They left the driveway at an easy jog and rejoined the race. Aldo’s gait felt smooth on the fiber carbon running blade. It was his new toy. One that took him one step closer to the man he used to be.

He wanted to push. To sprint. To find his limits. But he owed the woman next to him a buddy finish. Harper had helped drag him from the darkest of the depression. Now that he could stand—hell, jog—on his own two feet, he could start making some changes.

“You make this look so easy,” Harper puffed beside him.

“Believe me, it’s anything but easy. But it’s necessary.”

They rounded the next corner together, and the noise level exploded. The finish line was only two blocks away, a straight shot down Main Street Benevolence. And the crowd was pulsing with good-natured pandemonium.

“They must think you’re some kind of hero around here,” Harper teased.

Aldo shot her a cocky grin. He was home. He was back.

He saw her, and his stride faltered for a second. Gloria in her little white shorts and that cute blue tank. Her dark hair pulled back under a red bandana headband. She looked like everything he believed in, everything he’d signed up to fight for, to protect.

She was on her feet cheering. Sure, it was probably for Harper or any other runner in this race, but he wanted to think it was for him. He wanted her in his corner. And if he could do this, if, he could finish this half mile strong, then he could make it a mile and then five. And then he could walk up to Gloria Parker and sweep her off her tiny feet.

The finish line banner loomed before them, and Aldo grabbed Harper’s wrist, raising their joined hands high as they crossed the sidewalk chalk checkerboard line.

They’d done it. And it felt damn good.

Harper whooped in celebration. Two older veterans in their dress uniforms stepped in front of them with race medals in hand.

The two men, well into their seventies, snapped to attention and saluted Aldo.

“Thank you for your service, lieutenant,” one of them said.

Aldo saluted them back and accepted the medal. His throat felt tight with emotion.

“And here’s one for you, young lady,” the shorter of the two men said placing a medal around Harper’s neck.

Tickled, she leaned over and pressed an enthusiastic kiss to his cheek. “Thank you!”

“Luke is going to kick my ass if he sees I let you cast him aside for another soldier,” Aldo teased, dragging her toward the water station.

They were intercepted by his mother and the entire Garrison clan.

Congratulations were doled out along with bottles of water and bananas. Aldo was searching the crowd for Gloria when Josh, Sophie and Ty’s toddler, threw himself into his arms. Aldo swept him up.