Page 113 of Searching for Valor

Walker smiled. “Rylan said you’d ask, which is why he called me fifteen minutes ago with an update. Shane’s wife is fine, and so is the baby. They had a girl.”

“Okay. Good. That’s… good.” He cleared his throat to ease the sudden tightness. “So what’s this about? Did Rylan send you to give me a ride somewhere?”

“In a manner of speaking.” He lifted his hat and dragged a hand through his shaggy, steel-gray hair before settling the hat back in place. “I run Valor Ridge Ranch in Montana. It’s a halfway house for ex-con veterans looking to put their lives back together. I’m here to offer you a place to stay if you’re interested.”

“Montana? I’m not supposed to leave the state of California.”

“For this program, you can. It’s already been cleared with the parole board.” Walker studied him for a moment, his blue eyes bright under the shadow of his hat. “I’ve been where you are,son. I know how hard it is to walk out of those gates with nothing but the clothes on your back and a whole lot of baggage weighing you down. Valor Ridge is a place for men like us to find our footing, to rediscover our purpose. We could use another set of hands.” He stepped aside and motioned toward his truck. “Also heard you’re pretty damn good with dogs.”

Jax glanced at the truck bed, where a cattle dog with intelligent blue eyes and a wagging stub of a tail sat watching him. He reached out instinctively, letting the dog sniff his hand before giving him a good scratch behind the ears. “What’s his name?”

“Cowboy,” Walker said, leaning against the truck. “He’s been itching to meet you. I told him you’re a work in progress, but he didn’t seem to mind.”

Jax huffed a quiet laugh. “Yeah, well, dogs are good like that. They don’t judge.”

Walker nodded. “That’s the truth. Dogs have a way of getting right to the heart of a man. Reckon that’s why they make such good partners for folks who’ve been through hell and back.”

Cowboy’s tail thumped against the truck bed as he leaned into Jax’s touch, his tongue lolling out in a happy grin.

“We’re looking to grow our canine program out at the ranch,” Walker continued. “Got about a dozen we’re training for vets with PTSD. They’re good for the men, and the men are good for them. It’s a real fulfilling program. Rylan mentioned you’ve been working with dogs on the inside?”

“Yeah, I got into the prison dog training program a couple years back.”

“And how’d you like it?”

“It gave me something to focus on, a way to feel useful.” He gave Cowboy a final pat before straightening up to face Walker again. “Look, I appreciate the offer, but I’m not sure I’m cut out for ranch life. I’m a city boy.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit. You’re a SEAL.”

“Was,” Jax corrected. “The Navy stripped my trident when I went to prison.”

Walker shrugged, unfazed. “No one’s born knowing how to muck stalls or mend fences. It’s something you learn by doing. And from what I hear, you’re a quick study.” He tilted his head, appraising Jax with those piercing eyes. “You want to keep feeling useful, have a reason to get up in the morning?”

Jax hesitated, his gaze drifting to the horizon. The idea of a fresh start, a chance to rebuild his life far from the shadows of his past, was tempting. “Yeah, but I’ve got a lot of demons to sort through, and I don’t want to bring that baggage to your doorstep.”

Walker’s weathered face softened. “Those demons are precisely why Valor Ridge exists. We’ve all got our crosses to bear, our mistakes to atone for. But you don’t have to do it alone. That’s the beauty of this place—it’s a brotherhood, a chance to lean on each other as we find our way back to the men we want to be.”

A long moment stretched between them as Jax weighed his options. Montana was a hell of a long way from California, but what did he really have keeping him here? He didn’t have family here, had no place to live, and only a few hundred bucks to his name. Maybe a fresh start in wide-open country was exactly what he needed.

“You got another plan?” Walker asked finally.

“Not much of one,” he admitted.

The corner of Walker’s mouth twitched into a smile. “Then what do you say we hit the road? It’s a long drive to Montana, and Cowboy’s not the patient type.”

Jax glanced back at the prison one last time and studied the concrete walls that had been his home for five long years. He was ready to leave this place behind, to leave behind the Jax whohad walked through those gates broken and lost. He was ready to find out who he could become.

“Yeah. Okay. I’m in.”

Walker clapped him on the shoulder. “Toss your bag in the back and climb in. Cowboy’s called shotgun, but I reckon he’ll let you have the window seat.”

When Jax pulled open the passenger side door, Cowboy jumped out of the bed and into the cab. He climbed in after the dog, setting his duffel on the floor, and Cowboy immediately rested his head on his knee. Jax scratched behind the dog’s ears absentmindedly as Walker settled behind the wheel.

“This is a good dog you got here.”

“Yup. The best.”

“He doesn’t look like he needs much training.”

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