"Yeah, so you say, but nobody knows because you live an hour away from us. Right? On purpose, I'm sure." Mindy groaned and closed her eyes. "Look I didn't come here to berate you. You have to know that because Mom and I keep trying to help you."
Meghan rubbed her temples. She knew Mindy believed her version of the truth, but it was impossible to reconcile with her reality.
"Meghan, I even went of my way to get you a date, and you stand him up! Seriously, who does that? You were there, and you didn't even go over and introduce yourself. Do you have any idea what that can do to a person? You claim that we don't take your feelings into account? Well, pot meet kettle!"
Oh hell, she hadn't texted Carl yesterday. She dropped her head. She'd meant to, she honestly meant to text him, but she was so excited about going out with Rio that she'd forgotten. "Carl's feelings were hurt?"
"Duh." Her sister spit the word out as if Meghan was an idiot. "You need to make it up to him. He's agreed to give you another chance." Mindy pulled a piece of paper out of the pocket of her jeans and placed it on the counter. "Meet him here, Friday night at seven. Please consider how you made me look. You hurt his feelings, and you have the gall to tell Mom that we don't care for you. When did you become so selfish? Everything has always been about you."
Mindy turned and walked through the apartment to the front door. "Call Mom and apologize. Make that date, and maybe take a hard, long look inside yourself, Meghan. I've always supported you, so has Mom. Always. Just because you don't like to hear the truth about yourself doesn't mean we're wrong."
The door shut quietly, but the sound echoed in Meghan's mind. She slumped, letting the wall support her. She closed her eyes and slid down the wall, crumpling in the small kitchen. She wrapped her hands around her legs and lowered her head to her knees. The abyss of self-doubt roared through her mind. Was it really her? Was she the one who was wrong? Was she a bad person for wanting those who said they loved her to accept her as she was? No, she wasn't wrong. She wasn't.
Chapter 9
Rio glanced at his phone, surprised Meg hadn't texted him back. He sat on the front porch of his family home in one of the oversized rockers, absorbing the warmth of the morning. His parents had arrived home this morning, and they'd done the family catch-up thing. His mother had dominated the conversation, as usual.
The screen door opened, and his dad wandered out, two tall glasses of sweet tea in his hands. He gave one to Rio and sat down in the matching oversized rocker.
"Thank you." Rio took a sip of the sweet goodness before he set it down on the table between the rockers.
"You’re welcome. You know, I was shocked when I got your email telling me you'd decided to come home."
Rio rolled his head on the wood behind him. "Why's that?"
His father sighed and motioned with his hand. "None of this has ever really mattered to you. Your calling wasn't the same as mine or Mason's."
Rio nodded and pushed his rocker into motion. "Hard to turn your back on millions of dollars."
His father chuckled. "True, but you know that money would have gone back into the business, and both your mother and I have provided for you in our wills."
His eyebrows hit his hairline on that one. "No, I didn't realize that, but in honesty, it wouldn't have changed my decision. There were reasons I left."
"Care to share?" His dad took a sip of his tea and pushed his chair, setting it in motion.
Rio leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, fingers steepled before him. He'd rehearsed this moment a hundred times. "I want to do something with the money Pops left me."
His father moved, mimicking his position. Rio looked over at his old man. The guy was his idol growing up and a damn good man. "Life as a SEAL is unique. We live and bleed for our country. 24/7/365. Period. It is what we do. But, when it is time to take the step away from the service, there isn't anything out there to assist in the transition. It's fucking hard to leave the structure, the environment, and the world you've been literally immersed in for years."
The furrow in his dad's brow deepened. "And?"
"I want to build a company that works with people like me, SEALs, Recon, Green Berets, Delta Force, Rangers, the elite warfighter. I want to link specific skill sets to the private sector to give these guys the opportunity to keep fighting, but in a different capacity."
His dad drew a deep breath, and his eyes dropped to the painted white boards under their feet. A small nod started before it became larger. "Okay. And I must tell you, I’m not at all surprised that you want to move in this direction."
"You're not?"
His father shook his head. "Did I tell you Maisey died suddenly a couple months ago?"
Rio's gut clenched. Maisey was his father's long-time secretary. She had been the one helping him with... Ah, hell. "No, I didn't know. What happened? How is her husband doing? Does he need anything?"
His father reached out and patted him on the arm. "She passed in her sleep, a heart attack. Sal is doing well. I visit with him once a month or so, and I made sure he has no monetary worries. His kids moved him down to Florida to be closer to them."
Rio swallowed hard. Maisey was always so happy and vibrant. Her loss had to have been horrible for her family and his father. "Good. Okay..." He glanced away. Dammit, that information hurt.
"Since I was basically retired anyway, I didn't have HR replace her. Heck, I'm only there a few hours a week, so there wasn't really any point, you know."
"It would be impossible to replace Maisey."
"True. One day while I was in the office, her phone rang, so I answered it. There was this woman on the line. She was in tears. Imagine my shock. I planted myself in Maisey's chair and asked the woman what was wrong."
Rio stared at his dad. "What was it?"
"This woman wasn't upset, she was thrilled and crying and trying to thank us for what we'd done."
"Oh?" Rio prompted his father.
"Yeah. Seems Northern Nova paid her son's tuition to USC—or someone who used Northern Nova as a shield to keep his identity from being known."
"Oh." Rio swallowed and looked away from his dad. He could feel his face heating up. Maisey had been okay with him using the company letterhead and her phone number when he needed to lend a helping hand and didn't want his team to know he'd been involved.
"Yeah, oh. Who was the young man?" His father's voice didn't hold any malice.
"The son of one of my teammates. Hector was killed in action. His wife is a nurse, so she makes okay money, but she couldn't afford college tuition, the dorm and books for Carlos without Hector's VA benefits. They'd get them eventually, as soon as the red tape worked its way through the system, but Carlos was already accepted. If he didn't have the money, he'd lose his place. How'd she find out?"
His father leaned back and started his chair rocking. "She traced down the benefactor through USC's financial aid office. She told me she wanted to thank us personally for the selfless blessing. I told her that it was an honor to help, but you and I both know I had no idea what the hell I was talking about, don't we?"
Rio shifted uncomfortably before he nodded.
"We talked for about a half hour. She seems like a lovely woman and she promised to keep us updated on her son's scholastic endeavors."
"Good. That's good." Rio nodded but refused to meet his father's eyes.
"I was astounded that Northern Nova would send aid to someone in San Diego California, where we don't have any offices."
"Strange, huh?"
"Definitely. I went through Maisey's desk that afternoon. You know what I found?"
Rio shook his head, "No, sir."
"Thank you letters, receipts, cards, photos, transaction after transaction where someone helped out anonymously. Maisey set it all up and made it appear as though processed through our accounting department. But the funny thing is the money wasn't coming from Northern Nova, was it?"
"No, sir."
"It was coming from the personal account
we set up for your use."
Rio nodded. "Yes, sir. They needed help. I like to help where I can."
"You do more than help where you can, Rio. You change lives. From what I found in Maisey's desk drawer, ‘Northern Nova’ bought emergency plane tickets for the family of a son posted overseas to see his parents before they passed. By the way, that family sent a thank you card that tore my heart out. You ought to read it. Then there was the first and last month's rent ‘Northern Nova’ paid for a larger apartment when a family suddenly expanded by taking in three children under five. There was an extremely generous down payment on a new car when a family vehicle was totaled. I don't know how they survived the accident. They sent a picture of the car they lost and the new one they were able to afford because of ‘Northern Nova’s’ generosity. Just for the record they bought a Chevy minivan. You used the money in that account to make a difference."
Rio finally turned his eyes to his father. "Wouldn't you?"
His father smiled sadly. "I only wish I was half the man you are, son."
Rio swallowed hard. "I don't think you understand, Dad, you’re the person I try to be."
"Seeing myself through your eyes is humbling. How about we both try to be the person we see in each other?”
"Okay. I can do that." Rio looked away. The tears in his father's eyes were going to break him.
His dad cleared his throat. "So, let’s talk about this business. Are you looking to make a profit on this transitional assistance?"
"No. With Pops’ inheritance, I'm just looking to make a positive impact in these guys lives. If I need to, I can get a job to support myself, but I'd like to take a small portion of the inheritance, invest it, and live off of that. As long as I make what I was making in the military, I'd be fine. I don't need much."
His dad swallowed hard. "Damn, Rio, I don't think I could be prouder of you than I am at this moment."
"Hell, don't do that. I'd like to think anyone in my position would do the same thing."
"They wouldn't. You, my son, have a heart of gold. Now, let’s figure out a way forward." His dad leaned back and fixed his stare on the wooden rail directly in front of him.
"I can't do anything until November when I inherit."
"Not true. The groundwork can be done."
"I can't pay anyone to do anything yet. I'm shooting my entire savings on first and last month's rent, and utility deposits. Plus, I need a car. One I can put miles on." Rio had calculated everything down to the last penny this morning.
"You still have the some of money your mom and I have been giving you. The money you didn't use for your teammates."
"I'd rather leave that in case someone else needs it."
"Heart of fucking gold, Rio."
"Stop."
"Nope." His dad started rocking again. "We have a nonprofit arm. Basically, the lawyers and accountants demanded we start it. I'll admit it is a PR boon, too. What would you call this agency?"
Rio chuckled. "Compass Points." His team had called him Compass from almost day one, a play on his last name, but through the years the meaning had changed. His team leader had called him a moral compass, which was absurd, he wasn't.
"A guide for the lost."
"Nah, more like a reference point for those on a journey."
"We can start tomorrow. Pops’ will said you need to work for the company in order to inherit. We can get you through HR and put you into the nonprofit branch. You can work with the lawyers and management team we have there."
"Form an operational plan." Rio liked that idea. Make a battle plan of sorts.
"Exactly. Of course, we do pay our employees, so you'd be earning a wage."
"Dad..."
"Hold on and listen for a moment. You want this to happen, right?"
"Yes, sir."
"So do I. We have the ability to fulfill your grandfather's requirements so you can inherit both the trust and what he left you when he passed. Until you have access to his money, you'll get the same salary we would pay any project manager. No more, no less. When you have Pops’ money, you can donate your salary to charity or whatever you decide is the proper course, but we will do this the correct and legal way."
"I don't have the education to be a project manager." Rio scratched his beard. Fuck, the path forward had a shit-ton of stumbling blocks.
"Then we will get you the people who do have the education. Listen, you might not be trained to do this, but you know what you want to do. Having that vision and making sure the people under you don't deviate, take the easy route or form the company in a way that meets their ideals instead of yours won't be easy. Compromise isn't something you'll be able to do, and most business models are nothing but compromise. Sticking to your vision will take one hell of a lot of work, but if anyone can gut it out and see it to the end, it's you."
"Yeah, I've got determination." In spades. He'd latch onto the work that needed to be done and hang onto it like a starving dog holds onto a T-bone steak.
His dad started his rocker again. "It's good to finally have you home. Permanently. We've missed you."
Rio snorted. "Mason would disagree."
"Why would you say that?" His dad's hand stilled as he reached for his iced tea.
"I went to see him. He said they invited me to the engagement party, that he wrote me a letter asking me to be his best man." He turned and looked straight at his dad. "I never received an invitation or a letter from Mason."
"I... I don't know what to say." His dad leaned forward. "Mason never said anything to me. Have you talked to your mom?"
Rio nodded his head. "When I found out about the wedding, I asked her why I wasn't invited. She told me Deanne said Mason didn't want me there. Hell, after I knocked his ass out that night, I didn't blame him. I regretted hitting him immediately. You know he was my hero, then he asked Deanne out. I was crushed, and I acted out. God, I've never regretted anything as much as I regret that punch. If I could wipe it out, I would. So, I went to the office to bury the hatchet because that sucker has turned into an ax that Paul Bunyan would have to tote around, you know what I mean?"
His father shook his head and sighed. "I knew there was animosity. I figured it was from your side because he married your girlfriend."
"Nah, that was puppy love, and God knows it wouldn't have lasted. We wanted different things out of life." His vision of a good life and Deanne's were polar opposites.
"You two need to talk this out."
Well thank you, Dad, for stating the obvious. Nah, shit, that wasn't fair, his old man was right, but... "I tried."
"Keep trying. As a matter of fact, you can start at dinner this Friday. Your mom said she was going to have a family dinner. In the meantime, you have your work cut out for you."
Rio nodded and rocked in silence beside his father. He did have a lot to do. He had to find a new apartment, figure out the new job his dad was talking about, and he needed to lay plans for the future. At that thought, his eyes traveled to his silent phone sitting on the table between the rockers. Meghan hadn't texted him back yet. He frowned at the device and shook his head. The connection between them wasn't in his imagination. A tendril of uneasiness worked its way through his gut. Although he couldn't explain why, his instinct was telling him something was wrong.
Chapter 10
Meghan sat on the couch in the growing darkness of her apartment. The shadows consumed her the same way her thoughts did. In the hours since her sister had left, she'd done a lot of soul searching. She pulled each pain-filled memory of her past out and shook it free. Free of guilt. Free of embarrassment and free of her perspective. Well, as free of those things as she could manage.
Her life lay before her in a tidal wave of memories, and tonight she sat alone and exhausted in the aftermath of destruction. She'd let her family's words become swords, and they pierced her heart with a precision that was honed from years of practice. Yet, with each and every pierce, the reason for the barb was the same. Her mom and sister were trying
to help her. Maybe she'd gotten it wrong. Had she turned their concern into weapons? Was it her? Was she selfish by isolating herself from her family? Had she been a bitch? Possibly. But was the decision she made to remove herself from the constant barrage of negative comments wrong? No, she didn’t think it was.
Her eyes were swollen from crying, and the headache that pounded behind those dried out orbs threatened to split her skull into pieces. She stared at the front door, as she had since she'd repositioned herself when she'd finally removed her butt from the kitchen floor.
"It's my fault. Nobody forced me to eat." She whispered the words into the room. She nodded and unfolded from the corner of the couch. She'd admitted she needed help, and she'd gotten it, from a friend at work. She'd lost a tremendous amount of weight, but none of the baggage that had caused her to gain the weight to begin with. Didn't she deserve to be rewarded for all the hard work?
Perhaps that was a self-serving attitude, too? Her thoughts and emotions were all over the place. Things she thought were facts based in truth suddenly made her question if they were in fact true. Was she wrong? Was she selfish? Ungrateful?
She'd spent hours warring over the answers to those questions and, after all the self-reflection, she was no nearer to the answers. What she did know was that she needed to call her mom and smooth things over. Her eyes traveled the small confines of her apartment until she found her purse on the floor in the kitchen. On wooden legs, she walked over to it and pulled out her phone.
Without looking at any of the messages displayed on the screen she dialed her mother. The phone rang and rang. Meghan closed her eyes. The silent treatment. Punishment for hurting her mom's feelings. Her mother's voicemail answered. At the tone, Meghan spoke. "Mom, I'm sorry. Please give me a call. I... I love you and I, ahh… I apologize for what I said."
She dropped her hand and shuffled into her bedroom, jumping a bit when the phone vibrated in her hand. She blinked at the face of the device and closed her eyes for a moment. Rio.
Hot SEAL, Savannah Nights Page 8