Excerpt for Coming Home

[Tom Stabler has returned home for a surprise Christmas leave. Late at night, thoughts of Susan Swenson, his high school girlfriend and the women he can't get out of his mind, especially now that he's overseas in Vietnam, keep him awake now.]

In Susan's last letter, she told him she was wishing very hard for him to be home for Christmas. Somehow, her wish had come true. One minute he was on watch, trying to keep any part of himself dry in a raging downpour and wishing he was anyplace other than where he was, and the next minute the radio crackled with the order to get his ass in gear and ready himself for transport to the States. He would have believed his leave was a miracle, but the last eight months had erased any notion of those.

He'd thought about seeing Susan again all the way home. She was coming in from Omaha later in the day, but now, he almost dreaded their meeting. What if he felt as awkward with her as he did with his parents? Even his dreams would be ripped from him. How would he ever face the hellhole of Nam with nothing good to hold onto?

Tom stumbled to the window and opened it a crack. Frigid air rushed in, bringing the clean scent of winter and a hint of wood smoke. He shivered but didn't pull on his clothes. From a pack of Marlboros, he pulled out a smoke and tucked it into the corner of his mouth. The lighted match hovered half-way to the cigarette tip when a car swerved off the dark county road, its headlights bright in the clear night.

Leaving the cigarette unlit, he shook out the match and dropped his hand. The headlights dipped and rose as the vehicle came slowly along the graveled driveway. Seconds later, he made out a Volkswagen Beetle, dark in color with a convertible roof. The vehicle ran well, the engine silent in the sudden gusts of wind tearing the tree branches outside his bedroom.

The Bug stopped below his window. The lights went out, and the driver's door opened. Susan Swensen climbed out and raised her head, meeting his astonished gaze as though she knew exactly where he would be.

"I'll be damned," he murmured.

She smiled and held up her hand in greeting. Tom marveled at the stroke of luck that had wakened him at exactly the right moment and waved back.
God, she was beautiful. Her hair fell in golden rivulets over her shoulders. Her heavy coat couldn't disguise her curves-the same curves that haunted his dreams. White hosiery covered her calves below the coat, and white shoes encased her feet. She must have come right from the hospital where she was in training.

She beckoned, and he nodded his head in reply. Yanking the cigarette from his lips and tossing it on the bedside table, he realized for the first time, he'd stood at the window naked. The moonlight, weak though it was, still illuminated every interesting point of his body. Point being the operative word for one particular part, since his cock had risen as soon as Susan looked up at him with her own special glow.

Having dressed in record time-it felt strange jamming arms and legs into flannel and corduroy rather than camouflage, and without his rifle, he felt even more naked than if he'd waltzed outside with no clothes on. He took the stairs slowly and eased out the front door so as not to wake everyone else. The porch light cast a glow from the steps to the lawn. He scanned the area for Susan and found her at the cusp of the lamplight.

She was leaning against the big elm tree in the front yard, hands tucked in her coat pockets, her face toward the horizon where the North Star perched low in the sky. Straightening and turning to face him as he approached, she smiled again, so dazzlingly the heavens dimmed in comparison. Tom swore he wouldn't care if they didn't speak or touch or anything, if she would just keep smiling.

"Hi, Susan."

"Hey, Tom. Welcome home."

Had her voice always been this deep, this smooth? His insides melted just listening to her. At the same, God! Instant hard-on. He shifted his stance and hoped Susan couldn't tell. "Thanks."

Suddenly, she seemed shy, ducking her head to examine her shoes, scuffing the frost covered grass. He'd grown another couple of inches in the Army, and his lean body was strong and quick. He liked the contrast in their height and size, enjoyed the confidence he could protect her like a warrior, or tuck her gently against his chest where her ear would be over his heart. His heart which threatened to burst through his chest, being this close to the object of his dreams.

"I'm surprised to see you. It's early, you know?" It's early, you know? Hadn't he learned anything about how to talk to a woman after nearly two years in the Army? Granted, for the last few months he hadn't had much opportunity to practice romantic lines, but Christ. Fortunately, Susan didn't seem to notice his lapse in seductive conversation.

She nodded. "I filled in for a friend at the hospital, so she could get an early start on the holiday. We only have off until the day after Christmas, and she lives in Oklahoma. I'd planned to sleep in, do a little work, and drive up early this afternoon, but I was in a hurry." She gave a funny, kind of half smile. Like she had a secret and would split at the seams if she couldn't tell someone.

Tom laughed softly, his breath freezing in the morning air. He waved his hands toward the pasture land, over the fence, and beyond the tree where they stood. "Missed the damned old cows so much you just couldn't wait until later, huh? Or was it the empty corn fields of your dad's you were in a hurry for?"

Cocking her head, she said, "Neither, smart aleck."

He jammed his hands in his pocket. Shit! It was colder than a witch's tit out here. Susan must be freezing. "Well, then, why did you rush back to the middle of nowhere before daylight?"

Stepping forward, she rose on tiptoes and crooked her finger. Smiling, he bent to her. She whispered in his ear, "To see you, silly. I couldn't wait to see you."

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Reviews for Coming Home

"…a heartrending tale that grabs the reader. … Dee S. Knight sketches two characters that explode on the pages with their emotion as well as the passion they feel toward each other." - 5 Hearts, Linda L., TRS

"a very touching story … I couldn't put this one down. I would highly recommend this story to anyone looking for a sexy, touching read." - 4.5 Hearts, Sandra, The Romance Studio

"…warm, sweet, haunting … a brilliant book … the sexual scenes just took my breath away." -
4 Lips, Alisha, Two Lips Reviews

"The emotional insight and touch of magic in this story makes it one which will stay with readers long after the last word is devoured. ... I do not know when a story has touched me so strongly.... COMING HOME interweaves steamy sensuality with convincing emotions to create an unforgettable story of enduring love." -
5 Stars, Amelia Richards, eCataRomance

"This unforgettable story leaves a lasting tender impression." - 4 Cups, Cherokee, Coffee Time Romance

"Great tale, great read." - Jim, a reader

"...a sweet and poignant read." - Emma, Joyfully Reviewed

"I read the first 10 pages of [Coming Home] last night mostly because I couldn't stop. ... she made me really care about this character immediately. She's good. Really freakin' good." - Terri, a reader

"Hot and sexy, yet intensely emotional with a conclusion that gives complete and total satisfaction. With Coming Home, Dee Knight is masterful." Jasmine Haynes, author of Rita Finalist Somebody's Lover and Holt Medallion and NRCA nominee Open Invitation.

"Dee Knight delivers steam and haunting passion in Coming Home, a sensual treat that left me wanting more. I loved it!"
Larissa Ione, Secrets, v 18 and forthcoming books from Bantam Dell and Warner Books

"The extraordinary tale "Coming Home" involves a man coming to grips with his life following a painful tour in Vietnam, and the woman whose timeless love is out to save him. The prose sparkles, the characters are marvelous and the conclusion poignant, leaving the reader with a lump in the throat and sure knowledge that true love is eternal, unselfish and pure." - Amy Wolff Sorter, author, Soul Obsession

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