Page 68 of The Texas Hero's Homecoming

“Of course, I did. I still do. I’m only questioning your motives, Sam. I know you. You have an incredible sense of duty and honor. But I don’t want you to do this because you feel you owe me. That’s too much of a sacrifice. You’ve turned down a pretty incredible job. Seems to me, it’s something you’d rather be doing, working with veterans and helping them find a place in society.”

Sam was sorry he’d mentioned the Fort Hood job offer to Joe. He should’ve known Joe would encourage him to do it. But he’d already turned the job down. That ship had sailed, and Sam couldn’t look back. He wasn’t going to let Joe dissuade him.

“I didn’t take the Fort Hood job, Joe. So, there’s no use talking about it.”

“Well, another great job will come your way and you should take it. I’m letting you off the hook.”

“You saved my life, bro. I wouldn’t be standing here, arguing with you, in your family barn, if you didn’t jump on top of me nearly taking the bullet meant for my head. So, don’t say it’s nothing.”

“It’s something. And you would’ve done the same for me. We were both doing our jobs.”

“I get that. You’ve told me that a dozen times.”

“And yet, it doesn’t sink in.”

“Joe, don’t you want the farm to continue? Don’t you want your father to retain his legacy?”

“Of course, I do. But not at your expense. And what about Autumn? How does she feel about all this?”

“Autumn has nothing to do with this. I’m not doing this for her. I’m doing this because I want to. Get it into your brain.”

“Okay, so answer me this, if the farm was in trouble and I didn’t save your life, would you still be going to such lengths to save it? Would you invest all your money into a failing farm? No, Sam. You wouldn’t.”

“I don’t deal in what-ifs. Youdidsave my life. And Iamgoing to do this.”

“You’re more stubborn than my sister.”

“Like I said, Autumn has nothing to do with this.”

From behind, he heard a crash, glass breaking. He swiveled around and came face-to-face with Autumn. She was standing there like a statue, the expression on her face one he’d never seen before, a mixture of pain, disbelief, and anguish.

He shut his eyes briefly. What had she heard? “How long have you been standing there?”

She didn’t say a word. She just stood frozen on the spot, staring at him as if he’d grown horns. As if he was some sort of devil. Scattered remnants of a dish lay in pieces on the ground near her boots. Half a dozen scones had met their demise.

“I’ve gotta go,” he told Joe. “We’ll talk later.” He shut down the phone and put it in his back pocket. His heart began to race. There was no question that Autumn had heard most if not all of his conversation with her brother, the accusation on her expression told it all. That and the distinct disappointment in her eyes.

He stepped toward her and she gave a barely discernible shake of her head.Don’t come any further.

He stopped in his tracks. This was not good.

“Is it true?” she asked, stone-like.

He dug his teeth into his lower lip. Drew breath in his lungs. “Is what true?” He was buying time, trying to think his way out of this. Trying to figure out what Autumn was feeling. They’d had a good time last night. She’d gotten past her resentment of him. She’d begun to trust him again. And he had true, genuine feelings for her that went beyond friendship.

“Did Joe save your life in Afghanistan?”

Slowly, he nodded.

She looked at him now as if she wished her brother hadn’t. As if, she’d like to finish the job the terrorists failed. “What happened?”

“I can’t say… it’s classified, but just know that your brother is a hero. We were in a firefight and he risked his life to save mine.”

She didn’t move a muscle. She didn’t attempt to step away from the broken pieces surrounding her. It was as if all the blood had drained from her body, leaving her weak, unable to budge.

Guilt rushed in, a wagonload of it. In that moment, he saw this whole thing through her eyes. How could he not? It was written all over her face. How betrayed she must feel. He’d lied to her, over and over. Lies of omission, yet lies just the same. “I couldn’t tell you. Or anyone. It was a secret mission.”

Her head snapped up, as if someone just turned on a switch. “All this time, you led me to believe you were here because… because you wanted to be. Because you cared. All this time, you led me to believe, we could be a team. We could work together. Be together. But from what I just overheard, none of that is true. I couldn’t figure out why you wouldn’t leave, couldn’t understand how, even when I was harsh with you, you’d stayed. It was clear I didn’t want you here in the beginning. And then I thought… oh, you must think I’m the biggest fool. I read you all wrong, Sam.”

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