Page 3 of We Thought We Knew It All
I wiped my hands on my pants and sat down, keeping my back ramrod straight. Show no weakness. Have no fear. Barrette was in the habit of saying that before every mission.
“I’m sorry to hear about your father.” The sergeant folded his hands together on his desk.
I looked up in surprise, meeting his gaze.
“I don’t know if I ever told you, but I met your father when he came to the base after you were injured. Good man.”
My brain didn’t have time to dwell on the good man part because it’d frozen before that. “My father was here?”
He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing me. “He came to see me to get a report on your condition. Of course, I couldn’t tell him much since you were overseas, but I assumed he would contact you.”
“I don’t even know how he would’ve found out about it.” But I did. My father always seemed to be able to find any information he searched for. He was sneaky and smarmy enough to know everything.
My damaged hand spasmed, and I clenched my teeth to keep from crying out. The stress was making it worse, but I couldn’t let that show.
Sergeant Carlson looked away when my arm jerked against my side. He didn’t want to show that he saw. I didn’t know if that made it better or worse.
“Daniels,” he said, back to his commanding self. “I know today is difficult for you with your father’s death, but maybe this is a good time to re-evaluate.”
“Re-evaluate, sir?” I asked, prying my fingers flat against the palm of my other hand.
“Son, let’s cut to the chase. Your enlistment is almost up and I can’t have you in my regiment any longer.”
“Sir-”
He put a hand up to stop me. “You are unfit for the kinds of missions I need to be sending my men on.”
I felt my posture slipping and snapped it back into place. I would not show that man just how right he was.
“I think you’re wrong, sir.”
“Of course you do, dammit. You wouldn’t be a Ranger if you weren’t willing to risk life and limb out there. But I am not sending a solider into the lion’s den when he might not be able to hold his damn weapon.”
Each word he spoke was like another shot to the arm.
“We would have discharged you months ago, but doc was hopeful. Now he isn’t.” He stood up, walking around his desk to face me and put a hand on my shoulder. “Go home, son. Mourn your father. Be with your family. I’m putting you on leave for the last few weeks of your enlistment.”
He opened the door, nodding at me that I was dismissed.
As I walked back to my room, a million scenarios ran through my head showing why my dad would have come. Even in death he had a hold over me.
But it wasn’t because he was family. Never that.
Sergeant Carlson told me to go be with family and I couldn’t help the feeling that I wasn’t moving toward it. I was leaving it behind.
2
Callie
“California R-McCoy here.” I mentally kicked myself for almost doing it again. California Ryan was another life.
“Ms. McCoy, this is Isabel Knight,” the voice on the other line said. “From A and P productions.”
Does that stand for arrogant and pushy?I wondered.
“Yes, I talked to someone from your studio yesterday.” I sat on the bed to pull on a pair of socks as someone banged on the door.
“Mom!” It was my middle kid, Liam.
