Page 1 of No Going Back

CHAPTER 1

Backed Into A Corner

The sun crested the horizon as Sean Falcone spotted a highway sign for Miami, Oklahoma. It made him smile, and think of his own Miami down in Florida. A place he hadn’t been in far too long. Maybe that should be his next destination.

His last construction job was in the rear view mirror and he hadn’t signed on for anything new yet. The restlessness that gnawed at him had settled into his soul again. Since leaving the Army behind, he’d drifted, unable to find his place.

Sean took the next exit north, leading to the famous Route 66. He’d never traveled it, and it was as good a destination as any. Maybe he’d feel a connection to something.

The stars he loved faded as the sun rose, and he finally turned onto the historic highway. He’d grown up in a crowded downtown big-city neighborhood. He’d spent his years with Uncle Sam travelling from deserts to mountains to tiny villages. This route was something different altogether. Farmland everywhere he looked. His buddy Oz would love it.

He should have been turning into one of the motels he passed, but the road pulled him on. He’d been driving since he’d finished his job the day before, but stopping meant making a decision, and he wasn’t up for that yet.

Stopping for gas wasn’t an option he could avoid, so he pulled his truck into a station alongside the highway. It looked like no one had made any improvements on the building or the pumps in the last half-century. Which meant it matched his truck perfectly well.

He wasn’t sure the place was open, but he pulled alongside the pumps and hopped out. The pumps were unlocked, so he opened his tank and started to fill up. Better to give his money to small businesses than the major chains.

Although it was getting close to time to upgrade his truck to something better for the environment. Which made Sean think of Troy and Marcus. The two of them had settled in an eco-friendly small Vermont town with the ridiculous name of Phail. Named after Epic’s family, of course.

As he was filling the truck, his phone rang with a call. Not a text. A call. Which meant he’d conjured up his buddy by thinking of him. He checked the readout. Sure enough. “Hey, Epic.”

“Hey, Falcon. How was your Christmas? Did you have a good vacation?”

Huh. He’d forgotten about Christmas. “It was good.”

When he didn’t add anything, Troy laughed. “All that incredible detail makes it sound awesome. Do you even know when Christmas was? Or what the date is today? Or if the New Year passed?”

“Nope. I’m between jobs. Don’t need to know any of that shit.”

Troy laughed again. “You need a home, man. You need a place and a reason to remember all that shit.”

“One day. Today is not that day.”

He could almost hear the eye roll across the phone line. “Well, aside from helping you remember you’re part of the human race, I’ve got a reason to call.”

Sean knew what it would be. Troy’s reason for calling was always the same. Come to Vermont. Maybe it was time to think about it.

Another chuckle came through the line. “Actually, two reasons. The first is I’ve found someone I’m going to spend my life with.”

Whoa. Sean hadn’t expected that. “Congratulations. I hope she plans to keep her own name.”

Troy’s laugh was contagious, and Sean chuckled along.

“Her name’s Piper Keenan, and we haven’t talked surnames at this point. But I’d like you here for the wedding. Actually, I’d like you here before the wedding. I need your help getting things ready for it.”

Epic never asked for help. He was always the one looking out for others. “What do you need?”

“Your expertise and a lot of elbow grease.”

“On what?”

“It’s a show, not tell situation.”

Sean shook his head. “That’s not the way to entice me to travel across the country.”

Troy laughed again. “Yes, it is. Let me know when you’ll be here.”

And the jerk hung up. Leaving Sean hanging. Which was as annoying as it was effective.

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