“When the president calls me and asks me to get on a plane, I say yes.”

And now Colt had nothing.

Then the sliding door opened, and Ranger and Noemi walked out. His brother had put on a clean shirt and pants, Noemi in a white sundress. And behind her— “Larke?”

His beautiful sister, with her rounded belly, her long dark-blond hair now tied up in a bun, wore a dress, a pair of sandals, and walked hand in hand with a ruddy-looking Navy sailor, dressed in his whites.

“Riley, I’m guessing.” Colt held out his hand. He’d never actually met his sister’s husband, another active-duty SEAL.

“Good to meet you.” Riley grinned. “Glad I was home for this.”

For this?

And then Dodge came out of the house, also wearing a change of clothes and holding hands with Echo.

In a dress.

Yes, this was weird. “What is going on? What ceremony?”

“The private one where your country thanks you for your service,” Logan said. Only then did Colt notice that he carried three boxes.

White cleared his throat, then addressed them all. “For your valorous acts at the airfield, and in other ways, I’d like to give you three the Medal of Valor.”

And he was in his grimy shorts and a sweaty, bloody shirt.

As if reading his mind, the president asked, “Do you want to change before we start, Colt?”

He looked at his clothing, at Tae, and something about the fact that he was receiving an award in his soiled clothing, trouble in the middle of his put-together brothers, felt almost right.

So, he stood at attention, in the middle, between Dodge and Ranger as one by one, they received their awards. The Air Force branch for Dodge, the Navy branch for Ranger, and the Army branch for Colt.

The medal hung from his neck, heavy, solid, warm in the sunlight.

“Thank you for your service, men,” the president said.

And because none of them had really shaken the military out of them, they saluted.

Their father smiled, his eyes shining.

Well then.

Hours later, Colt followed Tae down the dock to her permanent slip inside the Melbourne Marina. Her houseboat sat gleaming and undaunted under the sunlight, the bow facing the private gate, the massive picture window—now repaired—reflecting the skyline of the mainland. He carried groceries, some staples to get Tae started.

For now, he’d stay at the mansion, but he fully intended on moving in, soon.

If Tae would have him, forever.

She unlocked her gate and stepped aboard, then unlocked her door and went inside.

“Wow, they fixed everything.” She wandered down the hall to the kitchen.

Colt set the bag of groceries on the counter. Indeed.