Page 58 of Vanishing Legacy

FIFTEEN

Oh boy, maybe being in the piano fort with Cash wasn’t such a great idea after all. They were sitting close. Too close.

The blankets enclosing them in the confined space seemed to amplify their body heat. Or maybe that was just her, flushed from the way Cash was looking at her. This man did things to her insides. Things she’d never experienced before. She tried to tell herself this was nothing more than an infatuation, but a still, small voice told her Cash was a missing piece to her soul.

She’d tried to rebuke the voice. Tried to pray it away and ask God to help her resist falling for this man. Somehow the opposite was happening.

Rocco’s little announcement earlier hadn’t helped things either. It was for his own sake she hadn’t dated. Relationships never worked, and she didn’t want to parade men through Rocco’s life.

And she couldn’t fall into a relationship with Cash if he was a client. The kiss at the gym still lingered in the back of her mind, but if she wanted to pursue something after Trejo was arrested and Penny was safe, she had to get to know Cash on a deeper level.

She grabbed an orange throw pillow and hugged it to her chest. “Tell me why you joined the Navy.”

“My dad was in the Navy. He was my hero. He would come home from deployments with stories about all the places he’d been, the people he had met, and the adventures he had saving lives every day. He always made it sound so exciting, like being in the Navy was the greatest thing in the world.”

She brushed her bangs out of her eyes. “The veterans I worked with on SWAT had some cool stories. They took turns showing scars from their fire fights.” Some of their stories made Alana’s life surviving foster care look like a walk in the park. “When did you finally enlist?”

“I’d been offered a scholarship to play ball in college, and I was so excited to come home and tell my mom. With twins, paying for college was a huge weight on my parents. I was so proud to take that burden away. But when I got home, my mom was on the couch with Bailey. They were hugging each other and crying. My dad had been killed in combat.”

“Oh, Cash. I’m so sorry.” She lowered the pillow and touched his arm.

He twisted the fringe along the edge of the pillow. “Oh man, the guilt hit me in the gut. Here I was doing a happy dance all the way home thinking about myself and my scholarship. All the while, Bailey and Mom were sobbing, completely crushed by the news.”

Alana wasn’t sure what to say, so she didn’t say anything.

He squeezed her hand and flashed a thin smile. “I didn’t take the scholarship. I joined the Navy to honor my dad. I wanted to make him and my mom proud. I thought it would be a way to make a difference and to live up to his legacy.”

“But it hasn’t been easy for you, has it?”

“No,” he admitted. “It seems like every time something good happens in my life, everyone else’s falls apart.”

Cash’s story broke Alana’s heart as she realized the depth of pain he carried. How wrong she was to assume his life had been perfect because of his success. Nice house, nice cars. Great job. She should know better than most that outward appearances are often contrary to the inner turmoil. In many ways, his childhood had been more difficult than hers. “You know, sometimes I think of life as being like a mountain range. There are peaks where everything is wonderful, and there are valleys where everything seems to go wrong. But in the end, it’s the combination of the peaks and valleys that makes the view so beautiful.”

She shifted to face him. “See, when we’re in the valleys, we don’t usually notice the beauty all around us. We can only see the struggles and difficulties. But when we reach the top of the mountain, we get a different perspective. We can see the entire range, and it’s breathtaking. Sometimes we need the valley to appreciate the beauty of the mountains.”

Cash was quiet for a moment. “I never thought of it that way,” he admitted. “I’ve been too focused on trying to stay on the mountaintop even when those around me are in the valley. I’ve been selfish. Thinking only of myself, I guess. But maybe it’s time for me to stop thinking it’s my fault for being on the mountaintop and turn to help others climb back up.”

Alana admired his willingness to reflect on his actions and take responsibility for his attitude. “You put that beautifully. The valley may be challenging, but it’s where we grow and learn the most. Helping others climb back up to the mountaintop can be the greatest gift we can give.”

Cash took a deep breath. “You know, the day I was promoted was the day I got the news that Sonia had passed away. You’ve helped me realize that I’ve been carrying this weight for so long. Believing that every success in my life always meant that someone else has to suffer. But you’re right, maybe the valley is where we can find true strength and purpose.”

He lifted her chin. His gaze lingered. “Thank you for reminding me of that.” His hand traced a gentle path along her cheek.

Her heart fluttered at the tenderness in his touch. He gazed at her with deep affection, sending a rush of warmth through her body. She smiled at the joy of being so close to him.

Then Alana heard it. The slight click on the home alarm system that indicated someone had tripped a motion sensor.

* * *

A tiny war waged inside Cash. The side of him that wanted to kiss Alana was about to win when she tensed and pushed herself away. Without a word, she scrambled out of the fort and reached for her gun. His mind raced to piece together what was happening as he crawled out behind her.

“Motion sensor outside,” she whispered. “We need to move the kids to the fort without waking them.”

He nodded. Tried to focus on the children when all he wanted to do was run outside and check it out for himself. But Alana had planned for this and he trusted her. He picked up Rocco, cradled the boy in his arms, and motioned for Alana to take Penny. Together, they moved them into the safety of the fort.

Once they were secured, he turned to Alana. She had her phone out, checking the security cameras.

So stupid. He’d left his own phone in the kitchen. He whispered, “What’s going on?”

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