Soldier of Her Heart

by Syndi Powell

  “But that’s on him, not us.” Cassie reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it. “You’ve changed, Andie.”

  “I won’t let him treat me like I’m nothing anymore. I’m strong. I’m capable. And I’m enough just as I am.”

  “But that’s the thing. You always were.”

  Andie gave her a soft smile. “But I finally believe it now.”

  * * *

  WITH RUSS AND Pattie back from their cruise, Andie’s nights were once again dedicated to repairing the window. The pattern of the window had been filled in with the various pieces of glass, and was ready to have its border wrapped in lead before being soldered together.

  Across the worktable, Russ held up a piece of border for Beckett to see. “This groove in the middle of the lead will be your guide to wrapping the glass.” He picked up a piece that would be attached to the border and demonstrated. “See?”

  Andie cradled her wrist still in the cast. She had another week until she could have it removed, but she was tempted to find a saw in Russ’s basement and do the honors herself. Her skin itched like crazy, and she wanted to be able to help more with the window.

  Now that they were on the lead stage, it would go faster. Depending on their busy schedules, they could finish it within the month. She couldn’t wait to see it installed at the house Beckett had been renovating.

  She also couldn’t wait to share the news she had been sitting on. She cleared her throat, and the two men stopped wrapping glass to look up at her. “I found the window’s artist.”

  Russ plopped down on his stool, and waited for her to continue, while Beckett stood still, watching her. “Well?” Beckett asked.

  “His name was William Casper. He made about a dozen stained glass windows in the early 1920s, but only four that they know about remain.” She nodded at the pieces of glass before them. “Five now, including this one.”

  Beckett’s jaw had dropped. “Who was he?”

  “He was primarily a local artist. I couldn’t find out a lot about him, but what I did find out would interest you both.” She paused as she looked at them. “He served in the trenches in France during World War I and returned to the States suffering from shell shock.”

  Russ nodded. “A different term for PTSD.”

  “My professor found some letters in an archive that describe how he used working with glass to help him with the dark thoughts that followed him home from war.” She reached out and touched one of the pieces of glass. Should she share the rest of Casper’s story if it could hurt the two men that she cared about? But she’d come this far, and the truth always had a way of revealing itself. “He died before he turned thirty which is why there aren’t more windows.”

  Beckett stiffened. “Suicide?”

  “No. A car accident. But he never married or had children. He died alone.” She looked up at Beckett and kept her eyes on him. “His letters to his sister describe how making the stained glass windows helped to make him feel whole again. He said that he put lighthouses in all his windows because they represented a safe harbor. Art helped to save him from the horrors he’d experienced.”

  Beckett swallowed and closed his eyes as Russ gave a low whistle. “No wonder we connected to this window. The artist was just like us.”

  “No, not like us.” Beckett opened his eyes and looked across the table at her. “We’re not alone, and we won’t be. We’ve got each other, right?”

  “Right.”

  They returned to work, the mood more somber than it had been before she’d shared her news. Andie looked over the pattern and groaned at the sight of one of the pieces of glass in the lighthouse that had a tiny crack. “We’ve been so careful, and now this? We’re out of the red glass. That means we have to recut this entire section with new glass in another color.”

  Beckett reached out and stilled her hand when she started to remove the red pieces. “No, let’s keep it that way.”

  “But it’s cracked. Flawed.”

  He nodded. “It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. I’m learning that even the scars or imperfections have their own appeal.”

  His words warmed her heart. She clasped his fingers and nodded. “It’s accepting the scars that bring something beautiful out of what might have otherwise been thrown away.”

  Neither one of them would ever be tossed aside because they weren’t perfect. They had each other.

  When they finished for the evening, Pattie brought out a chocolate torte for them all. “You don’t know how much I’ve missed our evenings together. I enjoyed going on the cruise, but I love baking for you all even more.”

  The older couple took turns sharing stories from the cruise. When the last bite was eaten, Russ peered at Beckett and then Andie. “That’s what we’ve been up to. What about the two of you?”

  Andie shrugged. “I gave my two weeks’ notice at the doctor’s office.”

  Pattie gasped. “You got a teaching job.”

  “Actually, I’ll be working at an art gallery part-time.” She took a sip of her tea. “I’ll have a studio there and for the rest of my time, I’ll be creating glass sculptures.”

  Russ clapped his hands. “It’s great that you’ve returned to your artistic roots. I’d like to think I had a hand in that by insisting you fix the window.” He redirected his attention to Beckett. “But that’s not what I was referring to.”

  Andie could feel her cheeks grow hot as Beckett reached across the table and took her hand in his. Pattie beamed at the two of them as Russ hit his fist on the table. “I knew it. I could have said you two would end up together that first night you walked in here.”

  “We’re still in the early days of this and trying to figure out what our future will look like.” Beckett rubbed his thumb across hers. “But I know that I’ve never had someone like Andie before. And I’m not letting her go again.”

  “Andromeda in Greek mythology was saved by a hero.” Russ glanced between them both. “But tell me, Beckett, did our Andie save you?”

  Beckett squeezed her hand and shook his head. “I think we saved each other.”

  * * *

  BECKETT’S HOUSE HAD never had so many people inside it. He’d intended to hold the party in the backyard, but a week of early-May rainstorms had turned it into a mud pit that Phoebe loved to roll around in. He only hoped everyone he’d invited would fit inside. He’d never been good with a crowd, but a night like this deserved to be celebrated with family and friends.

  Andie took over his kitchen, directing people where to get food and drinks as he answered the front door and welcomed his guests. Russ walked up behind him, a red plastic cup of pop in one hand. “You’re lucky to have her, you know.”

  He gave the older man a nod. “I’m lucky to have you too. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t agreed to work on the window with us.”

  Russ didn’t say anything, but the older man’s eyes glistened as he patted Beckett on the back before joining his wife. Pattie was speaking with Andie’s mother. Lillian seemed to have accepted him, albeit begrudgingly. She’d taken him aside a few weeks ago and threatened to harm him if he ever hurt her daughter. He’d promised to do everything in his power to keep that from happening. Then he’d gotten a visit from the Buttucci brothers who issued the same warning.

  The doorbell rang again, and Beckett welcomed Lewis. The young man looked as if he was starting to gain back some weight and had a healthier glow than when he’d been in the hospital almost three months before. Working with Rob and Beckett seemed to have given the young man purpose, and with the help of a few others, while he wasn’t completely out of the woods, he was well on his way to recovery. “Glad you could make it.”

  “Kind of hard to refuse when the boss invites you,” the kid teased.

  Lewis paused and glanced at all the people. He took a step back, but Beckett patted him on the
shoulder. “It’s okay. You’re safe here.”

  The young man looked up at him, then took a tentative step forward. “Think I’ll go get a drink.” He glanced at Beckett. “Pop. Not alcohol.”

  Lewis would be okay. Beckett would keep an eye on the young man to make sure of it. Maybe the two of them could figure it out together. Lewis had reached out to his family, but they were understandably hesitant while he was still in his recovery. But the first step had been taken.

  Beckett had even begun bringing Rob and Lewis to the monthly meetings with Russ’s vet friends. He never expected to find comrades in arms across so many battlefields, but there it was. They knew. They understood. And they helped him find answers when there didn’t seem to be any.

  Another knock on the door, and Beckett turned to welcome more to the party. His brother stood on the doorstep holding hands with a young woman. The journey back to being family hadn’t been easy, but they were taking it together. “You’re late.”

  “You said seven. I’m right on time.”

  “Early is on time. And on time is—”

  “Late,” they finished saying together.

  He grabbed his brother in a tight hug before Simon had the chance to say another word. Beckett had learned his lesson, and he wasn’t going to let his own family get away from him again.

  His brother laughed, but returned the hug. “Easy, bro. Or you’re going to embarrass me in front of my date.”

  “Too late. You’re already an embarrassment,” Beckett said before releasing his brother and letting him introduce the woman beside him.

  Once everyone had arrived, Beckett called Andie up to the front of the group where an easel was draped with a white sheet. He put his arm around her waist and turned to their family and friends. “On New Year’s Eve, I found what I thought was a treasure. A stained glass window that was hidden behind a wall. Cracked and broken, it looked a lot like I felt.

  “I sent out a call for help, and this angel right here answered.” He turned to Andie, who pinked at his words. “She told me she couldn’t fix it, but she knew someone who could.” He pointed to Russ, who clasped his hands and held them above his head like a victor. “Russ said he’d teach us, and together we brought back something that was discarded.

  “Turns out the artist of this window was a vet returning from World War I. He had scars and nightmares of his own, but creating the window helped restore him. I know the feeling because repairing it brought healing for me. So tonight, I’m proud to show you the window, restored to its former glory.”

  Together, Andie and Beckett removed the sheet to reveal the window. People gasped and exclaimed at the reveal, taking turns to walk up and get a better look.

  Cassie walked up to Beckett when he had a moment alone. She looked over at her sister who talked with his brother, Simon. “I’ve never seen her glowing like that. I think that’s because of you.”

  He hoped it was. “Love will do that.”

  “I could say the same for you. You don’t look as restless as you once did.”

  Love had done that too. He didn’t need to be afraid of the future anymore. Not with Andie by his side. “I know I don’t deserve Andie, but I will try every day to be better for her.”

  “I think you’re both good for each other, but then I guess that’s what you look for in a partner.” She glanced across the room, and he saw her smile at her husband, who gave her a wink. “Welcome to the family.”

  It was as if she knew about the ring that waited in his top dresser drawer as soon as he had the perfect moment. He gave a short nod. “Thank you, Cass.”

  Later, with everyone gone, Andie and Beckett stood in front of the window, their arms around each other’s waists. So much work had gone into it, and now it was ready for its new home, here in Beckett’s house.

  Andie rested her head on his shoulder. “Are you certain you want to hang it here instead of maybe selling it?”

  He placed a hand on her cheek. “Why would I want to give away something so beautiful? That has come to mean so much to me?”

  “You’ll keep it no matter what?”

  He placed a soft kiss on her lips, knowing they weren’t talking about the window anymore. “No matter what.”

  * * *

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  Always the One

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  CHAPTER ONE

  “I DON’T LIKE the looks of this,” Derrick Matthews said to his three brothers as they huddled around the beach bonfire, waiting for their mother’s news. He hunched deeper into the fleece jacket worn over a T-shirt and jeans as a brisk wind whipped over the water. As the sun sank into the horizon, a damp chill settled in. The stacked logs snapped and crackled, pieces of ash rising in the air before being swept away.

  “She’s been cagey, even more than usual,” Dante replied as he eyed the crowd. “Which is saying a lot.”

  “You don’t think...” Dylan trailed off at the nods sent in his direction.

  “Oh, yeah,” Derrick confirmed. “They’re going to make it official.”

  He and his brothers stared into the burning flames. Their mother was going to marry a man with a sketchy past and if they valued their relationship with her, there wasn’t a thing they could do about it.

  “It’s not like we didn’t expect this,” Deke reasoned.

  Derrick leaned back in the beach chair, his gaze traveling to his mother, Jasmine, who was currently surrounded by a circle of friends. “Still, this is Mom we’re talking about.”

  He couldn’t deny she looked happy. Happier than he’d ever seen her in the years since their father had died. Shouldn’t that count for something?

  As the conversation faded, Deke and Dante, his two youngest brothers, rose and wandered over to their girlfriends. Derrick watched, the envy he’d tried to ignore all weekend making a repeat appearance. He was happy for his brothers, too, wasn’t he?

  “You okay with Mom doing this?” he asked Dylan, the second brother in the Matthews line. All the brothers were dark-haired, with varied shades of blue eyes, concerned about the woman who had raised them.

  “Not particularly, but it’s what she wants.”

  “And you’re tired of arguing with her?” Derrick asked, amused by his brother’s failed attempt to rein in their mother.

  “She’s stubborn,” Dylan muttered.

  “I tried to talk to her, but she ended up lecturing me, so I gave up.”

  “She lectured you?”

  “What can I say? I was deep into a case and she caught me off guard.”

  “Like she manages to do with all of us,” Dylan said.

  “You know you could investigate. We threatened Stanhope we’d do it.”

  Dylan looked at Derrick like he’d lost his mind. “Not if I prize my future.”

  Derrick chuckled. “Exactly.”

  “So I’ll let it go. For tonight.”

  The Cypress Pointe crowd had gathered for the special occasion, which was all the insight their mother would allow. Neighbors, townsfolk, kids and teens swarmed the beach located not far from the city park. The sand ran up to the grassy area, which then led to sidewalks, picnic benches and a large gazebo used for town, or private, events. Everyone brought a dish to share. There were drinks galore, plenty of riveting conversation and the occasional firecracker set off farther up the beach. It reminded Derrick of his youth, even if he hadn’t grown up in this partic
ular Florida location, but the antics were still the same.

  “So when’s your big day?” Derrick asked, referring to Dylan’s upcoming wedding.

  “This summer.”

  “You’re going to brave the Florida heat?”

  “It’s what Kady wants.”

  Right. Dylan’s fiancée. The first of the brothers to make it to the altar.

  Dylan and Kady had met during a DEA investigation in this sleepy little tourist town. Since then, Jasmine Matthews had moved to Cypress Pointe to be near one of her sons because the rest were scattered. What they hadn’t expected was for her to fall for a man and remarry.

  Derrick and his brothers were law enforcement, following in their police commissioner father’s footsteps, or had been, anyway. Dylan had met Kady during an undercover stint in town, but was still on the job. Former criminal forensics, Deke had gone off to the Georgia mountains to get a line on the man in their mother’s life and had fallen in love with Grace. He now worked as an outdoor guide for her family’s adventure vacation business. And Dante, the youngest, had left his position as a detective with a local PD. His girlfriend, Eloise, had been promoted to sergeant, but Dante had decided to open a specialty mechanic shop to work on classic cars, located on the other coast of Florida.

  They were happy with their decisions, in love and bugging the socks off him.

  “Good luck with that,” Derrick grumbled.

  “Don’t need luck. Just two words that’ll make me happy.”

  I do. Yeah, he got it.

  “You’re still my best man?”

  “Wouldn’t miss it.” Even though he’d like to. He didn’t need a reminder of the love he’d once had and lost, but he wouldn’t tell Dylan no. They were close, all the brothers were, and Derrick would do his part, even if it about killed him.

  He must have frowned because Dylan said, “It’s been a long time.”

  Like he’d ever forget. “Feels like a hundred years.”