Page 13 of Fighting for Family

“All right,” her daughter said as she rolled off the bed and helped her stand. “Do you want another boy or a girl?”

“It doesn’t matter. It’s another baby who carries a piece of your dad with them,” she said, rubbing her stomach. “It’ll be lucky to have a big sister like you.”

“Don’t worry, Mom, once I get to know it, I’ll find a perfect dad response for it,” she promised.

“I’m counting on it,” Catherine assured her as they walked out of the room.

Kassie watched her warily as she made it to the living room. Chase already ushered Melody to the kid’s table with build-your-own pizza night fixings.

“Everything all right?” Kassie asked.

“Yes, we needed a minute. What time will the team call?” Catherine asked, watching Melody place her toppings on her crust.

“They’ll call when they have a secure connection,” Kassie said. “We’re hoping sometime between dinner and clean up from the pizza brigade.”

“What did the grans make us to eat?” she asked, trying to sound hopeful.

“We have chicken pot pie, salad, and baked apple dumplings,” Kassie said. “Bear’s setting up the computer in my bedroom, and Chase helped him move chairs in there. The kids can stay out here with the grans.”

“You’ve thought of everything,” she said quietly. “We’re only missing the team and him.”

Kassie hugged her tightly. “There will always be a hole there. No one can fill his place.”

“No one wants to,” Catherine said. “Did you read your letter?”

“No. I plan to read it after I get the kids down for the night,” Kassie informed her. “Did you?”

“No. I’m doing the same,” she said, sitting at the table.

Kassie brought her a glass of cucumber and mint water and a plate of sliced carrots and celery with a dab of peanut butter. “It’ll be another half hour before we eat. We’re letting the kids bake their pizzas first.”

“What would I do without you?” Catherine asked.

“You’ll never have to know,” Kassie assured her, watching the kids bring their crusts to Carol and Edie to put in the oven as they finished. Bryanna went into the nursery to answer the call of a crying baby as Lizzy held Beth and spoke with Samantha, who held Ari. “Did you ever imagine us surrounded by this large family when you lived in that awful apartment?”

“If you had never called Leo, I might still be there,” Kassie admitted. “He never left my side even when I acted like a pain in his ass. People think Chase and I have made a difference on this mountain. Leo brought his men here and taught them by example about loyalty when he saved Whiskey. He volunteered for veteran meetings for PTSD, and he helped this community. Sparky and Stormy may not have gotten a second chance without his intervention. Everyone in this room can attest to how Leo touched their lives.”

“It’s more than we even dreamed,” Catherine said, forcing herself to eat the food. “Do you have some acetaminophen? I have another headache.”

“You need to lie down. Your blood pressure keeps spiking,” Kassie gently reminded her.

“I promise to take it easy after the men call,” she vowed. “I know they’ll say the same thing, or they’d have called by now. I guess, I sorta hope they find something…anything.”

“Oh, honey, we’re all praying for the same thing,” Kassie said emphatically. “There’s nothing wrong with holding a bit of faith. After all, Leo’s known for his stubborn, ornery, less than normal ways of getting things handled.”

Sighing, Catherine set the fork down. She gazed at the kids playing. Melody picked up a slice of her already baked pizza and shared it with Emma and Miya while they waited for theirs. The boys eagerly waited for theirs to come out of the oven. Grace played blocks with Beth and Tori while Derrick sat in a play pen, playing with toys. She turned to Kassie and said, “Death has an unfair advantage. I’m afraid even Leo can’t cheat it.”

Kassie squeezed her gently as she wiped tears with a napkin.

Bear entered the living room and nodded toward them, indicating the team finally called.

The grans watched the kids while the others filed into Kassie and Chase’s bedroom. They sat in chairs while the screen remained blank.

Bear cleared his throat and gazed at Julie, who held Melissa in her arms. She smiled encouragingly at him and nodded for him to continue.

“The team wants to talk to all of us at once, and then we’ll give each couple a minute of privacy at the end,” he informed the group. “I know you must have a ton of questions, and it’ll be easier to ask them when everyone can hear their responses. Catherine, you’ll go first.”

Catherine sat in the front row and straightened her shoulders. Leo’s men had searched for his remains for months and didn’t need to see her coming apart. She knew they did everything in their power to bring her husband home to her family.