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Prologue
Marlow
The balloons slippedfrom my fingers at the sound of a fist on the door.
He was home. And apparently following his crazy wife’s instructions to knock when he arrived.
I batted the strings out of the way, ducked beneath the Welcome Home banner, and flew to the foyer.
“I can’t believe you did what I asked,” I said, breathless as I threw open the door.
My face fell.
A uniformed officer stood on the porch, a folded flag in hand.
“No.” I clutched my stomach. “No. No, no, no, no, no.”
My knees hit the hardwood floor. The world became blurry.
“Jack,” I screamed until his name was nothing more than a hoarse whisper.
“The Secretary of the Army regrets to inform you—”
“Shut up.” I beat my fists on his thighs. “Shut up.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am.”
I wilted, dropping my forehead to the floor. “Jack. Why did you have to be a hero?”
Chapter One
Marlow
I wheeledthe stroller to a stop.
“You ready for this, little man?”
I touched my son’s chubby cheek, his answer a toothy grin.
“No pressure, but this will probably come down to you.” Drool hit my thumb. “Guess that means you’re up for the challenge.”
I wiped my hand on my sweater, gripped the handle of the stroller with one hand, and opened the old metal door with the other. A loud creak announce my arrival.
I squinted as my eyes adjusted to the dim light inside. Somewhere in the distance the sound of a drill pierced my ears, followed by the bang of a hammer.
This place was a mess. And much bigger than I’d anticipated.
The stroller left tracks as I pushed it across the dusty concrete. Two faces stared at me from behind the worn reception desk.
“How!” My son punched his tiny fist in the air, already doing his part to charm them.
“How, buddy.”
My chest squeezed as my brother’s expression softened.
You’ve got this, Marlow.
I gathered my courage and straightened my spine. “I was wrong.”
