the narrow aisle, the boy’s harassed grandmother caught Carter’s eye and mouthed the words I’m sorry as she tried to calm the fussy toddler in her lap.
The frustrated looks the woman had been receiving from their fellow passengers had only compounded her stress. Which explained why she hadn’t noticed her grandson unbuckle his seat belt and commandeer the empty seat beside Carter after the beverage cart rattled past.
Without an invitation, the kid had settled in next to him and announced that his name was Josh and that he was four years old.
“Are you a real soldier?” he’d whispered, staring at the patches on Carter’s camo jacket in open fascination.
Carter wrestled back a smile. “Yes, I am.”
“I like soldiers.”
Those three simple words had derailed Carter’s plan to get some shut-eye. Josh had plunged both hands into a backpack and proceeded to pull out his action figures, an eclectic blend of superheroes and guys in camouflage, all working together to save the world.
The kid might have prevented Carter from the luxury of a long-overdue nap, but he’d also kept the nightmares at bay.
At least for a few hours.
“This is Mike.” Josh carefully placed another action figure behind a Lego bunker. “When he’s in trouble, Asteroid Man does this—” The action figure came down right in front of Soldier Mike with a thump that rocked the lap tray and sent coffee sloshing over the side of the cup. “See? He saves him ’cause they’re friends.”
Carter felt beads of sweat pop out on his forehead as a memory slammed against the barricade he’d built around it. Josh’s chatter was muffled by the deafening blast that sucked Carter back in time. He felt the sun-baked ground shudder beneath his feet. Saw a fireball bloom in the distance, reaching so high the flames licked the clouds. By the time he’d reached the scene, two trucks in the convoy had been reduced to smoking metal skeletons.
Along with the buzzing in his ears, Carter had heard shouts and the pop of gunfire from a sniper who’d moved in to finish what the roadside bomb had started.
You’ll be nominated for a Silver Star, Wallace.
Carter didn’t know why. Sure, he’d saved three men that day. But he’d lost Rob.
His closest friend.
He hadn’t reached him in time. And God hadn’t bothered to intervene....
Carter was almost relieved when the seat belt sign blinked on a few minutes later and the flight attendant told the passengers the plane would be landing soon. Josh’s soldiers retreated to the backpack once again, and he scrambled back to his grandmother’s side.
Carter stared out the window as the wheels came down and the plane began its descent. Sheets of gunmetal gray clouds began to unravel, offering a teasing glimpse of the city below. It had been over a year since he’d stepped on Texas soil.
A lifetime ago.
The plane rolled to a stop by the gate, and the child’s grandmother smiled at Carter across the aisle. “I can’t thank you enough for keeping Josh occupied.”
A smile hooked the corner of Carter’s lips. “Not a problem, ma’am. Marines are trained to handle all kinds of situations.”
“Are you home for good?”
Carter hesitated, not knowing quite how to answer the question. He chose the safest response.
“For a little while.”
The woman frowned. “But someone will be here to meet you?”
Carter nodded, touched by her concern. “My sister.” In her last email, Maddie had promised to pick him up at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport, but that had been several weeks ago and he hadn’t been in touch with her since then.
She’d hinted that she had something important to tell him, but insisted the news be shared in person. Carter couldn’t imagine what it would be, but there were times he’d been grateful for the distance that separated him from family drama. Besides that, she had Grayson, their older brother, to confide in. The two had always been close, bound together by some invisible thread that Carter had never been able to grab hold of.
There was a flurry of movement around them as the passengers collected their bags. Josh grinned up at him. “Bye.”
“Take care, bud,” Carter said.
“I will.” The boy’s thin arms locked around Carter’s leg and then he was gone, swallowed up in the line of passengers exiting the plane.
Carter slung the camouflage duffel bag over his shoulder and made his way toward the baggage claim. A businessman glanced up from his laptop and gave him a respectful nod. A woman on the escalator caught his eye and tapped the tiny yellow ribbon pinned to her collar.
Carter had learned that when he wore his uniform, he wasn’t just a soldier named Carter Wallace. He was someone’s dad. Brother. Son. Across three time zones, people had sought him out. Smiled at him. Thumped him on the back. By touching him, they were touching someone they loved.
It was strange. Humbling.
At the bottom of the escalator, he began to look for Maddie. She was the kind of woman who stood out in a crowd. Stylish and sophisticated...
“Carter!”
Out of the corner of his eye, a blur of movement began to take shape.
Auburn hair. Big brown eyes...and cowboy boots?
Carter had only a split second to brace himself for impact before Maddie dived into his arms. His throat swelled shut when she clung to him. He couldn’t remember his older sister ever being so demonstrative.
“I can’t...breathe,” he managed.
The choke hold around his neck loosened. A little. “Sorry. It’s just—” Were those tears in her eyes? “I’m glad you’re here.” Sniffling, Maddie stepped back and clasped his shoulders. “Let me look at you.”
Carter’s lips quirked. “I haven’t changed since the last time you saw me.”
Not on the outside, anyway.
“You, on the other hand...” His gaze skimmed the Western-style plaid shirt and jeans and paused to linger on her feet. “Nice boots. Are you on some kind of undercover assignment for Texas Today?”
“I’ll leave the undercover stuff to Gray—and I’m not working at the magazine anymore.”
“Not working... I thought you loved your job.”
Maddie flashed a wobbly smile. “I told you there have been a lot of changes.”
“That’s an understatement.”
Carter’s head whipped around at the sound of a familiar drawl. His brother, Grayson, sauntered up, hand in hand with a beautiful, dark-haired woman and a small
