Page 26 of SEAL of Valor

“One day, you’ll see that’s not true. You know where to find us, Cowboy. We love you, Brother.” With one final soft smile in my direction, he shoves both hands into his pockets and heads up the hill toward his truck.

I face the gravestone again.

How did this become my life?

How is it fair that I have lost everything?

Reaching into my pocket, I withdraw my cell phone and unlock it. After pulling up my mom’s contact information, I stare at her name, trying to conjure up the strength to make the call.

Year after year, it’s the same, but I can’t bring myself to stop trying.

“Here goes,” I say aloud, then tap on her name.

It rings twice. “Hello?”

“Hey, Patty.” She asked me to stop calling her mom after Violet died. Said it was too painful to hear that name.

“Weston,” she greets. The background is full of celebratory noise, and I imagine she’s at a party of some kind. The woman spends more time partying than she does thinking about her only living family member. “How are things?”

“Who is it, Patty?” I hear a woman ask in the background.

“Just someone I know. I’ll be right there,” she replies, her voice slightly muted. “Is this important?” she asks me. “I’m in the middle of something.”

Someone I know. Not my son. My child. As the disappointment settles over me, mixing with the anger and stress from today, I decide that this is the last phone call I will ever make to Patty Hayes.

I’m done.

“Don’t worry about it. Have a nice life.” Ending the call, I stare down at my cell phone, the rage boiling up inside of me. It burns in my veins, swirling in my body like venom set on destroying everything left.

And I didn’t have that much to begin with.

With a frustrated sigh, I grab my notebook and planner, then get out of my truck just after dawn. Since Vivian refused to move the location of our morning meeting, I make my way up the porch steps of her farmhouse. Which is the absolute last place I want to be right now.

There’s a silver Kia Sorento parked just outside. Reese’s car.

It’s funny, she always loved driving my truck. I never would have guessed she’d get into a small SUV instead.

Then again, I’m sure a lot has changed. I’m certainly not the same person I was; guess I can’t expect her to be either.

I stop just outside the door and take a deep breath.

It’s just a business meeting.

Reese doesn’t need to be involved. Nor should she be. She hasn’t been involved in anything on this ranch in two decades.

Before I can raise my fist to knock, the door opens, and Vivian smiles up at me, her expression warm. It relaxes me slightly to see. I’m not entirely sure what I expected, but it certainly wasn’t a warm greeting. What if Reese told her everything? What if she knows how badly I ruined everything?

“Good morning, Weston. Coffee is hot; come in.”

I step into the house, prepped for battle.

Thankfully, Reese doesn’t seem ready for war.

“She’s still sleeping,” Vivian whispers with a knowing smile.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. After the tongue-lashing I got from her yesterday, I assumed your reunion didn’t go well.”