Page 24 of SEAL of Valor

As I stand here looking at her now, though, I can see the exhaustion. The weight of whatever it is she’s carrying. And for the first time since I got fired, I can see the good. Had I not gotten fired, I wouldn’t have come home.

Now I can take care of her.

But Weston.

Thinking of him deflates that idea like an old balloon.

With him working here and likely living at the cabin three miles up the road, chances are I’ll run into him again. Can I really risk that? Can I handle seeing him on a day-to-day basis for the foreseeable future?

“Sugar, don’t stress about whatever happened between you and Weston today.” She releases my hand and heads into the kitchen. “You know what today was. His mood always suffers a bit.”

“Today?” And then it hits me. How could I have forgotten? Grief burns hot and fast, only overburdened by the guilt. “The anniversary of Violet’s death.”

My mom smiles sadly at me. “It still weighs on him even after all these years.”

Just like the next week weighs on me. “I wish you would have told me he was working here.”

“What would it have changed? You made it clear you didn’t want me to tell you anything about this town.”

She’s not wrong. Whenever she’d bring up anything about Stormwatch Landing, I’d change the subject. Finally, when she tried to tell me something about Zane and Tessa, I’d interrupted and told her I didn’t want to know.

Hearing about their happy wedding was just too much for me. So, I’d begged her to keep it to herself, and she’d done just that. Whenever I made the trip here over the years, I made sure not to venture into town.

For the last two decades, I’ve heard nothing about this place or the people here. It made it easier for a time—to just pretend it didn’t exist.

Every inch of this place is crawling with memories I’d love to just bury forever.

“Sugar, if you want to talk about it⁠—”

“There’s nothing to talk about. It’s been a long time since I saw him, that’s all.”

My mom nods tightly. “Well, I’m here if you change your mind.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Of course, Sugar.” As she takes her coffee into the living room, I follow, my mind still on a cowboy I have no business thinking about, and a past I seem destined to confront even though I’ve been trying to outrun it for nearly two decades.

Chapter 8

Weston

“I thought I might find you here.” Garrison’s voice carries over to me before he drops down onto the ground beside me. Just in front of us, the cool marble stone with Violet’s birth and death dates rests on top of the ground.

The fresh flowers I placed are illuminated only by the bright moonlight overhead.

“Shouldn’t you be at home, doting on your wife and new baby?”

“Sure, but then I wouldn’t get the chance to come sit with my surly friend.” Garrison Holt served alongside me. He’s a demolition expert, which is ironic since he now works at a community center and counsels troubled teens, diffusing situations that otherwise would derail them.

“I don’t need help, Counselor.” My guess is they all know by now. Everyone in town probably does. I imagine it was the hot topic at dinner tonight at Momma Knox’s place.

They likely all chatted about how Reese Faye returned home, and Weston Hayes stormed out of the local coffee shop because he couldn’t handle seeing her standing there, looking so radiantly beautiful.

“I’m just here to support. I know it’s a hard day.”

“No harder than the others,” I lie.

Garrison is quiet. That’s his superpower, really. He’ll remain completely silent, yet that silence speaks volumes. You have to watch yourself, or that skillset will have you spilling every one of your secrets in no time.