Paradise Valley

“And Jack? You might want to sleep. I hear the exhaustion in your voice. You have to be strong for Rick. Very strong. You can’t cave in to things like pity, worry…”

“I’ll be strong.”

“How’s Liz holding up?”

“Better than me. She was so relieved to hear he’s going to be all right, she started to cry and laugh at the same time. She doesn’t quite get it, that she’s not getting him back right away. And when she does, he won’t be the same.”

“You both just need to see him. He’s not going to be himself for a while.” She paused. “I wish I was there with you, Jack. I could help. And I miss you so much.”

“Are the kids okay?” he asked.

“They’re fine, Jack. We’re all fine. Just missing you, that’s all. But you’re where you have to be.”

“Really, if I could just get him home, with our family, I’d feel so much better.”

“That will come.” She took a deep breath. “He needs to finish this journey. He needs the rehab, a prosthetic leg. Some counseling.”

“Yeah,” Jack said. “Yeah, I know.”

“Would you like me to tell people? Or would you like to make calls yourself?”

“Will you do it, Mel? Lydie, Connie and the boys? If you can call Preach, Mike and Paul, they can call the squad. Are you up to it?”

“Of course, darling. I’ll make the calls right now. Everyone is waiting. Will you do something for me?”

“Anything I can.”

“When you see Rick, please tell him I love him. And I’m proud of him. Tell him I’ll do anything in my power to help him. And tell him…No, it’s too soon for that….”

“For what?”

She took a breath. “When I lived in Los Angeles, I worked with a doctor in emergency for almost a year before I learned he wore a prosthetic leg. He was quick, confident, strong and very talented. It’s not only possible, it’s probable. It’s just that…I’m sure getting there’s a real bitch.”

Blessedly, Mel had a very slow Monday morning in the clinic. Cameron had a couple of walk-ins, but Mel busied herself with paperwork and the children. It was lunchtime when a familiar guy walked in. He pulled off his Shady Brady inside the door. “Hi,” he said.

She rose from the desk behind the reception counter. “Hi. How are you?”

“Fine. Good. Um, I was just wondering if you’d heard anything from your husband. About the kid. Rick.”

“Yes,” she said, walking toward him. “He’s going to be all right. He has multiple injuries, all treatable. He’s got head injuries that aren’t a threat, he lost a spleen, is scraped up real bad but not burned, and he lost a leg in the explosion.”

The man’s eyes grew wide and shocked at that last. Then, when he collected himself, he asked, “Above or below?”

She knew exactly what he meant and wondered about his association with amputees. “Above the knee. Sounds like you know something about that.”

“In fact, I was sent to Landstuhl after an injury and got cozy with a lot of guys who lost limbs. Below the knee was easy compared to—Well, you know.”

“He’s got a lot of rehab ahead, but the outlook is potentially positive. He’s safe for now.”

“Hmm,” he said, dropping his gaze, shaking his head. “Good. He made it through. Poor kid. What did your husband say—that he’s twenty years old?”

“Just barely. And the sweetest kid you’ll ever meet. Nice of you to inquire.”

“I’ve been thinking about that whole scene. Shook old Jack up pretty good. I haven’t seen him very often over the past few years, but I’ve never seen him shook up like that.”

“Rick’s pretty special. Listen, speaking of the past few years—I think about that woman and baby a lot.”

“Listen,” he said. “I’m sorry I had to lie to you, but that baby had nothing to do with me. I knew about the woman—I knew her man left her out there, ready to pop. I checked on her a couple of times and knew she had a sketchy past, like a lot of us, and she refused to go to a clinic. She said it would be all right, but I found her in a mess.”

“Why didn’t you tell me the truth? Why’d you let me think it was yours?”

He shrugged. “I didn’t know if you’d help otherwise. And I did get her on a bus. If she didn’t run out on that sister, they were willing to take her in, help her. Sorry, that was about all I could do.”

“You could have done nothing,” Mel said. She smiled. “If you’d done nothing, it would’ve been a disaster. She and the baby—”

“Yeah, well, I gave it a shot. Glad it worked out. Hope things work out for Rick, too.”

“So how come you’re around here twice in the same week?” she asked him.

It brought a grin out of him and she remembered, way back to that scary night, when he’d said, Tough little broad, arentcha? He had grinned just like that. “I got a job with the construction company. Haggerty’s.”

“A real job?” she asked, eyes wide. “Where they take taxes out of your check and everything?”

“And everything,” he said, smiling.

“You live around here?” she asked.

He chuckled. “Exactly. I’m staying in a camper until something comes up for rent. If you hear of anything…”

“Sure,” she said. “If I hear of something, I’ll let Paul know.”

“Thanks. You take care.” He turned to go.

“I never did get a name.”

He turned back. “Dan,” he said. “Dan Brady.”

Four

Rick was just about twenty-four hours post surgical when he was allowed a visitor. Jack and Liz had to negotiate. “Let me go,” Jack said firmly. “Let me see what we’re dealing with. He’s hurting, he’s drugged, the prognosis is good from our perspective, but he lost a limb and that’s gonna be hard.”

“I just want to see him, touch him, that’s all,” she said. “I don’t care about anything but that he’s alive.”

“Please,” Jack said. “I know how you’re feeling right now, but I’ve been down this road before and wounded Marines are unpredictable. Sometimes they’re just grateful to be alive, sometimes they can be real loose canons. If he’s unstable and angry, let him unload that on me first.”

“Will you tell him I love him?”

“Sure, honey. I’ve only got ten minutes with him. Let me get the lay of the land. If he’s mentally stable, you’ll go in next.”