Dale (HC Heroes #13)

Chapter One

I f his father’s accident would’ve happened last month, Dale Leroy Taylor would’ve been out of the country on a mission, and out of reach like his brother, Caspian, was now. His chest squeezed tightly as he sped down the familiar roads to Harland County. Yesterday’s call from Gabe, his former SEAL buddy and now the local sheriff, still echoed in his mind.

It’s your dad. He’s been in an accident…

Although Dale had recently submitted his packet officially ending his SEAL career, he’d been waiting around Virginia for his brother to return so he could try to persuade Cas to consider leaving the teams too. Getting his stubborn sibling not to extend when his contract ran out next month would be a tough sell, though.

When they joined the Navy, they’d always planned to retire after twenty years, but lately, Dale felt an invisible, consistent pull to go home. Having survived many missions listening to his intuition, Dale knew better than to ignore his gut now.

He also couldn’t ignore the fact his brother was growing more cynical, hardened, and numb with each mission. Although they were not assigned to the same team, Dale still noticed the change. Not good. The longer Cas was in, the harder it would be to reverse the negativity—if it would even be possible by the time his brother hit the twenty-year mark.

Right now, though, Dale felt it wasn’t too late, but he’d need help convincing Cas to leave the brotherhood.

He also understood why his brother might give him trouble.

Dale hadn’t intended to end his SEAL career yet, but the closer it got to extending his contract this year, the stronger his gut told him he needed to go home. He just hadn’t expected his transition back to civilian life to start with such a jarring event.

It's your dad. He’s been in an accident…

Gabe’s voice resounded in his head again.

Their father, Samuel Taylor, was in the hospital after his horse got spooked and threw him. He lived in town now and was in the process of moving his things into his new house as well as getting the ranch ready to sell. No doubt his father had been out there alone, exercising his horse, as well as Caspian’s horse. His dad was thinking about possibly boarding them with the Daltons, local owners of a horse ranch and rescue, but not until the ranch was sold.

All of it could’ve been avoided, though, if Dale or his damn brother had agreed to take over the property when their father had offered it to them six months ago. An operation that’d been in the Taylor family for three generations.

But they’d both turned it down. Their loyalty to the brotherhood outweighed their allegiance to their dad.

Dale’s grip on the steering wheel tightened until his knuckles turned white.

If only he’d taken him up on that offer. Hell, if only he’d gone home two days ago, instead of waiting around for Cas. Maybe his father wouldn’t have suffered a concussion, two broken ribs, a broken shoulder, and an arm.

It was clear to Dale that this accident was the reason for the niggling in his gut and why his intuition told him not to extend. Thank God he hadn’t, but too bad he’d hung around Virginia a few days.

His father lived alone, never remarrying after his wife had left him with two boys under the age of ten to run off with a guitarist she met at the local fair. Life could’ve been worse. Their father could’ve hit the bottle, blamed his kids, neglected them, even beat them, but he’d done the opposite, making sure his young sons understood it was not their fault their mother left. He raised him and his brother with good values and unwavering strength, instilling in them the desire to help people, leading by example.

Samual Taylor was the strongest man Dale had ever known, and he was proud as hell of his father. His chest squeezed tightly. He and Cas had lucked out…and they’d repaid him by not being here when their dad needed them.

Even though the injuries weren’t life-threatening, they were serious enough to create a knot in Dale’s stomach that hadn’t left since Gabe’s call.

How long had his father suffered until help had arrived? And how did anyone know he needed assistance?

Images of him unconscious on the ground flooded Dale’s mind, along with several more of his father struggling to dig out his phone to call for help.

Muttering a curse, he stepped on the gas, racing straight to the hospital. Later, he’d head to either the house or ranch with his stuff, depending on where his father wanted to stay after he was released in a few days.

A half hour later, Dale strode through the sliding doors of Harland County Hospital, the sterile smell of antiseptic and the low hum of activity greeting him immediately. His heart pounded with a mixture of anxiety and determination. He had driven straight through the night, unable to rest until he saw his father for himself.

Since Gabe had already supplied the room number, Dale made a beeline for the elevator, his steps quick and purposeful. The damn drive had taken too long, and the elevator ride to the third floor felt endless too, each second stretching out as he braced himself for what he might find. He hated the thought of his dad being alone in a drab room with beeping machines.

When the doors finally opened, he walked down the hall past nurses and doctors, his eyes scanning the room numbers until he reached his destination.

With a deep breath, he gently pushed the door open and peered inside the room, taking everything in at a glance. There were two beds, but his father was the only patient, occupying the one by the window. He was pale, no doubt from pain, and appeared both fragile and stubbornly resilient at the same time. His arm was immobilized in a sling, and bandages were wrapped around his head and ribs.

Dale’s chest tightened at the sight.

Samuel Taylor was a few months away from turning sixty, strong and full of energy, and at six-feet-two and around two hundred pounds, he wasn’t a slight man, but damn, Dale hated seeing him prone and immobile.

It could’ve been much worse…

Pushing those grim thoughts aside, he noted his father’s space was far from dreary. In fact, it was damn cheery. Three vases sat on his nightstand, each with a different bunch of flowers. One was full of yellow roses, another housed a dozen red roses, and the third held a colorful mixture of wildflowers. Nestled between them was a red paw print photo frame with three shiny mylar “Get Well Soon” balloons attached, and inside the frame was a picture of Ranger, the cattle dog his father had rescued last year.

The dog was always by his dad’s side whenever they video chatted, and Dale could tell the rescue bond worked both ways.

He was grateful for the gifts that brightened the space, and wondered briefly who’d brought them.

Gabe?

His gaze took in his friend currently sitting in a chair by the bed, and although Dale knew Gabe was the local sheriff, it was still strange to see the former SEAL in a different type of uniform. Even stranger to picture the tough guy walking into the hospital with his arms full of flowers and balloons.

No, it was definitely not Gabe.

Dale bit back a grin at the absurdity. He looked forward to catching up with his buddy and to find out how the hell the guy ended up in Texas after leaving the teams instead of returning to his home state of California.

But that would have to wait. He needed to focus on his father.

“Dad,” he said, stepping fully into the room.

His father’s head turned slowly, his eyes widening in surprise and then softening with relief. “Dale?” he rasped, his voice weaker than Dale had expected. “You’re here. Sheriff said you were coming, but I didn’t think you could leave base.”

Silently berating himself for not telling his father he’d left the teams, Dale moved quickly to the bed and grasped his father’s good hand. “Of course, I’m here, Dad. How are you feeling?”

“I’ve been better, but I’m tougher than I look. Cas with you?” he asked, glancing around him to the door.

“No. He’s out of the country and doesn’t know.”

“Good.” His dad tipped his chin, but disappointment was evident in his tone. “Keep it that way. Don’t need him distracted over nothing. I’m fine.”

Gabe rose to his feet, nodding to Dale in greeting. “Great to see you, Dale. Sam’s been in good spirits, considering everything.”

“Thanks for the call and for being here,” he said. “I appreciate it.”

His father squeezed Dale’s hand before tugging free. “I didn’t think you could get away. Figured you’d have more important things to handle. You know, missions and all, like Cas.”

“First of all, nothing’s more important than you, Dad,” Dale replied, his voice firm. “And I’m done with missions. I dropped my packet.”

His father frowned then winced. “Ah, dammit, Dale. I hope to hell you didn’t do it because of me.”

“No,” he quickly reassured. “My contract was up last week, and I didn’t extend. I wanted to surprise you, although not exactly this way. But, even if I had stayed in, I’d still be here, once I heard.”

Sam grunted, but his gaze was bright. “You always were a stubborn one.”

Gabe cleared his throat. “You two need some privacy. I’ll be back later to check in.”

Dale moved to meet his buddy at the bottom of the bed and thrust out his hand. “Thanks again.”

“No thanks necessary,” Gabe reassured, shaking his hand. “Get settled in, and we’ll catch up.”

“Roger that,” he replied, releasing him.

The sheriff nodded then walked out of the room.

Once they were alone, Dale turned back to his father. “Gabe told me your horse spooked, but I’d like to hear what happened from you.”

His dad sighed, shifting slightly in his bed. “Not much to tell. It’s like I told the sheriff. There was a loud noise like firecrackers. Probably some young boys down the road. Orion spooked. Next thing I know, I hit the ground, and everything went black.”

Dale clenched his jaw, anger simmering beneath the surface. Young kids or not, his father could’ve been killed. “Well, I aim to find out. You were lucky.”

“Tell that to my ribs and my arm and shoulder,” Sam joked then winced again. “I’m glad you’re home, Dale, safe and sound. But don’t go knocking down doors, causing a fuss, or getting in trouble. I still have one son out there risking his life. That’s enough, trust me.”

Guilt rippled through his stomach. Their dad had always been a proud supporter of their Naval careers. Not once had Dale even thought about the worry and anxiety a parent went through with a child in the military, let alone two children. Their father was such a strong, stoic, no-nonsense guy. But he was also human, and Dale was an ass. Of course, he worried about his sons.

“I’ll be careful,” he stated firmly. “But I need to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Their conversation was interrupted when the doctor entered the room to discuss a detailed recovery plan. The man was optimistic but warned his father that it would be a slow process, starting with his release, which wouldn’t happen for a few more days. Dale listened intently, mentally preparing himself for the challenges ahead.

Samuel Taylor was stubborn and not one to sit idle. Ever. Yeah, this was not going to be easy.

As they spoke, Dale couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions. Relief at seeing his father alive and frustration at the circumstances.

Foolish kids and firecrackers…

As soon as the doctor left the room, his dad exhaled slowly and sank back, his strength suddenly depleted as exhaustion crept in.

“Well, damn,” he grumbled. “I was hoping to leave this place today.”

Dale nodded. “I know, but the doctor made sense. And now we have a solid plan.”

“Yeah.” Sam sighed. “But it sounds like a long recovery and rehab, and you know patience with myself is not in my DNA.”

He chuckled. “True.”

The same went for Caspian. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree, not that Dale had a lot of patience either. However, of the three of them, he was more tolerant than the other two.

“A neighbor is feeding my dog at the house and the horses at the ranch,” his father stated, clearly more worried about his animals and his neighbor than himself. “Any chance you can do that now?”

“Absolutely,” he replied. “Leave it to me.”

Sam exhaled again. “Thanks, Dale. I appreciate it. And if you’d stay at my house in town, instead of the ranch, I’d appreciate that too,” he said, before supplying the address and directing him to grab the key from his belongings shoved in a closet across from the bed. “Ranger will be happy for the company. Gabe made sure to get him back to my house. My neighbor is supposed to feed and walk him, but I hate bothering anyone.”

Nothing new there. His father always drilled it into them to take care of their responsibilities and not push them onto someone else. Except for special circumstances like this, but now that he was home, he’d take care of the dog.

“No problem,” he reassured. “I’ll head there now and handle things. You just rest. I’m home now. We’ll get you healed and back on your horse soon.”

Sam smiled weakly, his eyes closing as fatigue took over. “I know we will, Son. I know we will.”

For several minutes, Dale sat by his father’s side, the steady beep of the monitors a comforting reminder of life. When he was certain his dad was in a deep sleep, he left the hospital and drove to the new address.

Traffic was light. It only took eight minutes to pull into the driveway of an attractive Craftsman-style house with an attached garage nestled on a quiet residential street. The front porch was welcoming, with tapered columns supporting the overhanging roof, which provided a perfect spot for a pair of rocking chairs.

He’d never considered his father sedentary, but Lord knew the man deserved to slow his pace. After decades of ranching, even if it was a small operation, it’d still required long hours of backbreaking work. Sam Taylor had loved it. Thrived on the work. It’d been in his blood.

Too bad neither of his sons had harbored that passion. Their desire had always been to help people. Rescuing them. Protecting them.

Once his father was settled at home and started rehab on his shoulder, Dale was going to have to sit down and think hard on what the hell he was going to do for a living in Harland County. At the moment, though, that wasn’t a priority.

Dale got out of his truck, admiring the deep green exterior of the house and earth-tone trim around the windows and doors. The place gave off a warm and inviting feel, and he could see why his dad had been drawn to it.

He could also see his father’s handiwork in the front lawn. It was meticulously maintained, right down to the well-manicured shrubs that led up to the wide front steps. Then there was the door. Definitely Sam’s style. It was made of solid wood and stained in a medium hue, perfectly showcasing the grain.

It was also slightly ajar.

His heart rocked as his instincts immediately went on alert. Silently, he crept inside, ready for anything.

The sound of a dog barking met his ears as he surveyed the area.

An open floor plan seamlessly connected the living room, dining area, and kitchen. There were rich hardwood floors throughout and a lot of built-in cabinetry, showcasing timeless craftsmanship and attention to detail. The kitchen appeared to blend modern convenience and classic design, with quartz countertops, white shaker cabinets, and stainless-steel appliances.

And amidst it all, an intruder rifled through the fridge, completely oblivious to his presence.

Without making a sound, Dale moved closer, his muscles tense and ready.

“Who the hell are you, and what are you doing in my father’s house?” he ground out in a harsh tone.

The figure muttered an oath, slamming the fridge door shut.

Surprise tripped his pulse. It was a woman, staring at him with wide, startled brown eyes.

Ranger barked, but he ignored the dog, keeping his gaze on the intruder.

“Whoa, easy there…Wait…Dale?” Her brows rose in recognition while her hands lifted in mock surrender.

Dale?

He blinked, taken aback not only by the fact she apparently knew him but also the fact he didn’t know her. The woman was a natural beauty and possessed a vibrant presence unlike any he’d ever encountered.

How could he possibly forget someone like her?

He wouldn’t.

Which meant this could be a distraction tactic from an intruder.

The black, white, and tan dog barked and pawed at the woman’s leg, but not in aggression. It was more for attention.

She glanced down and smiled as she patted his speckled head. “Sorry, Ranger. I was interrupted.”

Without glancing at Dale, she reopened the fridge, pulled out a container, removed the lid, then set it on the floor in front of the dog. “There you go, buddy.”

The dog barked again, and as he began to eat, his tail wagged furiously.

Okay, so she wasn’t an intruder.

“How do you know me?” he asked. “And why are you in my father’s house?”

She stood up and turned to face him, a mischievous grin on her face. “Don’t get your SEAL senses in an uproar. Your dad asked me to feed Ranger.”

The neighbor…

Of course, dumbass. It made sense.

She was the neighbor his father had mentioned. It also made sense that his father had at some point told her about his sons, which was how she knew his precise military background and had guessed at his name.

He folded his arms across his chest and studied her.

She was a good half foot shorter than his six-feet-one inch frame, with curves in all the right places. Her brown hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, and she wore a lime green T-shirt with “I like to craft because punching people is frowned upon” on it. Her demeanor was calm and amused, and now that he’d pulled his head out of his ass, he realized she seemed more like someone he’d see at a farmers’ market than a burglar.

An unfamiliar emotion rushed through him that he didn’t bother to dissect. All he knew was that he was glad it was him standing in front of the beauty and not Caspian.

“Sorry about the scare,” he said, relaxing against the wall. “Since you already know who I am, care to tell me who you are?”

“Your dad’s neighbor,” she replied, nodding to his right. “I live in the blue house next door.” Disappointment flickered through her gaze as she frowned and set her hands on her hips. “You really don’t recognize me, do you?”