lot, had a lot of combat issues, some of them had trouble with that line between rough and gentle with their families. Not Charlie, though. I never doubted how much he valued me, loved me. I think I felt more respect from Charlie than I had before in my life. And I always felt safe with him. Yes, I’d like to think we’d have lasted. Forever.”
“He sounds perfect…”
That made her laugh. “I’m well aware of his flaws, believe me. He could be a slob, unless he was standing inspection, and then he was meticulous—pressed and shiny and buttoned down, while I’d have to follow him around and pick up his towel and underwear. He could get silent on me—deep and quiet and hard to draw out. Who knew if he was thinking about some dark combat experience or his breakfast cereal. If I cried, he had no idea what to do—he was not a natural at handling a woman’s emotions. Sometimes he laughed at the most inappropriate times and he was one of those alpha idiots who always had to ask if I had my period when I got upset with him. He could get jealous and possessive, but he completely forgot my birthday. And no one had ever made me feel more cherished on a daily basis than Charlie. He was full of flaws—and I’d marry him all over again. I trusted him with my life—that’s hard to find.”
It was Dylan’s turn to be quiet. He’d never heard a testimony like that before, not even from Lang, who nearly worshipped Sue Ann. “Do you still miss him sometimes?” Dylan asked.
And she decided on honesty. Actually, she had decided over five years ago, she would never lie about something like that. “Yes. Whenever I look at his boys. But missing him isn’t the same as longing for him. As long as I can do right by our sons… That’s my job, Dylan.” She gave his arm a stroke. “Don’t worry about screwing them up by being around them, Dylan. I’m always going to protect my boys.”
“Losing him must have been horrendous.”
She gave a rueful laugh. “Eight months pregnant with twins? Alone and afraid with a widow’s benefit that would barely allow us to live in our car? Horrendous would describe it.”
“Did you ever regret any of it?”
She smiled with such patience and understanding it almost broke his heart. “It made me grateful for every second.”
He looked into her eyes for a long time. He ran a hand over her hair. Then he said, “Let’s warm up the omelet.”
Over breakfast he told her about Jay and the possibility of a movie deal.
“That would mean living and working in Hollywood again, wouldn’t it?” she asked.
“For probably six months, more or less,” he said.
“And that’s what you want to do, I guess?” she asked.
“I think I’m pretty lucky to have the opportunity. I’ve visited about a dozen small airports and charter companies around here and I haven’t run into any owners or managers that can get their companies out of trouble by signing on for a movie deal.”
“Wow. That’s a life I can only imagine. It must be crazy.”
“A lot of work, really,” he said. “I’d rather not need to, but it is what it is.”
“I think all those little girls who are now young mothers will be so happy to see your face again,” she said.
When they were finished with breakfast and standing on her porch, she said, “It’s been wonderful, Dylan. Thank you for everything. And be safe.”
He smirked slightly. “I’m going to hang around a couple of days,” he said. “But you’re going to have to put out.”
And she burst out laughing.
Nine
“We have a slight issue,” Luke Riordan told Dylan a few days later. “I have reservations on all these cabins—summer people. But I have a solution, if it’s not too rough for you. I parked my fifth-wheel trailer on the RV slab behind the cabins and hooked her up—water, sewer and electric. It’s yours as long as you want it.”
“I’m just thinking about a couple more days,” Dylan said.
“Right,” Luke said with a crafty grin. He wasn’t saying it, that Dylan’s “couple of days” had stretched out, edging over three weeks. “Like I said, as long as you want it. It’s for special cases like this—when we have one more than we planned on. And I’ll give it to you cheaper than the cabin, but don’t worry, it’s comfortable. Your legs’ll hang off the bed, but you get used