The Lonely Hearts 06 The Grunt 2 Read online

  There was no question in Diane’s mind. “Of course you were right. Of course, you can do that. Sharon should be kissing your ass for all that you do to make sure that Cameron still knows Amy’s family, but make no mistake about it, they have no legal precedence.” She took another sip of her drink casually as if all of Courtney’s dramatics were for nothing. “Do you know how many grandparents would be in court if they knew that they could just demand through a judge to see their grandchildren?” The idea that Sharon had actually threatened with such a baseless threat was preposterous to her.

  “Maybe you’re right. I’m just worried. Brett hasn’t left the house at all but to go to the bank and to go to have his cast checked at the Naval Hospital. He’s turning into a hermit. Plus, we haven’t even gotten a lawyer yet. You would have thought that he would have done that immediately. I mean, we’re talking about our son.” She clenched her jaw tight. “Something is wrong with him. He’s so unresponsive.”

  Diane knew exactly what was wrong with him, the same thing that was wrong with Jeffery. “Give him time. He’ll come around.”

  Courtney looked into her mother’s eyes with a plea for help. “I don’t have time to wait for him to come around. Things are happening now.”

  Diane put her hand on her daughter’s hand and soothed her. “Things will always be happening,” Diane said, nodding her head. “Trust that he will be there when you need him, but give him time to process everything in his own time. I know that you love Cameron but there is more going on in Brett’s life than just this paternity case. Jeffery said that looking at the damage to his leg; he’ll be moved out of Recon. Plus, he lost his entire unit. Now, this man wants to take his son away from him. Even $2,000,000 can’t fix that.” Diane truly felt for the young man, but more than that, she felt bad for her daughter. “I’m going to tell you something that you might not understand. Brett’s unstable right now. Let him get settled and in control of the situation. Trust me, you don’t want him to lose control and do something that he can’t take back.”

  Courtney didn’t like her mother’s answer. It took too much control from her. “It’s not like we can’t afford a good lawyer now,” she lamented. “I would feel better if we at least had that ironed out. The rest of it I can see giving him time on.”

  Diane could appreciate how Courtney was feeling inside but the truth of the matter was that it wasn’t her daughter’s call. “Brett will do what’s best for you and Cameron. I promise you that. He always does.” A question hit her. “Does Sharon know that you adopted Cameron before Brett left for Afghanistan this last time?”

  “No, Brett said not to tell her.”

  “Good.” Diane’s smile became smug. “And no one outside of this family knows that Brett is not his biological father?”

  “No, I’ve never said one word to anyone, not even to the pediatrician. It’s such a sore subject for Brett. Even when he’s alone with me and he brings something up about it, he whispers like the universe might hear him. Why do you ask?” Courtney hoped it was because that would carry some weight in the case.

  “I read something interesting in the newspaper a few months ago about establishing parentage after being away from the child after a long period of time. It wasn’t exactly your situation, but it was damn close.”

  “Was the person able to establish it?” Courtney asked hopeful again.

  “No, the judge ruled against it, which is good for you.”

  “I can’t even imagine us having to turn over Cameron to someone else after all this time.” Courtney felt a headache coming on. “What if he’s some undercover drunk, or a druggy or a pedophile?”

  “You’ll wear yourself out thinking like that. Right now, you just need to focus on winning the case. Who this man is will come out during the trial.” Diane hated to admit it but she had had the exact conversation with Jeffery after Courtney had called her the other day. And he, in turn, had told her the exact same thing she was telling her daughter now.

  “What if we lose?” Courtney’s eyes began to water. “I can’t even think of our lives without him.”

  “It’s important that you start to speak victory over this situation now. There is no “what if we lose”. You can only speak the positive. You have to stand in the gap and start to pray. You have to believe that God will deliver you from this.” She rubbed her hand over the small golden cross on her neck. Lord in heaven only knew the number of times that she had had to do the same over the years.

  “I’m trying Mom,” Courtney said, wiping her eyes quickly. “It just seems so hard to do lately. Not just to pray, but to be positive. My husband is a mess. My son…” She swallowed down the doubt that she was about to speak.

  Diane patted her daughter’s hand. “In this day and time, anyone can take anyone to court over just about anything, but that doesn’t mean that they will win. The laws are still written to protect the parents who are taking care of the child, not the parent who abandoned him. Brett will win the case. Your husband will be restored. You just have to believe that and stand on it like you believe it. You are the mother and wife of your home. It’s up to you to stay strong, to help guide your family and rejuvenate them. You can’t do that if you don’t believe it in the first place. But I know that you can, Courtney, because you’ve always had that gift. God made you special, and He made you strong.”

  Courtney was amazed. She came here empty and she was suddenly full. “How do you do that?” she asked her mother sincerely.

  “Do what?” Diane asked, putting the glass back up to her mouth to take a drink.

  “Make everything sound likes it’s going to be okay?” She wiped another tear.

  “Because it is going to be okay,” Diane said lovingly. “I tell you what. Go home and tell Brett exactly what Sharon said, and then give him a day to get himself together. If he hasn’t done anything in two days, then start to nag him about getting a lawyer. But I’m willing to bet that you won’t have to do that. In fact, I’m willing to bet, he’s already doing something about it.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Courtney said, gulping down the last of the mint julep. “Thanks for that.” She put the glass down. “Thanks for everything. I really needed it today.”

  “That’s what I’m here for. Where are you going? You just got here,” Diane said, not bothering to get up now that she had finally gotten comfortable.

  “I’m going to go and do what you said. I’m going to put some urgency in him,” Courtney said, fired up.

  “Not so fast. It’s not just about picking a lawyer. It’s about picking a good one,” Diane reminded. “Interview at least three; pick one with an A-rating and an impeccable trial record with references out of the ass and a sensible retainer.”

  Courtney stopped at the door and turned around. “Do you want to help pick the lawyer, Mom?”

  Diane smiled. “Well, if you need me to, I can send some people your way.”

  Courtney shook her head and smiled. “Thanks. I’ll call you and let you know when to start looking.”

  “Well, I already have a few in mind,” Diane said, raising a brow. “Just in case.”

  ***

  While the kids slept peacefully, two old friends got reacquainted on the back deck under the large umbrellas. Today was unusually cool with a calm breeze and patchy clouds, so it was just right to enjoy a few beers. With the baby monitor beside him, Brett backtracked down memory lane with Gavin about all of their missions and the crazy things that had happened while they had been away from each other.

  “So, after years of misfortune, you finally got lucky,” Gavin laughed with his feet kicked up on the table. It was good to hear. Brett had been the example of “what not to marry” on the base for many years.

  “Finally,” Brett said, opening another beer. “Amy left me in the worst possible situation. Kid. No babysitter. Bills. No money. Marriage. No wife.” He was amazed how he could laugh about it all now. In truth, it felt like a lifetime ago. “She was leaving me for a Marine c
aptain in Japan.” He paused. “A Black Marine.”

  “Yeah, I know, Joe told me. I always thought she was racist from all the shit she used to say,” Gavin said. Some of her quips had made him embarrassed to be in the same race as Amy.

  Brett was still stunned by that one. “Me too. Go figure.”

  “Then the bitch goes down in flames literally,” Gavin said, astounded by the chain of events. “And you end up with a fine, black surfer chick who loves your ugly ass and your bad ass kid not knowing she was Colonel Lawless’s only baby girl. It’s ironic, but also blind justice in my opinion.” Gavin watched his friend’s face twist into a smile.

  “I wouldn’t exactly put it that way but…yeah,” Brett said, feeling good about the situation. “I am happy…about my wife.” He couldn’t say the same for everything else.

  “So, what’s next after this?” Gavin asked, looking down at Brett’s leg. “You plan to get out and join the civilian work force or go to Admin and becoming an official person other than grunts (POG)?”

  Brett frowned. “I plan to go back to Recon.” That was a stupid question. It wasn’t like his leg was blown off. It was just injured.

  Gavin pursed his lips together. And now for the bad news. “Oh man, I was like you?”

  “Like what?” Brett asked defensively.

  “I thought that I could work my way back in. Go to physical therapy, get back in the game.” He tapped his titanium leg hidden under his jeans. “But Recon doesn’t have a prosthetic division. If they did, I’d be in it.”

  “My leg is still attached,” Brett clarified.

  “But it’s fucked,” Gavin added with a shrug. “They are not going to let you back in. Tell me you know that already.”

  “I don’t know shit and neither do you,” Brett said, looking down at his leg again. “You forget. I’ve been shot before, and it didn’t stop me.”

  “You got clipped in the shoulder. The leg is sort of required in Recon.” Gavin released a deep breath and pushed back in his chair. “It’s easier to come to terms with it before they tell you that you’re going to the wounded warrior battalion. The next thing you know, they’re slapping medals on you and showing you the door. I wish someone had been there to tell me, but no one did and that’s life. I’m not going to let you go through the same thing with blind ignorance. That would be on me.”

  “Look, I know it’s a thankless job, but it’s all I’ve got,” Brett said, unwilling to accept his friend’s advice. It was nothing personal. Gavin just didn’t have a clue about what he was talking about.

  Gavin didn’t come all this way to argue with Brett and refused to let something he had no control over get in the way of the little time that they had together. It was better to just drop it for the moment. Besides, he knew that eventually, they would arrive back at the conversation once Brett was ready. “Well, you know better than me, man. I’ve never seen anyone with more dedication than you to the Corps. So, if you go back, just promise me you’ll get the mother fucker who killed your men.” Even though he said the words, he knew that Brett would never see Afghanistan again. However, he also knew, it never hurt to give another person hope.

  “Damn right,” Brett said, thinking of his friends. He had to go back an avenge them, but more than that, he didn’t know how to be anything but a Marine.

  “You know, my business is doing really well, but I don’t have someone like you on my team. Private Security pays well. We get contracts all over the world, and most of the time, all you have to do is put on a suit and a gun. Beats carrying a 120 pound pack any day.” Gavin’s eyes gleamed as if he got a clever idea.

  “Are you trying to recruit me?” Brett asked, putting down his beer.

  “I may be,” Gavin winked. He was.

  Brett couldn’t begin to talk about another job. It would mean that Gavin was right about him having to give up the one that he already had. “Hey, how long are you going to be here?”

  “A week or so. Then I’m headed back to San Francisco.”

  Brett thought about his son. He had kept his secret from nearly everyone else in the world, but if he could trust anyone, he could trust Gavin. “If you’re looking to make a little more cash while you here, I could really use your help.”

  “How so?” Gavin asked, sitting back in his chair. He didn’t need the money at all, but if his friend needed him, he wanted to help.

  Brett huffed. This was embarrassing. “I’m in the middle of a paternity suit. Turns out, Cameron isn’t biologically mine. Courtney and I found out shortly after Amy died, but we didn’t tell anyone. Now, this fucker I know absolutely nothing about is trying to take my son away from me.”

  Gavin’s eyes bucked, but he tried really hard to hide his utter shock. “Sure thing. What do you need?”

  “I need eyes in places I can’t be. I want to find out who Leo Tabor is and what he really wants with my boy. It’s hard for me to believe that after nearly five years, he suddenly wants to be in his life and play daddy. There has to be some other spin on this. I need to discredit him. You know,” Brett paused. “But I don’t want this to get out. Amy made a fool of me long enough while she was alive, dude. And I took the punches like a man is supposed to, but this is below the belt.”

  Gavin would never say a word. Hell, he felt embarrassed for even knowing about this. “Full confidentiality just like any other client.” He made the sign of the cross over his heart. “You said that his name is Leo Tabor?” he asked, pulling out his cell phone to put his name into his notes.

  “Yeah.” Brett appreciated Gavin’s help. It took a load off his mind not having to entrust this to a stranger. “Whatever you charge, I’ll pay.”

  “Bro, don’t offend me,” Gavin said, sending a text. He looked up at Brett. “That name isn’t common. Let me do some digging for you over the next couple of days and see where you want to go from there. I’ve got good resources though, what I can’t get myself, my team back in San Francisco can.”

  “Thanks, man. I want to go to court and make a judge understand that taking my son out of his home for any reason and for any amount of time is not in his best interest, but right now, I don’t know anything about this cat. He could be a fucking saint or he could be the biggest asshole that ever fell out of a woman’s crotch.”

  Gavin curled his lips up. “We could do some investigating to see if he’s worthy, or we could just kill the guy.” He didn’t smile.

  Brett chuckled and scratched his eyebrow. Only Gavin. “I can’t say that I haven’t thought about it, but we live by a different code on this side of the fucking Atlantic, you psycho. Plus, I think I’d be the prime suspect.”

  Gavin laughed. “I’m just saying. There is always more than one way to skin a cat. And people die in car accidents all the time.”

  “Well, I think we should take the route that won’t get me locked up and sent away for the rest of my natural life,” Brett said, reaching down in the cooler for another beer. He knew that Gavin suggested it jokingly, but he was certain that he’d do it if he asked.

  Looking at his watch, Gavin stood up. “Well, I don’t want to stay too long. I just wanted to stop by on my way to Morehead. Gotta see a girl there about a job.”

  “A job?” Brett was confused. Gavin had spent an hour talking about his successful private security business.

  Gavin grinned sheepishly and corrected himself. “A blow job.”

  Brett shook his head. Lord knew that he didn’t miss the single life. Standing up, he gave his friend another hug. “Dude, you haven’t changed.”

  “Never will,” Gavin said, patting Brett on the back. “I gave you my number. Call me if you get any more information, and I’ll do the same.”

  “I’ll call you. After all, I have nothing to do right now. I’m on 30 days of mandatory leave. It’s a perfect opportunity for me to get this taken care of once and for all.”

  You’ve got a lot longer than that, Gavin thought to himself. “Well, just heal up and get better. I’m sure all of
this will work itself out.”

  “I plan to,” Brett said, walking him back through the house. He was about to escort him out of the front door when Courtney walked in.

  Halting in her tracks, she looked up stunned to see that they had company. Based upon his frame and his overall demeanor, he had to be a Marine.

  “Hey baby, glad you made it back in time. I want to introduce you to an old friend of mine, James Gavin. We came in together, served together, and fought together…the whole nine. He was also close to Joe.” Brett hit Gavin on his back. “Gavin, this is my lovely wife, Courtney.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Courtney said, extending her small hand.

  “The pleasure is truly all mine.” Gavin shook her hand gently and looked over at Brett in astonishment. “Wow, she is even more beautiful in person,” he said, nearly unable to take his eyes off of her.

  “Yes, she is…amazing,” Brett said, smiling at Courtney. “I don’t know what I would do without her.”

  Gavin chuckled. “Well, you are about to find out, because I’m going to steal her and take her back to California with me.”

  “This is one time I’d come after you,” Brett joked.

  “I know you would,” Gavin laughed.

  Courtney blushed and took her hand back. “Are you here for the funeral?”

  Gavin sighed. “Yeah, unfortunately.”

  “Well, before you go, you have to come by and let me fix you dinner. Brett rarely has friends that visit,” she said, raising a brow at her husband. “I think it would do him some good.” Walking up beside Brett, she rubbed his large arm and kissed his cheek.

  “I’d be happy to. I think a home-cooked meal would do me good, if nothing else. I’ll await a call from your husband on the date and time,” Gavin said, continuing to be impressed. How in the hell did he get her?

  “I’ll call you,” Brett said, stepping past Courtney to let Gavin out.

  Gavin waved goodbye to Courtney and stepped out the door. Turning around, he slipped on his aviator shades. “Don’t flake out on me about dinner. I want to see your smoking hot wife again.”