Page 3 of Love at First Write

Apparently you didn’t re-enlist, and you’ve come home—with a fiancé—I might add. And it’s really so thoughtful that you came into MY bakery to order your wedding cake.

I don’t know what you were getting out of this little charade, but it’s done. We’re done. Not that there ever was a “we.” So, thanks for that. Thanks for lying to me and making me look like a damn fool in front of my co-workers and people in town.

Before you write back with some lengthy explanation of why you have a perfectly good reason for being a liar, I’m not interested. I’m not even going to pretend to care about whoever you are.

Goodbye.

letters

Dear Tommy,

I hope you don’t mind me sending you a care package. I asked Leah if she thought you would like some cookies for the holidays, and she said you probably would.

I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Kelsie. She and I were friends in high school.

Anyway, I thought you might enjoy a little taste from home.

I baked extra in case there’s anyone you can share them with there.

Happy Holidays,

Kelsie

Dear Kelsie,

Thank you for the cookies. Everyone here loved them. They arrived not long before we shipped out, so they were still fresh. Everyone loved the chocolate chip and sugar cookies, but those ginger cookies were my favorites. They were amazing. I don’t think I’ve had anything like that before. You clearly know your stuff. Thanks again.

Happy New Year.

chapter two

Ethan

“Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck!” I yell at my laptop screen.

“Yeah, did your credit card get declined again at dicks dot com?” my buddy and fellow SEAL, Dylan asks.

“Fuck you.”

“What’s up, sunshine?” His face appears above my laptop like he’s peeking at me.

“What is the matter with you?”

“No, really.” He grabs the chair across from me, straddling it backwards, leaning on the back rest. “What’s going on?” He nods to the laptop.

I blow out a breath. As of now the only one I’ve told about Kelsie is Grant. And he’s gone home to his wife. I could call him, but he’d just tell me what a dumbass I’ve been for waiting this long to tell Kelsie the truth. Plus, he’s probably navigating his own romance issues.

I sound like such a pussy.

“It’s a long story,” I say. “I’ll summarize. About two years ago, a care package came for a team member. You remember Tom, right?”

“Vaguely. He was with us the first time in Afghanistan, yeah?”

I nod. “Yes, that’s him. Anyways, he got this huge box full of books and snacks and whatnot. He took what he wanted out of the box and left the rest of it for us. I found a letter hidden at the bottom. I brought it to him to see if he wanted to write her back and thank her.”

I swallow down the anger because fuck if it doesn’t still piss me off. “He said, no, she was just a friend of his kid sister’s.”

“I’m guessing you wrote her then,” Dylan says.