Chapter 6
Cy woke early, even though it was Saturday. Sleeping late didn’t happen often for him, even before he became a SEAL. His buddies planned to meet for a run closer to seven thirty, so he had enough time for coffee and some food.
While eating, he pulled up a web browser and typed in Willa’s name, but then he realized he didn’t have her last name. But how many people named Willa could there be?
He was so wrong with his assumptions. So many people popped up on Facebook with that name, it would be impossible to find her. Plus, he didn’t know if she had social media. He needed more information about Willa to be able to find her.
Going back to the bar would be weird, but he couldn’t stop thinking about her. Maybe he was fooling himself by thinking she needed his help.
His phone buzzed, and he saw Wave’s name pop up. “Hey, buddy,” he said as he answered and put the phone on speaker.
“Hey. You ready for our run?” Wave asked.
“Sure am.”
“Good. I’ll drive by and pick you up.”
“Okay, you don’t have to.”
“I want to run some stuff by you.”
“Sounds good. I’m ready when you are.”
“Give me twenty minutes, and I’ll swing by.”
The call ended, and Cy put his phone away.
He shoved thoughts of Willa to the back of his mind.
He needed to get a good workout in today.
Once they started their travel to the location where the brass thought they could do their best or maybe their worst, depending on the perspective, he wouldn’t be able to work out. At least not like he normally did.
Keeping fit was more than just a lifestyle.
It was absolutely necessary for his job.
He couldn’t keep up if he wasn’t fit. Injuries took out special forces a lot of the time.
And then there was age. Few men who made it this far in the special forces groups failed because of a lack of motivation.
Working out and being fit was in his blood.
Wave sent a text when he was about five minutes away. Cy met him outside, thinking the day was perfect for their run. Not too hot with a gentle ocean breeze blowing in. He would get sweaty, but it wouldn’t be brutal.
“What’s up?” Cy asked as he slid into Wave’s car.
“How difficult do you think it would be to have my little sister move here?”
He swung his head around, staring at Wave like he’d lost his mind. “What? You’ve got to give me more. First off, I didn’t know you had a sister. Where is she now, and why is she moving here?”
Wave put the car in reverse and backed onto the street.
“My mom is sick. She isn’t going to make it.
My sister is eighteen, and she won’t really have anywhere to go.
She’s still in high school but will graduate in May.
Or she should graduate, but who knows what will happen.
Right now she’s not doing great in a few of her classes, mainly because Mom is sick. ”
“I’m sorry to hear that your mom is sick. But that’s a lot to take on, moving your sister here.”
“I know. But my mom hit me with it last night.”
“Did you know she was sick?”
He nodded. “I knew she had cancer, but I thought she was fighting it. I mean, she is fighting, but it’s more aggressive than she told me at first. She called while I was driving home last night and told me the truth.
She’d been keeping it from us. Cassandra, my sister, had no clue the cancer had spread until last night.
She’s upset, and I can’t leave her to deal with this on her own. ”
Cy stared out the front windshield. He had no idea what he would do if he had a sister who needed a place to live.
“I don’t have a sister or a brother. I was an only child.
I don’t know what to tell you. I don’t think it would be good for your sister to be alone, but I also don’t know how living with you would be for a teenager. ”
“She is eighteen.”
“Exactly. You remember how wild you were at eighteen?”
“I was a shit. My sister is different. Better.”
“I can guarantee you she isn’t better just because she’s a girl.”
“No, really, she is better. She has goals.”
“You’ve got to think about how your mom's passing will screw up her goals.”
He nodded. “I know it will change things for her, but I can’t abandon her.”
“I get that. Before something happens, maybe set up a support network.”
“I will. I was thinking about calling Wolf and asking if I could chat with Caroline about the situation.”
“They don’t have kids.”
“No, but she’s wise, like grandmother wise.”
“Oh shit, you’d better find a different way to phrase that. I don’t think Caroline would appreciate you calling her a grandmother.”
Wave snorted. “I won’t, not to her face. But they are both older. Heck, Wolf is almost as old as my grandfather.”
“Really?”
“Well, within ten, maybe fifteen years.”
“Dude, don’t tell them they are old when you call them.”
Wave pulled into the lot where they were meeting. “I won’t. I know Wolf could still kick my ass if he tried. I just think both of them have a handle on life, and I need some good life advice.”
“Yeah, I think we all do.”
Cy should talk to someone about Willa. She probably didn’t want him showing up out of the blue and asking more questions, but he didn’t think she would win this battle with Robert.
The man seemed like the type who would punish her for some imagined slight.
She already had bruises on her face. Any more punishment could put her in terrible danger.