Cover Reveal &
Excerpt
On Solid Ground
by
Melissa Collins
On Solid Ground
by
Melissa Collins
~ Synopsis ~
When Jacob “Dax”
Daxton returns home from war, he has to fight a new battle – the one to find
his place in the world. The man who normally has a clear path to victory
surrounded by brothers in combat is suddenly lost and alone. After meeting
Beckett Ridge, a bearded tattoo artist, Dax’s journey begins winding down an
unexpected path.
Still reeling from events that shook his foundation, Beck has never been part of anything meaningful. Now faced with responsibilities foreign and daunting, Dax’s broken spirit mends Beck in ways he never even knew he was destroyed.
As both struggle to find balance, they are healed by the comfort they find in one other. On the other side of chaos, they hope to find themselves On Solid Ground.
Still reeling from events that shook his foundation, Beck has never been part of anything meaningful. Now faced with responsibilities foreign and daunting, Dax’s broken spirit mends Beck in ways he never even knew he was destroyed.
As both struggle to find balance, they are healed by the comfort they find in one other. On the other side of chaos, they hope to find themselves On Solid Ground.
~ Excerpt ~
The
stewardess’s voice calls out over the loud speaker, and like everyone else on
the plane, I put my tray in its upright position. The wheels touch down on the
runway, jolting the plane more than I’m comfortable with. A mixture of
exhaustion and anxiety spreads through me as I reach for my bag in the overhead
compartment. As I sling it over my shoulder, I look up the aisle and see no one
else is moving. An older gentleman from the row next to me salutes me, his
crooked and work-worn hands shaking at his brow.
“Thank you for your service, son.” His voice is about as shaky
as his hand, but I can tell from the way he clicks his heels together,
straightens his spine, and looks me square in the eyes, that he was a service
man, too. My eyes travel up to the beaten and tattered hat he’s wearing.
“Marines. World War Two,” he answers my unasked question and I salute him back.
My crew-cut hair and camo T-shirt must have given me away.
He extends his hand, allowing me to step out first as the rest
of the passengers stay in their seats. A loud wave of applause accompanies me
as I walk through the center aisle. Trying my best to hide it, I cringe at the
volume of it.
What a loser! My thoughts of
self-loathing and panic are well-hidden behind my public smile. But the honest
truth is that every single sound of what should be a harmless clap bounces
around in my head like thunder.
Like bombs and gunfire.
Vomit rises in my throat as a few passengers drop a hand on my
shoulder in thanks as I pass them. The urge to spin around, grab their arms,
and knock them down to the ground is there, but I hold it in check.
Somehow. Figuring the more emotional part of coming home was
over and done with when I was out-processed, I hadn’t expected this at all. The
first leg of the journey back home was easier. There were a few other troops
with me, traveling from our home base after being out-processed and I slept for
most of the flight. But for this last part, a short two-hour flight into
Colorado Springs Airport, I was alone.
Stepping off the plane isn’t any quieter than the cabin had been
and some kind of weird domino effect takes place. I can only assume that
somehow word traveled from the plane there was a soldier on board. One person
salutes and cheers for me and it’s as if everyone else in the place falls in
line. A loud raucous celebration takes place in the small airport just for me.
They romanticize these scenes on television, you know. Budweiser
and Coca-Cola want you to believe when a soldier comes home, he’s ecstatic to
be greeted by everyone’s jubilance. And while it’s somewhat true, it’s also
mostly false.
Having everyone jump up around me reminds of the life I’ve
missed out on in the years I’ve given in service. It reminds me of how I don’t
have control over my surroundings, of how I feel like I’ll never be in control
again.
Would I give it up? Go back and change the last four years of my
life?
No, I know I wouldn’t. They make me who I am. And even though
there are days I wish it was me in the ground instead of my comrades, I know I
could never change the decisions I’ve made.
Except that one.
With that thought in my brain, I catch sight of my mom in the
distance holding up a sign with my name plastered on it.
Welcome Home, SPC Jacob “Dax” Daxton. We love you!
A proud smile splits Mom’s face as tears stream down her cheeks.
Dropping her bags and the sign, she runs into my arms.
“Oh, Jake. You’re home. You’re really home.” Her words are
muffled as she hugs me close. Dad walks up behind us, clapping a hand on my
shoulder.
“We’re real proud of you, Son.” A soldier himself, his words
carry less emotion, but I see it in his eyes – the emotion, the understanding,
and the gravity of it all. Extending a hand to him, while holding Mom to my
side, he surprises me by pulling me into a hug. “It’s so good to have you
home,” his tone softens.
After breaking the brief hug, Mom holds me at arm’s length and
adds, “For good, this time. You’re home for good this time.” There’s an air of
a question in her words, as if she can’t really believe they’re true.
“Yes, Mom. For good,” I assure her as Dad pulls the bag from my
shoulder.
“Come on. Let’s get you home,” Mom announces proudly, looping
her arm around my waist.
More cheers of appreciation follow the three of us out of the
airport, but the anger, sadness, and depression that bubble in my chest drown
out the noise.
Mom’s words replay in a vicious cycle in my head as we drive
home.
You’re home. For good.
Yes, this time for good, but not for the better. Oddly, those
sentences feel more like a prison sentence than anything else.
~
About the Author ~
Melissa Collins has always been a book worm. Studying
Literature in college ensured that her nose was always stuck in a book. She
followed her passion for reading to the most logical career choice: English
teacher. Her hope was to share her passion for reading and the escapism of
books to her students. Having spent more than a decade in front of a classroom,
she can easily say that it’s been a dream.
Her passion for writing didn’t start until more recently. When she was home on maternity leave in early 2012, she read her first romance novel and her head filled with the passion, angst and laughter of the characters who she read about it. It wasn’t long before characters of her own took shape in her mind. Their lives took over Melissa’s brain and The Love Series was born.
Her passion for writing didn’t start until more recently. When she was home on maternity leave in early 2012, she read her first romance novel and her head filled with the passion, angst and laughter of the characters who she read about it. It wasn’t long before characters of her own took shape in her mind. Their lives took over Melissa’s brain and The Love Series was born.
~
Connect with Melissa ~
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