Embattled Home Quotes

“Don’t waste your life wishing things had been different. Change the now.”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“Mom, I want something.” Lora grinned at her daughter, knowing that at some point she would have to curb the ‘I-wants’, but not just yet. “What’s that, honey?” “I want Chad to stay here with us. All the time.” Chad went still beside her, but when she looked up, he was grinning at Mercy. He glanced at her, brows raised, to check her response. Lora sucked in a breath, knowing that she was on uncharted, sandy ground. In her deepest heart, she wanted the same thing, but did she dare say it? As she looked into the gentle reassurance in his expression, she knew it would just take a tiny leap of courage. “Chad, would you like to stay here with us?” Lora forgot how to breathe as she waited for some kind of response. Chad seemed to be dragging out the anticipation though. After several long seconds, he nodded his head. But he held up a cautioning finger. “I would love to be a kept man, but it kind of goes three ways.” Moving from the couch, he went down on one knee in front of Mercy, sitting on the floor. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny gold ring. “Mercy O’Neil, will you marry me and be my awesome daughter? To have and to hold, in muddy times and clean? And help me keep your mother happy and safe?” Mercy nodded her head as hard as she could, laughing and crying at the same time. She flung her arms around Chad’s neck and sobbed. Lora’s eyes were leaking as well, so overcome with love that he had thought to include Mercy. But then he turned his damp eyes to her and she was rocked with the deep-in-her-heart knowledge of what was coming next. Levering to his feet, still holding Mercy against him, he circled the table to kneel in front of her. Then he reached into that pocket again and pulled out a shining white gold solitaire ring. His eyes incredibly kind, he held it out. “Lora O’Neil, would you do me the honor of wearing my ring? I promise to protect you and love you as long as I’m allowed, in whatever way I’m allowed, and I promise to always have Starlight mints at the ready.” Lora wept with fear and joy and laughter, knowing that she would never find another man like him. Nodding, she held her shaking hand out and allowed him to slip the ring onto her finger. Then she whipped her arms around his neck, and the three of them rocked back and forth. He pulled back enough to capture her lips with his own, sealing the love between them. “No rush,” he murmured in her ear. “We’ll take it a day at a time. Just know that I love you with all my heart.” “And I love you,” she whispered. “More than I ever dared dream I could.” Mercy”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“I’m always ready to help you. Always. I love you. How could I do otherwise?” The words rolled over her and she couldn’t believe them, not yet. “We’ve only known each other five weeks. Isn’t it too soon to be professing love?” Chad grinned down at her, shaking his head. “Maybe for you but not me. I started to fall in love with you before I even met you. I knew the kind of woman you were.” Laughing,”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“Unable to help herself, she dragged her fingernails along the sole of his foot as she peeled it off. With a yelp, he jerked his foot away. “What the hell was that for?” Lora grinned, thrilled to have found a chink in his put-together armor. “Just checking.” Chad laughed and lifted her up to kneel before him, dropping a kiss to her nose. “I give you fair warning. If you do that again, I’ll have to retaliate.” She”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“For the first time, anxiety crept in. She was not perfect, by any means. And if there was one area of her body she was self-conscious of, it was the area of her belly that had expanded with pregnancy. For the most part, it had retightened, but she’d been left with silver stretch marks. Unable to help herself, she rested her hand over her belly. Chad looked up at her, blue eyes shining in the light of the bedside lamp. “Seriously? You think I’m going to begrudge you some marks? They gave you Mercy. How can you be ashamed of those?” She”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“You helped me find my courageous heart and I can’t thank you enough for that. I want you to love me, Chad. And I want to love you back.” She”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“I still want to see you, though.” He cocked a dark brow at her. “Well, you’re not likely to get rid of me in the near future.” Warmth”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“What?” The corners of his mouth tipped up slightly. “Nothing. You’re just beautiful.” Making a face at him, unwilling to believe he liked the wet, windblown look, she shook her head. “You’re off your rocker.” Laughing, Chad leaned down enough to press a kiss to her lips. “Maybe.” The”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“I will never judge you,” he whispered into the darkness, his words hitting her heart like a cannonball. “What was done to you should never happen to any woman. I know you feel like you need to make a stand against him, but I don’t want you to rush this. I plan on being here for the long haul, no matter what. Okay?” She”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“Do you like my mom?” Mercy’s little voice chirped at his shoulder. Chad forced himself to ease back slowly as he looked at the little girl. Her eyes were bright with curiosity. “I like your mother very much. Is that okay?” She nodded her head up and down like a little bobble-head. “I told ‘ansom you liked her.” Grinning, he tugged on a chunk of her hair. “You think you’re a smarty-pants, huh?” She took off at a run, giggling.”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“I’m not pressuring you for anything. Would I like to be in a relationship with you? Hell yes, I would. Though it’s unethical and unwise, I’m seriously attracted to you. But there’s no time limit on it. I’ve been attracted to you for a long time and I’m willing to wait ten times that long if that’s what it takes.” Lora”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“But Chad seemed to be on a mission to drive her crazy. Where before he’d given her plenty of room to do everything, her personal space cushion had slowly started to shrink. Now he walked by her close enough that she could feel the heat of his body. Sometimes he lingered behind her until she had to turn. When he handed her things, he made sure to brush her fingers. Twice now he’d rested a broad hand on her shoulder for a few seconds. Slowly but surely he was getting her used to him. And it was killing her. Lora found herself waiting for those tiny touches, and worse, needing them. When he walked up behind her she quivered, praying he would close the distance between them. But she felt like a hypocrite. Other men put her on edge, but Chad made her aware. No”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“The few times Harper had come down the mountain, Mercy always managed to find him to tag along with whatever he was doing. She’d developed a strange attachment to the scary soldier. One morning she’d opened the front door to walk outside and had to slam to a stop in surprise. Harper was sitting on the porch stairs and her daughter stood behind him, with her arms wrapped as far around his massive shoulders as she could reach. She looked ridiculously tiny compared to the former soldier with the shaved head, but the man didn’t move for several long seconds. Finally, he patted her little hands and sent her running to the playground. Lora thought she’d escaped his notice, but when he stood up he caught her eye in the doorway. “She’s worth her weight in gold,” he rumbled. “I will do everything in my power to keep her safe.” Lora nodded and watched as he disappeared into the woods, huge gun held in his arms like a baby. When she’d asked Mercy about the incident later, her daughter had shrugged. “He seemed sad so I gave him a hug.” Those words had humbled her. But”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“He watched her reenter the room and close the door softly behind her. Massaging her tears into his fingers, he wished he knew how to proceed. On the one hand he wanted everything resolved, with Lora and Mercy safe. But on the other hand, he wanted the current set-up to continue. Being this close to Lora and her daughter was teaching him how alone he’d been for a long time. He would love to bring them into the family permanently. Turning”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“Chad?” “Yes?” “Can you turn around please?” He’d been still before, but now it was if he were frozen in time. For several long seconds she didn’t even hear him breathe. But then he swiveled on one boot heel to face her. Lora sank down into the water until only her shoulders were exposed. His gaze traveled over her as if he could see more, though. “Would you join me?” Lora actually heard him swallow from several feet away and it gave her courage that he was nervous. “I don’t know if that’s such a great idea.” “Please?” He took a step forward across the deck, then a few more, until he stood at the side of the tub. “I’ll have to take the prosthetic off,” he admitted. Lora hadn’t even thought about that. “Okay.” She was struck with something and she grinned. “Want me to turn around?” She thought she’d been funny but he gave her the strangest look. “If you keep giving me smiles like that, you can look at anything you want.” Her”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“Before she could wonder further, Chad slid out of the truck and moved to open their rear door. He held out his broad hand and she stared at it for several long seconds, before sliding her own inside and allowing him to help her down. As soon as was polite, she released him, though her body resonated with the touch. Mercy parked herself on the step and fell into his arms with a giggle. Growling at the little girl and tickling her, he set her on the ground, then turned to grin at Lora. “I think you raised a daredevil.” The”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“Do I look okay?” She ran her hands over the pale blue blouse and jeans she wore, worried that it was too informal. When she’d shoved things in her bag, she hadn’t thought about dinner like this. Chad’s bright blue eyes drifted over her slowly and Lora forced herself to stand still, though his appreciative survey was making her prickle. His gaze slowed at her hands on her hips, drifted down to her socked feet, then back up to meet her eyes. “I think you look perfect.” Lora had to look away then because the sincerity in his expression was enough to make her tear up.”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“Chad left before he did something else to spook her. She hadn’t recoiled when he’d stroked her lip, but he wasn’t going to push his luck. He wanted to take her in his arms and try to ease the tension he could literally see in every line of her body. Even without the bruises, her face tended to be tense. Nobody should live like that. It wasn’t healthy. Heading”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“She’s got some cute under those bruises,” his father murmured. Lifting his brows, he turned back to his father. “Yes, she does.” Garrett rubbed a hand over his lean jaw. “Could be there’s a little more to this job, huh?” Chad shook his head and leaned against the side of the truck. “Nah. She’s not interested in anything like that and I don’t know if I am either.” “Boy, it’d be a hard man that could deny that baby, though.” Grinning, Chad looked after the retreating pair. His father had always loved the little ones. “I know. We just put Taco away. She wasn’t wild about him at first, but this morning she hopped on him and rode like she’s been doing it for years.” Garrett grinned. “No kid I know has been able to deny Taco’s charm.” He”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“She could see imperfections down the left side of his chest and neck, and there were freckles sprinkled across his upper shoulders. And when he grinned, she could see he had a crooked tooth at the bottom front. He didn’t seem to care though. Maybe part of his appeal was that he didn’t care what he looked like. He seemed okay with the scars and superficial marks, but the amputation made him insecure. Derek”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“Lora grinned and even laughed a little. Chad watched her expression lighten and felt like the sun had come up. He was an easy-going guy, fairly funny, or so he thought, but Lora was a tough nut to crack. And after what she’d been through, how could he blame her? That little laugh gave him hope for more. And”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“The thought of Lora seeing him like this made him shudder in a different way. But maybe it was time. Needing to minimize the impact, he rolled the leg of the sweats back down over the leg. Flynn ducked out of the room and moved down the hallway. Chad listened to him go, and realized his breathing had changed. The thought of Lora coming in now put him on edge, for several different reasons. One, he didn’t think she realized he was missing a leg. He adjusted the prosthetic beside him, placing it at the exact corner of the bed. There was no doubting now. Two, he hadn’t let a woman see him without his leg for years. Granted, with the sweats on, she wouldn’t see anything that might gross her out, but this was damn near naked for him. Fuck, he’d rather be naked than show off his stump. Not having his leg on put him at a severe disadvantage, and he was curious what she would do with that power. Plus, he hadn’t put a T-shirt on yet either. The rough skin down his left side was on display. This was kind of the big test, whether she realized it or not. As he sat there, heart thudding and palms sweating, wondering if he had time to cover up, there was a knock at the door. “Come”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“For the first time in a long time, he wished a woman would look at him and smile, just because he belonged to her. Chad swallowed, his throat working, as the realization took root in his gut. No, he didn’t want ‘a woman’ to look at him that way; he wanted Lora to look at him that way. She”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“Lora shrank back in the seat, cringing. She didn’t want to belong to any man. Did he actually think she would go for that idea? Her gaze furious, she opened her mouth to respond, but he held up a hand. “I’m sorry, Lora. We’ll come up with another story. No big deal.” She looked at his clamped jaw and realized he was offended. Why the hell would he…her eyes fell to his left hand, hidden at his side. Ah. He had scars on that side of his neck, too, and she wondered for the first time how far down they reached. It had to have been incredibly painful, what he’d gone through. Chad had put himself out there to help her, help them both actually, and she’d cut him off at the knees. Shame fought with her instinct to protect herself at all cost. “I can’t…I don’t know that I would be able to fake being with you. Physically, I mean.” If anything, his jaw hardened even more. “No problem,” he snapped. She clenched her fists and gave a sharp cry, frustrated that she’d hurt him even more. “I can’t do physical. Me. I can’t do that.” Some of the tension went out of the fist clutching the steering wheel and he glanced at her. “Okay. I can understand that. We’ll come up with something else then.” Lora”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“You should wear this. It’ll help your arm heal faster.” Pink tinged her pale cheeks. “I tried to wrap it but couldn’t get it to stay.” He tossed the bandage out, letting it untwist. She tensed up but didn’t move away as he stopped in front of her. “Hold your arm out.” She held it out thumb up, with her other hand cupped beneath it for support. Chad’s jaw clenched when he saw the bruising running up her pale arm. Fingerprints from her husband and from the strain itself. Dragging oxygen into his lungs, he fought for something to say. “Your daughter is a sweetheart.” Some of the tension eased from her frame. “Yes, she is. She is my reason for life.” “I can see that. And I think it’s mutual. She worries about you a lot.” “I know,” she whispered. Her throat sounded tight. Chad wrapped her arm as carefully as he could, uncomfortable that he was giving her a close-up look at his own damage. Only fair, I guess, considering. She cleared her throat as he wound the bandage around and around her arm, and he knew what was coming. “What happened?” He shrugged. “Iraq happened. I got burned in an explosion. Landmine.” She cringed. “I’m sorry.” “Why?” He forced a grin. “You didn’t do it.” She blinked as if she were caught off guard by the way he reacted to it but didn’t say anything more. Just”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“I’m sorry I snapped at you. Thank you for making her breakfast. You didn’t have to do that.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Had to do something. She was wasting away in front of me. I thought she was gonna eat that nasty dog she carries around.” Lora snorted, amused in spite of herself. “That nasty dog is actually a nasty bear.” He turned and gave her a weird cringe. “Really?” She nodded. Chad shook his head sadly. “And thank you for my breakfast, too. It was very good.” He widened his eyes at her. “You ate my eggs? I just wanted you to hold the plate for me.” Lora’s mouth dropped open in disbelief, and she started to sputter out an apology, until he held up a hand, grinning. “I’m kidding. I made those eggs for you.” His eyes drifted down her body. “You need some meat on your bones.” Lora”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“So, what do you like to be called, little miss? Mercy or Mercedes?” “Mercy.” He nodded to the crumpled animal clutched in her arms. “And his name?” “’Ansom.” “Handsome. That’s right. For some reason I thought it was Bill.” The little girl’s eyes went wide and she shook her head. Chad turned back to stir the eggs, wondering if a six year old was too young to charm. Opening cupboard doors, he drew two small plates from the shelf and piled some eggs onto one. He crossed the kitchen and placed it in front of the child. “Miss Mercy, your eggs, madam.” He bowed from the waist, and when he looked up, her little pink lips were fighting a smile. When”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“I’m sorry. It just pisses me off to no end that a guy would do this to a woman. I’m a Texas boy. Our women are treated with the respect they deserve. I want to take your ex out and beat the shit out of him, then hang him by his balls for the vultures to eat.” Her”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home

“I’m sorry I didn’t get to you sooner.” She shrugged. “Not your fault. Even if you had been here he still would have come in. That’s just the way he is.” Chad hmm’d under his breath. “He would not have come through me.” She glanced at his gnarled hand, then away. He felt the look like a blow, though he should have been used to it by now. Words crowded into his throat in his defense, but he clamped his jaw shut. Lora had been through a lot. She didn’t have to cater to his sensibilities. Hell, she probably wouldn’t have faith in any man. No matter what shape he was in. Chad”
― J.M. Madden, Embattled Home