“Amelia called her a couple of weeks ago. She flew out for the interview, got offered the job, and then told Regan. She didn’t want to get Regan all excited if she hadn’t been offered the job,” Elise told him.
“I bet Regan is really happy. Regan talked about her nonstop in her letters to all of us,” he said without thinking. As the words left his mouth, he felt the twinge of sadness. He and his four brothers had been gone for a good eight years in the military. They nearly lost Ricky. But the Haas men were tough.
“She is incredibly happy. They’re going out tonight. Regan wants to show her the hot spots of Houston. She’ll be staying with her for a little while, until Amelia finds a place of her own.” Elise chuckled as she cleaned up from breakfast.
“We’re going to Hucker’s. It’s Cap’s party,” Brody said then rose from his seat.
“What time?” Waylon asked.
“Eight. We’ll drive out together.”
He watched Brody leave then stared out the wide window in the kitchen that looked over the Haas land. He could see his fathers and brothers and the other ranch hands. He felt the itch to go riding. To let his mind be free of the fighting and the stress.
“You okay, honey?” his mom asked.
She looked hesitant, but standing by the window, with the sunlight cascading her frame, she appeared angelic. Their mom was a good woman. A dying breed.
He wondered if he and his brothers would ever find peace. Would they always be so uptight, on edge, and ready to fight? Other soldiers flowed right back into civilian life with more ease. Not them. Not the Haas brothers. They were known as fierce men. People knew to keep their distance.
“I’m good. I guess I’ll head out to help them. Thank you for breakfast.”
He walked with his plate over toward the sink. His mom stared at him.
“You look tired, Waylon. How long are you going to keep this schedule up and use your fists to express your emotions?”
He felt the hit to his gut. His mom was right on target. She hadn’t said a word to any of them about their choices in releasing their pent-up anger. He didn’t know what to say. He figured honesty was the best policy. He owed his mom that much.
“As long as I have to.”
He walked from the room and absorbed the hollowness he felt inside. He loved his mamma and his family, but just like his brothers, they were trained to survive. Being weak, opening up their hearts to emotions, could leave them vulnerable.
A vulnerable soldier is a dead soldier.
Chapter 2
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Amelia asked Regan as Regan stared down at her phone. They were lounging by the pool outside. The condominium complex was gorgeous. Regan had a two-bedroom apartment and was gracious enough to allow Amelia to stay with her until Amelia found her own place. She was going to talk to her brother, Murphy, about any real estate opportunities in the area. Apparently Regan’s four brothers owned numerous apartment complexes and were involved in different businesses.
“It’s Mad Dog.” She released an annoyed sigh.
“Mad Dog? You mean Murphy?” Amelia asked. She tried to remember her brothers’ nicknames. They were all in the military and referred to one another by their military nicknames more often than their birth names. It was confusing sometimes.
“Yeah, Murphy. I know why he’s calling me. He found out about last night.”
Amelia chuckled then shifted in her seat.
“Well, who told you to play tongue hockey in the middle of the damn dance floor?”
Regan reached into the small cooler, scooped up some ice cubes and threw them at Amelia. They landed on her belly and she squealed then laughed.
They drew the attention of some of the other people by the pool, including a few men who had been watching them.
“Well if you called, and told me you were arriving here in the middle of the night, then I wouldn’t have been in that situation.”
“Like this is my fault?” Amelia asked as Regan tossed some more ice on her.
“Cut it out or they’re going to come over here and flirt,” Amelia stated.
“So what? Look at them. I know them both, too. That’s Will and Paul. They live above my condo.”