Special Forces Father

by Mallory Kane

  “I see them on the TV. Some of them use paint on their faces. I was scared, but I figured out you were on our side.”

  “I see.” Travis was stunned. Max was not just smart, he was scary smart. “I think you take after your mom.”

  Max nodded, as if he heard that every day. “Did you just come home?” he asked.

  That rendered Travis speechless. He turned and looked at Kate, silently asking for help. What did Max mean, come home?

  “Max?” Kate said. “What do you mean?”

  “You know, Mommy. Like heroes on TV. They come home and their family is there and the TV is there, then the soldiers are heroes.”

  “Oh.” Kate sounded dumbfounded, too. Travis sat there as Max looked at his mom, then at Travis, then back to his mom.

  “Well, yes,” Kate finally said. “He is a hero. He saved you and me, right? When he helped us out the window.” She came over to the coffee table and sat next to Travis. “Max, come here a minute.”

  Dutifully, Max got up from the floor and went to his mom. She picked him up and sat him on her knee, then looked at him closely. “Are you sleepy?” she asked.

  “Uh-uh,” Max said, shaking his head. “I mean, no, ma’am.”

  “Okay.” Kate looked at Travis with an unreadable expression on her face.

  Travis looked back, frowning. What was she about to do? Take him away and put him to bed?

  She inhaled deeply. “Okay,” she said again on a sigh. “Max, you know how you sometimes ask me about your daddy?”

  “Uh-huh,” Max said, rolling the car up her arm. Kate stopped it with her hand.

  “Max, listen to me a minute. Tell Travis what I’ve told you about your daddy.”

  Max pouted a little but he finally answered. “My daddy is a soldier. He’s protecting the United States. He—um—”

  “He doesn’t live with us—” Kate prompted.

  Travis heard a slight break in her voice.

  “He doesn’t live with us but he’s a good man. He’s a—” Max looked thoughtful for a second, then gasped. “Mommy!” His face lit up and he beamed at his mom. Then he turned his attention to Travis. “You don’t live with us and you’re a hero! Does that mean you’re my daddy?”

  Travis felt hot tears sting the backs of his eyes. He couldn’t speak. A lump the size of Louisiana was suddenly blocking his throat. His hazy gaze turned toward Kate.

  “Well, soldier?” she said, her voice quavering.

  “Wh-what should I say?” Travis muttered.

  “It’s up to you,” she said. “But if you were telling me the truth the other day when you said you would never leave me alone again, then maybe you should tell your son the truth, too.”

  “I’m—” Travis began, but that lump was still there. He tried again. “I’m your daddy, Max,” he said gruffly. “Is that okay with you?”

  Suddenly, Max’s eyes got wide and he looked unsure of himself. “Mommy?” he said in a small voice. “It’s okay, right?”

  Kate pulled him close and kissed his face over and over, until he squealed. “Sweetheart, you’re awfully young to be as wise as you are. But yes. Your daddy is a hero and a soldier and he’s sitting right here in front of you.” She took a shaky breath, glanced sidelong at Travis, then said, “He’s been hurt and he’s going to have to have some help getting better.” She glanced at Travis again. “But we just might end up being a family together. Would you like that?”

  Max looked at her for a moment. Then he turned and looked at Travis.

  Travis smiled and winked at him, and Max hid his head in the curve of his mom’s shoulder.

  “Max? What do you say?” Kate asked him.

  Travis couldn’t breathe. He’d faced enemy fire. He’d faced captivity, severe hunger, cold and darkness. He’d faced beatings and torture. But nothing had ever scared him as much as waiting for this little boy’s answer did.

  Then Max nodded, his head still buried in Kate’s shoulder. “Yes, ma’am,” he said. “Wait till I tell Justin and Marcus that my daddy’s a hero.”

  Epilogue

  Dr. Kate Chalmet was nervous as a cat. She had to go to Robert and Betty Carole Delancey’s home to attend a Memorial Day cookout by herself. Travis had been gone for the past three days to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, then to Washington, D.C., to receive his medical discharge. His plane was due to land at six o’clock. Lucas was picking him up at the airport.

  Kate parked in front of the sprawling white house in Chef Voleur, Louisiana, on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain. She exited and opened the back driver’s side door to let Max out of his car seat. He was halfway done with the fastenings by the time she opened the door.

  “Max, I’ve told you before, don’t start undoing the belts until I stop the car.”

  “I didn’t, Mommy. I’m fast.”

  Kate laughed. “You sure are, and getting faster every day.”

  “Kate!” a pleasant, lilting voice called.

  Kate finished undoing Max’s seat belts and he jumped out of the car. “Stay with me, Max. Hi, Cara Lynn.” Kate held out her arms and Cara Lynn and she hugged. “It’s been a long time.”

  “Too long,” Cara Lynn agreed. “Max, come here,” she said. “I’ve got something for you.”

  “For me?” Max exclaimed. “Yea! What is it?”

  Cara Lynn handed him a small paper bag. “See for yourself.”

  “Mommy, it’s an LSU baseball cap. It’s your school, right?”

  “That’s right.” Kate smiled at Cara Lynn. “Too cute. Thanks.”

  Cara Lynn was looking at Max, shaking her head. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it from the beginning. Even as a newborn he had that hair and those eyelashes. He’s just like Travis—looks and actions. Look at him. My first nephew! Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I’m sorry,” Kate said. “I guess I was afraid of what you would think. And now I’m terrified of what your folks are going to say.”

  Cara Lynn gestured for Kate to walk with her up the long curving sidewalk. “Don’t be. Mom’s sweet. She’ll adore you just because you’ve brought her a grandson. Then when she gets to know you, you’ll be just like one of the family.”

  “And your dad?” Kate asked apprehensively.

  “Dad talks pretty well. But he doesn’t interact with anyone much. I have no idea what he’ll think about Max. I do know that Lucas and Ethan—and I’m sure Travis—will be watching him closely. They don’t have good memories of him from their childhood.”

  “But he won’t—”

  Cara Lynn’s lips thinned. “His stroke was massive. He can barely move and talk. He’s not going to hurt your son.”

  Kate’s face burned. “I’m sorry, Cara. I didn’t mean—”

  She waved a hand. “It’s okay. I get mad at my older brothers a lot. Harte and I don’t remember Dad the same way they do. The man we grew up with wouldn’t—couldn’t hurt a fly.” She walked up to the door and swung it open. “Come in,” she said to Kate. “And brace yourself. You’re about to meet the entire Delancey clan.”

  Kate held Max as Cara led her toward a pretty woman and a man in a wheelchair.

  “Mom, Dad, this is Kate Chalmet.”

  Kate smiled shakily and clutched Max more tightly as she waited to see what Travis’s parents would do.

  “Kate,” Betty Carole Delancey said. “I’m so glad to meet you. And this must be Max.”

  Max ducked his head and hid his face in Kate’s blouse. “Max,” Kate said. “This is Travis’s mother.”

  “Now, Kate,” Betty Carole said in an admonishing tone.

  Kate cringed, but before she had a chance to wonder what she’d said wrong, Travis’s mother continued.

  “Max, I’m your grandmama. What do you think about that?”

  Max peered at her sidelong. She grinned at him and finally, he lifted his head and smiled at her. “Grandmama?” he said.

  Betty Carole laughed. “Yes. That’s right. And this is your granddaddy.
” Betty Carole turned to Robert Delancey, who was eyeing Max with a pensive expression on his face. “Robert, this is Max. He’s Travis’s son.”

  “Travis,” Robert said, his mouth twisting a little as he worked to form the word.

  Max’s fist tightened on the back of Kate’s shirt. “Mommy?” he whispered.

  “It’s okay, Max,” she said. “He’s your granddaddy.”

  Betty Carole placed a hand on Robert’s shoulder. “Robert, where’s Travis’s car?” she asked him, then looked at Max. “Your granddaddy wanted me to find a special toy car that Travis had when he was a little boy. Would you like to see it?”

  “Car?” Max echoed, peering at her and then at Robert.

  Robert nodded. “Car—” he said. “Max. You want—car?”

  The little boy nodded. “Let me down, Mommy.”

  Kate set him on the floor and he stood there, watching Robert as the older man reached under the blanket that covered his legs and came out with a red wooden car. It was old, and the paint was scratched and dinged, but as soon as Max saw it, he reached for it.

  “Mommy! It’s like mine!” he cried.

  Robert looked up at her. “Okay?” he asked.

  She nodded, smiling.

  “Okay.” Robert held out the car and Max took it.

  “Max,” Kate said. “What do you say?”

  Max looked at Robert. “Thank you,” he said. “Granddaddy.”

  “Oh,” Betty Carole exclaimed quietly. When she looked at Kate, there were tears in her eyes.

  Kate felt her own eyes sting. “Thank you both,” she murmured.

  At that instant, Dawson approached and introduced Kate to his wife, Juliana. They asked permission to show Max a computer football game.

  Then Betty Carole introduced her to Lucas’s wife, Angela, a dark-haired beauty who seemed perfectly at ease in the middle of dozens of Delanceys. Ethan, who was younger than Lucas and Travis, seemed more serious and intense than his brothers. Harte greeted her warmly, introduced her to Danielle, then took her across the room to meet his aunt and uncle, Michael and Edina Delancey.

  Dawson’s brothers, Ryker and Reilly, the twins she’d heard about, were there. Ryker told her that his wife, Nicole, a chef, was helping with the meal and that he didn’t know where Reilly’s wife, Christy, was. “She’s probably in the den, playing with Max and Dawson,” he said with a smile.

  Then Edina brought over a red-haired woman. She introduced her as Rosemary Delancey. “This is my daughter,” Edina said. “She has just come back to us after twelve years. We thought she was dead. And this is her fiancé, Detective Dixon Lloyd.” Kate was nearly dumbfounded. Even with the faint scar that ran from her hairline to her jaw, Rosemary was stunning, her long wavy hair pulled back at her nape. She and Dixon were a study in contrasts. He was intense and darkly handsome, and he only had eyes for her.

  Kate heard Travis’s voice behind her. She turned and saw him standing inside the front door with Lucas. The two of them were talking with Paul Guillame. Kate excused herself and stepped closer. She heard a snippet of their conversation.

  “Well, I should think not,” Paul was saying. “Senator Stamps was shocked to find out what Gavin Whitley had done.”

  Lucas’s lip curled in faint derision. “And Darby Sills was clueless, as well, I guess.”

  Paul waved a hand. “I think Darby Sills could fall into a pigpen and come out smelling like a rose. I’m just glad that the D.A. dropped the charges against Myron. He didn’t have to face prison or have to live with the stigma of being declared temporarily insane. Now the D.A. has Whitley’s huge kidnapping case to sink his claws into.”

  Travis pulled Kate close when she walked up. “Well, Whitley and Woods and Shirley Hixon will all pay for their parts in the kidnapping.”

  Kate nodded. “And Max is okay.”

  “Oh,” Paul said. “Did you all hear? Claire is coming home.”

  Travis said, “Aunt Claire? Why? I thought she was perfectly happy in Paris with— What was his name? The superwealthy French guy?”

  “Oh, for goodness’ sake,” Paul said. “It’s Ektor Petrakis, the superwealthy Greek guy. And in fact, that is why she’s coming home. Ektor died.”

  “Oh,” Travis said. “Sorry to hear that.”

  “Yes, well, I never understood what she saw in him that would make her leave her family,” Paul continued. “I’ll be so glad to see her. She’s in her late seventies now, you know.”

  Lucas excused himself. Travis started to introduce Kate to Paul, but he waved a hand. “Yes, yes, Kate. We met the other day when she interviewed me. Oh! There’s that lovely Rosemary. I need to speak to her. Later.” And he was gone.

  Kate turned to Travis, shaking her head. “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a family this large—anywhere. How do you keep up?”

  He laughed. “It’s a sort of comfortable chaos. It’s been like this all my life.” He kissed her lightly on the lips.

  “What did the doctors say?” she asked him.

  A look of annoyance crossed his face. “I have to see a shrink for a few months, to be sure I’ve fully recovered from my traumatic experience,” he said wryly.

  “No, I meant about your—wound,” Kate said, grinning. “Your posterior wound.”

  “All right. I get enough ribbing from the guys. I’m not going to take it from you, too,” Travis said, trying not to smile. “So, the shrink thing. I don’t guess I can see you?”

  “No,” Kate said, “but I can recommend someone.” She touched his cheek. “How are you?”

  He smiled at her. “I’m good. Really good. Where’s my son?”

  “He’s in the—” she gestured vaguely “—one of the rooms, playing with Dawson. You’d better watch that guy. He seems to be a Pied Piper around kids.”

  “Yeah, he always was.” Travis turned his head and whispered in Kate’s ear. “So how are you doing?”

  “Totally overwhelmed by your family. Didn’t you tell me none of your siblings or cousins were married when you joined the army five years ago?”

  “Yeah,” Travis said on a laugh. “I’ve been trying to count the fallen ones.”

  “Here’s my best guess,” she said. “All four of Michael’s children—Dawson, the twins, Ryker and Reilly, are married or soon to be, with Rosemary’s engagement to Detective Lloyd. In your family, Lucas is married. From what everyone is saying, Harte and Dani are about to be married, and—”

  “And what?”

  Kate, suddenly at a loss for words, just shrugged.

  “And if we get married that’ll be seven out of nine, right? Leaving only Ethan and Cara Lynn.”

  She nodded, her cheeks pink.

  Travis slid his arm around her waist and whispered, “What do you say we find one of the unoccupied rooms on the second floor and go discuss our options.”

  At that moment, Betty Carole called out, “Everyone? Everyone! Dinner’s ready. Come and taste Nicole’s creations. She has done a superb job.”

  “I think I’d better start learning how to get along with your huge family, Travis Delancey.”

  “Mommy!”

  Kate turned in time to be pummeled with an armful of a four-year-old. Travis stooped and swept up Max before he could knock her down.

  “Watch it, little man. Where do you think you’re going?”

  Max looked at Travis, at Kate, then back to Travis. “These people are all yours?” he asked.

  Travis put a hand on Max’s head. “They’re all mine—and they’re yours now.”

  “Ours,” Max said. “This is a big family.”

  “Very big,” Kate agreed.

  “There’s lots of little families in big families.”

  Kate met Travis’s eye. “Told you he was smart,” she mouthed.

  “We’re a little family, right?” he demanded, tapping his mommy’s face. “You and me and my hero daddy?”

  Travis realized the entire roomful of people were watching them. Then, as if someone had waved a baton
, they all went silent, waiting for Travis to answer his son.

  Travis looked at Kate. She stepped up to him and slid her arm around his waist and laid her head on his shoulder. “We are definitely a little family, Max,” she said.

  * * * * *

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  Chapter One

  “This special news report just in—an amber alert has been issued for six-year-old Hank Forte. Hank was last seen at the county fair in Amarillo.”

  Brody Bloodworth’s heart clenched as a photo of the boy appeared on screen. The little boy had blond hair, was wearing a black T-shirt, jeans and cowboy boots. He could be one of the kids on the BBL, the Bucking Bronc Lodge he had started for needy children.

  But he reminded him more of his own little brother, Will, and launched him back seven years ago to the day Will had gone missing.

  Not from a county fair but from the rodeo where he was supposed to be watching him.

  Self-loathing and guilt suffused him, once again robbing his lungs of air. He understood what the family of that little boy was going through now. The panic. The fear.

  The guilt.

  If only they’d kept a better eye on him. If only they hadn’t turned their head for a minute.

  What was happening to him? Had he just wandered off? Would they find him hiding out or playing somewhere at the fair? Maybe he had fallen asleep in a stall housing one of the animals...