Page 37 of The Hometown Legend

He had never thought about what it would feel like when his glory days were behind him. Because they’d always been in front of him.

He had always been able to count on his body to do exactly what he wanted to do. And people had always responded to him in a specific way. And now...he did not exude charm. Not in the least. It was funny because it wasn’t like a bomb had blown up his face. He looked the same, just with a little more facial hair.

It was somethingelsehe was missing.

Something inside.

And he had no idea how to get it back. He told himself he didn’t want it back.

But there was a reason he was here.

There’s glory on the other side if you can just get to it.

He told himself that because it was the only way he knew how to live. He told himself that not because he believed it, but because it was the only thing that had gotten him through uncomfortable times before.

And if it was a lie, that was just fine. Everyone else was disappointed in him. So he might as well be, too.

But in the meantime, he had to keep going.

Otherwise...he really might as well have died back there in Afghanistan. Maybe he should have.

It was a truth his thoughts circled.

Over and over.

He didn’t know if it was ever going to end.

CHAPTER SEVEN

WHENLYDIATEXTEDRory to let her know she was worried about Gideon, Rory knew she didn’t actually have to physically do anything in response to that. But she had felt restless and upset ever since the parade, and time hadn’t eased the concern.

That was how she found herself driving to Gideon’s house at 9:00 p.m. And yes, she knew that Lydia could’ve done that. It was just...she felt sympathy for him. She really did. But her frustration with the entire situation was beginning to boil over. He had come here. And he was still freezing his family out. And at the same time, she had seen the genuine pain he was in. But why come here if he wasn’t going to try and connect? If he wasn’t going to try to work it out?

The lights were on when she pulled up to the cabin, and she could see him through the window, standing in the kitchen. He looked tired. Right then, his expression was unguarded. And she was mobilized by it.

And then, immobilized.

Yes, it wasn’t like her. She wasn’t the one who took action. She was the one who crumbled when a situation got intense.

The truth was it mattered. Because when she had been at her lowest point, he had been there for her. It had been enough for him that she was Lydia’s friend. And as for her...he had been formative. Her feelings would always be tangled around him. Her entire adolescent experience. He had been the source of hope and joy, despair and humiliation. He had been everything. It was clear to her that for whatever reason, he didn’t feel like he was everything now. So maybe he just needed somebody... She let out a long breath, fortifying herself, and then she got out of the car.

Just don’t be beige. Don’t be beige, Rory.

Well. This wasn’t beige. Of course, she hadn’t exactly thought any of it through. Because if she had, her anxiety would’ve stopped her from completing the mission. She walked up to the front steps of the cabin. She managed this property. And that gave her a feeling of confidence, at least when it came to actually approaching the door.

She knocked. He had to have seen the headlights approaching. Or...maybe he hadn’t. There were times when she had a feeling he was detached from what was happening around him.

Of course, she didn’t know. Because, as was becoming abundantly clear, few people in his life actually knew what was going on with him.

She waited.

It took longer than it should have. She knew exactly where he was standing in the kitchen. But finally, the door opened. “Rory,” he said. “What are you doing here?”

For a moment, she was frozen. He looked wild. Angry. Beautiful.

He was still so beautiful it made her heart hurt.

That isn’t why you’re here.

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