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“Got you. There’s a Town Hall meeting coming up and the agenda has some juicy items on it. We’re going to be discussing⁠—”

The phone rang.

Bernie jutted his chin at the phone. “Better answer it. That’s Beau’s ring tone. I’m going to go into the house.”

Bernie hightailed it inside while I let it ring one more time, palms clammy as I wiped them on my pants, then pressed answer on the FaceTime call.

“Hello.”

For a split second, I thought the phone’s camera was on the selfie setting. Looking at Beau was like looking into a mirror. Only I was looking at a really tired and pissed off version of myself.

“Bernie—” Beau started. Then he stopped, mouth open and eyes wide. “B-Brady?”

“Retired, Warrant Officer, Delta Force, Kai Davies, at your service.”

He quickly closed his mouth and squinted his eyes. “Kai? What the…? Who?” Beau took in a deep breath. “What the fuck, Brady? Where in the hell have you been?” Beau practically shouted. “You being gone killed our mother, do you know that?”

That was one hell of a hard blow.

“Beau, I didn’t know about you. Swear to God, I didn’t know about you.”

“You’re there. In Jasper Creek. You must have known something. Where were you all this time?”

“Alaska. Ronald said I was an only child born in Dillingham. According to him, my mother ran off when I was a baby because she was a hussy.”

Beau flinched at that like I’d just punched him.

“I didn’t know the truth.”

“Who the hell is Ronald?”

“Our father. He called himself Ronald.” I shook my head, frustrated. This wasn’t what I expected and it wasn’t going well. I tried again. “I found a photo of the two of us as little kids. It said Brady and Grady, Jasper Creek. Found it three years ago, but I was still active. After the injury and my retirement, decided to follow-up. Discover the truth. You’re Grady, and I guess that makes me Brady.”

Beau took a deep breath. “How’d you end up at Bernie’s?”

I found a picture of my father in an old newspaper photo, only he was Arthur.” I shook my head. “Our father. Bernie had your number, so…” I shrugged. “You complete your mission, or is this just a break?”

He squinted at me again. “What mission?”

Of course he’d deny being on a mission.

“I’m Delta Force, remember?”

He nodded. “Mission completed.” He took a deep breath as he just stared at me. “Hmm. I guess when Bernie texted on WhatsApp that I should brace for this FaceTime call, he wasn’t kidding.”

“Guess not.”

“You said you retired. Medical discharge?”

I only nodded.

“What injury?”

“Shrapnel in the neck, above the Kevlar. Multiple surgeries. They didn’t think I would walk again. Proved them wrong, but the only job I’d get was pushing paper.”

Beau snorted. “Yeah, that wouldn’t be any good.”

“Got that right.”