Matt's Family. Lynnette Kent

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      Gathering all her courage, Kristin met her husband’s stare. Right away, she saw that he recognized her hesitation, interpreted it correctly. His face held disappointment and anger and a deep, deep hurt.

      But he was a grown man—a soldier, in fact—who was used to dealing with difficult situations. Erin was still a little girl who needed care, understanding…protection. Whose view of the world would be forever changed when she finally knew the truth.

      “Well.” Hands pushing against his knees, Matt got to his feet. “I won’t argue with a mother’s instinct. You know Erin better than I do, so I guess you’re right.” The tone wasn’t sarcastic, but the words stung. “I think I’ll head on up to bed. Are you ready?”

      She was exhausted, yet too keyed up to sleep. “I think I’ll watch TV for a little while. You go ahead.”

      Matt lifted his chin, as if to take a punch. An instant longer he stood still, gazing at a horizon beyond the walls of the room.

      Then with his quick, long stride, he crossed to the couch. Bending, he kissed her on the forehead and briefly, on the lips. “Okay. I’ll see you later, then.”

      “G’night.” She wanted to add, “I love you.”

      But somehow she didn’t think she’d be believed.

      “IS IT REALLY wise to let Erin and Jenny go so far away?”

      Kristin looked up from folding little-girl underwear. “They’ll love the mountains.”

      Her mother picked up a pair of socks and rolled them together. “But—”

      “Just tell me what’s on your mind, Mom. Where do you see a problem?”

      “It seems strange to take a vacation apart from your children. Especially when they’re so young.”

      “That’s what happens in divorce.” She set a neat pile of laundry in the basket, then shrugged. “Strange arrangements have to be made.”

      “I wish—”

      Kristin simply waited.

      “I wish this had all turned out differently for you.”

      Didn’t they all? “How?”

      “If Matt had never gone away—”

      “He’s in the Army, Mom. That was his job, and still is.”

      “Well, maybe he needs another job. At least he could stay out of the Special Forces.” Her mother folded the last nightgown. “A man owes his wife and family consideration in matters like this. I imagine if you spoke to him—”

      “But I’m not going to, Mom.” She held her temper with an effort. “I married Matt knowing he was Army, knowing he was Special Forces. That’s a commitment I made. It wouldn’t be fair to ask him to change now.”

      A worry line deepened between her mother’s eyebrows. “But if something happens…how will you manage?”

      Kristin put her arms around the other woman’s shoulders and squeezed. So much had already happened. “I survived five years thinking Matt was dead, and I survived him coming back. I survived ending a marriage. I know the risks of Matt’s job, but I’m not going to ask him to give up the career he loves. We’ll deal with whatever comes up.”

      Irene Jennings sniffed, and returned the hug. “I just want you to be happy.” She stepped back and smiled. “Shall I make some coffee?”

      “That sounds good. I’ll take these upstairs. Be right back.”

      But in Erin’s room, Kristin sat down on the bed and put her face in her hands. Her brave words aside, she wasn’t at all sure what would happen next in her marriage, or how to face it.

      And the one person who could help—her husband—was the last person she could ask.

      ELENA BRENNAN TRACED the edge of the photograph with her finger. Matthew and Luke grinned at her from the paper, posed on the very rim of Arizona’s Grand Canyon. At twelve, Matthew had been tall for his age, gangly in the way adolescent boys are, passionately interested in the canyon and its history. He’d always been a serious, responsible child. With his father gone so much of the time on Army assignments, she’d depended on Matt as more than just a little boy. He had never let her down.

      A hand came to rest on her shoulder. Elena jumped slightly, and looked up to find her husband standing behind her. “Didn’t mean to startle you, m’dear. What have you got there?” He sat down at the table.

      She turned the album toward him. “I was dusting inside the cabinet in the family room and came across these pictures of our different vacations. We took this one at the Grand Canyon.”

      William nodded. “I remember. We lost Luke our second day there and were lucky to find him before he started down into the canyon with a group of climbers.” He chuckled. “That boy could find adventure wherever he went.”

      “Scaring us all to death in the process.” Elena didn’t share William’s fondness for Luke’s exploits. She’d worried too much, having to handle such an unpredictable boy on her own. She’d often needed Matt’s help to keep his brother from getting completely out of hand.

      “What else is in this album?” William flipped through the pages. “The skiing vacation in Utah…the beach trip…the tour of Washington. We did have some good times when the boys were young, didn’t we?”

      “Of course. You made sure we took a special family trip every year.” She leaned over to kiss his cheek. “I knew many Army wives whose husbands made no apologies for missing family times. I always felt lucky.” She got up from the table. “Shall I get dinner?”

      “Whenever you’re ready.” He sat at the table, browsing through the photograph album as she prepared their meal. Only as she set their plates on the table did William speak again. “I’m worried about Matt. He’s taking too long on this decision to get back into Special Forces.”

      “I expect Kristin is behind that delay. I seriously doubt she supports the idea.”

      “You think she would prevent him from returning to his unit?”

      “I think she could make it very difficult for him to do so.”

      “What can we do to help him get back on track?” As William set down his fork, his face reflected his troubled thoughts.

      She reached for his hand. “Perhaps you should talk to Matt alone. Without Kristin listening, you might make some progress.”

      William nodded. “I’ll do that. I bet the boy’ll stop looking so beaten once he’s back in the real Army.”

      Elena wondered, as they finished eating, how a change in Matt’s career would affect his marriage. She’d never thought Kristin truly appropriate as an Army wife, and she had hoped Matt would realize that in time. But then he had gone missing and Kristin had taken up with Luke, which confirmed all of Elena’s opinions.

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