Chapter 11
Shaking her head, Leslie poured a cup of coffee and gazed out the window at the two boys playing in the yard. Each held a stick in their hand as they practiced the defense moves Jeremiah taught them.
She grabbed a book, a blanket, and her drink and headed to the front porch to watch the kids.
If she let them tire themselves out this morning, it might make for a peaceful afternoon, allowing them to get things accomplished without too much fuss.
Both boys needed clothes for the funeral.
Tucker’s dress pants came to his ankles, and Jeremiah never bothered with such things.
Maybe if she hemmed Tucker’s pants, they’d work for Conner, she thought as she tucked the blanket around her legs.
“Be careful with those sticks,” she called out to them as Tucker swung a bit too hard for her liking.
“Mom, we’re supposed to hit hard. It helps us develop muscles,” Tucker replied as he defended himself from Conner’s onslaught of strikes and jabs.
“It will potentially turn into a black eye, stitches, and a hospital visit we can’t afford,” she reminded him. “Play safe or find another game.”
“Do you want to toss the football?” Conner asked, letting his stick fall to his side.
“Sure. After we work on our legs. Grandpa said it’ll increase our stamina when we hike,” Tucker advised Conner like an older brother.
Leslie smiled. The two of them grew up together, and she worried if Owen or one of his brothers took Conner away how it might affect them.
The sound of a truck coming down the gravel driveway made her turn and shade her eyes. Her heart sped up as she recognized Owen’s truck, and she glanced over to see the boys moving toward the back of the house to use the equipment Jeremiah set up for them.
Owen parked and got out. His rugged appearance and bulging muscles only made him more handsome over time.
He climbed the steps of the porch and sat down beside her on the swing.
“Elias and I will be leaving around two. We’ll be gone for a few days,” he informed her.
“It’s not a problem,” she replied. “Conner’s at home here as much as he’s at your house. He even has a bedroom.”
The two boys ran around the corner, each grabbing their sticks again and battling some imaginary foe.
Leslie cringed, hoping they didn’t run to the front. She planned to tell Owen about Tucker when the time felt right. The family needed to deal with Jeremiah’s death first. Glancing at Owen, she saw him squinting his eyes as he watched the two rabble-rousers exchange blows.
Panic filled her, but she didn’t plan to lie to him or make excuses. After all, he walked away and never thought of her again.
Owen smiled as he listened to the boys play-acting their fight against the enemy. Once upon a time, he and his brothers carried on as they did. Three of them went on to use their skills in the military.
The lump in his throat grew bigger as he watched the older boy instruct Conner. His mannerisms and brown hair reminded Owen of himself at his age.
Noticing Leslie’s hesitance, he became all the more determined to get to the truth.
“Is he mine?” he asked quietly, dreading her answer. If she said yes, it meant he left his son, too.
“Yeah,” she said without hesitation.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked, peering at her.
Her eyes filled with tears. “How? I didn’t find out until two months after you left. By then, you changed your number. You made it clear you didn’t want me in your life. I didn’t know how you’d feel about a child, but I didn’t want him to get hurt,” she said defensively.
“I’ve sat up all night and almost came to your house at two this morning to ask you. You knew of other ways to reach me. Gunny found me,” he said, watching her.
“I don’t know, Owen. You walked out on your family and me.
I didn’t feel the need to hunt you down.
Would it have made a difference to you? I didn’t want you back because you felt a sense of duty to me or to Tucker.
I survived on my own. My mom died from cancer two months before his birth.
The first few months sucked, but then one day, your dad showed up.
He took one look at Tucker in the bassinet and cried. He blamed himself for your leaving.”
Sighing, Owen stared at his feet. The gaping hole in his chest grew larger as he imagined how much he missed out on Tucker’s life.
“He said he checked on all of us, but he made no mention of me,” Owen said softly. “Why didn’t he tell me?”
“Because I begged him not to,” she sniffed. “If you wanted to come home, it needed to happen on your terms. Jeremiah knew about you. He told me when you got injured and stayed at a hospital in Germany. I hoped you might return when you got discharged. Instead, you rented a cabin in Wyoming.”
“You knew where I lived all along?” he asked, surprised.
To her, it must’ve sounded like a condemnation. Leslie rose from the swing and called, “Boys, it’s time to come inside, we have chores.”
Owen stood, struggling to find the right words.
“Don’t go,” he pleaded, knowing he hurt her feelings, but he needed answers.
“No. You don’t get to accuse me or make me feel guilty.
I tried calling when I discovered my pregnancy, and you changed your number.
Obviously, you didn’t want to hear from us.
You hurt me and didn’t care to write or call.
What right do you have to blame me?” she seethed, calling attention to her and Owen.
“Hiya, Owen,” Conner said, running toward them. “I didn’t know you planned to come today. Mom, can I show him my horse?” he asked. Turning to Tucker, he yelled. “Hey, Tucker, come meet my brother.”
Owen heard Leslie groan beside him, but he stayed rooted to the porch, wanting to meet his son.
“What’s the matter, Mom?” Tucker said as he climbed the steps and shot Owen a leery gaze.
“Nothing. Say hello to Owen and then get your chores done. Once you finish, we might go for a hike. First one to spot a hawk gets out of doing dishes,” she said, moving further away from Owen.
Tucker must’ve felt the tension as he watched his mother and approached Owen.
“I’m Tucker,” he said, giving him a firm handshake.
“He’s my oldest brother,” Conner told Tucker. “Since we’re brothers, does it mean they’ll be yours, too?”
“No,” Leslie replied firmly. “He stopped by to say goodbye. He’s leaving for a couple of days.”
Conner’s expression turned sad.
“It’s only for a couple of days, and then I’ll return,” he assured him.
“I’m searching for your brothers,” he told Conner.
He smiled at Tucker. “It’s nice to meet you, son.
Your mom says you and Conner do the chores sometimes on Wolfe Mountain.
Do you think you can care for the animals while I’m away?
Maybe we can add a bit to your chore money. ”
“You mean you’ll pay us for doing chores?” he asked excitedly. “Mom says our payment comes in the form of food, clothes, and a roof over our heads.”
“We’ll do it because it’s the neighborly thing to do, and it’s Conner’s home. He’s family,” Leslie reminded them stiffly.
Sensing he stepped on Leslie’s foot, he attempted to make amends.
“Maybe we can work something out. Have you fished in the secret lake?” he asked.
Tucker’s eyes widened. “Mom says she doesn’t like it there. We only went when Grandpa took us.”
Of course, she didn’t like it. It’s most likely where they conceived their son before he left her to raise him alone.
“Elias told me last night he’s itching to catch some fish and go swimming. Maybe we can talk him into going with us when we return,” he suggested, avoiding the death stare coming from Leslie.
“Chores, boys. Hop to it,” she reminded them.
Tucker stared at Owen and glanced at his mom, as if attempting to see if Owen caused the displeasure in her expression.
“Will you come inside with us?” he asked, giving her a reason to leave.
“I’ll be along in a minute. Get started while I say goodbye to Owen.”
“Bye, Owen,” Conner said, wrapping his thin arms around his waist and hugging him. “Don’t forget to tell my brothers about me. Maybe they’ll come to meet me like you did.”
“If I find them, I’ll pass along the message,” he said, patting him on the back.
Tucker tugged Conner’s arm. “Come on, dufus. You’re too old for hugs. We’re men. You’re supposed to shake his hand. Remember what grandpa said? Stare them straight in the eye and give them a firm handshake. It means you’re not afraid of anything.”
“That’s for people we don’t know. He’s my brother. It’s okay to hug him,” Conner argued as they entered the house.
“I’m your brother, and I don’t want you going all lovey-dovey on me,” Tucker warned him.
Owen smiled, recalling how he and his brothers used to banter the exact same way. He glanced at Leslie, and his happiness dimmed.
She gripped the door, planning on leaving him standing on the porch.
“Wait,” he said, blocking her way. “We have to discuss this. I want to spend time with my son.”
Leslie gazed down the hall where the boys disappeared.
“I won’t keep you from spending time with him. He doesn’t know you’re related, and I prefer to keep it this way for now. If you plan on bringing back the others, I don’t need a repeat of the past.”
“We’ll go by your rules for now,” he conceded. “As soon as I return, we’ll have dinner and work everything out.”
“There’s nothing more to discuss. As soon as you finish with the funeral, I’m sure you’ll disappear again.
After some time, I’ll tell Tucker he once met his dad, but he got called away.
Conner’s young, and as soon as the shiny toy disappears, he’ll forget about you.
He’ll learn like the rest of us, you’re not the hero you led us to believe. ”
Leslie proceeded into the house and slammed the door shut. For good measure, she snapped the lock in place, adding insult to the injury.
Returning to his truck, Owen slammed the door shut and yanked it into gear. He understood the pain he saw in her eyes, but he lost nine years of his son’s life. Why didn’t anyone tell him? How did Elias not know if he tracked down the rest of them?
Driving up the mountain, he rolled down the window, letting the fresh air take out the stinging in his chest. He rehashed the first meeting with his own flesh and blood.
Owen refused to let the young boy down. He’d find a way to make up the lost years and stay present for the future.
It seemed his old life in Wyoming no longer existed, and a new life on Wolfe Mountain started to take shape.