Page 45 of Inevitable Dream

“Love you, honey,” she murmurs.

I say it back and hang up. Dropping back into my chair, I think of all the years I thought I had everything I wanted or needed and realize I was lying to myself. It’s Sadie; she’s been the missing piece. Now, I feel whole.

Chapter21

Loose Ends

Rebel

The hospital is busier tonight than it was last night. Sadie is waiting for us inside the main entrance, wearing her teal scrubs and her hair in a high ponytail that swishes back and forth as she walks. She’s busy attending to an elderly patient having trouble with her wheelchair and hasn’t noticed us yet.

When she’s finally done, she sees us and rushes toward us. When she reaches me, she comes up on her tiptoes, holds my shoulders, and kisses me sweetly, then turns to the guys and says, “Thank you for coming. I was just on my way up to see Kane when I got distracted.”

“Hey, Sadie, good to see you again,” Falcon greets her. Phoenix and Bull give her a “Hey,” and Wire does one better and gives her a kiss on the cheek.

“How’re you doing, Sadie-girl?” Wire asks with a smile.

“I haven’t seen you in a while, Wire. I was beginning to think you were avoiding me,” Sadie teases.

“No way. I was refining my plan on how to lure you away from this big guy”—he jerks his head in my direction—“and convince you to run away with me,” he jokes.

“I’m sorry, you’re wasting your time. I’m smitten with Rebel. But I can introduce you to lots of single nurses,” she says.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Wire replies, and I roll my eyes at the two of them.

“Maybe you can lead the way to Kane while Wire thinks it over,” Falcon kids.

“Follow me,” Sadie says, keeping her hand in mine and leading us to the elevators to the third floor, then down the corridor. We stop at Kane’s door. She gives a little knock and then opens the door. Kane is sitting in the chair next to the window. “Hi, Kane. How’re you feeling this morning?”

Kane turns his head, and I get a good look at him. The man needs some meat on his bones. But it’s the look in his eyes that gets my attention. Sadie described him as lost, but he’s not lost; he’s empty. He doesn’t know where he belongs or where he fits in.

“Better. My head stopped pounding,” Kane answers, looking at each of us.

“This is my boyfriend, Rebel,” Sadie begins the introductions, “and these are Wire, Phoenix, Bull, and this guy is Falcon. These are the men I was telling you about.”

“Please to meet you all,” Kane says.

Falcon is the first to extend his hand. “Pleasure is ours, Kane. Thought we’d talk for a while. You up for that?”

I walk Sadie to the door. “Give us some time with him alone. Some shit that he has to say may not be what you want to hear. I’ll come find you when we’re done.”

Sadie gives me a smile. “Okay, handsome. Fingers crossed that it goes well.”

When I turn back, the guys have already huddled around Kane. Let the healing begin.

Kane’s story is much like many I’ve heard. Kane joined the military to find purpose for his life after being the kid who was always a screwup in high school. He was a fun-loving teenager who didn’t take school as seriously as he should. He wanted to leave his small town, and his way out was the army. He left his girl behind too.

After completing his tour of duty, he had every intention of coming home to his sweetheart, getting married, and having a few kids of his own. Only, his father passed away from a heart attack while Kane was serving, his mother a year later from a broken heart from losing the only man she ever loved, and his girl decided she couldn’t wait any longer to have a ring on her finger and married another man.

Kane came back to nothing. His older brother tried, but didn’t understand what Kane had gone through overseas. In the end, Kane left his town so that he wasn’t a burden to his brother and his family.

“If you want a family, we’ve got one for you, but you have to put in the work,” Falcon tells him.

“What are you talking about?” Kane asks, confused.

“We’re all veterans. We’ve been where you’re at. The road to civilian life is difficult with a support team, damn near impossible without,” Phoenix says.

“Jacob tried—” Kane starts.

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