How did families deal with the loss? God. Through God, people could find strength and hope to carry them through tough times.
Deal with the past. The thought was crystal clear and came out of nowhere, a good indicator God was watching over her.--Sierra
Since there's a picture of Sierra on the front cover, let's start by talking about her, shall we? Sierra is a wonderfully drawn character who winds up in Hallbrook, New Hampshire... Mainly because she had just escape from her home when she couldn't stand being there any more... and "only" because her friend and buddy from her unit had invited her some time in the past... Except she hadn't bothered to call in advance and check if it was alright... Second mistake...
First mistake was going home after being hurt in a military action in Afghanistan... She was now on medical leave pending decisions yet to be made based upon her recuperation and ability to return to her former duties as a Sergeant also acting as a K9 leader... With the aid of the nose of Rhaegar, she had been able to act quickly so that all of the men under her command had moved away quickly when a bomb was detonated. But one man had not made it. Sierra had begun to blame herself for his death, even though there had been no formal action to document that as true... Still, Sierra, in addition to having a major leg injury which required the constant use of a cane, she was also experiencing ongoing nightmares and other PTSD symptoms from that time period...
Maybe it wouldn't have been such a trauma if she had felt and lived a different early life. Her father had been on active duty all through her early life and when he was home he spent time highlighting her dressing up for special events, being a girly-girl and, in general, trying to persuade her from being so interested in his activities in the military. As you may guess, it backfired. Sierra wasn't interested in dresses or high heels... She had been preparing for a life in active duty since she was first able to form her own thoughts and opinions. This had led to a strong feeling of separation from her father, especially when she revealed her career plans...
Actually she had hope for a lighter interaction since her father had retired, but that was not to be what happened. It was clear he felt that her being in combat had led to being injured, no matter whether she was at fault or not... Finally she had left...And she really had no place to go...
Deal with the past. The thought was crystal clear and came out of nowhere, a good indicator God was watching over her. She wasn’t alone in her struggle. It was time to head home, but not for the reasons she’d told Laura. It was time for Sierra to figure her life out, to figure out what mattered. Including her future. First, she needed to figure out the past, which meant talking to the one man who would have some answers she’d waited all her life to hear. Her father.
Noah walked into the house, a tired and half-asleep Kaylee in his arms. After dropping her off in her room and helping to get her ready for bed, he tucked her in. “Night, sweetheart.” “I love you, Daddy. I’m sorry I broke the rules today.” Kaylee yawned and rubbed her eyes. Brushing her hair back off her face, he chucked his daughter’s chin. “Okay, honey. But in the future, remember rules are good to follow, and they can help keep you safe.” Not to mention, keep him heart healthy. “But I’m okay. My arm looks like the time I fell off the swing. Remember, Daddy?” Boy, did he. “I do. That was another not-so-favorite day.” He smiled and leaned over to drop a kiss on her forehead. “Sleep tight.” “Night, Daddy.” Kaylee pulled the comforter up under her chin, snuggled tight, and rolled on her side. Noah turned out the light and walked out the door. The problem with what his daughter mentioned was that the swing-set incident had been on his watch. Proof he wasn’t infallible when it came to Kaylee. He’d been a fool and owed Sierra an apology. Again. When would he learn? He headed straight for the kitchen, surprised by the quiet.
“I’m guessing you’ve gone and done it again.” He wasn’t even fully through the kitchen door when his mother spoke, making him wonder who she was talking to. He looked around, but no one else was there. Noah frowned. “Who’s done what, Mom?” “You. She’s gone. And I think you’re the reason. I know how you can be about Kaylee.” His mother wasn’t making any sense, but whatever she was carrying on about couldn’t be good, judging by the tone of her voice. “Who’s gone? Sierra?” “Of course, Sierra. Who else would I be talking about? What did you say to her?” He hadn’t said anything. How could Sierra leaving be his fault? And more importantly, where had she gone? He’d been a bear, yes, but it didn’t make sense for her to leave. His lack of communication couldn’t possibly be the only thing that had driven her away. I’m not good with kids. Her words drifted in the recesses of his brain. He’d done nothing but reinforce what she thought with his silence. Well, silence and cutting her off as she tried to apologize. Noah sat in the chair and rubbed the back of his neck. It had been a long day, and it still wasn’t over. “I need to apologize to her. My only excuse is that I was worried. Call it being overprotective or whatever you want, but I took Kaylee to the hospital to make sure she was okay. So where did Sierra go?”
“Home. Are you happy? You worried needlessly after Dr. Duncan told you she was fine. You’re a nurse and you knew she was fine. But you doubted everyone, including yourself, letting your worry get the better of you.” “Without an X-ray, there was no way to be certain there wasn’t a fracture. As to Sierra, you mean home to Boston? Or back to the base? And did she mention anything about coming back? Like for the Veteran’s Day events. Kaylee will hate me if she thinks Sierra’s gone and isn’t coming back to watch her in the race because of me.” “She said to tell you both goodbye and to tell Kaylee she’ll be at the jubilee. A promise is a promise. Too bad you didn’t promise to be fair. I liked having Sierra around, and the kids at Whispering Pines love her. It’s not just Kaylee who lost her. We all did.” The stubborn set of his mother’s jaw was proof he’d crossed a line in her books. Noah let out a deep sigh. His mother didn’t know it, but he would miss Sierra the most. The deep ache knowing she was gone wasn’t just because he’d wronged her, it was because he’d been falling in love. And now, he’d lost his second chance at love out of stupidity. Or he’d pushed her away out of fear. One thing he knew for sure—a text, email, or phone call, wasn’t going to fix things. He’d landed deep in the manure pile this time, and it would take far more than words to make things right. Action was the one thing that would speak loud enough that Sierra wouldn’t ignore him...
~~~~~~
There was no way that Noah was going to win when he crossed Serenna at the grocery story where she had stopped to buy groceries to help soften her surprise visit to Bruce's home. She knew he had moved back to help his mother so as she shopped, she was also still trying to calm down about how it had gotten so bad at home, that she'd just walked out...
Only to find another chauvinist man--who was really a good guy but had been taught to be polite and courteous by his Mom, Laura. What did he do? When he saw her walking with a cane, he motioned for her to go before him to check out... You really had to be there... Sierra went into a flashback when all the male soldiers gave her a hard time until she proved herself to them, while her father had resented that she, too, wore a army uniform when he'd wanted her in silk dresses... Thing was, Noah was a nurse, so he was routinely helpful and concerned about those who needed medical help. No way was Sierra prepared to accept sympathy from a stranger! Get the picture?
Well, any romance reader is already guessing what will be happening, but Davis has sufficient twists and turns and two extra characters--Noah's mother and daughter--that Sierra wasn't expecting whoactually wrapped her up in warmth and friendship--just the way she was... BTW, Noah also has a reason to be extra sensitive toward women he recognizes as being attracted to... His wife had walked out on him and his daughter to head for the big city, etc., etc., etc.
Me? I had great sympathy and empathy for Sierra right from the beginning, after working with hundreds of men who were facilities crew for a large university... I enjoyed Davis' female soldier--she did a great job... In fact, sure wish she was around to give a certain Secretary of Defense her response to firing female leaders in the military... Right?! LOL
You'll find some unwritten counseling going on between Bruce and Sierra as they share and help each other with their PTSD occurrences. You learn about a neighbor who has a farm with horses where they provide support for both physically able and challenged to learn how to ride as well as gain confidence interacting with the animals... Sierra took on that challenge even though she was concerned about her own disability--and it did become an issue you'll read about... So this is much more than a romance story... In many ways, it has touches of a thriller, a mystery as a hunt to find Sierra's former K9 partner... and to find out how the rest of a soldier's life will be determine, moving toward the future... Great endings on all issues... Highly recommended if interested in a woman's rights to choose...her own life... As well as a man choosing a traditional female job...Equal Rights for All!
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