As a career army wife, Nicole Carponti knows just what to expect from her husband's tour of duty: loneliness, relentless worry, and a seemingly endless countdown until the moment Vic walks through the door again. But when the unthinkable happens, Nicole and Vic's bond is tested like never before and changes everything they believe to be true about the power of love and the simple beauty of being home for the holidays.
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USA Today bestselling author Jessica Scott is a career army officer; mother of two daughters, three cats and three dogs; wife to a career NCO and wrangler of all things stuffed and fluffy. She is a terrible cook and even worse housekeeper, but she's a pretty good shot with her assigned weapon and someone liked some of the stuff she wrote. Somehow, her children are pretty well-adjusted and her husband still loves her, despite burned water and a messy house.
She's written for the New York Times At War Blog, PBS Point of View: Regarding War Blog, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. She deployed to Iraq in 2009 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom/New Dawn and has served as a company commander at Fort Hood, Texas.
She's written for the New York Times At War Blog, PBS Point of View: Regarding War Blog, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. She deployed to Iraq in 2009 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom/New Dawn and has served as a company commander at Fort Hood, Texas.
She's pursuing a PhD in Sociology in her spare time and most recently, she's been featured as one of Esquire Magazine's Americans of the Year for 2012.
Excerpt from I'll be Home for Christmas
“You’re not serious.”
Carponti turned around, his shoulders covered in flecks
of red hair. “What?”
Nicole grinned as she leaned against the door. “Garrison
is going to kill you.”
“Garrison is going to love my new hair cut. It looks just
like his.”
Nicole arched one blond eyebrow. “Except for the bright
red fuzzy patch in the center of your head.”
Carponti shrugged and rubbed his hands over his freshly
shorn scalp. “I can’t wait to see what the
sergeant major says.”
“Isn’t he going to be mad?”
Carponti brushed the hair off his neck. “We’re going to
war. My hair isn’t on the list of things he’s going
to worry about.”
Nicole looked down at the pile of hair on the floor and
sighed. “Then why do it?”
Carponti smirked. “Because it’ll get a rise out of him
and I live to make his blood pressure go up.”
She laughed. “You need a hobby. Other than blowing things
up.”
He sidled across the room and hooked his thumb into the
waist of her jeans and tugged her close until
their hips met. “I have a hobby. Keeping you well
satisfied.”
She sniffed but her lips curled at the edges. “You’re
going to be derelict in your duties for a while.”
“But I’ll be home soon enough and then I’ll make up for
it.”
“I think I’m going to need a deployment boyfriend.”
He grinned wickedly. “Did you already get one?” He backed
her up against the wall, his body hard
against hers. God but she loved this man. “Can I see it?”
A slow flush crept over her face and she tried to look
away. He threaded his fingers with hers and lifted
her arms over her head. Her back arched with the
movement.
“Please?” he whispered against her lips. “That would be
an awesome memory to take with me
downrange. Just think of me, alone in the middle of the
desert. One visual of you with your deployment
boyfriend and it could make a lonely night go by so much
faster.”
Nicole giggled until the laugh overwhelmed her and she
was gasping for air. He released her hands and
she threaded them around his neck. She buried her face
against his throat and laughed.
“There’s something really wrong with you,” she said when
she could breathe again. “I’ll send you a
video.”
He brightened instantly. “Really?”
“Yes. And dirty letters.”
“Promise?” He nibbled along the edge of her jaw, guiding
her slowly backward toward their bed, stacked
high with his two duffle bags and all the crap he still
hadn’t packed.
But he didn’t care.
“I promise. And you’re going to be late.” Her voice
caught in her throat.
“Screw it,” he whispered. “This is the last chance to
make love to my beautiful wife before I have to go
traipsing across the desert like Lawrence of Arabia.” He
nibbled at her earlobe while his hand slipped
down her belly to the moist head between her thighs.
“Tell you what. You send me a picture of yours
and I’ll send you a picture of mine. Maybe I can get him
a little horse and saddle and send you a picture.
Maybe a Barbie camel. I can put him in a little man
dress.”
She laughed and Carponti’s heart swelled in his chest at
the sound of it.
“I’m going to hold you to that.” She traced her fingers
over his scalp, her body soft and warm against his
erection. “I want a picture of him in a man dress in
exchange for a video of the deployment boyfriend.”
Her legs bumped into the back of the bed and he followed
her down. Tangled between the duffle bags
and his uniforms, he made love to her one last time
before he got on a plane and headed to war.
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