After dutifully spouting she and Owen were simply friends, she used them meeting people to make a quick getaway. “Bet you five bucks she’s either texting or calling your mom right now.”
“You’re paranoid.”
Carly glanced over her shoulder at Mrs. Blancher, then slapped him on the arm. “Good thing you didn’t take that bet.”
“Thankfully you made it clear we’re not on a date.”
“I bet your mom gets a different impression from Mrs. Blancher which means you’ll have to straighten her out,” Carly said, as they made their way to the shoe rental counter.
He swallowed the “yes, ma’am” perched on his tongue. When did Carly become tough enough to rival a drill sergeant?
After handing them their shoes, Jerry pointed to his left. “Make sure you check the case to see what we did for Landon.”
When Owen’s gaze followed, he spotted the pictures of veterans lining the walls below the large star-spangled lettersOur Heroes. A cold swept through him, paralyzing him.
His brain shut down. He focused on remaining upright as he tried to shut off the pain carving him up. How could he have forgotten the pictures and the case with tributes to Service residents and adopted ones who’d died serving their country? His insides splintered, tearing him up. How could he live with the white-hot hurt?
His sweaty hands clutching his bowling shoes, he put one foot in front of the other beside Carly. He had no right having fun when the best friend he’d ever have was dead. He should be spending every waking minute working to get back to active duty. He had a job to do—seeing the bastards that orchestrated attacks like the one that killed Landon—were stopped. “I shouldn’t be here.”
“Isolating yourself, not living, won’t change what happened.”
He stumbled, righted himself, and froze. Her comment sliced to the bone. It might not change the past, but he had to atone.
Carly placed her hand on his arm, but he shook her off. “I’m sorry, Owen. I remember how it threw me when reminders of my mom hit me out of the blue. People mean well, but they don’t always think about what they’re saying or how tributes like the one here will affect others. I learned how to go on. You have to as well.”
Go on? He had no right. “I don’t know how.”
“Part of it is going out like you are tonight, but if you want to leave, I’ll make our excuses and meet you outside.”
The coward’s way out. Some choice.
“Owen, Carly, there you are,” Cal called from the alley. “I was wondering if you were gonna stand us up.”
*
Once Cal spottedthem, Owen felt leaving would create too many questions he didn’t want to answer. After joining Cal and Melissa, he and Carly were introduced to Kelli and Braydon, a couple who’d moved to Service five years ago.
“Please tell me you can bowl,” Melissa said to Carly. “We play guys versus gals. Losers cook for a week.”
“The guys have beaten us the last two months because Melissa’s pregnancy has thrown off her balance, and sent her average into a free fall,” Kelli, the petite blonde, said.
Cal draped his arm around his wife’s shoulder. “I spotted you pregnancy pins. After all, it’s not fair your average suffers because ofourbaby. Not every husband would do that.”
“You’re all heart,” Melissa said, her voice filled with sarcasm. “You gave me a lousy five pins.”
“We thought that was fair. What do you say, Owen?” Braydon asked.
“Five pins, Owen. That’s all it was, but my average is down over ten.” Melissa scoffed.
“Leave me outta this,” Owen said.
Thankfully the discussion turned to talk of preparing a nursery. “You wouldn’t believe all the stuff babies need.”
As he headed toward the lane for his turn, Braydon said, “He keeps complaining he’ll need a second job to pay for it all.”
“I keep telling him not to panic. We’ll get a lot of things at a baby shower,” Melissa said.
With them alone, Cal leaned toward Owen. “While they’re talking baby stuff and it’s just us, tell me what it was like going in after the SEALs rescued those hostages.”
