.

      “You should come to visit us for dinner more often,” Haley said.

      “You’re a newlywed. I don’t want to intrude,” Angie said.

      “It’s not an intrusion,” Haley countered.

      “Seems like it to me. I don’t want to crash a honeymoon,” Angie said.

      Haley chuckled. “Just give us a few minutes’ notice and we’re good.”

      “I feel so much better,” Angie teased.

      Silence followed. “Sweetie, you know we are here for you.”

      “Yeah, I know,” Angie said.

      “We love you,” Haley said.

      “Love you, too,” Angie returned and hung up her phone.

      Taking a deep breath, she meandered from the doorway to the kitchen. A dozen memories flashed through her mind. Her brother making pancakes for her breakfast. Haley helping her get ready for prom.

      Angie knew that Haley and Austin had worked their butts off to make up for the fact that their father had left soon after she’d been born and her mother had died during her early teens.

      The great blessing had been that both her sister and brother had found true love. They’d moved out of the house to make their new lives with their loves. Angie couldn’t be happier, except for the fact that she was now alone. And she didn’t always quite know what to do with herself.

      Austin and Haley checked in on her frequently, but Angie didn’t want to be a burden. After all, she was twenty-three. She should be fully capable of managing her life.

      But the house felt so silent. It was too quiet. Stalking into the den, she grabbed the remote for the television and turned it on. She didn’t care about the program. She just wanted the sound of human voices. Returning to the kitchen, she pulled out a frozen dinner, zapped it in the microwave and took it with her into the den.

      She sank onto the sofa and pulled out the notebook she kept for her charity projects. With the holidays approaching, she knew her schedule would get busier. Somehow more kids seemed to show up at ROOTS during the holidays, which meant the youth center needed more adults manning different shifts. She would juggle that with working several holiday dinners and parties for the catering company that kept her bank account healthy.

      Angie had also learned from her sister, Haley, that helping other people made her less likely to feel sorry for herself. That was why she liked to get the ROOTS kids to contribute to a charity activity. It didn’t have to require money, just some time and effort. The kids learned that it was rewarding to give of themselves.

      Her mind turned to thoughts of Forrest Traub as she jotted thoughts in her notebook. She drew a military emblem. She wondered how he had survived the attack. It sounded like it must have been horrible. Yet, she could tell he was no quitter. He was the type of man determined to make the best of his situation. She suspected he was the kind to surpass everyone’s expectations.

      An idea fluttered through her mind. Maybe the ROOTS group could do something to benefit the military. But what?

      The next morning, Forrest woke up early. Too early. He turned to one of the few things that brought him solace—working out. Exercise made his body stronger. He could only hope it would eventually. He’d set up a home gym in the second bedroom of his suite at the boardinghouse. Since his brother Clay had fallen in love with their landlord, Clay and his baby son, Bennett, had moved out and were staying in the main house with Antonia and her baby, Lucy. Clay and Antonia would be getting married very soon. Although Forrest was happy for his brother, he couldn’t help feeling overwhelmed by how quiet his place was now that his brother had left.

      Forrest lifted weights. His cell phone rang, surprising him. He didn’t recognize the number, but noticed it was local. “Forrest Traub,” he said.

      “Hi, Forrest,” a breathless feminine voice said. “This is Angie Anderson.”

      Whoa, he thought and set down his weights. “Hi, how are you?”

      “I’m fine,” she said. “How are you?”

      “Pretty good,” he replied and began to pace. “How can I help you?”

      “Thank you for the offer,” she said with a laugh. “I have an idea. I think it would be great if the ROOTS kids got involved in a GI holiday pen pal program.”

      Forrest nodded. “Not a bad idea. You can get in touch with a national group—”

      “I don’t want to do that,” she said. “I want to keep it more local, and I was hoping you could help me.”

      Surprise raced through him. “Me?”

      “Yes, you. You would be perfect. You’re a veteran. You could inspire the ROOTS group,” she said.

      Forrest shook his head. “I’m not sure—”

      “I am,” Angie said. “Let’s get together and talk about it.”

      Forrest blinked. Sheesh. This woman moved fast. “I’m not coming into town today, so—”

      “I can come to you,” she said. “Where do you live?”

      “Hey, that’s not necessary,” he said.

      “It’s no problem,” she said. “Where do you live?”

      He sighed and gave her the address. “You really don’t need to do this,” he said.

      “It’s really no problem. See you later. I’ll bring lunch,” she said and hung up before he could protest.

      Forrest stared at his phone and had a bad premonition. This woman was going to be trouble.

      A few hours later, he heard footfalls bounding up the steps to the front porch of the rooming house. Since he was currently the only occupant, he suspected that Angie was his visitor. He opened the door before she had a chance to knock and looked at her. The sight of her fresh beauty made something skitter under his skin. She looked so innocent, feminine and real.

      “Hey,” he said.

      “Hey,” she said with a broad smile in return. “Can I come in?”

      “Sure,” he said and noticed she was carrying a bag from a local sub shop. “You didn’t need to bring food.”

      “I told you I would. If you can drum up some coffee or water, we’re covered,” she said.

      “Okay,” he said and led her inside the first-floor-level suite.

      “This is nice,” she said, looking around as she followed him inside.

      He filled a couple glasses of water in the small kitchen and returned to her. “It fits my needs at the moment.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Listen, I may not be the best source for your pen pal idea. I left several months ago and I don’t really know that many soldiers from around here.”

      “Oh, you don’t have to help me with names. I can get those. No problem. What I want you to do is talk to the ROOTS group and tell them how good it felt to receive cards and letters of encouragement. Especially around the holidays.” She jiggled her bag. “Do you want to eat in the kitchen?”

      “There isn’t much of one,” he said. “I usually eat in here,” he said, tilting his head toward the den area.

      She gave a short chuckle. “You sound like me. Ever since I’ve been living alone, I eat my frozen meal in front of the TV. When I’m home, that is,” she added as she sank onto the sofa. “Most of the time, I’m on the go.”

      “Why don’t you get a roommate?” he asked.

      “I don’t know. I just haven’t gotten around to it,” she said. “Ever since I was thirteen, it was just my sister, brother and me. It feels strange now.”