Page 75 of Maverick

“Is there anything you need, Pops?”

“Well, a good movie would be nice,” he replied with a twinkle in his eye.

Parker chuckled. “How about one of your war movies you like so well?”

“I’ve always been a fan of war movies. That’s fine if you can find one.”

“Okay, let me see what I can find for you.”

She took the remote from him and began scrolling through channels until she found a movie that caught her attention.

“How about this one? We Were Soldiers, with Mel Gibson, Sam Elliott, and Madeleine Stowe.”

“That’s a good one. Leave it there, please.”

Parker handed back the remote and stood up. “I’ll be right back, Pops. I’m going to call Maverick.”

Her grandfather nodded, already settling in to watch the movie. Parker left the room and climbed the stairs to her bedroom. She sat on the edge of her bed, picked up her phone from the nightstand, and dialed Maverick’s number.

“Hey,” he answered the phone.

“Hi. Are you busy?”

“I’m always busy. How are things with you?”

Parker noticed a change in his tone; he seemed distant.

“Pops is still the same for now,” she said with a small frown. “Are you sure everything is okay?”

“Yeah, just swamped with work.”

“What’s the weather like there?”

“It’s snowing.”

Parker felt like she was pulling teeth to get a conversation out of him. Something was going on and she couldn’t figure it out.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” she asked again.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t—”

“Sorry, I have to go. Grady needs me.” He hung up abruptly.

Parker looked at her phone in confusion. No goodbye or I love you. Just a sudden end to the call. She knew something was wrong but didn’t want to bother him if he was truly busy. She’d try calling him again later that night.

In the evening, Parker sat in her grandfather’s room. He seemed quieter than usual, struggling to breathe. He looked at her and spoke softly.

“You know, I wish I had met your new man.”

Tears welled up in Parker’s eyes.

“I wish you could have too. You would have liked him, and he would have liked you.”

“You always light up when you talk about him,” her grandfather said with a smile. “I know I would have liked him.”

Parker nodded, remembering how she had told Maverick it might not be a good idea for him to come along on this trip. But now, she regretted not bringing him here to meet her grandfather. A man she idolized. She knew they would have gotten along well.

---