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“What do you mean?” Sam asked, her brows drawing together.
“He shows up here, out of the blue, with a new woman,” Bethany said. “Not that it’s a problem. We’re thrilled to see him. It’s just kind of sudden.”
“Aero has been working through some things, and part of it was coming back here. I didn’t make him come back. He decided on his own,” Sam explained.
“Oh, I know. Mark would’ve never come back here unless he was ready. I’m just curious how much you know.” Bethany narrowed her eyes, appraising Sam with suspicion.
“I know about Nora and Sarah, if that’s what you’re asking,” Sam said softly.
“Wow,” McKenzie said, sharing a surprised look with her sister. “He’s really committed to you.”
“I like to think so.” Sam smiled shyly at her drink. “I’m crazy about him. He’s a good man.”
“Of course he is,” Bethany agreed. “How’s he holding up emotionally? Does he still have nightmares?”
Sam’s heart lurched. For a moment, she considered not telling Aero’s sisters his business and keeping the reality of his nighttime struggles to herself, but she decided honesty was the best policy. “Yes, but they are infrequent, and he usually wakes himself up.”
The sisters nodded in unison. “Our dad worries about him.”
“Of course he does,” Sam said. “Aero’s his only son; he was away a lot; he went to some dangerous places. It’s gotta be hard.”
“We all missed Mark when he was overseas. He rarely got to call or write. Our mother used to write him a letter every week, even if all she had to say was what we had for dinner each night,” McKenzie said, looking wistfully over Sam’s shoulder, her pale eyes a bit glazed.
Sam wasn’t surprised. Cathy hadn’t taken her eyes off Aero since they walked through the door and kept touching his arm or squeezing his shoulder any time he passed her, as if making sure he was truly there. She clearly loved her children, and she had a special place in her heart for her only son.
Sam recalled her own mother’s reaction to Anthony’s being deployed. As with all difficult situations, Donna Coleman carried herself with grace and poise, never letting the true depth of her longing and sorrow for her only son show on her face. She’d hugged Anthony tight, whispering in his ear to call if he needed anything—anything at all—before releasing him and letting him board the bus that would take him to the airplane that would ship him overseas. With cheerful dignity, she would send a care package once a month filled with Anthony’s favorite snacks, toiletries, and books or games to keep him busy. Upon his return, three days before Christmas, Donna gazed up at her son, pride shining through the film of tears in her eyes, and told him how much she’d missed him, promptly dragging him to the kitchen for a hot meal.
Sam smiled sadly to herself, missing her parents and brother, taking a moment to be grateful he’d returned to them unscathed.
“Dad is super impressed that Mark has his own business,” McKenzie said.
“He should be,” Sam said, her chest puffing with pride. “Aero does well for himself.”
Bethany nodded. “I always wondered what he did with the money.”
Sam’s brow furrowed. “What money?”
The sisters shared a look before Bethany continued. “The life insurance money. He got a payout after Sarah and Nora left us. We’d always wondered what he’d done with it. He’s so damned responsible and frankly no fun, so I assumed he invested it or something boring like that.”
Sam giggled but then smiled sadly. “I think his friends helped finance the business, but I’ve never asked.” Suddenly, she had a light bulb moment as she thought about Gemma, Evie, and their husbands. Quietly, mostly to herself, she said, “That’s how he did it.”
“Did what?”
Sam explained that Aero had somehow managed to gift each set of parents-to-be with five thousand dollars before the babies were born. Gemma and Evie had been uncomfortable with the generosity, with only Blaze seeming to know where the funds had come from and insisting they accept the gift so as not to offend Aero.
“He gave them the money from the life insurance for their babies,” Sam said, swallowing over the lump in her throat. “He never told anyone. He’s incredible.”
The sister’s smiled. “That sounds right. Mark wouldn’t want any recognition, just for everyone he cared about to have what they need.”
Sam nodded, missing Aero suddenly, wanting to be close to him. Before she could cut the night short and hurry back to him, Bethany asked, “What’s this motorcycle thing about?”
“The Iron Dragons are great,” Sam said of her friends, smiling brightly.
“Is it like on television?” Bethany asked, eyes wide with curiosity.
“No, not at all.” Sam shook her head and chuckled. “They’re all great people, like your brother. It’s just a big family. They go for rides and to rallies, but I’ve never been. A few have families with small children.”
With a sudden yearning for her friends, she pulled out her phone to pull up photos of the weird little family she’d become part of over the last few years.
