I physically jolt as I recognize him. He was in the blurry photo that Becky showed me.
He was a Navy SEAL. I can’t believe I didn’t recognize him earlier on the deck, but I was too busy being embarrassed at getting caught.
He was on the SEAL Team with Luke.Was he there when Reid died?
My hand starts to shake as my brain tries to work out the missing pieces to the story. Becky showed me one of their engagement photos at our lunch, but I was so excited to find out she and Luke weren’t a couple that I didn’t pay attention to the guy’s face she was actually engaged to. The suit being similar to his uniform is like a light coming on in my brain.
Luke turns to me, his glass nearly empty. “I should say hello to my mother. Can I find you in a little while?”
I nod, relieved to get a private moment to panic. As soon as he walks away, looking as handsome as ever in a white shirt and slate-grey suit pants, I speed-walk away from the crowd.
“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh . . .”
I finally find a path through the maze to a restroom. Pushing open the door, I dig into my clutch for my phone. My fingers shake as I find her name, hitting Call on Becky.
She picks up after one ring. “Kate! I’m so glad you called. How’s your evening?”
“Hey, Becky. It’s...fine. I was calling to see if you could text me that photo of”—I lower my voice to a whisper—“Mr.Bradshaw as a Navy SEAL with the article? And the one of his sister and her fiancé? If it’s too much trouble?—”
“Of course! I’ll do it right now. Do you want to come over and get them yourself? We could look through the Facebook profiles together.”
She sounds hopeful, and I feel a tinge of guilt at how I’m using her.
“Oh, I wish, but I’m...out of town this weekend. I gotta go now. Thank you so much. Can we...get lunch next week?”
“Oh my, I wouldlovethat! You choose the place this time! My treat.”
“Sounds great. Good night.”
I hit the red button, playing with my hair as I wait impatiently for her text to come through.
Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe it’s not him.
I nearly drop the phone as it vibrates in my hand. When I click open the photo, my heart sinks.
The man standing right next to Luke is definitely Garrison. I swipe to see the engagement session.
Why didn’t I pay attention to it the first time?
The article is barely legible, but I’m able to make out most of it.
A local boy who became a Navy SEAL perished in combat. His SEAL Team was on a top-secret mission overseas when he died honorably, defending his country. The circumstances surrounding his death were never shared with the public, but those of us who knew him know that he was a patriot who bravely defended our freedom until his dying breath. The remaining members on the team have all returned safely to the States.
Pictured right to left: Garrison Rake, Luke Bradshaw, Reid Lewis, and Henrik Cavalry.
My heart is thundering in my ears until I realize it’s actually someone banging on the door.
“Hello? Is there someone in there?”
I open it up to see a beautiful, disgruntled girl glowering down at me.
“Hi. Other people need to go, you know?”
“Yes, of course. So sorry! The, uh, crab cakes made me sick.” I rush out, holding the door open for her.
She rolls her eyes, brushing past me.
I slowly walk back through the maze of marble bar tops, white leather furniture, and glamorous guests. I’m in a daze, my mind swimming with the realization that whatever happened to cause a rift between Luke and Garrison had to have been bad...really bad.
