To Love and Heal (The Power of Love Series) Page 6

  The question was: Would Anna still be there when that day finally came?

  Anna awoke the next morning to the usual menagerie of bird chirps outside her bedroom window. It was a familiar sound that usually brought her a sense of peace and comfort, but this morning it did little to ease her troubled mind. The harsh end to the previous evening came flooding back, along with the hurt and sense of rejection that had her reexamining why she ever felt that Caleb might actually be starting to care about her.

  The sound of scraping metal cut into her thoughts, and she peered out the window just in time to see Caleb locking an adjustable ladder in place before leaning it against a tree. He pushed against it several times to test its sturdiness, then kneeled down to pick up something off the ground. Holding the object in one hand, he pulled himself up the ladder with his other arm, ducking as a bird seemingly came out of nowhere to dive bomb him from behind. He quickened his step up the ladder but otherwise remained calm, gently reaching over into densely leaved branches as a chorus of squawks grew louder.

  By the time that Anna figured out he had just returned a fallen baby bird to its nest, Caleb was already back on the ground, and the nervous squawks had subsided.

  Anna sat back down on the bed, both touched and confused by what she had just witnessed. Certainly it didn't jibe with the coldness she saw in Caleb last night – or had she triggered an instantaneous wall in her attempt to convince him to seek counseling for PTSD? Trust your gut, she thought to herself … but her gut these days was on an endless rollercoaster, and as such, it was increasingly more difficult to read.

  Still, she thought back to Caleb's pained expression as he talked about Haley. Though she felt she had tried to help him to no avail and should simply stand back, something – yes, her gut – said otherwise. A sudden plan of action sprang into her head, along with uncertainty as to whether she could actually pull it off. But with the practicality of resolve and the magic of a miracle … she just might help make a formerly impossible dream come true.

  FIVE

  "Representative Lawton will see you now," an assistant said as he led Anna into a spacious, red-carpeted office.

  The congresswoman rose from her seat behind a massive mahogany desk and approached Anna, shaking her hand firmly before sinking into a plush chair several feet across from her. "So how can I help you?" she asked,

  "There's something that I'm trying to make happen, and I'm not sure where to begin, so I figured I'd start at the top."

  Representative Lawton smiled wryly. "Flattery will get you everywhere." Known as a no-nonsense, seasoned politician, she was well liked by her constituents and had easily won the last reelection. Impeccably dressed in a blue pinstripe skirt and blazer with a crisp white blouse and pearls, she oozed regal professionalism.

  "I have a veteran of the Afghanistan War working to remodel my house. He recently came back from his third tour of duty, and even though he would never talk about this himself, the fact is that other soldiers are alive today because of his actions." Anna paused to extract a photocopied news article from her purse. "This is about his receiving the Bronze Star," she explained as the handed over the article.

  Representative Lawton scanned the article closely, then looked up at Anna. "Definitely hero material."

  "If I hadn't come across this story online, I would never have known that he was awarded a medal for his actions. He won't talk much about what happened there, but it's clear to me that he's suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder."

  "As are many soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq."

  "I know – and I've talked to Caleb about going for counseling, but he doesn't think he has a problem."

  Representative Lawton shifted in her chair. "That's a tough one. Many of these soldiers are afraid that it will be a blight on their record if they receive counseling, and the sad fact is that suicide is a real danger among this group."

  "I know," Anna acknowledged quietly, feeling as though she had been kicked in the gut.

  "I'm still not sure how I can help – other than putting him in contact with some top-notch counselors, which I'm sure I could do."

  "That's not exactly why I'm here."

  Representative Lawton arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"

  "During his last deployment, a young soldier died when he jumped in front of Caleb to protect him in an ambush during a rescue. The soldier died in his arms, and I know he feels it was his duty to keep everyone in his crew safe."

  Representative Lawton breathed in audibly and shook her head sympathetically.

  "I know there's no way to change what happened to that soldier," Anna continued. "But there's another comrade that Caleb feels he left behind in Afghanistan, and that's who I'm trying to bring back. I really think this could help him to move forward if this were actually to happen."

  Representative Lawton twisted her pearls with her fingers. "Pardon me for being blunt, but you do realize I can't just snap my fingers and bring home a soldier who's on active duty."

  Anna hesitated, but only slightly. "Well, what if she had four legs and a tail?"

  The congresswoman froze in mid-pearl twist. "I'm sorry – what did you just say?"

  "Representative Lawton, I happen to know you're a dog lover." As if confirming Anna's declaration, both women turned to view several framed pictures on the desk of the lawmaker hugging her two sizeable English bulldogs.

  Anna knew she had to strike while the iron was hot. "The Taliban won't allow dogs as pets, so strays are a huge problem in Afghanistan. Many of the soldiers take in the dogs – even though it's against regulations – and the bond that they share with these dogs helps keep them sane. There's been no shortage of news stories about this." She paused to pull another piece of paper from her purse. "That's a picture of Caleb and Haley. It was from a story that I found online about stray dogs that have saved soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. Haley alerted Caleb and the other soldiers in his living quarters to a suicide bomber who had snuck onto the base during the night. He was apparently planning to detonate the bomb in the barracks, but it went off just outside during the ruckus after Haley started barking and then ran after him. I know Caleb is worried about what will happen to her now that he's back here."

  "I would imagine she's being looked after by the other soldiers."

  "I'm sure she is – but eventually they'll be leaving, too. I just think that it would really help Caleb get to a better place if he had her here. She saved his life, and unlike the soldier who did the same and was killed, it's not too late for him to feel like he's repaid the favor, so to speak."

  Representative Lawton studied Anna closely. "And what did you say this man's relationship is to you? He's remodeling your house?"

  "Yes." Silence hung between them for longer than Anna was comfortable with. "But I'm not going to lie to you. I've grown to care about Caleb and I want to help him get back to the person that he was before all this happened to him. I know dogs have been brought back for soldiers before."

  "Then you must also know that it's no easy feat to pull off. Aren't there some rescue organizations that have been set up specifically for bringing some of these dogs over here?"

  "Yes, and I did look into them. But even if they added Haley to the rescue list, it would be a while before anything could happen, and I really think it's critical to reunite her with Caleb as soon as possible."

  "Do you even know what this would cost – if the dog can actually be found, which there's no guarantee at this point."

  "It's about four-thousand dollars on average to fly a dog back from Afghanistan or Iraq."

  "And this money is coming from … where?"

  "I'll pay for it."

  Representative Lawton appeared unconvinced. "You have that kind of money just lying around?"

  "No, I would have to tap into my savings. But it's worth it to me."

  Representative Lawton shot Anna a knowing look. "That must be one hell of a house remodeler."

  Anna managed a half
smile. "Yes, he is … and I also think Haley is one hell of a dog who deserves a chance at a better life. So it's a win-win situation."

  As Representative Lawton clasped her hands together and looked up at the ceiling, Anna could almost hear the wheels turning. Finally, she looked back at Anna. "I tell you what – let me reach out to a few people. I can't promise anything, but maybe there's a way we can get the ball rolling on this without you having to dig into your own pockets. With this economy, that should be the last option. My husband also sits on the board of Vantage Airways, and like I said, I can't promise anything, but maybe that can be of some help to us."

  Anna smiled appreciatively. "Thank you so much."

  Representative Lawton tilted her head sideways. "Let me guess – you already knew my husband was on the board of directors for the airline."

  Anna grinned. "I might have read that somewhere."

  Representative Lawton shook her head, but smiled nonetheless. "Someone obviously did her homework. Well, I admire your tenacity, and Caleb is very lucky to have someone like you in his corner."

  Anna thanked the congresswoman as she rose from her seat, a spark of hope unfurling in her heart. Now all she had to do was get Haley back in Caleb's corner as well, knowing that the special bond they shared just might make all the difference in the world.

  SIX

  "Wow – things are really coming together," Anna remarked as she paused in the living room on the way to the kitchen for her morning cup of coffee.

  Almost two weeks has passed since their conflicted parting of ways in the guesthouse, and Anna had since done her best to keep things on a strictly professional level – not the easiest thing to do considering her undeniable attraction to Caleb, but certainly the right thing under the circumstances. And the fact that there was no indication on his part that he wanted to resume what had seemed at the time to be something more only made it that much easier to keep her resolve.

  Caleb stood up from where he had been kneeling on the floor to measure a piece of siding. "Glad you like what you see. Most of the bull work is done – now it's just putting on the finishing touches, and pretty soon you'll have a fully functional house."

  His eyes met hers and lingered longer than she expected, prompting her to wonder if he felt even a fraction of the pang that grabbed her stomach at the thought of never seeing him again once the job was finished. A few more moments of seeming connection before he looked away, taking her wishful thinking along for the journey. She was almost grateful when the front doorbell suddenly rang and cut through the awkward silence.

  "This better be Publisher's Clearing House with my million-dollar win," Anna said as she headed to the door.

  Caleb grinned. "Wouldn't that be nice."

  She cautiously opened the door, immediately recognizing the easygoing smile on the other side. "Hi there – come on in," she said as Joel readily obliged.

  "Hey, man – what's going on?" Caleb exclaimed, his face visibly brightening at the sight of his friend.

  "I wanted to tell you the good news in person."

  Caleb grabbed Joel's hand in a vigorous shake. "Let's hear it!"

  "My unit's been called up again. I'm leaving tomorrow."

  Caleb's smile instantly vanished. "Are you serious?"

  "I wanted to tell you sooner, but it's been crazy trying to tie up loose ends before I leave."

  "So I take it the good news part was a joke," Caleb said, clearly not amused.

  "You know me – always trying to put a positive spin on things."

  Anna looked down at the floor, her own concern for Joel further weighed down by the heaviness in the room. It was almost as if she could feel the dread that was growing exponentially inside of Caleb.

  Joel forced a shrug. "What can I say? I'm a sucker for those gourmet MREs." Seeing Anna's quizzical look, he added, "Meals Ready to Eat."

  Anna nodded and did her best to smile, although she was now feeling anything but upbeat.

  "Have you given any thought to getting out of the Reserves?" Caleb asked.

  "Now you're starting to sound like Sharon."

  "What can I say? You married a good – and smart – woman."

  "Don't I know it. And I'm telling you what I told her. This is it for me. I don't want to be one of those guys who's in and out of a revolving door with back-to-back tours. Like she keeps telling me – I was born with only three-quarters of my sanity, so I need to preserve what I have."

  "I was thinking it was more like one-quarter, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt," Caleb said with a reluctant grin.

  "Well, I wish I could stay longer, but I still have a few things to get squared away – not to mention I want to spend as much time as possible today with Sharon and Jacob."

  "Don't blame you. I'm just glad you came by before shipping out."

  "Wouldn't dream of not saying goodbye." He shook Caleb's hand, then pulled him into a back-slapping embrace. "It's a good thing you don't have to go back with me, since you no doubt would have to save my ass a half-dozen times again."

  "It was more like a dozen times, but who's counting," Caleb forcibly joked, clearly doing his best to hide his deep concern.

  As if on cue, Joel's face grew dark, an uncharacteristic display of seriousness that made Anna wonder if he was more worried about the months ahead than he was letting on.

  "Take care of yourself," Caleb said firmly yet quietly, unwilling to let go of his grip on Joel's hand.

  "I will – I have too much waiting for me back home not to." He turned to Anna. "You take care of this big lug while I'm gone, you hear me?"

  Anna smiled, deliberately casting her eyes away from any possible reaction from Caleb as she replied, "I'll do my best."

  After a prolonged handshake and a back-slapping embrace at the doorway, Joel disappeared as Caleb closed the door behind him. Minutes passed in awkward silence as he and Anna took turns alternatingly staring at the floor and then the ceiling.

  "He'll be okay," Anna finally mustered up the strength to say. But the doubt of her own declaration was noted in her shaky voice.

  Caleb's eyes met hers with an unexpected and angry steeliness that caused her to catch her breath. "I have work to do," he finally said, slamming the door behind him as he headed outside.

  Anna stumbled back a step, wondering what had just transpired. Did she sound so foolish in trying to offer an optimistic assessment that it infuriated rather than reassured him? She closed her eyes for several moments, conflicting thoughts vying to be heard. Maybe he was just angry at the circumstances, she reasoned, at the very real possibility of never seeing a good friend again. Or maybe he saw her as nothing more than a clueless and naïve individual, someone who couldn't possibly fathom the grave and unrelenting dangers of war when her biggest physical threat to date had been a sore wrist from sliding a computer mouse.

  She cautiously approached the kitchen window that looked out onto the backyard, immediately spotting Caleb as he rifled through a toolbox next to a stack of plywood. Suddenly, he grabbed a wrench and hurled it full force through the air. Anna winced as it landed in one of her carefully manicured rosebushes, grateful that there were no birds or rummaging squirrels nearby. Caleb looked up at the sky, as though waiting for an explanation that would make sense of everything to suddenly fall out of the heavens. It never came. As he hung his head low, his shoulders slumped in defeat, Anna turned away. There was only so much of Caleb's pain that she could witness firsthand, and now that she had officially reached the saturation point, its ache would forever be a part of her.

  SEVEN

  "I have great news!" Representative Lawton declared enthusiastically. "Haley is on a flight back from Afghanistan as we speak."

  It had been several weeks since Anna's meeting with the lawmaker, and she clenched the phone with unbridled joy. "Oh my god − this is the best news I've heard in a long time! I can't thank you enough!"

  "Well, I guess that's one of the benefits of being a lawmaker. All that schmoo
zing and back-slapping does pay off sometimes when it means making connections that get the impossible done."

  "When do you think I'll be able to get her?" Anna eagerly asked.

  "She's on an overnight flight that's scheduled to arrive later this morning, and a local vet has volunteered to give her a look-over to make sure everything is up to par. So I'm thinking she'll be good to go later this afternoon. I'll call you beforehand and you can swing by my office and pick her up."

  "Thank you so much, Representative Lawton. I owe you big-time."

  "Not at all. But I do think once Haley gets settled in and reacquainted with Caleb, it might be nice to have the local paper do a story on their situation. It can't hurt to call attention to what these dogs have been doing for our soldiers – and how they can still help out in other ways once these soldiers are back home."

  "I agree totally. I'll definitely get that moving along once the dust settles here. The excited dust, I should add."

  The congresswoman chuckled. "Sounds like a plan – I'll see you later this afternoon."

  Anna ended the call and looked wistfully out the window at the rays of sun that poked through a large oak tree. She thought of all the odds that were initially against reuniting Haley and Caleb, and could only surmise one thing: Dreams sometimes really do come true.

  Five hours later, Anna was once again looking out a window, but this time it was from the kitchen as she watched Caleb cut a slab of wood that was straddled across two sawhorses. She had wanted to wait for the perfect moment to reunite Haley with Caleb, but then it dawned on her that it was the other way around – any moment would become perfect once the two of them were brought together again.