“I’m talking to you, aren’t I?” Her muffled voice carried just enough annoyance that it made him smile.

“I meant a professional. Like a counselor, a therapist. Someone who knows what you’re going through.”

She was quiet for a long moment. “I don’t have health insurance. And I’m not sure if I even have the words to talk about anything with anyone.”

He wanted to fix it for her. Wanted to step in and solve every problem she faced. But that wasn’t what she needed. Gloria needed to find out that her own two feet were steady, dependable.

“Everything is going to be just fine, Gloria Parker. You wait and see.” They stood there under the night sky, and Aldo stroked his big hand over her back until her shivers went away.

10

“About time,” Aldo said, tossing his duffle in the back and climbing into the passenger seat of Luke’s truck. They were needed on base for the usual pre-deployment medical exam and a handful of briefings. The perpetually early Luke—Captain Garrison for the next day or two—was running twenty minutes behind and had a shit-eating grin that wouldn’t quit on his face.

“I’m not that late,” Luke argued, pulling away from the curb.

“No explanations needed. I can see from the stupid look on your face why you’re late.” Luke Garrison was getting some. While Aldo would, of course, rub it in his friend’s face, he was happy to see Luke finally moving on with his life.

“You’re full of shit,” Luke shot back.

Aldo snorted and changed the radio station. “I’ve known you since I saved your ass from that beat-down in first grade. I know your stupid looks.”

“And I still maintain that I could have taken those guys on my own.”

“There were three of them, and they were in fourth grade,” Aldo said dryly.

“Well, if you did assist me in that situation, I saved your ass from drowning in the lake when we were twelve.”

Aldo shrugged. “I thought the ice would hold.”

“We were grounded for all of January for that one,” Luke recalled.

They chuckled. “Our moms were so pissed. So, what does Claire think of Harper?” Aldo fished. Luke was a fucking underground bunker. He didn’t open up easily. Or ever. Every once in a while, Aldo took a crowbar to his friend. Mostly to test the man’s mental state. And partly just to screw with him. It’s what guys did.

After a brief, stony silence, Luke crumbled like an origami crane. “She loves her. Thinks she’s just what I need.” That shit-eating grin was gone.

“Is she?” Aldo prodded.

“What I need is peace and quiet. Harper is anything but that.”