Everyone sat at the table chatting as he walked in and took his seat. The family started passing the dishes of pork chops, salad, and baked potatoes. Owen saw how a real family worked, and his heart ached for the family he lost.
“Did you get settled?” Gunny asked him, slathering butter on his potato.
“Yes, thank you,” he said, accepting the platter of pork chops from JoJo.
“We’ll talk after dinner and then have dessert. Ihope you still like apple pie with ice cream. JoJo makes the best. Rucker told her it’s your favorite and she made it for the occasion,” Gunny said, cutting into his meat.
“Aw, thank you,” he said to the woman beside him.
“You’re welcome. Max helped. He snuck apple slices while I made the crust. Rucker made the ice cream this morning.”
“I appreciate it. You’ve made me feel welcome,” he said, smiling at her.
“How’s the fish in Wyoming?” Gunny asked.
“I caught enough to stock my freezer for the winter. I debated whether to fish or replenish my firewood when you called me. I try to avoid town as much as possible,” he informed Gunny.
“How’s the business going?” he asked, knowing Gunny’s now extended family helped him run it, and the men worked for a security team. He never asked for specifics, but something about it made him miss his time in the military.
“It’s picking up,” Gunny said, reaching for the salad dressing. “JoJo can fix about anything, and Rucker can run this place with her eyes closed.”
“Of course, I can. You taught me how as soon as I started walking. If I didn’t pick it up by now, you need to fire me,” she replied, grinning.
When everyone finished, they helped clear the table. When Owen took his plate into the kitchen, Gunny gave him a head jerk, motioning him to follow. His stomach plummeted. He thought aboutthe mountain he used to live on as a child on the drive down to Gunny’s. It felt silly since he never returned to it over the last ten years, but his chest ached at the thought of someone else owning it.
Gunny sat behind his desk and took out a thick manila envelope and a binder stuffed with paperwork.
“Jeremiah came to see me a few weeks ago. He seemed distressed and asked me to hold on to this for him. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but it might provide some answers for you. He left me strict instructions to give it to you.”
“Rucker mentioned he visited you. I don’t know why he insisted on my handling this. He hasn’t seen me since the night Mom died,” Owen said, staring at the envelope.
“I know a lot has happened to all of you since your mom passed away. I’ve kept tabs on all of you, but my hands were tied legally from stepping in and doing anything. I don’t know if you kept up with what happened after you left.”
“No, I left and never glanced back. Nothing will change what happened the night Mom died. Mason, Dillon, and Cade blamed me for starting the fight with Dad. Wyatt refused to even talk to me, much less speak about what happened. Elias tried to act as a peacemaker, but it didn’t work with four brothers determined to hate me. We only agreed on hating dad.”
Gunny shook his head. “It’s a damn shame. I’ll give you a shortened version of what happened after you shipped out. What you don’t discover tomorrow or in this packet, you can call me, and I’ll fill in the blanks the best I can.”
Shifting in the chair, Owen wrestled with wanting to know what Gunny planned to tell him while the other half of him wondered if it might be best to leave the past buried. He finally nodded, giving Gunny permission to continue.
“When you left after the funeral, the police charged your dad with reckless endangerment. He served a year in prison and four years probation. Mason and Cade stayed with a family in town, then joined the military. I lost touch with Dillon and Elias, but Wyatt bounced from one foster home to another. The boy still struggles with what happened to Holly. When they released your father, he got sober and turned his life around, all in your mother’s name. Of course, by then, the damage was done and ruined his chances of having a relationship with any of you boys. None of you wanted to have anything to do with him. He understood. Over the years, he met a woman, and they lived happily on the mountain for two years, and then she died in a car accident during one of the winter storms.”
Owen’s stomach churned. He may have resented his dad because of his mom, but it must’ve hurt to lose the woman who saw past his mistakes.
“What did he do after she died? Did he go back to drinking?”
“No. He poured his heart and soul into the mountain, trying to bring back what he lost all those years ago. He made some found family and lived the rest of his days in your childhood home. I rarely saw him, but he called every now and then. It surprised me when he showed up, unannounced, and seemed frantic, insisting I keep this here for you.”
Gunny pushed the envelope and binder closer to him.
“He gave me this. Jeremiah made me promise if you didn’t come back, I’d burn it. Jeremiah struggled with demons, and I know he fully regretted what happened to your mother. Most of all, he worried about his sons and how to make amends.”
“Nothing can make up for what he did,” Owen said, taking the items from the desk. “I appreciate you calling me. I’m planning on burying him, getting all the paperwork handled, and going home. There’s nothing at Wolfe Mountain to keep me there.”
“Understood,” Gunny said, rising from his chair. “Before you jump in the truck and head off in the morning, read the files. I asked JoJo to cut you a piece of pie and ice cream to take to your room. I know you don’t want to do it for Jeremiah, but I vowed to give this to you and insist you read it. If not for him, do it for me.”
“You have my word,” Owen promised as he stood,following Gunny to the bar. Rucker handed him his slice of pie with a healthy portion of vanilla bean ice cream. “Thank JoJo for me, will ya?”
“Will do. Have a good night’s sleep, and if we don’t see you in the morning, we’ll be there for the funeral,” Rucker assured him.
