Read 05 Desperate Match for Free Online

Rowan.” William turned to walk away, but not before Rowan saw tears glistening in his dad’s eyes.
    Adam clapped him on the shoulder. “C’mon, let’s go find our women.”
    He grinned and let himself be led to the cafeteria where Jill sat surrounded by several of the women on campus. Loren, Thea, and Beth. All three hovered and fussed over Jill, who looked a bit overwhelmed.
    Adam made a beeline to Loren to kiss the top of her head and squeeze a chair next to her. Rowan didn’t feel the pull to be glued to Jill’s side, but he figured, given the tension surrounding her presence here, he owed it to her to be publicly supportive. He pulled up a chair and squeezed in next to her. He noted there was quite a bit of food left on her plate.
    “Picky eater?” he asked.
    She turned to him. “No. Just not hungry, I guess.”
    He eyed her thin frame. “When was the last time you were hungry?”
    “Six years ago.” She gave a wry half–smile. “I used to love to eat, and I’m a good cook. Jack always says it’s my best feature and the only reason he puts up with me.” The moment the words left her mouth, she turned her face away and let her hair hang down hiding her from his view. “I’m sorry. I won’t mention him again.”
    He gently tucked her hair behind her ear. “It might help if you talk about him. I’m no expert, but we have some trained counselors on campus. They mostly talk to us soldiers, but I think some of the women on campus go to them if they need to talk. And...” He shut his mouth. He’d been about to say that Xander’s match, Emma, frequently spoke to a counselor about her kidnapping ordeal a few months back. But that was Emma’s biz. It’d be for her to share with Jill if they became friendly. He hoped they would since the two women were close in age. Jill looked as though she could use some friends.
    “Hey, where’s Emma? Thought she’d be here for this little powwow,” he said to Loren.
    “She and Xander went to the zoo.”
    “The zoo? It’s frickin’ freezing,” he said.
    Adam laughed. “They don’t care. Emma’s too busy catching Xander up on everything he missed as a kid.”
    The conversation carried on, with Jill sitting and picking at the food on her plate. Rowan joined the conversation, flicking his glance toward her every so often to make sure she was still there and holding up.
    “Jill, is there anything you need?” Loren suddenly asked.
    Her cheeks grew red when all attention turned toward her, and she shook her head. “I’m fine,” she said.
    Everyone took her at face value and continued the conversation, but Rowan kept silent. Jill had arrived with only a backpack and a pair of ancient sneakers. She was being polite or shy when she turned down Loren’s offer of help. She probably had three T–shirts and some raggedy underwear in that backpack. Shampoo? Nah. Extra shoes? Not likely.
    He’d have to figure out a way to make Jill accept the offers of clothes and supplies. He hadn’t asked, but he already knew she’d never let him buy her a damn thing unless they were officially matched. “I gotta go,” he said suddenly. Everyone at the table turned to stare at him with confused looks on their faces. Yeah, it was a bit weird. After all the fighting he’d done to keep Jill on campus, it was odd that he’d abandon her the first hour. He wasn’t abandoning her. He needed ten minutes, twenty max.
    He turned to Jill. “I remembered a meeting I have to go to, but Loren and Adam will give you a quick tour, and I’ll meet up with you back at my digs at say”—he glanced at his cell phone—“2:30. ‘Kay?” Without waiting for her response or Adam and Loren’s agreement, he jumped from the chair and raced out of the cafeteria. It took three minutes to sprint to his apartment and grab his car keys, and another two to get to the garage and start his custom Ford Explorer. He’d always been fine at driving one–handed, but it was cool having the steering knob