The Soldier's Widow

By Barbara Johannsen

When Charlie Barrett was killed in Iraq, he left behind a grieving widow. Charlie was the love of Annie’s life and three years later, she still cannot put the past to rest. Lee McCord is on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan. He knows the impact war has on a soldier and he understands Annie’s pain. Can Lee help Annie get on with her life?

• Language: English
• Publisher: eXtasy Books Inc
• Release date: Nov 20, 2010
• ISBN: 9781554875214

Book preview

When Charlie Barrett was killed in Iraq, he left behind a grieving widow. Charlie was the love of Annie's life and three years later, she still cannot put the past to rest.

Lee McCord is on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan. He knows the impact war has on a soldier and he understands Annie's pain.

Can Lee help Annie get on with her life? Will Annie reveal the depth of her hurt and find the solace she so desperately needs? Is it possible for a grieving widow to put the memory of her dead husband to rest?

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The Soldier's Widow

Copyright © 2010 Barbara Johannsen

ISBN: 978-1-55487-521-4

Cover art by Martine Jardin

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

Published by Devine Destinies

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Smashwords Edition

The Soldier's Widow

By

Barbara Johannsen

Dedication

To the wives of our servicemen

Chapter 1

Annie Barrett filled the coffeemaker with fresh water and poked the button to start the brewing cycle. Glancing at the clock over the front counter, she began opening boxes of donuts. As she positioned a stack of paper plates and napkins nearby, she heard the voices of passengers entering the airport terminal from the tarmac. In a few minutes, the USO would be hosting soldiers returning from Iraq. An uneasy feeling gripped her stomach.

Three years ago, Charlie died in Iraq. A roadside bomb exploded, killing him and two of the men in his company. Annie swallowed the lump that rose to her throat. Why had she come in to work when seeing the soldiers returning to their families only caused her heart to ache? Drawing in a deep breath, she tried to push her own personal thoughts to the back of her mind. The soldiers arriving home would not want to see her sad face.

Voices sounded closer. Annie glanced at Rosemary Phillips and Marlene Crump, the other two volunteers working with her that evening. Rosemary was busy checking the computers the organization made available to the troops, making sure they were all turned on and ready for the soldiers when they walked through the door.

And Marlene was stacking newspapers on one of the coffee tables near the row of lounge chairs at the back of the room. Often times a soldier just wanted a place to put his feet up and catch up on the local news. Satisfied that everything was in order, Annie tried to ready herself emotionally for the soldiers.

Annie began volunteering at the USO two nights a week when Charlie first joined the army. Being near the soldiers when they stepped off the plane had somehow made her feel close to Charlie. She shrugged one shoulder. It hadn't made much sense then--and it still didn't today. Soldiers came and went through the volunteer organization, drinking coffee and eating the pastries she and the other soldiers' wives provided, then they either boarded a plane and flew off to Iraq or met their loved ones in the terminal and went home for a few days.

Since Charlie's death, Annie felt as though she was lost in a world all her own. She managed to function, to teach her first grade class five days a week, but turmoil dwelled inside her. She and Charlie had been high school sweethearts. He played football and she cheered for him from the bleachers.

After high school, Charlie went away to college and Annie stayed at home to earn a teaching degree from the community college. Emails were very important during those times. If Charlie failed to send at least one a day, Annie felt physically sick because she didn't hear from him. In some ways, their courtship and subsequent marriage was like a fairytale romance. Once Annie looked into Charlie's blue eyes, she gave her heart to him forever.

Annie pushed aside the memory as the uniformed men began to enter the USO. One by one, they helped themselves to donuts and hot coffee, then either sat in one of the lounge chairs or went to a computer at the back of the room. Annie took it all in, the robust looking young men with their short-cropped military haircuts and dingy camouflage fatigues. They all looked so similar, yet Annie knew from her three years experience at the organization, each man had his own story to tell. Occasionally, a man would strike up a conversation, but mainly they just wanted a little diversion from the military way of life.

As the soldiers settled down to eat and drink coffee, Annie turned her attention to checking the supplies. Keeping plenty of coffee and donuts on hand was utmost important. Deciding to make another pot of coffee, Annie went to the back of the room to tend the coffeemaker. When she finished, she turned toward the front of the room and spied a uniformed soldier leaning on the counter. Her gaze wafted over his head and face, noting the Sergeant's insignia on his sleeve. It wasn't anything out of