Page 38 of Tyler

“Thanks, but it wouldn’t be much different than ESI. No offense, but you guys were all ground pounders, and great at it.That was your training. But mine was in the air, in a cockpit. With my vision, I couldn’t even learn to fly Mac’s chopper.”

Well, he could learn, but he couldn’t take an official test.

“My training isn’t much use at either job. But at least I can use some of my engineering and aerospace knowledge helping Carter build and modify drones.”

Gabe nodded. “Sorry, man.”

“It’s all right,” he said. “It is what it is.”

“What about at the shelter? You seemed to enjoy helping out last Saturday, and they can always use it.”

He did like helping Emily, Lyndsey, and Holden, along with Piper this past weekend. They’d driven a van and helped rescue a dozen dogs from a kill shelter. He and Piper had already decided to make volunteering a regular thing.

“I told Kade to let me know when they’re making the next run,” he said. “But for now, I’ll stick with ESI. At least I caught maintenance duty with Carter and Hunter today.”

Gabe frowned. “How’s Dillan doing? It’s nice of Mac to keep Hunter close to home for his son.”

Dillan had broken his arm. It was a clean break, with no complications expected.

“Better,” he replied. “But the little guy is now too frightened to go up a flight of stairs.”

“Oh, man, that’s rough.”

He rubbed his shoulder. A broken bone was never fun. He knew firsthand and felt bad for the preschooler. “Hunter said they’re making progress, though.”

“Roger that.” His brother cocked his head and regarded him silently for a moment. “You slept with Piper, didn’t you?”

Seriously? How the hell…

He blew out a breath. “Did Rylee text you or something?”

Gabe chuckled. “No, I deduced it all on my own. It’s kind of what I do.”

“How the hell did you come to that conclusion?”

“By the way you’re carrying yourself. Your stiffness is gone, and so are the shadows from your eyes. Besides, you’re smiling, bro. You didn’t arrive in Texas with a smile, and until recently, I wasn’t sure you remembered how. Sex with the right woman changes your world.”

He snorted. “Amen. Thanks to Piper, I’m looking at the world through different lenses.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but she looks good on you.”

She felt even better on him, but he kept that to himself and just nodded.

“Welcome to the ‘lucky son-of-a-bitches club’, Ty.” Gabe slapped his shoulder with a big grin on his face.

Before he could respond, his phone started to ring in his pocket. He pulled it out, thinking it was Piper, then frowned at the name on the screen.

“Hi, Dr. Harrison,” he said, and Gabe’s head snapped up.

“Hi, Ty,” she replied, with an undercurrent of excitement evident in her tone. “I’ve been researching, and I’ve found another procedure.”

The woman was a saint, brilliant and persistent. She’d put up with his sour attitude when he first arrived in town. And after she restored most of his sight back in his left eye, she promised him that she wasn’t going to give up, and that he shouldn’t either. New breakthroughs were always happening.

Apparently, she was right.

“Ty, I think I can get you to 20/40.”

His heart skipped a beat. “You do?”

---