All Chapters of Military Man's Second Chance: Chapter 11 - Chapter 19

“What about a dating app?” Karli mentioned a few days later when they met up for lunch.Sarah frowned as she toyed with her cheeseburger.“Well,” Karli said, “I know you don’t want to go the whole bar scene route, and I don’t blame you. So that leaves work, places like the grocery store, and dating apps.”“Yeah. Strike work off the list,” Sarah pointed out. “That’s just dumb, to mix work and personal.”“Agreed. And as a result, I think a dating app or two is the way to proceed. Kind of ‘set it and forget it’. Check out any matches every couple of days and go from there.”“Ugh. I really, really don’t want to do this,” Sarah protested. “I really think I am better off just staying by myself.”“Just try it out,” Karli suggested. “What’s the worst that could happen?”***Two days later, Sarah called her best friend.“What’s the worst that could happen, that’s what you said to me, right?”“Uh oh,” Karli answered. “What happened?”“Oh, not much,” Sarah said. “Only twelve unsolicited pictures

The next morning brought the realization of Sarah’s biggest fear. The two storm systems had indeed merged in spectacular fashion as the weatherman predicted they might. Worse, the mega-storm stalled directly over Denver and the surrounding area and churned out inch after inch of heavy snow.She got a flight update notification shortly after eight a.m. that confirmed what she already suspected – no one would be flying into or out of Denver International Airport for at least the next two days, much less her now cancelled flight that was supposed to depart at four-thirty p.m.She sighed, shook her head, and dialed a number.“It’s me,” she said when Karli picked up the call. “You don’t have to worry about coming to the airport to get me tonight. Everything up here is shut down. The way things are going, I’ll be lucky to be out of here by Sunday.”A call beeped in, and Sarah said, “Hang on a second, Jodie’s calling.”“Call me back, okay?” Karli said and disconnected.Sarah swiped right to

The next two months found Sarah and Karli settled into a natural rhythm as roommates. Sarah realized how lonely she’d sometimes been before Karli moved in, and she was grateful her best friend was now just down the hall instead of across town.They shared a love for romantic comedy movies, so they developed a Friday night routine that Karli dubbed ‘chocolate and chick flick’ night. Jodie would sometimes join them, and the three would talk and giggle until the wee hours of Saturday morning.“She is such a sweet woman,” Karli said of Jodie after one such evening.“She really is,” Sarah agreed. “She was the first person I met in Arlington, and she’s been my rock.”“She’s good people, as my dad would say,” Karli grinned.“Yep. Hey, I’m turning in.”“See you in the morning,” Karli said as she attempted to leverage herself off of the couch.Sarah snorted.“Having issues?”“Help,” Karli laughed, holding out her hands, and between the two of them working at it she was finally standing upright

It was all he could do not to grab her, kiss her, and never let go.Not the right time or place, he reminded himself. This is about Jordan and Karli right now. But we’re damn sure going to talk before either of us leaves here.He sharpened his focus as Sarah asked, “What happened?”Her voice… it’s as sweet as I remember... I missed hearing her voice so much.But he kept his attention focused on Karli as they walked down the hall, leading them to the elevator. As they moved, he explained the night’s events that had led to Jordan’s injury, then slipped an arm around Karli when she went pale and began to sway.He guided them off the elevator and to the right, where a room of police officers and firemen waited for word on Jordan’s condition. Tim saw Karli seated, then moved to the desk to ask for an update. He noticed Dan walk over and squat down in front of her.That’s good, he thought. He’ll be able to calm her down, so she doesn’t go into labor early.And he took a moment to stare at t

“Are you hungry? You must be. I noticed you hardly ate anything in the cafeteria last night,” Tim observed as they walked hand-in-hand into his apartment’s small kitchen the next morning.“I am, actually, now that you mention it. What did you have in mind?”“Well, I have this excellent recipe for omelets, if you’re interested.”Sarah smiled at the memory he’d invoked.“Got you hooked on them, huh?”“And how,” he agreed, pulling out ingredients.“But mine never taste as good as that first one you made me.”She giggled, and the sound pierced his core. He abruptly set down the items he’d gathered up, moved around the counter, took her in his arms, and kissed her passionately.“I missed that,” he murmured. “Hearing your voice. Hearing your giggle. Holding you close to me. I missed us.”“Me too,” she sighed, laying her head on his chest.He reluctantly turned her loose so he could cook them breakfast.As he did, they began to talk. Sarah filled him in on her life since the last time they’d