Page 41 of Beckon

And then there was Reese.

A man he never met, but once held everything Chandler loves in his hands. A man who would be there in his life every step of the way. A man he didn’t know to what extent, Tami still loved. Was there any room in her heart for him? Chandler knew those thoughts were destructive and wrong, but he couldn’t help himself.

Tate interrupted his thoughts with a softer, kinder voice. “Is this about the husband?” Chandler didn’t answer, but of all the nails he could strike at, that was the safest one for him. “You’re going to have to make peace with the fact that he will always be there. But, Sarge, I’ve seen the way she looks at you. The way you look at each other. I promise you; she returns your feelings. But she won’t be able to for very long if you can’t accept his place in her and Chester’s life.”

Tate’s words rang true, but Chandler didn’t know if he was strong enough to accept her feelings for a dead man if it meant they would choke him out of her heart. Tami didn’t know, but he’d heard her say his name before. Talk to him when she thought no one was around. Most recently he’d heard his name on the wind the day of their failed jacket mission.

When he turned his gaze from the graham cracker he’d been holding to overtly study her, she had a sublime smile on her face and it damn near broke him.

Later when he’d gone inside, she was dashing away tears. Like she missed Reese so much it hurt.

That night when he’d tucked Chester in, he said he didn’t want a story, he just wanted Chandler to snuggle, so he did. By the time he’d fallen asleep, Tami had done so on the sofa herself.

Chandler carried her up to bed, tucked her in, and left. When she’d woken briefly in his arms and asked what he was doing, he was tempted, oh so tempted to make her his in every way possible. But the family picture on the dresser stopped him from doing that there.

“Hey, man, I’ve got to go, the ceremony is about to start, and I’m supposed to be there helping Chester give his grandmother away to his gumpy.”

“See, that right there, man, You could’ve just said help, but you had to give me the whole thing. You are so far gone, it’s not even funny. Good luck, and don’t chicken out.”

Chandler couldn’t stop tugging at his collar. The last time he’d worn a suit, it had been Army green, and they were burying yet another brother in arms. It seemed that was all he ever did when he wore that damned thing.

At least this one was dark blue, and his tie a lavender that Tami picked out. It looked nothing like Army green, thank God for small favors.

Chester came darting out of the door before he could knock, with Harold on his heels.

“My buddy,” Chester called before leaping into his arms. “I get to walk Grandma down the aisle.”

“I know you do, and I get to help you with that. You’re looking sharp in that suit.”

“It’s all…” his words trailed off as he put his little fingers inside the collar and wiggled. Similar to how Chandler had done all the way from his room.

“Yeah, but soon we can ditch the ties, okay?” Chandler placed Chester on the ground and extended a hand to Harold. “Looking good, old man.”

Harold took his hand in a strong shake, then brought his other around to encompass Chandler’s. “I may be older than you, but I’m also smarter. I’m the one marrying a beautiful lady today and you’re just going to be standing by my side wishing it was you and Tami.”

Standing by his—

“If you didn’t catch that, since you’renot that smart, youngin’, I want you to be my best man. I wanted to ask before, I just never found the time. But you’re here now, and your tie matches, so what do you say?”

Chandler was humbled.

“I would be honored.”

“Good. It’s settled.” Harold clapped him on the back and started leading them out to the gazebo where the ceremony would be. “Chester, see Aunt Grace up there?” He pointed ahead. “Go tell her you are reporting for duty, and she’ll take you to Grandma.”

They watched as he ran off as fast as his dress shoes would carry him.

“Well, I better get up there and get busy waiting. Do you mind if I ask you something? Feel free to say no, but I’m going to do it anyway. One of the advantages of aging. You don’t really care what anyone thinks, and you do whatever the hell you want to anyway.”

“Well, then I guess I don’t really need to give you the go-ahead.”

“Ha ha, that’s true it was just a social formality. Does she know how you feel? Really feel?”

Chandler thought about playing dumb for a second, but Harold wasn’t one to give up.

“I’ve tried to show her, but I know that Tami isn’t like most people, and she needs me to look her in the eye and say the words before she recognizes it.”

“That she does. That she does.”

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