Page 67 of Fighting for Family

“Hey Stormy. I’m Sawyer. I’ve met your friend, Sparky. She says you have one hell of a library. I’m a huge reader. Maybe we can trade a couple of books? My stuff got lost in transit.”

“We have a library in town. You can get a card,” she suggested. “Do you need me to track it down?”

“Only if you’ll join us for a burger,” Sawyer bargained. “We understand you’re the person who gets things done around here. Whiskey, can you join us?”

“I have some time. My wife will be at Catherine’s for a while longer, and then I need to pick up the kids.” Walking over to the table, he held out a chair for Stormy.

She sat, and Tuck brought her and Whiskey a plate. “What do you like to drink?”

“Tea for me,” Stormy said quietly.

“I’ll take water,” Whiskey said, winking at her.

“All right,” Rocker said. “Blade grilled. I made fries. Tuck made the fixings. The rest of you will be on clean-up duty.”

“Did you get your assignments for when Rocker and I are gone?” Whiskey asked the group.

“Yeah,” Tuck said. “Do we need to sign up for gym time or swim privileges? I want to meet the K-9 trainer, Allie. Do you know where she lives?”

Stormy reached for Brownie’s scruff. “Allie trains the service dogs. My boyfriend, Cole, trains the K-9s,” she explained.

Blade entered with a plate of burgers and set them in the middle of the table. “Hey, I’m Blade. It’s nice to finally meet you. Do you order the clothing for the team?”

“I do,” she said, staring up at him.

“None of mine fit. I called the company twice. They want me to pay for shipping to mail them back, then return them to me. When I explained the size doesn’t match the chart, they told me tough shit,” Blade said. “I heard you’re good at handling these things.”

“If you’ll stop by my office in the morning, I can reach out to them,” she offered, relaxing slightly.

“I appreciate it,” Blade said, sounding relieved.

“Help yourself,” Tuck said, gesturing to the food. “We made plenty. I guess I’ll need to talk to Cole. I’m interested in working with the dogs.”

“He’ll be home soon,” she said, smiling and taking a burger from the plate. “Don’t judge him by Brody. He suffered injuries after a blast and lost his handler. You’ll meet him from time to time. Archer takes him to exercise and to teach our puppies. Other times, he stays with Brownie and me.”

“Is he your service dog?” Tuck asked. “I hope I’m not intruding.”

“He’s my therapy dog. There’s a difference,” Stormy said. “Leo gave me permission to bring him to the facility.”

She grew sad and wiped her eyes.

The men at the table sobered at her reaction to the former leader’s name.

Rocker spoke first. “I’m glad I got to meet a real-life hero. Leo was a great man. I’ve told these guys what an incredible team he created. I can’t wait for them to return and meet the others. You have my condolences. He’ll be missed.”

“Thank you,” Stormy murmured, gazing at the men. “When they return, most of them have not seen their family in a long time. They lost not only their leader, but a brother and a good friend. Catherine will be planning a funeral for Leo. Don’t be hard on them if they don’t greet you with enthusiasm. We’re still mourning our loss.”

“We know about losing teammates,” Sawyer said. “We’ll do everything we can to ease their transition here and give them time with their families.”

Whiskey watched as Stormy nodded. The men won her approval, and they put her at ease. The way she stuck up for the team and teared up about Leo made him proud. Leo made his legacy. Stormy and the team would act as gatekeepers to his memory. Anyone entering this building must hold the qualities Leo considered important: Loyalty, honor, and sacrifice.

CHAPTER 21

Patch pulled into the ER entrance and ran around the truck to help Claire. He scooped her up in his arms while she protested.

“I’m having a baby. I can walk,” she insisted. “Oh, my dress has a stain. What about the truck seat?”

“We’ll buy a new one. I’m sure the grans will know how to get out a stain. You’ve clutched your stomach quite a few times without telling me. Something tells me those contractions are closer than you’re admitting.”