Chapter 53

Finally, after bailing out and damn near dying in a distant desert, Matt had decided the time to leave the Air Force was now. He'd started applying for jobs in South Carolina while he was still in rehab and done his interviews via video conference over the computer. He figured getting the job was a sign that he was on the right track. He'd kissed his mom and sister goodbye as soon as his wound was healed enough for him to walk without a cane, and made the move to Charleston.

The real estate agent he'd contacted had found him a handful of houses to look at within walking distance of the beach on one of the barrier islands - nice but not in the million-dollar ballpark. Between his new salary and his government disability pension, he wasn't hurting for money, but he didn't want to put every last dime into a house payment either. Still, he wanted to have a place of his own before he went looking for Summer. He'd driven past the Holiday Card Company offices half a dozen times already, but h