Jericho (A Redemption Novel) Read Online Free PDF

had barely said two words to her, though he was never rude. She could tell he had been raised right, or the military had beaten manners into him. He must have been the strong, silent type. She wasn’t used to men like him. Her father always had endless words to say. Advice to give. Sermons to speak even at the dinner table. But Christian never spoke a word to her that wasn’t necessary. She wondered what he was saving them up for.
    She should be relieved that he didn’t want to talk. Five nights she had treated him, and her reaction to him was the same every time she walked into his room. Fear mixed with excitement. The kind of feeling you get the night before school starts. There were other feelings, too, but she couldn’t label them. She wouldn’t let herself. But whatever this odd thing she felt for him was, she didn’t want it to get any stronger. It was best that she kept her distance.
    “I look like I’m going to collapse?” she said when she finally found her words. “Is that code for I look horrible, soldier? My, my—I can’t imagine why you’re single. With sweet talk like that you’re sure to charm the pants off any girl in the county.”
    One corner of his mouth twitched, and if she didn’t know any better she would have thought he almost smiled. And that made Georgia wonder what his lips would look like curled into a full smile.
    All the other patients smiled at her. They teased her. They did what they could to get her to stay longer. And she knew it wasn’t because of her, but to ease some of the loneliness and boredom of being stuck in the hospital for months.
    Christian wasn’t like that. It was almost as if he’d rather be alone. But nobody really wanted to be alone. It might be his higher rank, she thought, searching for a reason. Maybe his elevated position made it hard for him to interact with others. Or maybe he just didn’t like her.
    Or maybe you’re just an overthinking idiot. Quit being so sensitive. He’s probably just tired.
    She had taken to checking on him last, making sure that every other patient was settled, even seeing some of them twice before she walked into his room. She wasn’t avoiding him on purpose, she told herself. She wasn’t putting off that little rush of feelings when she saw him. No, it was just that he was the most injured man on the floor. At the beginning stages of healing. His care would take more time than the other patients. And that meant she didn’t get to his room until well past midnight.
    He was always awake when she got there. In the back of her mind she always hoped he’d be asleep. It made her wonder if he was a night owl.
    She wanted to ask the day-shift nurses about him. She wanted to know if he was different with them. If any of the other men visited him. If he seemed any happier than he did at night. If he had any family. Where he came from. Where he was going to. But she didn’t ask. She didn’t want anybody to know that she thought about this soldier more than she should.
    “Your accent... Where are you from?” He turned the full power of his intense eyes on her, his gaze stopping on her mouth.
    “Oakdale, South Carolina,” she said, trying to keep the breathlessness out of her voice. “And don’t try to change the subject, mister. You just called me ugly.”
    He stiffened. “I didn’t, ma’am. You’re not... I meant...” He shook his head. “You look extremely tired. I didn’t mean any offense. I apologize.”
    She had flustered him, and it made her feel a little guilty. No wonder he didn’t like her. “I was teasing,” she said, giving him a little smile. “I guess I never learned my lesson as a kid. I used to send my father into fits because I never knew when to keep my mouth closed. You know I once told a deacon at my church that if he donated half the money he spent on belt buckles to the needy there would be no homelessness in the South. You can’t imagine the kind of trouble that got me into.”
    Why couldn’t