Embattled Hearts 1 by J.M. Madden Page A

Duncan’s mind blanked out for a moment, and he had the thought that he would not see young Aiden again, but he brushed it away, hurrying into the building.
    The manager on duty was harried and kind, but she shook her head regretfully when he told her what Aiden needed. “We separate the men from the women and families, but I’m almost at capacity now. I have room for him but he would have to go into the group.”
    Duncan nodded and headed back out to the truck. Once on the sidewalk, he could see Aiden was no longer inside.
    Glancing up and down the street, Duncan looked for his form, but he didn’t see him anywhere. He debated driving around looking for him, but he had a feeling Aiden would be hiding now. Not wanting to be found. He’d gotten spooked, and Duncan honestly couldn’t blame him. With a regretful look around, he climbed into the idling truck and pulled away.
    *****
    Shannon woke up at three having to use the bathroom, just like every other night. As she padded her way back to bed, she heard something bump out in the living room. She peered out the crack of her door, but couldn’t see anything. Stepping out quietly, she tugged her nightgown down her thighs as far as it would go before heading down the hallway.
    The glow from the fire had died down, but she could still see John’s outline. One long arm rested across his forehead while the other twitched beside him on the couch. Shannon could see now that one of the backrest cushions had been knocked off and into an unlit candle on the coffee table, and bumped it askew. It wasn’t hurting anything where it was, so she just left it alone, rather than risk waking John up.
    Shannon bent to put a fresh log on the fire. The hot coals felt good, warming her front as they began consuming the log. She rubbed the gooseflesh away from her arms.
    “Did I wake you?”
    Shannon jumped as the deep voice came out of the darkness. She spun and sought John’s eyes in the weak light.
    “Jeez, you scared me! I thought you were sleeping.”
    “I was. A dream woke me up.”
    After she put one more log on the fire, Shannon crossed the room and sat on the corner of the coffee table. “I think you knocked a cushion down and into the candle. That’s what I heard.”
    He rubbed a rough hand over his face and turned his head toward her. “I looked up and saw you in front of the fire, and thought it was a different kind of dream.”
    Shannon sat back as his words sank in, then she felt her face burn. With the fire behind her, her nightgown had probably been transparent. She gasped, placing her palms over her cheeks to try to cool them. “Oh, my gosh. I’m sorry you had to see that.”
    “I’m not,” he told her firmly. “It’s the best thing I’ve woken up to in years.”
    Her heart pounded heavily as she savored his words. Was it just the darkness that was creating this…intimacy? “Well, thank you, then.”
    “No, thank you,” he returned firmly. “I’m sorry I was an ass earlier. I just…Roger makes you laugh.”
    Surprise straightened on the corner of the table, confused. “And that’s bad?”
    “No,” he grumbled. “Just…” He hesitated, running a hand over his face. “Frustrating. Never mind.”
    Not sure what to do, she tried to redirect the conversation. “Do your dreams wake you up every night?” she asked softly.
    John folded his arms under his head. “No, not all the time. It seems like when I’m especially tired they get worse. Tonight I’ve been restless.”
    “I’m sorry. Is the couch not comfortable?”
    “No, no, nothing like that,” he told her. He briefly rested a hand on her bare knee before drawing away quickly. “I’ve actually been very comfortable in your home, Shannon. It’s just…other things.”
    “Oh, well, if there’s anything I can do to help you out, just let me know.”
    For the longest time, he didn’t say anything, and Shannon thought he had gone back to sleep. She couldn’t see his eyes very well, because