by Susan Stoker
Mr. Solberg was lying in a bed with a beige blanket pulled up to his chin. Instead of the bold, brash man she’d known all her life, he looked small and weak. His eyes were closed and it looked like he hadn’t shaved in a couple of days, his beard speckled with gray. He had bags under his eyes and the wrinkles on his forehead were prominent. In short, he looked like hell.
A man wearing a badge showing he was a staff member of the facility was sitting in the corner in a chair, and he nodded at them, but didn’t say anything.
Piper walked to Paul’s side and Ace pulled out a chair for her. She sat, then hesitated before gently placing her hand on Mr. Solberg’s arm.
He jerked and turned his head in her direction. The moment he saw her, he flinched.
“Hi, Mr. Solberg.”
He continued to stare at her, but Piper saw his eyes fill with tears. Which was alarming, because Kalee’s dad had always been larger than life in her mind. He was protective of his daughter and wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. But seeing him lying on the small bed, crying, made any remaining animosity she might’ve had disappear in a flash.
“I’m so sorry about Kalee,” she said.
He shook his head. “No. I’m sorry about what I’ve done to you and your family.”
“It’s okay,” Piper told him.
“No, it’s not. I know how close you and Kalee were. You were suffering too, and what I did was unforgivable.”
Taking a chance, Piper reached out and took Mr. Solberg’s hand in her own. “You didn’t hurt Rani. And whatever happened between the two of you made the block she had inside her break free. She’s talking now. She surprised the crap out of me at the police department when she called me mom.”
Mr. Solberg’s brow furrowed. “She didn’t talk much when she was with me, but I thought it was because she was scared.”
“I hadn’t heard her say a word since I met her at the orphanage,” Piper admitted.
“I don’t deserve to know anything about your trip to Timor-Leste…but would you tell me about it? About the orphanage and Kalee’s involvement?”
For the next fifteen minutes, Piper told Mr. Solberg everything she could about his daughter and her life in the far-off country. She told him about the last time she’d seen Kalee, how brave his daughter had been. Throughout it all, Mr. Solberg just lay there and listened. He’d occasionally wipe the tears off his face, but he nodded and didn’t take his gaze from hers the entire time.
When the man in the corner warned them that they had only a few minutes left of their visit, Piper took a deep breath and said, “I’d like to come back and visit again, if that would be okay.”
The hope she saw in the older man’s eyes almost made her want to cry.
“I don’t deserve it. I know I don’t. What I did was heinous. The most horrible thing anyone can do to another. And I know that because my daughter was taken from me…and I would’ve done anything to have her back. That’s part of the reason I did what I did. I just wanted Kalee back so badly. That…and the fact I’d stopped taking my meds.”
“I forgive you, Mr. Solberg.”
“Thank you,” he whispered.
“If it would be all right, maybe I could bring my girls with me sometime?” Piper asked. She felt Ace’s hand tighten on her shoulder, but she didn’t look back at him. He obviously wasn’t happy with her offer, but she knew in her heart this was the right thing to do. It wasn’t cool of her to have offered without talking to Ace about it first, but that’s why she’d left it open-ended. If Ace absolutely refused, she wouldn’t have promised Mr. Solberg anything.
“How could you even want them within ten yards of me?” Mr. Solberg asked.
“You made a mistake. And I believe with all my heart that you wouldn’t have hurt Rani, and eventually you would’ve brought her back. I’m so glad you did it sooner rather than later. But Kalee would want this for you. For me. She’d want me to forgive you and move on. But more than all that, Rani hasn’t stopped talking about you. She’s talked about the food you got for her. And the clothes. She keeps talking about ‘Kalee’s father’ and about how you’re her grandfather.
“I don’t know exactly what happened between the two of you, but whatever it was made an impression on her. After everything she’s missed out on in her life, I don’t want her to miss out on having a grandfather. You know both of my parents have passed, and Ace’s have too. My grandparents don’t have much interest in being active in her life…so that leaves you. The way I see it, Rani, Sinta, and Kemala are the best parts of Timor-Leste and Kalee’s legacy.”
Mr. Solberg simply sobbed.
Piper felt sorry for him, and held his hand tightly until he got control of himself.
He eventually looked at her and nodded. “I’d like that.”
“Good. I’ll check with the staff on our way out and see when we can visit. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Piper stood—and got nervous when Ace said, “Go on, I’ll be out in a second.”
She wanted to protest. Wanted to beg her husband to go easy on her best friend’s father, but when she saw the determined look in his eye, she simply nodded.
Piper walked out the door but didn’t close it behind her. She listened as the man she loved more than life itself had a word with the man who’d kidnapped his daughter.
“I don’t like you,” Ace told him quietly.
She peeked around the corner and saw Mr. Solberg nod in response.
“You hit my wife, not once, but twice. She had to get stitches to close up the gash on her face the second time. She bled all over our floor and crawled on her hands and knees to try to get to Rani. You kidnapped my daughter and planned on taking her out of the country so I’d never see her again. If I had my way, you’d be locked up for the rest of your life.”
Piper’s stomach clenched. Ace sounded matter of fact…but she recognized his anger. The thought that he’d never be able to forgive the old man lying on that bed was a distinct possibility. She definitely should’ve talked to him about bringing their girls to see Mr. Solberg before she’d mentioned it to the older man. Shit.
“Piper doesn’t hold grudges. She’s got a beautiful soul, forgiving from the top of her head down to the tips of her toes. She loved Kalee like a sister, and for some reason she loves you too. I’ll allow you to be around my family, as long as you behave. If you say one word that upsets any of my girls, or even look cross-eyed at them, I’ll get a restraining order against you so fast it’ll make your head spin.”
Piper looked nervously over at the guard in the room. She wasn’t sure how much Ace could get away with saying before they called the visit to an end. But maybe because Ace’s tone was calm and he didn’t seem outwardly angry, the orderly was letting him continue.
“I’m only doing this because it’s what my wife wants. I didn’t know your daughter, but from everything that Piper’s told me about her, she was an amazing woman. Get your shit together, man. Take your meds and thank God for what you still have in your life—an amazing woman who’s willing to forgive you and invite you into her own.”
“I will. I know how badly I fucked up. I know. I swear on my daughter’s grave that I’ll never hurt your family again.”
Ace acknowledged the man’s words with a small nod.
Piper stepped away from the door when she saw Ace turn around. She didn’t even try to hide the tears now falling down her cheeks. When Ace exited the room and saw her, he shook his head and rolled his eyes.
“How did I know you wouldn’t head back to the lobby?” he asked, exasperated.
“Because you know me better than anyone ever has before?” she returned through her tears.
Ace took her in his arms and held her. “Are you pissed?” he asked after a moment.
Piper shook her head. “No. I know you needed to warn him. I’m glad you got that off your chest.” She looked up at him. “Is it off your chest?”
“Yeah, sweetheart. It is. I’m never going to be best
buds with that man though. I’m not going to sit on the couch and watch Monday-night football with him. We aren’t going to have a beer and shoot the shit. I’ll put up with him for your sake, and the sake of our girls, but that’s it. Got it?”
“Yes.” She did. And that was enough. It was more than she could ever hope for. “Thank you.”
“You don’t ever thank me for watching out for you,” Ace returned. “I’d do anything for you and our kids.”
“I love you.”
“And I love you too,” Ace returned. “Now, can we go? This place gives me the creeps.”
Piper immediately nodded, and he turned her and started walking back down the hall toward the lobby.
“So, what’s on the agenda for today?” Ace asked when they were outside heading for his car. “Kemala’s going over to someone’s house, right? One of the girls in her ESL class? And Sinta has swim lessons, and Sidney said she’d come over and look after Rani, yeah? Do you want to pick up Kemala or take Sinta to lessons?”
As they discussed their children’s schedules, Piper reflected on the last few months. She loved how crazy busy she was. And it would only get crazier when their baby was born. As Ace led her out to the Denali, she thought back to the days before Timor-Leste, which seemed a lifetime ago but in reality was only a few months. She was a different person back then.
While she’d lost the one person she’d been closest to, she’d gained an entire family.
After Ace got her settled in the passenger side of their car and walked around to the driver’s side, she closed her eyes and said a little prayer for Kalee.
Wherever you are, I hope you’re happy. I hope your laugh is bringing joy to everyone around you and your smile is lighting up their spirits. Thank you for sacrificing yourself for me and the girls. I would’ve preferred you were still around to be Aunt Kalee, and so we could grow old together like we always planned. Rest in peace, Kalee. I’ll never forget you.
Ace hopped into the SUV and looked at her for a second. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good.”
He reached over and wrapped his hand behind her neck and pulled her into him. He kissed her long and hard before resting his forehead on hers. “I love you, Piper. So much.”
“I love you too, Ace. Thank you for being so damn wonderful.”
He snorted and pulled back a bit. “I’m a possessive and protective bastard, but I’m pleased you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind. It’s nice to know our kids have a father who cares.”
“I care,” he said simply, before reaching for the key in the ignition.
As he drove them home, Piper kept one hand on her belly and the other twined with Ace’s. She couldn’t wait to see how he’d react to the news that he was going to become a daddy for the fourth time.
Epilogue
Three weeks after Ace had accompanied Piper to the mental hospital to see Solberg, the team gathered at Gumby’s beach house and were enjoying a lazy barbeque. Caite, Sidney, and Piper were playing in the surf with Rani, Sinta, and Kemala. The men had gotten back from the Middle East two days ago, and everyone was enjoying the short time they had off before going back to work and researching the next bad guy they would be sent to find.
“Piper looks good,” Rex said.
“Pregnancy suits her,” Ace replied.
“And you,” Rocco noted.
Ace smiled. “And me. It’s still so unreal that she’s growing a tiny human inside her body.”
Bubba smiled at his friend. It was obvious how much he loved his wife, and Piper returned his affection tenfold. In fact, Rocco and Gumby and their wives were just as much in love, and he enjoyed being around them. They spent so much of their time dealing with the worst of humanity, it was a breath of fresh air to be around people who were genuinely happy.
Add in the joy and exuberance of youth, from Rani, Sinta, and Kemala, and things were downright jubilant at the beach.
He, Rex, and Phantom were the only single men left on the team, and that was okay with him. Bubba wasn’t looking for anyone. It wasn’t like he didn’t want to find the love of his life, if she even existed, but he’d seen firsthand how difficult marriage could be.
Thinking about his parents made some of his good mood dissipate. They had fought for most of his childhood. His mom had hated Alaska and wanted to move, but his dad loved it and his business was there. She’d died of a heart attack when he and his twin brother had been in middle school.
Bubba had been more like his mother than his father, hating the town he grew up in, and he’d left the day after he’d graduated from high school and never looked back. His twin, Malcom, had stayed with his father in Juneau, working with him and building up his business. His dad and brother had since amassed a fortune, but Bubba didn’t give a shit about the money.
He did regret not keeping in touch with his pop, however. He talked to Malcom here and there over the years, but they definitely were no longer as close as they’d been while growing up.
A scream from the beach wrenched him from his thoughts, and he’d started moving toward the stairs before even realizing what he was doing. But the scream was just Sinta, playing with her sister.
He glanced toward Phantom in time to see him put down the hamburger he’d been eating, as if he’d lost his appetite. The man had been on pins and needles for a while now. Ever since they’d had to leave Kalee behind in Timor-Leste. Bubba and the others had tried talking to him about it. Tried to assure him the mission hadn’t been a failure since they’d rescued Piper and the girls, but Phantom always blew them off, insisting he was good. Even when it was obvious he was anything but.
Bubba’s phone ringing in his pocket caught his attention, and he put down his plate to reach for it. Seeing an unknown number, he almost silenced the phone and ignored the call, but something told him he needed to answer.
“Hello?”
“Is this Mark Wright?” a deep, unfamiliar voice asked.
Bubba couldn’t remember the last time anyone had called him by his given name. He’d been Bubba since he’d graduated from BUD/s, and he and the team had gone out to eat at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. He’d eaten an entire bucket of shrimp by himself…and spent the rest of the night puking it all back up. His stomach hadn’t been prepared for the sheer amount of food he’d eaten, not to mention the richness of the butter and spices.
“Yes, who is this?”
“My name is Kenneth Eklund. I’m your father’s lawyer. I’m sorry to be the one to inform you, but Colin Wright passed away last night.”
Bubba inhaled sharply, drawing the attention of his teammates.
“What? What happened? How?”
“Heart attack,” Kenneth said curtly. “You’ve been requested to be present at the reading of his will.”
Bubba didn’t give a shit about the will. He wanted details about his dad. Had he known he was sick? When was the funeral? Was he going to be needed to organize it? He had so many questions.
“As you know, your brother is already here in Juneau, but you and another individual included in the will need to get into town as soon as possible so matters can be settled.”
Bubba could hardly think straight. He didn’t know who else his dad might’ve included in his will, but he supposed he’d find out soon enough. “Right. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Just to give you a heads up, the will is a bit complicated,” Kenneth said.
“What about Sean?”
“Sean Kassamali?” the lawyer asked.
“Yeah. He’s been my dad’s business partner for as long as I can remember. I’m assuming he’s included in the will too?”
“As I said, it’s complicated. If you can get to Anchorage, Sean and I have arranged for a private plane to get you to Juneau.”
Sighing, Bubba ran a hand over his hair. “I’ll let you know my flight info as soon as I’ve got it.”
“Thank you. I’ll see you soon. I’m sorry for your loss.”
Bubba ended the call and looked up to see five pairs of eyes focused on him.
“Everything all right?” Rocco asked.
Bubba shook his head. “No. That was my dad’s lawyer. He had a heart attack and died. I need to go up to Alaska for the reading of his will.”
Rex put his hand on Bubba’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, man.”
“Yeah, me too,” Bubba said. “I should’ve made an effort to go back sooner. To talk to him. I don’t really know much about the man he was.”
“You need anything?” Rocco asked.
Bubba shook his head. “No, but thanks. I’m going to go home, pack, make a flight reservation, hopefully for the morning, and try to get some sleep before I head out. I’ll call the commander and let him know on my way home.”
“If you need anything, all you gotta do is call,” Gumby said.
“I know, and I appreciate it.”
“Is it cold up there right now? You need any gear?” Phantom asked.
“It shouldn’t be too bad. It’s September, so it’ll be chilly, but this time of year is mostly just wet. Snow won’t start for another couple months.”
“All right. You want one of us to go with you?” Ace asked.
Knowing he had the best friends a guy could ask for, Bubba shook his head. “Naw, you guys stay here and enjoy the time off. My brother is there, and I feel like shit that I haven’t kept up with what’s been going on with his life and my dad’s. I’m sure all that’s gonna happen is I’ll go up there, listen to the will, then come back home. Nothing exciting ever happens in Juneau.”
“Famous last words,” Rocco mumbled, and everyone chuckled.
“I’m sorry about your dad,” Gumby said. “I know you’ve regretted not patching things up with him.”
And he did. Bubba and his dad hadn’t exactly been fighting, but they hadn’t been close for a very long time. Colin Wright never understood why his son didn’t love their hometown. Never understood that the place made him feel suffocated. Bubba was a lot like his mother in that way, and that had driven a wedge between him and his father—one that would never be healed. And that sucked.