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Heath kept walking without even pausing. Caleb caught up to Heath and grabbed him by the arm to get his attention. The moment he made contact Heath whirled around and raised his fists to him. He let out an animal-like cry. Pain flashed in his eyes. Shock roared through Caleb. Never in their lives had either one raised a hand to the other. Even in their childhood roughhousing sessions, they hadn’t crossed any lines.
Caleb reached out and grabbed Heath’s hands, effectively blocking his blows. Caleb began repeating his brother’s name over and over again as he held him. He had a strong sense that his brother was out of it. Caleb didn’t even recognize the person standing before him.
“Heath. Stop! Cut it out,” he said in a sharp voice.
Heath went still. His eyes looked glazed over. He began breathing deeply in and out.
“Caleb? I-I thought I was back there. I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?” he asked in a wounded voice.
“No, you didn’t hurt me, bro. But you’re not acting right. You’re not yourself!” Caleb was shaking. His brother’s behavior had taken him completely by surprise.
Heath’s entire body sagged. It seemed as if all the will had gone out of him. He sank down onto the sand and cradled his head in his hands. He let out a plaintive cry that pierced Caleb’s heart. Although he’d been worried about his brother—along with his entire family—what he was witnessing at the moment was chilling.
Caleb sat down on the sand next to his brother and placed his arm around him. “Talk to me. What’s going on with you?”
“I can’t forget,” he said in a raised voice. “Everyone just expects me to be the man I was before I went over there, but I’m not.” He swung his eyes up to meet Caleb’s gaze. “Do you have any idea of the things I witnessed? When I close my eyes at night I see those images. And they’re still there when I’m wide awake.”
“Can you tell me about it?” Caleb asked. Although he knew his brother had seen death up close and personal, Heath had never told him the details.
Heath’s eyes were haunted. “I was right there when the bomb went off. When Vinny was killed. I saw it all. There was nothing left of him, Caleb. Nothing but body parts blown into bits.”
Caleb shuddered. Vinny Perretti had been a close military buddy of Heath’s. His best buddy. Caleb remember when Vinny had come to spend Christmas with the Donahue brood a few years ago. He had been funny and outgoing, a perfect partner in crime for Heath. What had happened to Vinny had been heartbreaking. Heath had never told them that he’d witnessed his friend’s grisly death. It all made sense now.
No wonder he had shadows under his eyes. No wonder he couldn’t acclimate to life in Pelican Bay. No wonder he was in an unbearable amount of pain.
Heath began to tell in excruciating detail the events of Vinny’s death. Caleb sat and listened without asking a single question. The details were gritty and shocking and sad. For now, his brother just needed to vent. When he finished, Caleb knew he had to ask him a pressing question.
“Have
you talked to anyone about this? A professional?”
“No,” Heath muttered. “There’s nothing anybody can do to fix me. I’m broken. That’s why I ended things with Bella. She deserves a whole man. Not someone who can’t even hold her in his arms without breaking down. Not someone who cries out in the middle of the night with sweat dripping from his body.”
“You need help, Heath. There are people out there who can counsel you and guide you through this.”
Heath began fiercely shaking his head. “I don’t want to rip myself open to talk about this. Do you know how hard it was for me to tell you just now? And you’re my brother.”
“What can I do to help you? You know the entire family wants to be there for you. Everyone is worried.”
“I don’t know,” Heath muttered. “I really don’t know.”
“Hey! Heath! Caleb!” Shayla’s voice called out to them. “We need you inside. It’s dessert time.” Caleb turned around to see Shayla standing about ten feet away beckoning them back toward the house.
Heath jumped to his feet. He brushed off his cargo pants. Before Caleb could stop him, Heath made a fast path back toward the house. Caleb would have liked to talk some more and get his brother to commit to some therapy sessions. The moment had passed, but Heath’s issues remained unchanged.
Caleb let out a deep breath as he reached the patio. Heath was sitting at the table, appearing as if nothing had ever happened. Caleb was stumped about his brother’s behavior. He knew it had something to do with his service overseas. And he wasn’t an expert, but he had a hunch Heath was suffering from some sort of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. There had to be a way of helping his brother get his life back in order. He intended to do it. He was a Donahue after all. When one member of the family was down, they all stopped what they were doing to pick the person up. Donahue strong!
“Falling in love with Parker was easy. Getting our happily ever after was a lot harder.”
Cadence Donahue
Chapter Six
“We need to get him some help before things spiral out of control.” Caleb’s features were creased. Tension was evident in the way he was sitting at his desk. One of his hands was raised to his temple while the other was holding the phone up to his ear. He seemed to be in distress.
Addie didn’t mean to eavesdrop on Caleb’s phone conversation, but his voice carried in the small confines of the back office. He was clearly talking to someone about his brother, Heath. His voice was full of strain and worry. She wondered if she should tiptoe out of the office so he could have some privacy. By the time she’d decided to do so, Caleb was wrapping up his conversation.
When he disconnected from the call, Caleb looked up at her. “Sorry about that,” he apologized. “I hope it wasn’t awkward to overhear all of that.”
