Chapter 2
THE LIFE he had now was not at all one he had ever envisioned.
Not in a million years. He was supposed to have it all once he got out of the Army.
Harmon Wheeler had done two tours of duty, and the plan was to go to college and build a better life, one with a real future.
That had been the plan since he enlisted at eighteen.
Not that he’d had many options. His parents had died in a plane crash when Harm was ten, and that was his entry into the foster care system.
His father had been an only child and his mother a late-in-life baby.
He’d had an aunt, but she died not long after his parents.
So after years of being the center of attention and knowing he was deeply loved, going into the foster care system had been a complete shock to him.
He had been lucky with his third placement, when an older couple had taken him in.
They were two men who adored each other, and Harm had grown to love them and they him.
He always knew his time with them could be limited because they were both nearing retirement when they took him in, but luck had been on his side for once, and they were able care for him until he graduated high school.
The three of them never had very much, so after high school, Harm enlisted and offered to send home part of his pay to help them.
His foster fathers declined, telling him to save his money for his future.
So while the other men went out carousing and bought expensive cars and stuff, Harm was always careful with his money and managed to save a nice amount to help with college.
But everything changed in a moment with a single bullet just days before he was supposed to return home for the final time.
That shot had given his scars and taken so much: his health, his future, and his ability to talk.
Hell, he had been lucky he hadn’t died, but somehow, maybe through sheer stubbornness, he had managed to survive.
That was what he had been doing for months now.
His phone dinged, and Harm set aside the copy of Inca Gold that he’d been reading.
He enjoyed action stories and really loved Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt adventures.
He marked his place and lifted the phone, smiling at the text from Joe.
“Hey, Pops,” he sent back. Harm’s birth father had been Dad, so he didn’t reuse that term.
Joe had been Pops, and Larry had been Papa.
“How are both of you?” He used the app to dial their number, and Joe answered right away.
“Baby boy, is anything wrong?” Joe asked right away. That had been his nickname for him. As a teenager he had cringed, but now it reminded him that he was loved by someone.
Harm had become an expert at texting and listening.
“I’m fine. I just wanted to hear your voice.
I interviewed for a job at the warehouse, and I think they’re going to hire me.
” He sent the message and continued typing.
“They said that they were more than willing to let me communicate through text and email. It seems they have quite a few people with challenges working there, and they were very impressed with my skills.”
“I’m so pleased.” Joe was always very expressive, and pleasure rang in his voice.
“Though I think you should still go to school. Colleges have the same kind of programs that does, and you know Larry and I will do everything we can to help you. You could come down here and stay with us if you like until you find somewhere. You know we’d love to have you.
” He received that offer every time they “spoke,” but Joe and Larry lived in a retirement community in Arizona.
He could visit, but there were rules as to how long he could stay.
“I know, and once I get settled, I’m going to come down to see the two of you,” Harm sent. “But you’ll get in trouble if I come to stay.”
“I can handle those people. Karen Ludlow had her grandson stay with her for six months and no one said a thing. I made note of the dates he came and went.” Harm snickered, and of course Joe heard it.
“How could I not. He used to help her around her cottage, and he always worked with his shirt off. I swear everyone around here was sad when he left. It was nice to have a view outside the window other than old men on golf carts. And let me tell you, that young man was a view and a half.”
“No perving,” Harm sent, knowing it would get a rise out of Joe.
“Larry is more than enough for me, and I’m way too old for a kid like that, but I have eyes and I get to look.
I may be old, but I’m not dead.” Harm knew what Joe was going to say before he said it.
“How is everything else in our old stomping grounds?” Joe had been a history teacher at Carlisle High School, and Larry had worked in maintenance at the middle school.
“I guess it’s the same. A few restaurants have closed, and new ones are moving in.
Not much changes here, I guess.” He didn’t know what else to say.
“I’ve been reading a lot and hoping I hear something about a job.
” Maybe he could meet new people and make some new friends as someone who wasn’t able to speak.
“Just be yourself and everyone is going to love you. You know that. The guys in your unit did. They would have followed you anywhere.”
Those times had been different. Harm knew he was big… and scary. More than once he had used that to his advantage. He had intimidated plenty of people without saying a word, and his size had defused many situations before they got out of hand. “This is not a war zone, and those men knew me.”
“I know. You always intimidated people. When you were a teenager, Larry and I wondered if you were ever going to stop growing and eating. I swear you went through more food than three kids. We thought you’d play football or wrestle, but you didn’t have any intertest in either one.
You were much happier being quiet and reading.
We hoped you’d go to college. You are more than smart enough to get in anywhere.
” Joe and Larry had always encouraged him to be his best self.
“Maybe I can go. I don’t know. Right now I want to have a job and be able to support myself.
Maybe begin to make a life outside of the Army.
” That had been his life. His friends were in the Army.
His unit had been his family, and he had planned, at one point, for that to always be the case.
But a single bullet, a lucky shot, had found him and changed everything.
“Please think about it. I know things have been hard for you, but you know Larry and I love you and we want the very best for you.” Joe’s voice hitched.
“Our one regret is that we didn’t adopt you.
We should have made you our legal son. Nonetheless, we consider you that, and he and I made our wills a few weeks ago and left everything to you. ”
Harm’s throat ached and he swallowed hard.
He needed to get those muscles to relax.
They didn’t always work right after the injury.
His voice wasn’t the only thing affected by his injury.
It seemed like the injury had taken just about everything.
“You and Larry should spend everything you have on yourselves.” They had already given him so very much.
“He and I will take care of each other. But you need to consider what I’m saying.
You could work at your entire life, but all you’d be doing is loading boxes or overseeing their processes.
In the Army, you were working with new technologies.
You need to be using those skills.” Joe always had a way of getting his point across.
“You’re like a dog with a bone. Okay. I’ll look into schools as long as you and Larry promise to take one of those trips you always talked about.
Okay? Travel and be happy while you still can.
” Harm sent the message and hoped Joe understood what he meant.
He could be so sensitive about his age sometimes.
“We are. Larry booked us on a cruise in January. We’ll be going out of Galveston.
The cruise is eight days.” The excitement in his voice was unmistakable.
“So you keep up with your half of the agreement and at least look into going back to school. As I remember, it was one of the reasons you enlisted in the first place. I know you don’t feel like yourself, that the injury took something away from you that you don’t think you can get back, but you can.
Don’t let that take away your dreams and your plans. ”
Harm knew his eyes were watering. He had literally been through hell multiple times and he had never, ever shed a tear, but Joe always had the ability to touch his heart. “I won’t,” he typed.
“Then good. And just so you know, your papa has already booked passage for you on the ship in January. Don’t tell him I told you. He wants it to be a surprise, but you’re going to need the week off. So you have to know.”
“He didn’t have to do that,” Harm added, even though he was so pleased. He didn’t get much time to spend with them now that they had moved to a warmer climate, and this way he’d get a week plus with them.
“We know. But we wanted to. I’ll text you the dates so you can book your plane ticket to Houston.
We’ll meet you there and ride down to the port together.
” He could hear the smile in his voice. “Now, you go get yourself ready to do whatever you need to, and I’ll talk to you soon.
We both love you.” Joe ended the call, and Harm sent an “I love you too” before setting his phone to the side.