Soldier On (35 page)
Authors: Sydney Logan
Brandon enjoys his work at the base. He tries to explain his designs and upgrades, but it’s all over my head. Right now, he’s working on an automated entry system that will improve security on base. The best part is that Brandon gets to come home to me every night, and I get to cook breakfast for my husband each morning.
I’m getting better in the kitchen. Tessa sent a bunch of bakeware and cookbooks as a wedding gift. She and Xavier, and our gorgeous nephew Alexander, are still living in Chicago. Xavier finally convinced her to marry him, and they have an apartment in the city close to her aunt’s restaurant. Tessa’s working there as an apprentice chef and Xavier is an assistant basketball coach at one of the high schools.
As for the rest of our family, my mom is still living in Indianapolis but threatens to move to Georgia every day. I’m pretty sure the only thing keeping her in the Hoosier state is her new boyfriend, an attorney named Alan. I’ve only met him once, and I don’t really know how serious they are, but for the first time in twenty-three years, my mom isn’t lonely. When we’re on the phone, she talks about him constantly. I can tell she’s happy, and that’s all that matters to me.
One week after I proposed, Brandon and I were married on the dock of his family’s pond. It was just a small ceremony, with his family and my mom. There were no bridesmaids or big poofy dresses. Just me in a white sundress, with my dad’s dog tags around my neck, and Brandon in his Class A uniform.
Lord, I love his uniform.
Our wedding day was beautiful and bittersweet. We didn’t know it at the time, but that day would be the last we’d spend with Mr. Walker in the comfort of his home. Brandon’s dad now lives in an assisted-living facility in the nearby city of Pikeville. He will remain there for the rest of his life. It was a hard decision, filled with a lot of guilt and plenty of tears, but his condition had finally declined to the point that Christian just couldn’t take care of him on her own. Now, Mr. Walker truly has twenty-four hour care. Our last visit was especially heartbreaking because he didn’t recognize any of us. Dr. Edsall had warned us it would happen eventually, but Brandon still took it especially hard. The next day, I drove us back to Georgia, and Brandon didn’t say a word all the way home. It’s hard, but knowing Mr. Walker has the care he needs, and that Christian can rest a little easier at night, assures all of us that we made the right decision.
Being an Army wife has definitely been a life-changing experience. There’s really no other way to describe it. I’m still learning my way around base. Brandon and I shop at the commissary and check out books from the base library. Brandon’s made some friends, and luckily for me, they have sweet wives who have welcomed me with open arms.
And now, I can log in to the Army wives online chat without feeling like a phony, and I can tell them I’m the proud wife of a soldier.
Over the past six months, I’ve learned that, beneath my husband’s
Army Strong
exterior, there is a man who loves everything with his whole heart. The military. Our friends. His family. My mom. Even my cat.
And me. Especially me.
Always me.
“Babe?”
“Hmm.”
“You’re quiet.”
I kiss his chest. “Just thinking.”
“Good thoughts?”
“The best thoughts.”
“Must’ve been thinking about me, then.”
I laugh. And then sometimes, he’s not a soldier at all. He’s just my Brandon, with his cute dimples and his
Princess Bride
T-shirt, making me laugh and loving me more than I deserve.
Every day is an adventure. Every night is bliss. And I know it can all change in the blink of an eye. Not just because he’s in the military, but because that’s life. I know we’ll struggle at times. Every family has some sort of battle, and we won’t be immune to that. We’ll soldier on, because that’s what we do. But we’ll also have joy. We
already
have joy. That joy is even sweeter because I have Brandon by my side.
And to think I could have missed it all, just because he’s a soldier.
Growing up, I sometimes thought about my future husband. My very own Prince Charming who would somehow make all my sadness disappear.
I never imagined my prince would wear camouflage.
I never thought I would love a soldier. I never thought I
could
.
Until a soldier loved me.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sydney Logan is an Amazon bestselling author and holds a Master's degree in Elementary Education. With the 2012 release of her debut novel,
Lessons Learned
, she made the transition from bookworm to author.
Lessons Learned
was honored with a People’s Kindle Book Award and was chosen as the Best Romance and Best New Adult Romance in the Blogger Book Fair Reader’s Choice Awards.
Her second novel,
Mountain Charm
, was released in 2013. She is also the author of four short stories –
Mistletoe Magic
,
The Little Drummer Boy
,
Force of Nature
, and
Stupid Cupid.
A native of East Tennessee, Sydney enjoys playing piano and relaxing on her porch with her wonderful husband and their very spoiled cat.
Sydney loves to connect with readers on social media and on her website at
www.sydneylogan.com
.
CONNECT WITH SYDNEY
ALSO BY SYDNEY LOGAN
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I know every author says this, but I truly have the best readers ever. Believe me when I say your reviews are my favorites.
I hope every author has the kind of relationship I have with my editor, Wendy Depperschmidt. Thank you for your dedication to my books and for wanting nothing but the best for me.
Thank you to Kathie Spitz and Shaina Hanson, both of whom read early drafts of this story and then offered to proofread the final product. You’ve both been with me from the very beginning, and I can’t thank you enough!
JA Hensley is my swag maker, hand holder, cheerleader . . . the list is endless. I couldn’t do it without you!
Special thanks to Kelsey Williams, one of my faithful readers and a military wife. Writing this book took months of ROTC research, and while Kelsey is a proud Navy wife, she found the answers I needed that hopefully make this story as realistic as possible.
I have to mention Jaime Edsall, who I surprised by using her last name in this book. She’s awesome because she sends me Oklahoma wine and shares my books with her Granny, which is the sweetest thing ever. Give CJ a hug for me.
Jada D’Lee created another beautiful book cover. Thank you for always making time for me!
Thank you to LJ Anderson at Mayhem Cover Creations for formatting the book. I look forward to working with you again!
Special thanks to the following people for your support and contributions to this book: Jim & Terri Gislason, Maria Bruce, John Beaty, Heather Lowe, Mackensey Lowe, Tara Phillips, Dakota Phillips, Evie Thomas, Brittney Brown, Angie Ellis, Cynthia Ogg, Michele Macleod, and T.M. Franklin.
Book bloggers are instrumental in getting books into the hands of readers. I would be too afraid to list them because I’d surely leave someone out, but I am so appreciative of the bloggers who help promote my books.
And finally, to my husband, who shares my love for
The Princess Bride
and Inigo Montoya. Thank you for being everything I ever wanted. As you wish.