Chapter Thirteen #3
Not a second later, the media saw her, and they started shooting questions her way. All the while, she ignored them. Beside her, Shadow was walking, and the second she opened the door to the blacked-out ride, the dog got in, and sat his ass in a captain’s chair.
“Well, that tells us he wanted to go with us,” Callen said, moving past the dog and to the seat not far from her.
Gene got in too and parked it by Callen since the dog was in his seat. Somehow, he suspected that was a battle he wasn’t going to win.
“Ivan, get us to the cemetery, but lose the media. Gun it.”
And he did.
He hauled ass, making sure he was already down the road before they got to their vehicles to tail him.
The whole time, he watched as the big dog stared out the window. He couldn’t wait for this to go down. Someone was getting her ass told off.
Ethan was going to lose his damn mind.
That dog was not staying with the family.
Bet.
On.
It.
* * * The Blackhawk Family * * *
The Reservation
Same Time
When he arrived, his father’s truck was there, and in a way, it reminded Ethan of his youth. There was always a truck in front of the cabin.
Timothy had an old, beat-up one, and it seemed his father had long-term plans.
Of living.
It was clear that Wyler had gotten himself one when he moved back here, and it wasn’t a nice new one—which he could have purchased.
Easily.
Instead, he picked out something very reminiscent of what Timothy would be comfortable with here.
Was it to feel that connection with his father?
Was it to not piss off the natives here with wealth?
Was it nostalgia?
He wasn’t sure, but he wanted to make sure that their father was safe. Anyone in their family was in danger when it came to their jobs.
Getting out of the blacked-out ride, Raphael was with him step for step.
“Is my wife safe?” he asked, knowing Raphael was wearing his earpiece, so he was likely hearing everything that was going on in the not-so-distant town.
“Yeah, but you’re about to be pissed.”
Hearing that, he glanced over.
“Oh, Jesus. What now?” he asked. “What happened? How could they get into trouble having dinner? We literally left them inside a hotel with a restaurant. Unless it’s booze related, it shouldn’t be happening.”
Oh, well, that was easy.
Trouble found them.
ALWAYS.
Raphael updated him.
“Saint is still with Chris at the morgue, and the trio of troublemakers have gone back to the original crime scene.”
Okay, Ethan wasn’t shocked.
That was normal for his wife. She was likely looking around to see what was tied to Jonathan Miller.
He knew how she thought.
“So they returned to the scene of the crime. What aren’t you telling me?”
Oh, there were a few things.
Raph continued.
“Now, they’re heading to the cemetery. Chris got DNA on two of the eyeballs. The mismatched ones.”
Okay, that didn’t sound like trouble either. With Jeffrey not there, they should be safe.
Right?
Still, he was confused.
“What am I missing?”
Raphael clued in his bestie.
“The soldier who was killed had a dog.”
That was all he had to say.
The second it was out of his mouth, Ethan knew where this was heading.
Right to his wife, the biggest dog lover in the world.
She’d have a pack of dogs that followed her around all the time if he let her. For his sanity, the life of his shoes, and the fact that German Shepherds shed like a bitch, he had to keep that crazy wrangled.
Yeah, he loved dogs.
He thought they were fun for kids.
Although, twenty of them following his wife like the Pied Piper wasn’t his idea of a good time. They had enough people in their bed. They didn’t need a doggie blanket.
When they breathed, the whole damn bed shook.
Blackhawk sighed.
“Oh, hell. I just bought her a dog. I’ve been bamboozled, somehow.”
Raphael laughed.
How could he not?
“Yeah, but she found one at the crime scene, and wooed it with jerky. Apparently, dogs like Wyler’s dried meat. Now, they have a dog in the car, as they head to the cemetery.”
Ethan had to make a choice.
Was this a hill he really wanted to die on?
He’d thrown his wife’s life upside down over the last few weeks. The least he could do was calm down.
Besides…
They lived in a haunted house. Dogs heard shit. If a bunch of dogs made her feel safer, who was he to say no?
Yep.
He officially gave up.
For now.
“I’m not even going to get upset,” he admitted.
“She could have gone home, but she stayed here for me. If she wants a pack of dogs, so be it. I’ll adjust. She’s adjusting for me.
It’s not like she intentionally found one to annoy me.
Elizabeth is always picking up strays. Look at all of us, me included. ”
He had a point.
She gave them all a home, a purpose, and salvation. That told them all about her heart.
It.
Was.
Huge.
At the door, Raphael was curious.
“Do you want me to come in?” Raphael asked. “I can park it out here.”
Yeah, there was no way he was leaving the man to sit outside. They were home just like him.
He shook his head.
“No, you’re coming in. Get some dinner. I’m not going to start a fight with Wyler. I’m letting it go. I don’t want to be mean to him. I don’t know how much time I have left with him.”
He patted him on the back.
“That’s for the best, EJ. You deserve peace, and so does he,” he admitted. “As your best friend, it’s time. Make your amends, and enjoy what is left. We don’t know how much time we have on the planet. Make the most of it.”
That was the truth.
It was rare that Winn interfered, but he did give really good advice when it was needed.
This time, he was going to listen.
Heading up onto the porch, Muriel saluted at the other Marine.
“Hey, guys. Are you replacing me?” she asked Raphael.
He nodded.
“Yeah, I’m on them tonight. Head out,” Raph said. “I’ve got them,” he stated.
It should be pretty quiet there.
Hopefully.
Without another word, she got up, and headed down to the ride that Ivan had there for security. She’d head back to the house and tuck in for the night. It had been an uneventful day there, but in their world, that was always a good thing.
Together, the two men went inside.
Once there, Ethan called out to his father.
“Dad, I’m home.”
When Wyler peeked his head around the corner, he was wearing an apron.
“I’m just pulling the bread out of the oven. Good timing,” he said. “Winn, are you staying for dinner?” he asked.
The man nodded.
“If you made plenty.”
Wyler smiled.
“I made a lot. You can take some back to Elizabeth tomorrow. She loves stew.”
Yes, yes, she did.
In the kitchen, Wyler was taking the loaf of bread out of the pan, and putting it on the counter.
He handed Ethan the knife.
“Have at it. Hot bread is the best.”
On that they could all agree on.
Ethan got some butter from the well-stocked refrigerator, and it wasn’t lost on him that he wished he could have been here to fill it for Wyler and Timothy all of those years ago.
The lean years could have been so much better for the older men.
“You’re quiet,” Wyler said. “Want to talk about it?” he asked, filling bowls.
Raphael stopped them.
“I can go eat…”
Ethan shook his head.
“You can stay, Winn. You’re off duty. No one is coming here to hurt us, and there’s nothing going to be said that you can’t hear—or haven’t heard before.”
The man just nodded.
Ethan focused on his father.
It was time to close that hole between them, and the main reason was because of what his mother had said. It was time to stop this, once and for all.
Yeah, he’d planned that before, but there had always been that little piece that didn’t forgive.
Time was running out, and he knew it.
His father was on borrowed time.
Every day, he looked older as his body was fighting cancer, and he knew the odds.
They weren’t in his favor.
“I went into the smoke after you left,” he admitted, sitting down at the island that Elizabeth had wanted when they renovated the kitchen.
Wyler handed him a bowl of stew as Ethan began buttering some bread.
“And?” he asked.
He shared.
“First, I’m sorry that I busted your balls about this. I get angry easily, and I’m working on that. I had it under control for many years, but what happened when we went to Philadelphia brought it back out. It’s in control again.”
Wyler didn’t say anything.
He let his son talk.
How was he supposed to follow that up? His boys had so much trauma, and as their parent, it had been his job to protect them.
And he hadn’t.
“I don’t want to be angry,” he said. “I want to have peace. That’s part of why I came back and made the decision to stay.
Tomorrow, I’m going to go to the council and talk to them about a Blackhawk taking up being the shaman again.
I’m not Timothy, by any means, but I think I can hold my own.
The reservation needs one of us, and I’m ready. ”
Immediately, Wyler apologized.
“I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to be that person and do the job,” he stated.
“We’re a lot alike, Ethan. We both lost our mothers early, and had issues with our father.
You had it worse, but I was made into this, too.
I’m grateful you found your way out of the destructive behavior early, and made a life for yourself. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you.”
He was, too.
Only now, he understood better. He’d not climbed out alone. He’d stood on the shoulders of the men before him. Timothy held up his son, and Wyler had let him climb up and use him to find a way out.
“I saw Mom.”
That hung there.
At his words, Wyler’s heart hurt. He always wondered if she’d show up if Ethan went into the smoke. God knew she’d never show up for him—like he never showed up for her.
Honestly, he didn’t deserve it, and he knew it.
“Can I ask a question?” Ethan asked. “And will you be honest with me?”
He nodded.
After all, he owed his son that, right?
That was part of the healing and forgiveness process, and he needed to give that to him.
“Of course.”
That was all Ethan had to hear.