Chapter 15
Justice pulled into the driveway and angled the SUV as close to the front steps as she could manage.
The early afternoon sun slanted through the trees, casting golden light over the yard, dappling the porch railings and the now dormant flower beds she’d planted back in the spring.
The house looked peaceful, familiar… safe. Just the way she wanted it to feel.
She turned off the ignition and looked toward the passenger seat, where her father sat in his gray sweatpants and another Go Army sweatshirt, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
“Glad to be home?” she asked, her voice a mix of relief and quiet joy.
“Absolutely,” he said, his gaze sweeping the front of the house like he was seeing it for the first time in a long while. “Looks better than I remember. Amazing how much you appreciate a place after being away.”
She grinned. “You look good, but I don’t want you to overdo it.”
He chuckled, the sound raspy but strong. “Baby girl, I feel good. But I know about limitations. I’ll have to work back up to doing the things I used to.”
When they left the hospital, he’d insisted he didn’t need the walker.
But she knew better than to take him at his word when it came to pushing through pain.
The walker was tucked behind the driver’s seat, and she glanced toward the back as she unbuckled.
“I want you to use the walker to get into the house and settle. If you don’t feel like you need it all the time, that’s fine. But please, Dad, don’t take risks.”
He turned to look at her, and for a moment, she saw the same man who used to patch up her skinned knees and chase away monsters under the bed.
The man who’d always stood tall. There was a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes now, tempered with the wisdom of someone who’d learned what it meant to be fragile.
“I’ll be careful, I promise.”
She jogged around the SUV and opened the door.
He eased himself out, and she stood just behind him, ready to catch him if his legs betrayed him.
But his steps were sure, stronger than she’d expected, and pride swelled in her chest as he made it up the porch and through the door with only the gentlest support of her hand on his elbow.
He paused just past the threshold, looking around with knowing eyes. “You moved the coffee table.”
“I had Tyler come and help me,” she said, a smile flickering at the mention of his name.
“Charlie’s grandson?”
“Yes. We’ve been spending time together. He was a lot of help getting things ready.” She glanced around, taking in the newly widened walkways. “I just want to make sure you have room to maneuver if you’re using your cane or the walker. There’s nothing that can’t be moved back later.”
He nodded as he stepped toward his recliner. “I’m glad to hear he helped you. I’d hate to think you did all this yourself.”
As he sank into his favorite chair, his body relaxing into the well-worn cushions like a man finally exhaling after a long storm, she slipped back outside to grab the walker and his hospital bag. The sky was bluer than she remembered from this morning, the clouds higher. She felt lighter.
Bringing the items inside, she paused in the doorway, and her breath caught at the sight of him home. Sitting there like he belonged, like the past terrifying weeks were nothing more than a bad dream. Her throat tightened, the moment weighted with unspoken gratitude.
He glanced over, noticing her frozen stance. “Justice, darling… I’m fine.”
She nodded quickly, swallowing against the emotion clogging her voice. “I know,” she managed after a beat, her smile tremulous. “How would you like some real cooking to erase the taste of the hospital food?”
His eyes lit up. “Now you’re talking!”
Laughing, she headed into the kitchen. Recently, she’d gone through every blog, cookbook, and health pamphlet she could find, determined to cook something that would nourish his healing heart without tasting like cardboard.
She’d settled on lemon herb salmon, roasted brussels sprouts with a drizzle of balsamic glaze, and a side of wild rice pilaf with chopped walnuts and cranberries.
The meal was hearty, comforting, and doctor approved.
It didn’t take long before the house filled with the savory scent of garlic and lemon.
When she ushered him into the kitchen and he saw the table pushed against the wall, his brow creased slightly. Before he could say anything, she raised a hand. “Dad, it’s usually just you and me here anyway. This just gives us a little more floor space.”
He studied her for a second, then nodded slowly. “You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?”
She smiled as she set down his plate. “I’m trying.”
“Well, the doctor wants me walking every day,” Jack said, taking another sip of water as he relaxed in his seat. “So as soon as I build my strength and stability back up, you won’t have to feel like all the furniture’s squished to the side.”
Justice arched a brow and wrinkled her nose. “The furniture isn’t all squished.”
Before he could retort, a knock sounded on the front door. She blew out a soft breath. While she didn’t want to be rude to any of her dad’s friends who might come by, she also hoped they’d have more time to settle before anyone dropped by to visit.
She crossed the living room and opened the door. Inhaling quickly, she felt her heart give a little flutter. “Hey!” she greeted, her surprise giving way to a smile.
Tyler stood on the porch, one hand rubbing the back of his neck like he wasn’t sure if he should’ve come. “I don’t want to bother you,” he said quickly. “I just… I saw you in the driveway and wanted to check in. Make sure everything went okay getting your dad home.”
Emotion and gratitude swelled in her chest, and she stepped aside. “Dad would love to see you. Please, come in. We’re just having dessert.”
By the time she led Tyler back into the kitchen, Jack was already standing, steadying himself with a hand on the table, his curiosity piqued by the sound of another voice.
“Please don’t stand, sir,” Tyler said, extending his hand. “It’s good to see you.”
Jack’s expression shifted instantly, recognition and warmth mingling in his gaze.
He clasped Tyler’s hand with a firm grip.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Tyler.
I think the last time was at your grandmother’s funeral.
And I have to say, I’m sorry as hell about Charlie.
Your grandfather was a good friend and a good neighbor.
And I’m equally sorry I couldn’t attend his service. ”
Tyler nodded with quiet appreciation. “Thank you. That means a lot. But I think your reason for missing it was pretty major. I hope your convalescence goes well.”
Jack chuckled, already liking the man. “Call me Jack, please. And I owe you another thanks for helping Justice move things around. I heard that she roped you into rearranging half the house.”
“It was no trouble at all,” Tyler replied. “We just wanted to make sure nothing was in the way and that you had plenty of space to move around easily.”
“Well, you did a good job,” Jack said as he eased back into his chair. “You joining us? Justice was just serving dessert.”
Tyler’s eyes flicked to her, the corners crinkling with a quiet question. She gave a small nod, hoping he’d take the invitation.
“I’d like that,” he said, taking the seat she gestured to across from Jack.
Justice plated the dessert and returned to the table with three small dishes of baked cinnamon apples topped with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of toasted oats and chopped almonds.
It had been one of the recipes she found that would satisfy her dad’s sweet tooth and the cardiologist’s restrictions.
Conversation flowed easily, much to her relief. Jack asked thoughtful questions, and Tyler answered with an honesty and humility that only made her heart soften more. She watched her dad lean in, nodding along, genuinely enjoying Tyler’s company.
The last couple of men she’d dated had barely survived the scrutiny of her father’s intuitive glare. He could sniff out pretense like a bloodhound. But Tyler didn’t seem to trigger a single alarm. If anything, he’d already vaulted to the top of her dad’s personal approval rankings.
When the conversation drifted toward Tyler’s circumstances, he explained briefly about his retirement from the Army, coinciding with Charlie’s heart failure.
Jack scraped the last of his dessert with the back of his spoon, sighing contentedly. Then he glanced toward Tyler. “Do you know what your plans are? Will you be staying around here for a while?”
There was the briefest pause, but she noticed it. The glance Tyler gave her before his gaze returned to her dad made her lean forward in anticipation.
“Right now, the answer is yes,” Tyler said, his tone quiet but certain. “I have a lot of Gramps’s things to take care of, and I want to fix up his house. It needs a lot of attention, but I’m not in a rush to be anywhere else.”
The conversation between Tyler and her dad continued, but behind Justice’s pleasant smile, her thoughts swirled like autumn leaves caught in a sudden wind. He says yes for now. Of course, that made sense. He has a house to deal with. A life to figure out. But still… what about later?
She didn’t want to be the woman who clung to a maybe.
But already, in the space of just a few days, she’d found herself thinking about him in quiet moments.
Wondering about things she had no business wondering—like what his kiss might taste like, or if the feel of his arms wrapped around her would lead to more.
She slammed a mental door on the thought before it could bloom further.
A groan threatened to rise in her throat, and she bit it back, praying neither man had caught the flicker of her expression.
Pushing her chair back, she stood abruptly and reached for the empty dessert plates.
Busying her hands was always safer than letting her heart wander.