“So,” I said, quickly changing the subject. “Who’s this? New boyfriend?” I directed my attention to the man beside her and extended my hand, stretching to make myself look taller. I hoped my tone didn’t convey the jealousy I felt at the thought of her being taken by another man; it would hardly make a good impression if I pummeled the guy into the ground. So instead of giving into that impulse, I pasted a smile onto my face, all teeth. It probably looked fake, but it was the best I could manage.

“No.” Anna laughed. “This is Brandon. My cousin.”

“Brandon?” I blinked and stared at the man again, suddenly realizing that he was younger than I’d initially thought. I remembered Anna having a younger cousin. They’d been close, and I’d met him several times while we’d been dating. However, the young man before me was nothing like the scrawny kid I once knew. He had grown at least a foot and had the beginnings of a mustache on his upper lip.

“Tucker,” Brandon said, shaking my hand.

“Man,” I said, “you look different. You were just a little guy the last time I saw you.”

Brandon shrugged. “Five years will do that.”

I watched him for a second before turning my attention back to Anna and putting on my best smile. “It’s really great seeing you again,” I said softly, pushing my hair out of my eyes.

She cleared her throat, shifted awkwardly, and looked down at her feet.

“Do you think we could get together and catch up? Maybe talk over coffee or something?” I asked, ignoring her tensed body language.

I had to at least try my luck.

Her eyes started darting around, and I realized I still made her nervous.