The general ran a hand over his graying head, and Caden realized for the first time that his father was starting to look older. Not old. Just . . . older. At fifty-five, he was still in excellent health. Running five miles a day was a habit he’d had since Caden was a boy. And he’d never once invited Caden or Dustin to go with him. Resentment stung and Caden swallowed it.

“Get out of here, Caden. What’s done is done and I’m not going to undo it. Couldn’t if I even wanted to try.”

“Bull. I don’t believe that and neither do you.” Caden held on to his temper with effort. “Dad, I’ve always done my best to treat you with respect whether I felt the emotion or not because that’s what Mom asked me to do. So, I’m only going to say this once. It’s time you stop thinking that just because you’re a lieutenant general in the Army, you can rule your family like you do your soldiers—because one day you’re going to look back and wish you’d made some changes.” He paused, taking advantage of the man’s shocked silence. “Mom would be terribly disappointed in you.”

Caden did a perfectly executed about-face and walked out of his father’s office.

CHAPTER
NINE

Gavin pulled into the hospital parking lot, put the truck in Park, and let it idle while he watched Sarah sleep. She’d conked out about three minutes into the twenty-minute drive and hadn’t stirred. For the next thirty minutes, he let her sleep while he answered a few emails on his phone, checked in with her father via text and feeling like a rat the whole time—and set up a security detail request for a visiting politician who’d be arriving in town next week. Lastly, he texted his sister.

Come on, Kaylynn. PLEASE TEXT OR CALL ME. I’m SORRY for handling the situation the way I did. It’s been a year. Can we please talk?

He waited.

No three little dots indicating a return text.

Nothing.

He sighed and shook his head. What else could he do?

Finally, Sarah shifted and opened her eyes—which landed on him. She groaned. “I fell asleep again, didn’t I?”

“It’s okay. I was productive while you snoozed.” He waved his phone at her.

She rubbed her eyes. “I feel guilty sleeping while poor Brianne may need help.”

Putting things off was just stressing her even more, but he had a question that had been burning a hole in his gut for a long time.

She placed a hand on the door handle, and he touched her shoulder, stopping her movement. Her brow rose.

“Sarah . . .”

Wariness flickered in her gaze. “Yes?”

“When we were in Kabul and went out a few times . . .” And shared a bone-rattling kiss he still thought about. “Why did you . . . disappear on me?”