Page 106 of Searching for Valor

He hesitated, then nodded. “Okay. I will.”

She cocked her head and crossed her arms.

“You meannow?”

Her tapping foot made her answer clear.

With a sigh, Rylan dug his phone out of his coat pocket, scrolling to his father’s number. He hitcalland held up the screen to show her the line was ringing.

Rhiannon nodded with approval, and blew him a kiss before turning to meet Pierce at the car.

Rylan watched them go until the faint sound of his father’s voice on the other end of the line drew his attention back to the phone. “Hey, Pa,” he said, his voice steady but soft. “It’s me. Do you have some time? I really need to talk to you and Ma…”

chapter

thirty-seven

Two Months Later

Zak and Anna’shouse glowed against the cool December evening, the warmth inside spilling out onto the patio where fairy lights twinkled above the gathering. The scent of woodsmoke curled through the air from a fire pit set up near the lawn, mingling with the saltiness of the nearby ocean. Guests bundled in jackets and scarves lingered with steaming mugs of cider, laughter rising and falling like music.

Zak stood by the grill, flipping burgers with practiced ease while balancing a spatula in one hand and a non-alcoholic drink in the other as he traded barbs with Donovan. Anna floated through the crowd with their new son on her hip, the toddler’s cheeks pink from the cold as he babbled happily. They’d named him Kian, meaning “king” in Dari, a nod to Zak’s and the boy’s Afghan heritage. Poppy was enamored with her new baby brother, as was Bella, who was home from college for winter break. Their joy at completing their family was palpable, radiating warmth even as the temperature dipped into the forties.

Rylan stood apart from the crowd, leaning against the railing of the porch. Valor sat at his feet, ears perked up at the occasional sound of laughter, nose twitching at the scent of grilled meat wafting through the air. As Sasha had predicted, Valor didn’t seem to notice he only had three legs now. He was the same dog as before—demanding, comforting, protective, goofy, courageous—he just now had one less leg and an impressive scar to show for his courageousness.

Rylan had missed the dog with a surprising ferocity while in rehab. When he was released a few days ago and picked up Valor from the rescue, he’d cried and promised he’d never leave him like that again.

He planned to keep that promise.

The past two months had been a blur of therapy, routine, and learning to live with his demons instead of letting them control him. He’d made progress, but the work was far from over. Some days, the darkness still threatened to swallow him whole, but he was learning to reach for the light.

Like this party.

He was here tonight because of Zak and Anna—because they were family, and this adoption had been a hard-fought victory worth celebrating. Watching Kian toddle between guests, his tiny hands reaching out to anyone who would hold him, made Rylan’s chest ache with a bittersweet longing for something he wasn’t sure he’d ever have.

He searched the crowd, but he knew Izzy wasn’t there yet. He wanted to ask someone where she was or if she was even coming, but he didn’t want to come across as desperate or lovesick.

Which, yeah, he was both.

He hadn’t been allowed visitors in rehab, and although they spoke once a week when he had phone privileges, he missed her. He wanted— no,neededto see her.

He knew the moment she arrived with Ash, his gaze drawn to her like a magnet. They were both dressed in uniform, but she now had three chevrons on her collar to reflect her new rank of sergeant.

He was so damn proud of her.

She stopped near the fire pit to talk to Cal and Ellie, her dark chestnut ponytail catching the flickering light when she laughed at something Cal said. Her amber eyes sparkled like the flames, warm and bright, as she caught his gaze from across the patio. She smiled, and his breath hitched.

God, she was beautiful.

It took every ounce of control he had not to run to her and kiss her senseless.

Finally, she excused herself from Cal and Ellie and headed in his direction. “Hey, stranger.”

“Hey,” Rylan said, his voice coming out rougher than he wanted. He cleared his throat, trying to gather himself. “Your new rank looks good on you.”

Izzy’s smile widened as she stepped closer. “Thanks. It still feels a bit surreal, to be honest.” She reached out to brush her fingers along his forearm. “You’re looking good, Ry. Really good.”

“I worked out every day,” he said and then hissed out a breath when he realized how stupid it sounded.

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