The Strength of Love_Happily Ever Menage

by Serena Akeroyd

  “I know, and that’s why I’m grateful.”

  Lou squeezed his arm, then moved over to her workstation and picked up a watering can. As she began to water her tomato plants, she told him, “There’s no need, son. No need at all.”

  * * * *

  “You look tired, love.”

  Gia’s concern made Luke smile. “I am, sweetheart. I’ve been at the farm all day.”

  “You have? I thought you’d be at the appeal.”

  Josh leaned over the counter to put a frosted glass of beer in front of him, and after he had taken a sip, he replied, “Josh said it would be wise if I didn’t go today.”

  She frowned and, shoulders hunching, leaned forward. He knew she’d have moved onto his lap by now if they’d been together. “Why?”

  Luke eyed Josh as he puttered around the kitchen, fixing them both a sandwich. “Well, Josh thinks I’m stupid enough not to figure out that Harrison must have been there today.”

  “I don’t think you’re stupid, but I would be stupid if I put a red flag in front of a bull, wouldn’t I?” Josh called out as he sliced up some bread.

  “He’s right, love,” Gia told him, a sympathetic wrinkle of her nose the only concession she gave.

  “I don’t mind, but I don’t like being treated like an idiot.”

  “No one does. But that’s Josh’s specialty.”

  “Tell her I heard that.”

  “Tell him I intended him to.”

  Luke grinned and took another sip of beer. He’d only left the shower a handful of minutes ago. He was squeaky clean, his back ached from leaning over the workstation, and his hands were tired from all the fiddly work, and the beer was exactly what he needed—it hit the perfect spot.

  Tonight, he’d sleep. And the relief that brought lightened his mood and his tone. “How are you, sweetheart? Are you getting some rest? You look as tired as I feel.”

  She pulled a face. “I haven’t been sleeping well. Not really. Being out of the loop sucks.”

  “I know. I wish you could be here, but at the same time, I’m glad you’re not being touched by this. It’s affecting our family too much as it is. I don’t want it tarnishing you too.”

  “Don’t be silly, Luke. I love you, for good or ill. I hate that I’m not around to support you.”

  The words took him back to his conversation with his father, and it must have shown on his face, because she murmured, “Love, are you okay?”

  He pursed his lips. “Yeah, I’m okay. It’s just…what you said reminded me of something Dad told me today.”

  She groaned and covered her face with a hand.

  Peering through her fingers the way she was reminded him of Lexi when she was trying to avoid her morning vitamins. “Oh God, you saw him?”

  “Yeah. He’s been staying out of the way, but Mom let it slip about Josh working hard on my appeal, so now things look rosy, he’s trying to crawl back.”

  “Snake.” She firmed her jaw. “I know he’s your father, but that man royally pisses me off.”

  “You’re not alone, love. He pisses me off too.”

  “And me,” Josh remarked as he placed a plate loaded with tuna fish salad sandwiches in front of Luke. “I wondered if you’d seen him today.”

  “Why?”

  “Remember I told you how you change when you’ve been around your father and brothers?” When Luke rolled his eyes, Josh retorted, “You mock, but it’s the truth.”

  “I missed that. The connection was a bit dodgy. What’s the truth?” Gia asked.

  “When Luke has had the misfortune of hanging out with his brothers and Robert, what’s he like?”

  Her answer was immediate. “A bear with a sore head.”

  “Ouch. Thanks, Gia,” Luke grumbled.

  She shrugged, a sheepish cast to the face she pulled. “Sorry, sweetheart, but it’s true.”

  “How is it true? What do I do? I think I’d know if talking to them turned me into Mr. Hyde.”

  “It’s not that bad, but you’re just…in a bad mood. It’s like they make you unhappy, and you have to work it out of your system.”

  Her explanation had him grimacing. “I guess that fits.”

  “Well, yeah, I mean, I’m not making it up. Neither is Josh.” She sighed, and the look she aimed at him was sympathetic. “You’re different to them, love.”

  “Yeah, I’m bisexual.” He took a huge bite of his sandwich to punctuate his point.

  She sniffed. “Rubbish. It’s more than that. Isn’t it, Josh?”

  As his mouth was as full of tuna fish as Luke’s, Josh nodded. Then, after he took a sip of his beer, he murmured, “Your brothers are jerks, and Robert is the head coach of Team Jerk.”

  “That sums it up pretty neatly,” Gia inserted. “Anyway, they’re all creeps. I wouldn’t trust a one of them if I was married to them.”

  Luke grinned. “You do realize you’re totally maligning my family here?”

  Gia flushed. “I guess we are. Sorry, sweetheart.”

  “I’m not sorry,” Josh retorted. “It’s the truth. They’re a bunch of jackasses. Apart from Lou, of course. She’s good as gold.”

  “Yeah, Lou’s good people. How is she? The last time I spoke to her, she seemed a little preoccupied.”

  That Gia had picked up on his ma’s “preoccupation” as well had Luke frowning. “I think something’s going on, but I’m not sure what. She’s not ready to talk about it yet, I don’t think.”

  “She’s probably as mad as hell at Robert. Your ma can be a tigress when she wants to be. And you’re her favorite, Luke. It’s no wonder she’s pissed at Robert for not supporting you. Am I right, Gia?”

  “Yeah, he’s right.”

  Luke huffed. “I don’t think I like this. You two agreeing with each other. I’m the voice of reason here.”

  Gia laughed. “Times change.”

  “They don’t change that goddamn much.”

  Josh just grinned, but that smirk fell away when Gia asked, “How did it go today, love? You were at the appeal, weren’t you?”

  “I was.” Gia couldn’t see, but Luke did—Josh clenched his fists, turning his knuckles a jaundiced white. “It took everything I had not to smash that bastard’s face in.”

  “What was the appeals board’s reaction to Harrison’s testimony?” Luke asked, reaching over to squeeze one of Josh’s still-clenched fists.

  “I think Jarvis had been talking to them behind closed doors. They weren’t impressed.”

  “Well, that makes no change. They weren’t impressed with me either.”

  “Which is why I think Jarvis has involved himself earlier than we planned.” Josh shrugged. “Plus, it helped I had that tape of one of Harrison’s cronies sneaking through my office.”

  “What was Harrison’s reaction to that?”

  Josh winked. “He looked as furious as hell.”

  “Good! The bastard needs to start sweating after what he put Luke through.”

  “We’re all feeling it, Gia. We all deserve retribution.” He took another long pull from his beer. “Christ, I needed that.”

  “It certainly looked like you did. I’ve never seen you down a beer in three gulps.” Gia bit her lip, then on a shuddery sigh, blurted, “Christ, I miss you guys.”

  “We miss you too, sweetheart,” Luke immediately replied. “I hope this damned thing is over soon so you can come back to us. The house isn’t the same without you.”

  “He’s right, Gia. Things don’t work as well when you’re not here.”

  Her smile was shaky. “It’s nice to know I’m appreciated. Even if it’s only because I don’t make you eat tuna sandwiches for dinner.”

  Josh huffed. “I’ll have you know these are a specialty of mine.”

  “Mayonnaise and tuna, love. They’re not Michelin-award-worthy ingredients.” She laughed, then demanded, “You can’t already have gone through the stuff I stocked in the freezer for you.”

  “Neither of us were very hungry.�
��

  She narrowed her eyes at him, but Luke simply jerked a shoulder.

  “Nothing affects your appetite. Is there something going on you’re not telling me?”

  “I think I’d be pulling my hair out if I had to deal with anything else while handling this appeal, Gia,” Josh retorted, wiping his hands on a paper towel.

  She studied him a second, looking for God knew what, but she eventually nodded. “Well, that’s okay, then.”

  “Are you going to get some sleep tonight?” Luke asked. “We’re off to bed after these. It’s been a tiring day, and tomorrow is going to be more exhausting.”

  “I’m going to sleep as soon as I finish talking to you. Are you back at the appeal?”

  He turned to Josh, who nodded. “The boss has spoken. Yes, I am.”

  “Best of luck, sweetheart. I’m thinking of you both.” She blew them a kiss, which they both caught and clapped to their chests, a move that had her smiling. “Night, loves.”

  Before they could reply, she cut the call, and Josh murmured, “She’s hiding something. And I still don’t get why she’s gone all the way over to Louisiana.”

  Luke grumbled, “Stop going on about Lafayette. Maybe it’s always been on her must-visit list.”

  “It’s hardly Maui, Luke. Plus, you saw the state of her. She’s exhausted, and it’s not like she’s working. Hell, she’s supposed to be resting.”

  Luke couldn’t deny that. She had looked tired. And emotional, now that he came to think of it. Gia wasn’t a crier, not by nature and only in the most extreme of circumstances, but she’d looked close to tears a few times during that conversation.

  But then, hell, what were they going through if not the most extreme of circumstances?

  Most nights, Luke felt like crying out of a mixture of fatigue, fear, and pain.

  He wasn’t the only one allowed to feel wobbly.

  “She’s just concerned about the appeal.”

  “There’s more to it than that. I’ll be glad when she gets home. I hate not being able to figure out what’s going on with her.”

  “You’re reading too much into it.”

  “No, I’m not. You know how this works, Luke. I feel it in my gut. Something’s not right.”

  “Of course something’s not right,” he snapped. “She’s in another state when she should be with us, here. Nothing’s right at the moment, and it won’t be until she’s home.”

  For once, Josh seemed to listen to what he’d said, because after a moment, he concurred, “You’re right. I’m looking for trouble where there is none.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess I’m on edge.”

  “We all are. And we’ll keep on being on edge until this fucking appeal is over and done with.”

  Josh sighed. “It won’t be long, Luke.”

  “Even if it’s another day, it’s too long, Josh. It’s too damned long for all of us.”

  For the second time that night, a miracle happened. His husband agreed with him, because he kept his goddamn mouth shut and didn’t contest a word he had to say.

  Chapter Eight

  “I can’t believe it.”

  Luke stared down at the written confirmation in his hands. The OTH discharge had been wiped clean off his record to be replaced with Honorable.

  Josh had done it. He’d only gone and managed to expose a scandal that involved a colonel, a lieutenant general, and countless other small-fry officers as well as four NCOs. A scandal that was hitting the papers thanks to Josh’s leaking the news, making sure that faces were put to those names and that those people would be punished for the many crimes they’d committed.

  He looked up into the face of his smiling husband and felt tears prick his eyes at the huge grin Josh sported. “I can’t believe you did it, Josh.”

  “I didn’t do it alone.” He grabbed Dana, his PA, and squeezed her. “Here’s the brains behind it all.”

  Dana snorted and disentangled herself from Josh’s clasp. “You were the brains. I was the brawn.” She flexed her fingers. “Well, technically, these were.”

  Luke stood on shaky legs and reached for her. It wasn’t like him to hug strangers, but this woman had helped save his reputation. He’d have given her a piece of the moon if he could. She squeaked when he wrapped her up in his arms, then patted one of her flushed cheeks in a gesture that was curiously old-fashioned when he released her.

  “You’re welcome,” she muttered weakly. “I’m just glad the work paid off. Especially after what those bastards were doing over there.” She shot off a glare at Colonel Harrison, who had flown in for the appeal. He was in a chair, shell-shocked, with cuffs on his wrists. Two MPs guarded him while they waited for transport to take him to a holding facility.

  A part of Luke wanted to gloat at the sight of the dejected officer. A court-martial was in his future, as was jail. Unless he struck a deal, one that shopped other people in the racketeering business he’d been running.

  It was a possibility, and after what Harrison had put Luke through, the notion didn’t please him, but that was how justice worked. Sometimes, to completely destroy a rat’s nest, you had to wade into its heart and poison the core.

  After what General Jarvis, Josh’s superior officer, had uncovered over in Libya on the base there, the core was well in need of being poisoned.

  The girl, the young bride who Luke had caught Harrison sodomizing…she was dead. Buried in an unmarked grave, along with two more young females.

  Worse than that, there were sales records.

  Other girls in the area who had been taken from their homes under the guise of arrest had been sold off like chattel.

  Jarvis’s investigation hadn’t uncovered their whereabouts, and God only knew if he ever would. Harrison’s fingers were muddied by being stuck in so many pies. His corruption ran through his veins.

  If it hadn’t been for Josh, for his husband’s perseverance and belief in Luke, then none of this would have come to light. Luke could have been the one sitting in cuffs. His lawyer had explained that to him when he’d appealed his discharge. By shaking the boat, by rattling a few feathers, the cover-up that was his case would be unsettled, and all hell could have broken loose.

  Instead, he was a free man. His honor back in place, his respectability with it.

  The crazy thing was, it didn’t matter. His honor had never been in question, and those who had doubted it hadn’t deserved to be in his life anyway.

  Case in point the man heading his way.

  “Father,” he stated when Robert and Lou came to a standstill in front of him.

  Lou was crying, tears of relief and happiness openly pouring down her cheeks. She kept on trying to stem the flow with a sodden paper towel, but she was losing the battle.

  “Mom,” he continued, his voice softer. He reached for her, tucking her against his chest, smiling at the quiver he felt rattle her bones. “It’s okay, Mom. It’s over. It’s done.”

  “I can’t believe it, son,” she whispered. “I’m so proud of you.”

  “You should be proud of Josh. He did the hard work.”

  She peered around his arm. “Josh knows I’m proud of him. That we’re both proud of what he uncovered today.” Lou stared at Robert a second, then cleared her throat. The sound was pointed, a command.

  Robert seemed to wince, and then he clapped Josh on the arm and grabbed his hand to shake it. “Thank you, Josh. Thank you for clearing Luke’s name and for restoring our family’s honor.” He took a step toward Luke, arms open, his intent clear, but Luke held up a hand.

  “No. Don’t spout your bullshit my way. You didn’t have faith in me. And you said it yourself: all you were interested in was the family honor. Well, screw that.

  “I’ve been a dedicated soldier, loyal to my country and to the people I serve. I don’t have to be loyal to the people who don’t have faith in me, who didn’t believe in me when the odds weren’t stacked in my favor.”

  “Son, how did you expect me to react—” Rober
t started, but Lou stopped him with a prod of the finger to the chest.

  “The boy’s right. You’ve been a jackass for most of your life. You’ve pulled some stunts, but I’ve never been more ashamed of you than I have this past year. After the way you treated Lexi and now Luke…” She shook her head. “But this isn’t the time or the place for that conversation. Luke has to get on the phone so a certain somebody can come home. I wish I could see her face when you tell her the news,” she whispered, a smile hitting her still-wet eyes. “She won’t believe it only took four days for the entire thing to reach its peak.”

  Josh piped up. “I can’t believe it either.” He looked at Luke, but his attention was still on his father. “We should go. Your mom’s right. We need to call Gia.”

  Luke’s mouth curled into a sneer. “Another person who managed to believe in me. Shame my father couldn’t.” He bent down, kissed Lou’s cheek, and murmured, “I’ll be over tomorrow. I need to check out the grafts we did two weeks ago.”

  She nodded. “The buds have taken to the rootstock. I’ve been checking on them daily.”

  “Thanks, Mom.” He ignored his father and took a second to look around the courtroom that had been the heart of his greatest hopes and fears.

  It was decidedly dull, nothing special about it, and yet it was here he’d been granted a fresh start.

  People still milled about, some upper-ranking MPs discussing the case with General Jarvis and a few members of the appeals board. The shit storm Josh had stirred might never settle, but—and it made him feel guilty—he was relieved to be out of it.

  No more deployments, no more violence. Just family, peace, and the garden.

  Had his father not been standing there, looking awkward as hell, Luke would have probably let the tears burning his eyes fall. As it was, it was a point of pride to keep them contained. Robert already had preconceived notions of his pansy-ass son, and Luke refused to affirm them.

  He squeezed Lou’s arm, then turned on his heel and started to head out of the room. He could hear Josh at his back, knew his husband was collecting the papers Luke should have gathered himself but had abandoned so as not to spend another second with his father, and made his way to the exit.