“What if you deploy and find someone else?” she asked worriedly.
“Don’t ever think my love for you can ever end easily,” he said heatedly.
“I’m not stupid. Do you know the divorce rate in the military? You’ll be gone for months at a time…” she said softly.
“I’m more concerned about you. You’ll be here. Don’t think I don’t know about Jay’s crush on you,” he teased, earning a punch in the arm.
“Leave him alone. He’s very smart, and one day, he’ll be a great doctor,” she said sternly. “They pick on him in town because he’s into books instead of sports and shooting animals. Jay has a heart.”
“Yeah, and he’s already pledged it to you,” Owen said sarcastically. “Maybe I’ll give him a warning before I leave.”
“You will not,” she said, crossing her arms. “You know I’ll never stop loving you, even in death.”
Leslie brushed the tear from her cheek. She refused to shed another one for the man who callously left her behind.
“Mom? You, all right?” Tucker asked, shaking her arm.
“Yes, sweetheart. I got lost in my memories,” she said, smiling at her son. Little did he know he stood on the spot where Owen and she made their precious boy.
“Will you let us camp here next weekend? It might help Conner take his mind off his dad,” he suggested, appearing innocent.
“Uh-huh,” she said. “And what about you? Do you think it’ll make you feel better?”
Tucker gave her a cock-eyed grin. “It might help.”
Tousling his hair, she said, “We’ll see.”
“Mooom, you know when you say it that way, it means we can’t,” he grumbled.
“We don’t know the funeral arrangements. Saying goodbye to our loved ones supersedes fishing. Wecan do this anytime,” she said firmly. “Get Conner and let’s head home. I need to put on dinner.”
“Conner,” Tucker yelled. “Mom says we have to go.”
“Thanks,” she deadpanned. Next time, I’ll do it myself.”
Tucker grinned as he picked up his stick and waited for Conner. The two boys stayed close together, a few feet in front of her. Their heads bent together, and she wondered what transpired between them.
Her thoughts wandered to Owen and how he fared with his brothers. The Wolfe family always acted before they thought.
CHAPTER 17
Owen parkeddown the block from a two-story home. “Stay here with Wyatt. Hopefully, Mason will come easily.”
“You can’t leave me tied up like this,” Wyatt complained drunkenly.
“If he keeps it up, stuff a rag in his mouth,” he ordered Elias. “For damn sake, do not untie him.”
“He says it hurts him,” Elias argued. “Can’t you untie it a bit?”
“It’s not tight,” Owen sighed. “He’s drunk, sitting in his underwear with his ass hanging out. Unless you want him arrested, you’ll keep him in the van.”
“Fine,” Elias agreed. “Hurry up.”
Owen shut the door and walked the block. He stood outside and watched Mason sitting in front of the TV. Two red-headed little boys ran around thecouch, dangling rubber snakes, trying to catch his attention.
“Damn it, Mason, don’t end up like Dad,” Owen muttered, watching the boys grow more aggressive as his brother ignored them.
Walking up the concrete steps, he rang the doorbell and waited. When no one answered, he rang it again and ran down the stairs to peek into the window, checking to see if Mason moved from the couch.
