Page 27 of Warrior's Walk

“Hey, Mama. It’s me, Rhett.”

“Hey, my little pecan. Are you settled in?”

“Yeah, the new place is real nice, Mama. You should see it. I have all new furniture and before you ask, I have a whole fridge full of food.”

“How nice. If only you knew how to cook it,” she teases.

The truth is, I do know how to cook because I grew up watching her and I learned from the best. But I’ve never neededto practice because my mama always beat me to the stove. She loved to cook for me.

“I’ll be fine, I promise. How do you feel?” The last couple times we’ve talked, she sounded tired… off somehow. I haven’t seen her in more than a year, so I have no idea what’s wrong, and it’s just like her to keep things from me so she doesn’tworryme.

“Oh, you know, tired as a tick but blessed as a bluebird.”

“Are bluebirds particularly blessed?” I tease.

“Don’t you sass me, pecan. You’re never too old to get a lickin’.”

My smile stretches from ear to ear. “Yes, ma’am.” Despite my unfamiliar surroundings and slight feeling of detachment, hearing my mama’s warm voice feels like a comfort, reminding me that no matter where I am, I’m never far from home.

We talk for nearly twenty minutes and when we hang up, I shuffle into my bedroom, intending to pass the fuck out, but when I pull back the khaki green comforter on my bed, a sharp bark of laughter echoes off the walls.

That fucker Riggs put kids’ sheets on my bed!

The beige background sets off the Army-green paratroopers jumping from helos. Shaking my head, I don’t even try to hide my smile. Why should I? I fucking love them, and there’s no one here but me. From the way things just went down, I’ll be the only one sleeping on them for a long time.

“So,”Brewer says, wiping his mouth with his napkin. A teasing smirk plays around his lips. “The word around the water cooler is that you put your notice in at Womack.”

“I wasn’t aware that BALLS had a water cooler,” I reply, evading his question. Let him dangle for a minute.

“Okay, not the water cooler, the reception desk,” Brewer clarifies.

“Margaret Anne is a nosy gossip, but she’s got a good heart.”

“She’s over the moon that you’ll be around every day now.”

I can’t hide my smile. I’ve been at Womack for six years now, and so many of them have become friends, especially Liza, but these people, this place, they feel like home. This is where I’m supposed to be, and I’m probably almost as thrilled as Margaret Anne.

“I told you I was going to put my notice in weeks ago. Why are you acting like this is the first you’ve heard of it?”

Brewer snorts. “Do you know how many times I’ve heard you swear you were going to quit? Speaking of gossip, the word around the knitting circle is that there’s a new Bitch in town, and you have a mysterious, secret past with him. So, what gives? Why do you make me beg for the juicy stuff?”

I chuff. Fucking Brewer. As a therapist, it’s his job to work his way into people’s heads, to get to the root of their trauma. But as my best friend, it’s his job to just be a nosy pain in my ass. He excels at both.

“His name is Rhett. Rhett Marsh.” I realize I’m smiling, and quickly school my features so as not to give myself away.

“So they were right! Thereissomeone.” Brewer looks overjoyed. He thinks he’s got leverage on me, and he’s waited years for it.

“He’s exactly what they said—new in town. That’s it.” I never should have encouraged him to date a Bitch. They’re the nosiest, most meddlesome group of men I’ve ever encountered. They’re also my brothers, so I put up with them gladly.

“What about the mysterious past part? Don’t skip that.”

I shake my head, my eyes narrowing. “You’re as bad as they are.” Brewer chuckles. “I met him on my last deployment. He was my patient.”

“Juicy,” he baits me, wanting more.

“Nope, not juicy. It’s dry. There’s nothing more to tell.”

Brewer snorts. “You’re so full of shit. But that’s fine, keep your secrets. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that they spill themselves if you just give them time.”

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