“No, ma’am. He was drunk. I started to cross the street when a woman grabbed his arm and said she’d take him home. I waited for him to return, but I haven’t seen him.”
Holly rose from the chair and kissed his head. “Go to school, Owen. Take Mason and Wyatt with you. I’ll drive the others down. Thank you for telling me the truth.”
“What about you?” he asked, searching his mother’s eyes.
“We’ll be fine, son. Everything will work out. I don’t know what I’ll do when you ship out in two weeks. You’ve grown up and taken on responsibilities no kid should have to. Maybe it’s the reason you feel the need to go out and save the world. I’m proud of you, baby boy.”
“Mom,” he complained as she ruffled his hair.
“Rustle your brothers for breakfast. It appears we have carpool duty,” she said, placing the eggs on the table.
“Get your butts in here,” Owen yelled. “If I have to come in there, you’re walking to school.”
His brothers raced to the table, and Owen handed the plates to Dillon while Mason took the OJ from the fridge. Elias grabbed the glasses while Cade pulled out the silverware. Wyatt sat down, and his mom handed him a bowl of hot oatmeal with blueberries and strawberries.
“Mom, you make enough stuff to feed all of us. It’s time Wyatt ate whatever everyone else eats,” Owen said, gazing angrily at his brother.
“Calm down,” she said, squeezing his arm. “Wyatt doesn’t like eggs, and he needs proper nutrition to heal the bones in his arm. Plus, he’ll need it while he builds me a new ladder for the hay loft.”
Wyatt stuck out his tongue at his brother as he scooped up oatmeal with his good hand.
“I saw that,” Holly warned her son, proving moms did have eyes in the back of their heads.
As soon as they finished, Owen made them clean their plates and put them in the dishwasher.
He pulled his mom aside. “Will you be all right?”
“I’ll be fine. It’s not the first time I’ve retrieved your father from the bar. Promise me you won’t turn to alcohol to ease the pain of whatever you see during your service. Your dad wrestles demons too big for us to understand. I don’t want you to suffer the same way.”
“I promise. Do you want me to stay home today?”
“No. You and your brothers need to go to school, Mr. College Graduate.”
He grinned as he turned to his brother, barking orders to help his mom until he left. In his eyes, Holly Wolfe resembled a saint.
In the evening, his father strolled into the living room. His eyes roamed over the boys until they landed on Owen.
“Did you out me to your mother?” he growled.
“If you came home, I wouldn’t have to,” Owen said stiffly. “Mom runs everything, and you take off to the bar. How about you stay here and watch my brothers for a change?”
Wyatt jumped up from the floor and ran to get Mom.
“It’s none of your business,” Jeremiah growled. “You think you’re some big man. You have a girlfriend, you’re graduating next week, and shipping out to see the world. Let me tell you, it’s not as big as you think. There are bad people everywhere.”
“I agree. But I intend to find them, not drown myself in a bottle,” Owen pushed, hating his dad’s condescending tone.
“You little shit,” he said, grabbing Owen by the scruff of his neck.
Dillon and Cade jumped in, separating the two.
“Dad, why don’t you show me what you’re working on in the barn?” Dillon said as Cade held Owen back.
“Dude, why did you have to start this? You know how he gets,” Cade seethed. “We won’t get to finish watching the show.”
Jeremiah launched at him, determined to teach him a lesson. Cade yelled, and Dillon tried to pull him off. Wyatt came back and held a gun on his dad.
“Leave Owen alone,” he demanded.
