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“We were high school sweethearts. Had our life figured out. Then one day I joined the Army and didn’t talk to her about it first.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do. You just don’t want to admit it.”
“All right.” He paused. “Because it made sense to me.”
“And?” I knew there was more.
“And I knew she wouldn’t like it, wouldn’t want me to go.”
“Okay, so you joined, and then what?”
“She flipped out, and I left.” He rubbed his head. “We kept in touch for a while, but when her parents were murdered, and I couldn’t be there, it broke her. I still feel guilty about it.”
“Yeah, sadly, that’s the Army life for you. If they weren’t your parents and you two weren’t married, they wouldn’t give permission for you to go home.”
“Nope,” he huffed, “and when I finally did get back home, I discovered she and her brother had joined a local gang. The guys were a bunch of wannabe gangsters, way over their heads into trouble. I tried to reach out to her, get her to see me, but she carried so much hate and pain that I could barely get to her. It didn’t help she was dating the gang president.”
“That must’ve been hard.”
“It was, but over time I wore her down and got her to see that I wasn’t going anywhere. Lexi isn’t like the other woman here. She holds on to stuff. She won’t forgive all that happened with us. She says she does, but it’s a lie. Even after I chased her to Canada and found out she was pregnant with Baby B, she still took a jab at me here and there.”
“And she was seeing Dr. Roberts?”
“Yes. He made huge progress with her, and it was great for a while, but now, I don’t know, it’s like she’s back to her old self again.”
“How so?”
“She’s not here.” He lifted his hands. “I have no idea where my kids’ mother is.” He shook his head like those weren’t the words he wanted to use. “I mean, she’s around here somewhere, but she’s mentally checked out. She avoids me at all costs, and when she leaves for trips to see her friends back home, she consistently extends it.”
An SUV came down the driveway, and I knew our time was up. I could tell this guy was in pain, and it didn’t take very long to know where it stemmed from. It wasn’t a mission; it was his heart.
“What’s Frank doing here?” He squinted.
“We have some paperwork to go over on one of my old clients.” I looked away for a moment to conceal my fib. “I’m sorry to cut this short, Keith, but for now, I’ll say this. Your kids are priority number one. It’s okay to let them know that you’re not happy mommy is gone or checked out, but you need to be both parents for them, at least for now. They need you to be strong. Spend extra time with them. Let them sleep in your bed if they want, because they’re feeling that sense of loss, too. When you see her next, she needs to decide if she’s a mother or not. Marriage comes and goes, but you’re a mother forever.” I squeezed his shoulder, and I saw such sadness on his face.
“Thank you.”
“Any time, and I mean it.” I started to walk backward then turned and jogged the rest of the way to meet Frank.
“Hey.” I caught him at the stairs. He looked at my outfit and then over at Keith.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah. Some sessions are just better outside.” I held up a finger. “Can you give me ten, and then I’ll be ready.”
“Take twenty. I need to speak with Logan, anyway.”
“Thanks, Frank.” I rushed upstairs to my room where I stripped off my workout clothes. I quickly showered, dressed, finger combed my hair with the dryer, and applied makeup like a champ. I hooked the bedroom door closed with my foot as I tucked my blouse into my skirt and found myself stumbling into a pair of strong arms.
“Oh!” I was steadied and placed back on my feet.
“Sorry, Ivy.” Ty looked down at me and smiled in a way that made my skin heat. “I was rushing.”
“Me too.” I tried not to stare at his shirtless torso, but that was like not looking at fireworks. His shoulders were broad and defined, and his arms and strong hands felt like steel as they held me in place. Then there were his chest and stomach that would make any woman blush. He spoke, but I didn’t hear him over the blood that pounded in my ears.
