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"It's a long story," she said. "We made a special trip to see you off, Edward and I."
Molly had a small cap stuck in the belt of her overcoat. Valentine lifted it and checked the insignia.
"I purchase horses for Southern Command now. Do you remember Captain Valdez from Quapaw? He got me a job as a wrangler for the equine department at Selection and Purchase. I got promoted last year." She patted the Morgan's nose. "I might even have bought your mount.
It's about the right age and from Half-Day Farms."
"Raccoon's a good horse," Valentine said. "I don't understand. You found me through Logistics?"
"Oh, no. I was worried about you, after-after that business where you were . . ."
Her eyes had lines at the edges. But then she spent a lot of time outside. Up close, the blond hair looked a trifle brittle. She hadn't had an easy time of it either, raising a son on her own.
"Arrested," Valentine said, coming back to the road.
Edward seemed fascinated with the butt of Valentine's .45. His eyes hardly left it.
"I wrote a letter. I wanted to know about your trial. It took forever to get an answer. A junior secretary in civil affairs, a very nice corporal named Dots. I guess she saw it in a pile and she wrote an answer. It's those long-service corporals who are always nicest to work with, I find."
Valentine would have introduced her to Glass if he had the time. He reminded himself to add a private message to Lambert on his first report.
"I'll have to thank Corporal Dots. I-it's nice to have someone see you off."
"She sent me a quickie a week ago, saying that your unit was moving out. I wondered that she kept track of you. I bet she's got a bit of a crush on you. She said you had a very handsome file photo."
Valentine saw her eyes flit to his scar and then his jawline. "Must have been an old photo."
She hooked her cheek with her index finger and showed a missing molar. "The years haven't been kind to either of us."
"You could get that fixed."
"Thought about it. But I stick my pencil there when I'm testing horses."
"Good luck, Daddy," Edward said.
Molly grabbed him at the shoulder. "Edward! We talked about this."
Raccoon seemed to sway first one way then another as Valentine used the horse's neck to hold himself up. "What?" he thought he said. Maybe it was just a choked exclamation.
Edward went wide-eyed in recognition of his own wrongdoing.
"You can't break promises like that," Molly continued. She looked to her left. "Mrs. Long, can you make sure he doesn't run under a truck?"
Mrs. Long looked like she wanted to hear the rest of the conversation. "Yes'm," she said.
She gave Valentine a dirty look as Molly pulled him away.
"Edward, do me a favor, watch my horse," Valentine said, passing the reins to the boy.
The dodged between trucks and made it to the other side of the road, just missing Tiddle roaring along the column on his dirt bike. A soldier with a clipboard near the gate gave Valentine a curious look but didn't move to intervene.
They got out of the way of traffic and stood under a yew.
"David-" she said, hard and quiet. "I'm so sorry about that. I've been stupid."
"Molly-it's not possible."
"Of course it's not possible. David, there's so much you don't know. About Edward's father."
