“I met him when I was eleven. Up until then, I didn’t know who he was. I always thought he was this other guy my mom knew in high school. They married when she was pregnant with me, but he wasn’t my real father.”
“Did he know that?”
He shrugs. “Not sure. He died when I was two.”
“Did your real dad go to school with your mom, too?”
“Nah. He was just a one-night-stand. I was told the real story when I got older. He and his buddy, Shane were traveling home on leave from the 82ndAirborne for Christmas one year, and they got stranded on a flight to Dallas with my uncle Chris Draper. He invited them out to my grandparents’ ranch for the night since there were no available hotel rooms.
“That’s when my mom met Jake. They spent the night together, and in the morning, he left. The way I hear it, he didn’t know about me until he saw me by chance when I was eleven-years-old.” I shrug. “That’s when they got together, and they’ve stayed together ever since.”
“That’s some story.”
“Yeah. I guess so.”
“How’d you end up in a motorcycle club?”
“My father was a member. Shane, too. I grew up around it after my parents got back together.”
“So, your dad—that’s why you wanted to be in the military?”
“Yep. It’s also the reason I wanted to get accepted into the Airborne unit.”
“And you had Ryan talked into it, too.”
“Yeah, I guess I did.”
“I wasn’t happy about that. It meant a serious, long-term commitment from him. I thought he’d be out in a couple of years.”
“Sorry about that.”
I cross my arms. “So? Did you ever do it?”
“Nope. After Ryan’s death, I kind of lost all interest in staying. I was done, ya know?” He wipes his hands on the dishtowel and leans against the counter.
I move to start the dishwasher, thinking about what he said. Ryan’s death affected more people than just me and Tucker. Cody is hurting, too. “You guys were close?”
“Yeah. He and I were like this from the moment we met in basic training.” He holds up his two crossed fingers. “We got lucky to be stationed together in the same outfit.”
“I know he was happy to have a buddy with him.”
“I’m so sorry, Heather. I wish I could change places with him and give you and Tucker back a husband and father.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“Sometimes I feel like it is.”
“Why?”
He shakes his head. “I should have been there. It should have been me. You and Ryan would be married and probably living in some cute suburban house with a swing set in the backyard.”
“Don’t say that. It doesn’t help if that’s what you think.”
“I wish I could have been at his funeral, but we were short-staffed and they wouldn’t give me leave.”
“I understand.”
“Do you? If I were in your place, I’d be pissed at the world.”
