Navy Hope
Fast Fiction Romantic - short stories with a Happy Ever AfterWhen Val DiPaola founded Beyond the Stars, a therapeutic resort for families of fallen soldiers, she never imagined she'd be hiring her ex. Although Val's moved on since Lucas Derringer walked out of her life fifteen years ago, she's never forgotten him. She can't deny that his experience treating vets with PTSD and his background as a Navy SEAL make him perfect for the job. But the minute Lucas steps onto San Juan Island in Puget Sound, Val knows she's in trouble. Because she wants him to be part of her life again—professionally and personally.Only, a lot has happened to both of them since college. At Beyond the Stars, Val and Lucas teach their patients that hope and love can grow from heartbreak. Can they convince each other of the same thing?"
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Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
January
Lucas Derringer felt as though he was on a clandestine SEAL mission. He wasnât in a hot dirt bowl ready to take down Taliban fighters, nor was he in a sweaty swamp waiting for the right moment to rescue yet another operative whoâd been captured by a tyrannical drug lord. He hadnât done any of those things in over a decade. Now he treated the men and women who did, as a psychiatrist with post-combat mental trauma expertise.
Who knew that taking a break from his usual routine would trigger such a storm of anxiety?
Instead of fighting for his country in some godforsaken place, Lucas was on a Puget Sound ferry in the middle of what his new job description called âGodâs Country.â The wind blew cold as it cleared the morning fog and revealed the majesty of fir-topped mountains that spilled down to the rocky shore. Gulls and eagles soared above him. Heâd never seen a more beautiful sight.
Heâd never felt more nauseous.
Being away from the sea and airplanes for so long had robbed him of his immunity to motion sickness. He suspected that not being the one piloting the ferry was part of the reason heâd been seasickâand thrown up over the side rail. If only he couldâve simply crossed a bridge after his grueling drive from D.C. But San Juan Island was too far from the mainland and a ferry was his one option.
Heâd turned into a landlubber.
Focus on the beauty. This is the most beautiful thing youâve ever seen. Youâre getting everything youâve ever dreamed of.
Except for the one woman heâd expected to settle down with. Betsy.
He fought the urge to pull out his cell phone and start scrolling through his Facebook newsfeed, to see if any of his friends had posted photos of her wedding. He understood the importance of facing his feelings, not running away. Hell, his whole career was based on that concept.
Betsy had made her choice and it hadnât been Lucas. When sheâd left sheâd said she didnât want to settle down, but he knew better. They werenât a good fit; for one thing, they were too much alike.
But heâd loved her.
That was three years ago. Before heâd had a chance to get used to being a doctor.
Yesterday sheâd married a man sheâd met right after their break-up. Another doctor.
He was over her but his pride still stung.
âSon of a bitch,â he muttered into the wind as he grasped the ferryâs railing and willed his stomach to stop heaving. Puget Sound during a winter squall was no match for his out-of-practice traveling skills.
His job in D.C. was three thousand miles away. He could start relaxingâas soon as this blasted ship docked.
Think about something else.
The new job.
The new boss.
Ironically, the most important woman in his life at the moment was a woman he hadnât seen since they were just kids, sophomores in college. Did she remember him?
You know she does. Youâve never forgotten her.
As the boat continued its lurching journey, Lucas focused on Valentina DiPaola, owner and director of Beyond the Stars military family healing retreat, and once his first real girlfriend after high school. Theyâd been together for an entire semester before heâd had to leave unexpectedly at the end of sophomore year. His family in Philadelphia had shattered, thanks to his fatherâs drinking and his motherâs nervous breakdown. He was the oldest child and his little sister had needed him to be a steady care provider. His dreams of joining the military had been delayed but heâd managed to finish his degree locally, then serve in Navy Special Forces for a couple of tours before he started medical school.
Heâd never told Val what a mess his family was. That wasnât something heâd been willing to do when he was twenty, and when heâd matured enough to realize he had nothing to be ashamed of, it didnât matter anymore. She was long out of his life; too much time had passed.
He was grateful that Val hadnât rejected his application for this counselorâs position. Sheâd communicated through her assistant from their very first reply to his email inquiry about the open counselorâs job.
He thought sheâd nix it when she read his résumé and found out who he was.
But sheâd been more concerned that he wasnât a counselor but in fact a psychiatrist. Thereâd been a brief flurry of questions about his being overqualified for the position, but when heâd agreed to the full six-month employment period sheâd hired him. Sheâd explained that the six-month term was a benefit to both parties: Beyond the Stars was located on San Juan Island, a remote part of the country accessible only by ferry or airplane. Val knew she couldnât expect employees to sign on for longer, at least until theyâd seen the place. It was beneficial to him as the employee, since heâd be free to leave at the end of six months, which Lucas planned to. The time on San Juan was his respite from what he considered his primary calling.
