The burden felt slightly lighter and Charlie was happy to see some playfulness in the office. His cell phone vibrated. It was an email message from his father.

With Frost and Wilson joking in the background, Charlie opened it up and saw an attachment to a news article. Charlie’s old unit had taken out another terrorist leader. He wondered which team members had the honor. Were any of them hurt?

Like a seesaw, the feeling of wanting to be with his team rose and fell with the questions of whether he belonged there or here. At the bottom was a note from Charlie’s father.

Your old unit is doing pretty amazing things over there. Thought you should know.

—Dad

The muscles in Charlie’s shoulders knotted. His father just couldn’t let it go. Couldn’t accept that life outside the corps might be worthwhile. He deleted the email. What was so wrong with wanting a life off the battlefield? Wasn’t being a father and husband just as important as serving and protecting the country? His dad would never understand that not all heroes carry a gun and fight on foreign soil. Some heroes throw a football with their sons and lead ordinary lives. Having ice cream on a hot afternoon with a beautiful woman and her son was more important than any medal clipped to his chest ever would be. But in his father’s eyes—that would never be enough.

THIRTEEN

LANE PACED. What was she doing? Going to the benefit with Charlie was a date whether or not she admitted it. Was she ready? She wanted to say no, but the light of hope flickering within her fueled a tucked-away desire to believe that maybe Ms. Byrdie and Pops were right.

Did she deserve a second chance?

Passing a mirror, Lane paused. A T-shirt with navy and white stripes paired with white linen shorts. Lane bit the inside of her cheek. Too casual? Streaks of sunlight spilled into the room and glinted against her wedding band. She rubbed it with her thumb.

Maybe Charlie would be a jerk. It’d be easy to turn down a jerk. Lane stared at her reflection. She was talking to herself or, rather, negotiating with herself. Charlie wasn’t a jerk—at least he hadn’t been so far. She’d put on some mascara and a little blush. Pouting her lips, she decided to add some lip gloss. Not colored but clear.

Casual.

After she applied the lip gloss and added some gold earrings, she surveyed her house. Picked up. Mostly clean. Normal. A knock sounded down below and Lane jumped. This was it. Her first date since Mathias. Another knock.

“Coming.” Lane rounded the bannister and made her way down the stairs, the whole time listening to the voice inside her head tell her, This is crazy.