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“Besides.” Emmett leans back and crosses his arms. “I need to talk to you about something to do with business.”
That catches my attention and shifts the focus of the conversation better than anything else would. Emmett doesn’t include me in his business. Hell, most of the times that I show up to his office, I manage to effectively end any work he’s been trying to get done for the day.
“What’s up?” I cough and then copy his movements.
If anyone else walked through my back gate, they’d probably think we were ridiculous. Two grown men, sitting in Adirondack chairs, our arms crossed. No beer in sight, and nothing happening around us.
“There’s an investment opportunity, and I think it would benefit our family. But it means that I’d need you and Miles, maybe even Sean, to make it work.” Emmett rubs the side of his face.
I don’t point out the fact that I still have almost six months left until my enlistment is up. Or that I’ve been rolling around the thought of re-enlisting beyond that. I don’t have to, though. Emmett doesn’t make hasty business decisions. He is meticulous about the businesses that he buys out, supports, or starts. There is a reason he controls all of the money for our family. Besides, he is a genius. None of the rest of us want to have to put up with the responsibility and all that it entails.
“You control the money, Emmett. Do whatever you want to.” I shrug, not trying to blow him off. “I don’t even know what I’m going to be doing in six months, let alone a year.”
“Maybe it’s time to start thinking about it.” He pinches the top of his nose between his eyes. “It’s an R&D firm, specializing in making military protection and security equipment.”
His words hit me harder than our earlier conversation had and their implication is beyond clear. He is doing it for us, for his family—Sean, Miles, and me. He wants to keep us safe.
“I’m in.” I don’t care what we have to do or how much money he has to spend on it.
The look in his eyes, the gratitude shining through them, is more than enough for me to get on board. Family means everything to me. To all of us.
“You should make the call,” Emmett says suddenly. “To your doctor. Get cleared for active duty. You’re just going to keep going stir-crazy if you sit here and do nothing. Even if you have a good distraction in Casper.”
I shoot another glance over to her door and nod. “You’re right. There’s not really anything for me here.”
Lie.
I’m pulling my phone out of my back pocket when it starts to ring. The number starts with a California area code and a base extension, so I answer, expecting Miles or Sean on the other end.
Instead, I’m met with the brisk, no-nonsense voice of my sergeant. “Cole?”
My body tenses immediately. “Yes, sir.” Sergeant Lincoln Hayes is one of the best men I know, but he is all about the rules. He has been like that ever since he lost one of his friends in an accident overseas during their first deployment. Everyone knows the story, but no one talks about it anymore.
“Good.” The other man sounds relieved and lets out a short laugh. “I was afraid I’d called the wrong brother.”
“What can I do for you, sir?”
Emmett shoots me a confused look. Ignoring it, I turn my back on him and start walking toward my door to get inside and have a little bit of privacy for the conversation at hand.
“We have a problem, Cole.”
11
CASPER
The murky water that we cut through on the ferry heading back to Manhattan from the Statue of Liberty froths as it hits the side of the boat.
“Thank you for coming with me, Casper.”
I look over at Joel, Cassie’s boyfriend, and try my best to smile, but I fail miserably. He doesn’t miss a thing.
For the past week, Joel and I have knocked one item after another off my sister’s bucket list. The entire time, I feel like I’m dying a little more inside. She should be with us, doing them herself. Instead, she’s dead and rotting in the ground, and nothing will ever change that.
“I wouldn’t miss it.” The lie burns my tongue as I force it out over the raw emotion in my throat.
Half expecting to cry on the trip through the city and on the boat that morning, I loaded my purse with tissues. But I haven’t needed a single one. It seems like I just cried myself out when it comes to Cassie.
At least, until Joel goes to bed at night. Then I sneak past the guest room that he’s in to go sit on the back porch to cry and try not to look over at Cole’s place.
