shirt and walked to his mother’s side. But he turned and looked at Blade earnestly. “Are you okay riding with Granddad?” he asked. “He’s really funny and he knows a lot of jokes, but don’t let him tell you the one about how to make a tissue dance because it’s gross.”
Blade smiled. “How so?”
Archie stuck out his tongue and pretended to gag. “Because you put a little boogie into it.”
Blade laughed out loud. “It sounds like your granddad has a good sense of humor. I’d love to ride with him.”
Detective Sykes opened the door. The January air was damp and chill, seemingly charged with an ominous threat. Was someone waiting for Josie to show herself? Blade automatically positioned himself in front of her and Archie, but he couldn’t rest his fingers on his holstered weapon. In one hand, he held the birdcage, and in the other, he wheeled Josie’s huge suitcase. He hadn’t thought this through.
“Mr. Harding,” Detective Sykes said. “You get into the second vehicle with Detective Pullman. I’ll be with Josie and Archie, leading the way.”
Blade walked down the path, checking the vicinity all the while. The street was quiet. It was just a few days after New Year’s, so everybody was probably taking down decorations and recovering from the overindulgence of the last couple of weeks. Blade didn’t like things quiet. He’d spent far too long in his own company, wallowing in self-pity, shutting himself off from the world. It was as though he’d been through a long, dark tunnel, finally emerging into the light with the help of a fellow wounded soldier named Peter.
Peter had handed Blade a Christian leaflet on the street one day, and the words written on it had spoken directly to him: “Does your life have no meaning?” Blade had felt that way ever since losing his leg, so he had stopped to chat before accepting an invitation to attend a church meeting, where Peter had surprised and amazed him by revealing his own story. He, too, was a wounded veteran, a double amputee injured in the field in Afghanistan, yet he was an athlete, having competed in the first Invictus Games. Peter had shown Blade that the love and grace of God might not be able to give him a new leg, but they could give him a new purpose. That was his turning point. He became a new man, looking after himself, working out, becoming strong and fit again. And now he was an athlete like Peter, looking forward to competing in his own Invictus Games.
But it looked as though the Lord had a new challenge for him: protecting his newfound family. Even though his relationship with Josie was well and truly over, its legacy meant that he was intrinsically bound to her forever.
Tim opened the trunk to allow Blade to put Josie’s case inside. “So you’re riding with me, huh?” he said with a kind smile. “It’ll give us a chance to talk.” He glanced at the birdcage in Blade’s hand. “I think you’d better keep Sherbet on your lap.”
Blade craned his neck to check that Josie and Archie were safely in the leading vehicle. Then he walked to his truck and pulled out a bag containing some clothes. When he’d left North Carolina, he had no idea how long he might be away, but he’d come prepared. He also picked up the black case containing his carbon fiber, reinforced polymer running blade. He wanted to continue training wherever they might go. Once he’d placed these items into the trunk of the SUV, he slid into the backseat, positioning Sherbet between him and Tim. Detective Pullman was in the driver’s seat, engine running.
“All ready?” the detective asked. “It’s only a short trip. Thirty minutes or so.”
The SUV pulled smoothly into the road, and Blade waited for Tim to start speaking. He had met him only once, shortly after he and Josie had gotten engaged. He guessed that Tim might harbor some resentment toward him for the mistakes of his past.
“It’s really good to see you, Blade,” Tim said finally. “I always knew you’d show up eventually, and I tried to be a good father figure to Archie until that time. I hope I’ve done a good job.”
Blade was taken aback and more than a little humbled by these words. “You’ve done a great job, Tim,” he said. “I can’t thank you enough.”
Both men fell into an awkward silence. Neither seemed to know what to say next. Blade spoke first. There was so much he had to say that it came out in one big push.
“I’m sorry that I abandoned your daughter seven years ago, sir. I stupidly thought that she’d be better off without me in her life. If I’d known she was pregnant, I’d never have left. Meeting my son for the first time has blown me away, and I can assure you that I will be ever-present in his life from now on. I love him.”
Tim was listening intently, his gray eyes creased at the corners and his balding head tilted slightly in concentration. “What about Josie? Do you love her, too?”
Blade wanted to give the question the careful consideration it deserved, so he took a while to answer. “I did love her. To tell you the truth, she’s the only woman I’ve ever loved. But we’ve both moved on now. I sense that she’s a little hostile toward me, and I totally understand why. She has every right to be angry.”
“She’s not angry,” Tim said. “She’s hurt, and she wants you to make it better.”
Blade wasn’t quite sure what Tim was asking of him. “I can’t rewrite the past. I can’t make anything better.”
Tim shook his head. “I’m not suggesting that you rewrite the past,” he said. “I’m suggesting that you write the future. You say that Josie is the only woman you’ve ever loved. Well, I happen to know that you are the only man she’s ever loved, and probably ever will love.”
Blade couldn’t help but laugh. “Josie doesn’t love me. Not anymore.”
Tim sighed in exasperation. “Maybe not, but she could fall in love with you again.”
“I’m sorry, Tim,” Blade said, feeling an urgent need to quash these unrealistic hopes. “I know you want this story to have a happy ending, but Josie and I are two totally different people now. To tell you the truth, I get the feeling she doesn’t see me as a strong protector.”
Tim seemed surprised. “You do?”
“Since I lost my leg, I’ve gotten used to people treating me differently, assuming that I’m somehow weak and fragile. I know they’re well-intentioned, so I say nothing. But I’d never tolerate that attitude from somebody close to me.” He gave a soft laugh. “Maybe that’s why I’ve never fallen in love again. I’m waiting for a woman who treats me like a man with two legs.”
Tim mulled over his next words for quite a while before saying, “Doesn’t Josie treat you like a man with two legs?”
“No. She doesn’t even think I’m capable enough to carry a heavy suitcase, let alone chase down the bad guys.” He looked out the window wistfully. “She doesn’t see me the way she used to. She patronizes me.”
“Don’t you think you should talk to her about the way you feel?”
“No,” Blade replied quickly. “Our relationship is already pretty rocky. I don’t want to make it even more uncomfortable, so I’d appreciate you keeping this conversation between ourselves.”
“I think you should be open with her,” Tim said. “She probably doesn’t realize that her comments are hurtful.”
Blade shook his head.
