Chapter 66

The two men stood watching, laughing at the little dog’s antics. Ward had an arm draped over Tyler’s shoulders. After a time Ward asked, “What made you change your mind?”

Tyler looked at him and smiled. “A lot of people made me see what I evidently was too blind to see for myself.”

“And what was that?”

“To start with, my parents have known about us since we were in high school.”

Ward laughed. “My mom and dad knew, too. All this sneaking around, and they all knew all the time.”

“Then Avery…”

“Avery?” Ward asked in surprise.

“Yeah, Avery. He came in the office and basically told me I was being a jackass. He said you were the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and because of assholes like Hank I was letting you go because I was too afraid to face who I was.”

Tyler looked over at the boys and the puppy who were now lying on the grass. Addy was asleep between them, having gone from full-out play to sound sleep in an eye-blink, as puppies do. Ward could hear them arguing who would feed her, who would take her for walks, and whom she would sleep with. The sounds of their argument was music to Ward’s ears.

“And then there were the boys,” Tyler said with a wistful smile. “They really let me have it. Told me I wasn’t being fair to make important family decisions without consulting them. I kind of told them in a family it’s not like a democracy, more like a dictatorship.”

“How’d that go over?”

“Not good. I got the cold shoulder from them all the next day. But what really pushed me over the edge was what Joe told me.”

Ward snickered, “Joe! And what did my kid brother have to say that was so convincing?”

“Well, he said you’d be pissed if you knew because you made him promise not to tell anyone, but he came over here last night and told me you were thinking about enlisting again.”

Ward snorted in surprise. “He’ll pay for that.”

Tyler went on, “When I heard that, well I just knew that no matter what, I wasn’t gonna drive you away again. I was gonna come out to the farm today to try to stop you, but then your mom called and said you were bringing Addy. So the boys and I quick made the banner and waited for you to show up.”

Ward thought of the conversation he’d had with Joe and his mother that morning. It’d all been a set-up. Joe had talked to Tyler the night before. Obviously Joe had talked with his mom as well, and that’s why she pushed so hard for Ward to bring the puppy to Tyler and the boys today.

“I’d be pissed at Joe all right for his breaking a promise, but if his telling you made you realize…Wait! Holy shit!” Ward yelled. The happiness he’d been experiencing at the resolution of the situation between him and Tyler had completely pushed the application for reenlistment out of his mind. Now he remembered—the envelope was in the mailbox at the farm. He looked at his watch.

Alarmed, Tyler asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I gotta call home,” Ward said, a frantic edge to his voice.

He didn’t want to make the call in front of everyone out in the yard. He left Tyler standing by the fence and walked hurriedly past the boys and Addy. All three sat up.

“Ward! Where are you going?” Jack called after him.

“I’ll be right back,” he called over his shoulder.

Once inside the house, Ward pulled out his phone and called Joe’s cell. It rang four times then went to voicemail.

“Fuck,” Ward muttered under his breath.

After the beep, Ward said, “Joe, call me as soon as you get this. It’s important!”

Ward then dialed his folks’ landline. As it was ringing, Tyler, the boys, and Addy came into the house. They stood looking at him. Jack and Eddie wore matching puzzled expressions and Tyler looked concerned.

“Hello?” It was Ward’s mother.

“Hi, Mom. Is Joe there?”

“No. He’s out in the barn with your father. Is something wrong? You sound upset.”

“Uh, no not really,” Ward said, not wanting to tell his mother what his concern was. “I just was gonna ask Joe to do me a favor.”

“Did you try his cell phone?”

“Yes, it went to voicemail.”

“Is there something I can do?”

Ward hesitated, then not able to think of anything else, asked, “Has the mail come yet?”

“Yes, but if you were expecting something, there was nothing for you.”

“Oh, okay, thanks,” Ward said.