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She crossed the room and sat down on his bed opposite the recliner he was in. “I see. Well… I just came to sit with you.”
“Sit. For what?”
She thought for a moment and let the words come. “You see, I’m in some trouble and you look like just the man to help me out.”
He considered her statement briefly. “I can’t help you out. I haven’t even had my breakfast yet.”
Jess laughed. There was the man she knew. She’d hoped that a part of him was in there somewhere. And there he was.
His expression grew concerned. “What sort of trouble are you in?”
She exhaled slowly. “My life has unraveled. My husband is in jail for attempting to murder me and for embezzlement. I nearly drank myself to death and my father doesn’t even know who I am.”
“That doesn’t sound right. Why would anyone want to murder you?”
“For money,” she whispered.
He shook his head in understanding as though she’d just let him in on a secret, which no one else in the world knew. “It’s always about money. Well, good. I’m glad they caught the bastard.”
Jess laughed. “How are you, Daddy?” she asked slipping.
“I think you’re confused, young lady.” He moved his head to the side attempting to look outside into the hallway and lowered his voice. “I think you wandered into the wrong room.”
“Maybe so. But look… do you think that we could pretend for a little while… because the thing is, I could really use an ear right now.”
He stuck his bottom lip out and pondered her question for a second. “All right.”
“I love you, Daddy,” she started and paused before continuing. “And I’m so sorry that I haven’t visited in a while. It’s just hard for me. But I miss you. I miss you so much.” She wept, not taking her eyes off his.
He reached over and patted her knee almost childlike. “Oh, that’s all right, young lady. You can come here anytime and we can play pretend, even before I’ve had my breakfast. It’s fine, just so long as you don’t cry.”
She wiped her nose with the back of her hand. He passed her a tissue from his bedside table. “You’ve always been the best father. And the truth is, I’m not sure any man could ever live up to you. Maybe that was part of the problem, I realize in hindsight. But you know what… I think I finally found one that comes close.”
He looked startled. “It’s not that murdering son of a bitch, is it?”
Jess laughed hard then recovered. She shook her head. “No.”
“I’ve never heard a story so crazy in all my life. You should write a book about that one. They’d probably make it into a movie. It just seems unreal.”
Jess cocked her head to the side and smiled. “You don’t say.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Myles had spent so much of the last six months working to figure out and fix Jessica’s problems that he’d neglected his own. In many ways, he welcomed this because it helped to take his mind off all that troubled him. It was easy, he found, to avoid dealing with your own issues when you were so engrossed in someone else’s issues. And as a SEAL, it was what he knew. His experience taught him the necessity of intense focus.
He’d had one of the best summers of his life with Jess and her kids. It was nice to be regarded as somewhat of a father figure again, and God knows those kids needed it. He was glad to be with them. It felt good to be needed, and he was finally in a place that felt like the closest thing to ‘home’ that he’d known in a very long time. So much so that when his Commander contacted him late that summer and asked him to consider reenlisting, Myles told him that he was needed where he was and that he was happy there. Even still, the phone call and the mission that beckoned planted a seed in him that he couldn’t stop from growing.
And admittedly, now that the intensity of saving Jessica from herself was winding down, he found himself growing restless. He was trained to be a soldier. The ease and contentment of day-to-day family life wasn’t something he was used to. Long story short, he wasn’t sure he was ready for it. Or that he’d ever be ready, if he were being honest. He faced addictions of his own, and for better or worse, he still felt, and perhaps always would feel a deep sense of commitment to his teammates. They were his brothers, and he missed the camaraderie more than he thought possible. Not to mention, he craved the adrenaline that life in the military provided.
He was fairly certain he’d finally found his ex-wife and he’d meant to pay her a visit. There were still things left unsaid, but the time never seemed right to get away. Soon. He would go soon. He found himself thinking about this as he stood watching Jess accept her six-month sobriety chip from Narcotics Anonymous.
Watching her up on stage, he felt a deep sense of pride well up within him. Six months down, a lifetime to go, but he’d witnessed her strength grow over the past six months in ways that were immeasurable. She’d become a great workout partner, she was writing again, and most importantly, she was a better mother than he’d ever guessed she could be. Watching her parent was fascinating to him. She was tough and yet gentle in all the ways that mattered. And still, there was an uneasiness he couldn’t shake.
In mid-November, when Jessica’s mother offered to take the kids for the weekend, Myles suggested to Jess that they head to the coast. A part of him missed the simplicity of the beach house. Mostly, he missed being alone with her. And though he would probably never admit it willingly, maybe a part of him even missed her needing him the way she once did.
They pulled up to the house as the sun had already begun sinking low in the sky. Jess immediately ran for the beach. Though Jess told him it could wait, Myles knew better and unloaded their things before he joined her out near the water. He stood there waiting for her to turn back. The wind had kicked up a bit and the water was choppy. A storm was coming. “Let’s take a walk,” she called over her shoulder and took off already several paces in front of him.
He eyed the black clouds rolling in. “We probably shouldn’t go far.”
