“She told me you’re my dad,” Tucker said hesitantly. “She said you served our country, and Grandpa made a mistake, and it made it harder for you to come home,” Tucker’s gaze went from his feet to Owen. “She said you didn’t know.”
“No, I didn’t,” Owen admitted. “I’m sorry, Tucker. If I’d known about you, I’d have found a way to comehome. I can’t make up for all the years I missed, no matter how hard I try. I can promise you things will be different from here on out. When your mom wakes up, we can talk to her. In the meantime, you can call me Owen or Dad when you’re comfortable. If it’s all right with your mom, I can take you camping or on a few trips. We can get to know one another.”
Tucker licked his lips. “It’ll be nice to have a dad. The kids tease me at school about it. Will you make me live with you? Conner’s like my brother, and he’ll be scared if I leave him all alone. It’ll make Mom sad, too.”
“I don’t know how we will work it out yet, but we will,” he assured him. “Your mom says you and your Grandpa shared some fun times together. My brothers and I used to play on the mountain as kids. It’s a fun place to explore, but we must respect it, too.”
“Yes, sir,” Tucker said, seeming uncomfortable.
“I’m introducing my brothers to Conner, and I want you to know them, too. Despite us not seeing each other all this time, they’ll come when you need them. It’s the best thing about having brothers.”
“Like I have Conner,” Tucker said. “I’m the oldest, and I watch over him.”
“Exactly. Let’s go find them, and then we’ll eat Mason’s burnt chicken,” he said, putting his hand on his son’s shoulder. His son. Owen almost teared up.His life seemed forever changed by his son’s existence. Tucker became his priority, and he vowed to become the father his son needed.
“Do we have to eat it? Conner cooks better than him,” Tucker said, glancing into the smoky kitchen.
“We’ll take a peek after we talk with Conner and then order pizza,” he whispered.
Tucker glanced up at him and grinned.
Walking into the living room, he watched as Charlotte excused herself to check on Leslie. He grasped Tucker’s shoulder and motioned for Conner to come forward.
Conner glanced at Tucker, who signaled for him to stand beside him.
“Conner, you haven’t met everyone. It’s time you met your brothers. Over there sits Cade, and beside him, you have Mason, Dillon, Wyatt, and you know Elias. Guys, here’s your brother, Conner,” Owen introduced them.
Cade rose and shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, little bro.”
Mason smiled and gave him a nod as he wrestled Nathan from throwing the cards on the floor. Dillon tipped his hat and grinned. Wyatt gave a chin lift, not appearing happy about getting dethroned, but Owen chalked it up to needing something to take the edge off.
Squeezing Tucker, Owen glanced at his family. “We have another addition. Everyone, meet my son, Tucker.”
Tucker bit his lip, waiting for acceptance from his brothers. Owen wondered how much he got teased at school. With the Wolfe family’s grey eyes, he imagined the gossip Leslie and his son endured.
“What’s up, nephew?” Cade greeted.
Mason glanced at him and said, “Welcome, Tucker. Your cousins have given me trouble all day. Once they go to bed, I’d like to get to know both of you.”
Dillon grinned. “You’re not too far off in age from Conner. I’m the cool one of the brothers. I’ll show you two a good time.”
Wyatt nodded, acting as if he didn’t care.
Conner leaned over and grinned. “See. Dad said you belonged on this mountain as much as me. You’re a Wolfe, too.”
“In celebration, I think we deserve kinda of a party. How about pizza and wings?” Owen suggested. “Cade, if you can run into town and pick it up and get a bowl of soup and crackers for Leslie. Dillon, go with him. Mason, can the boys eat pizza?”
“Sure,” he replied, pulling the card away from Nathan. “I made chicken. I guess we can put it in the fridge for tomorrow.”
“Or we can throw it away and pretend you don’t know how to cook,” Elias suggested, making everyone laugh.
“If you want to run up and see your mom while we order, she might like the company. If she’s still sleeping, let her rest. It’ll help her recover,” Owen told the boys.
Once they left, he turned to the men. “Wyatt, you’re no longer the youngest child. You’re a grown ass man and responsible for your actions. Your welcome seemed lackluster. The boys don’t deserve it. Take your anger out on us if you have to, but I expect you to make them feel like part of this family.”
“You can’t tell me how to feel,” Wyatt growled. “I didn’t want to come in the first place. When do you plan to have the attorney read the will?”
“I’ll call him in the morning. Tonight, you and Cade will go to the bar, and you’ll make everyone believe you want the private autopsy done,” Owen instructed.
