You learned to focus your intensity in safe ways, something your old man would never have even thought of trying to do. I'm guessing the men and women you served with were damn glad to have someone like you fighting at their side.
When you doubt yourself, think back on the lives you've saved, the helpless you've protected, and all the people who love you-like me. I was proud to be your dad.
Love, Joe
After reading the letter a third time, he folded it up and slid it back into the envelope. He looked up at the ceiling as if that's where the man who chose to be his father would be waiting to hear Jack's response.
"Message received, Dad. I love you, too. I wish you were here to meet Caitlyn and Ricky. I'm going to ask them both to be my family, just like you and Mom asked me to be part of the one you were building. Wish me luck."
Then he grabbed his car keys and hit the floor running.
-
Marlene picked up her purse. "Since Caitlyn's here, Ricky, I'm going to go home and check on Jack and Tino before I take a long nap. One of us will be back to relieve her soon."
The boy shook his head. "I'll be okay by myself. You should go, too, Caitlyn."
The two women exchanged a look over the boy's head. Like either of them would leave him alone like that. Marlene patted him on the arm. "Don't be silly, Ricky. No one is going to leave you alone. That's not how family works."
She turned her attention to Caitlyn. "I would like to talk to you out in the hall for a minute if that's all right."
There was no way to refuse the older woman, but Caitlyn wasn't looking forward to hearing what Marlene wanted to tell her. On the other hand, if she asked about Jack, she didn't want to be the one to tell her that he'd gone on a rampage back at the house.
"I'll be right back, Ricky."
He grunted in response and closed his eyes. She followed Marlene out into the hall. As usual, Jack's mother didn't pull any punches. "When you stopped by the house, I'm guessing Jack did something to upset you, like perhaps you saw him venting his anger over what happened to Ricky."
There was no use in denying it. "He was throwing his weight set around the annex when I got there."
Marlene sighed and stared out into the gathering darkness outside the window at the end of the hall. Worry for her son and the boy in the hospital bed down the hall left her looking older than her years. "Jack has always been so hard on himself. None of this was his fault. But knowing my son, he's shouldering all of the blame for what went wrong. I'm actually surprised he kept it together as long as he did."
She shook her head. "I suspect that seeing him out of control like that probably scared you a bit."
Caitlyn wouldn't lie to the other woman, who loved Jack as much as she did. "A little. I actually went through your house to make sure everyone was safe, but at that point I didn't know what had happened. I almost left, but then I realized Jack shouldn't be alone. It took some doing, but I finally got him to tell me what happened. Afterward, I did my best to convince him that he couldn't have known what Ricky was going to do."
Marlene laughed a little. "I imagine he didn't agree. I swear, no matter how hard Joe and I worked to make him realize that he's nothing like his grandfather or father, he still expects to turn out just like them. For what it's worth, this is the first time I've known him to lose it that badly in more than ten years. He's been through a lot in the past few months-losing his career, losing Joe, and then almost losing Ricky, too."
Caitlyn understood all too well how hard it was to hold your life together when all the losses kept adding up. "I did tell him that people like his father and grandfather would never have lifted a hand to help Ricky in the first place and wouldn't have cared about what happened to him today. Jack is a good man, and I told him that Ricky needed him now more than ever. The real problem is that he doesn't realize that he needs Ricky just as much."
Marlene surprised her with a hard hug. "You're a wise woman, Caitlyn Curtis. And considering my son's stubborn nature, I hope you're also a patient one."
Caitlyn soaked up the warmth of the other woman's embrace. "All I can do is promise to try. Right now, it's back in Jack's court."
"It is, isn't it?" Marlene dug her keys out of her purse. "I'll let you get back in there with the boy, so he doesn't think we've all deserted him. As I told him, one of us will come relieve you soon."
"I'll be here."
"I'm sure Ricky appreciates your being here with him. After today, he needs to be reminded that there are people who really do care about him."
Marlene started to walk away but then turned back. "I'll make sure whoever comes back brings you dinner and maybe a few treats for Ricky."
"You spoil that boy, Marlene. But like you said, he needs all the reminders he can get that people love him."
And that was true of Jack as well, but she suspected his mother knew that, too.
As soon as she walked back into Ricky's room, he asked, "Jack isn't coming back, is he? He hates me for running away again."
The catch in Ricky's voice was the only evidence of what that simple statement cost him. Caitlyn didn't want to lie to him, but she honestly didn't want to make promises that she couldn't keep. She settled for a partial truth. "No, he doesn't hate you, Ricky, but what happened today hit Jack pretty hard. He feels like he failed you by not getting there in time to keep your stepfather from hurting you again."
It was hard to read the teenager's expression with his face distorted by the swelling and bruises. He looked so young and lost lying there in that bed. At the same time, the expression in his eyes was so old and resigned to the world not being a happy place. "Not his fault. I ran off without telling him again. I knew what might happen."
She took Ricky's hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "And he understands why you'd want to see your mother, Ricky. Granted, it would have been smarter to take some backup with you, but Jack also knows why you didn't. He'd never hold that against you."
The teenager held Caitlyn's hand in a death grip but turned his face away from her. "I won't make that mistake again. She doesn't want me in her life. Not now. Not ever."
"I'm sorry to have to say this, but she's an absolute fool."
"I don't know what I did to make her hate me like this."
It hurt to hear the bewildered resignation in his voice. "Oh, honey, it's nothing you did. Maybe losing your father broke something in her, and some people just don't have room in their hearts for anyone other than themselves. My ex-husband was like that, and nothing I ever did made him happy. Regardless, it's hard to know what to do when the people who should love you just don't."
Caitlyn stood up and tried to gather the boy into her arms without jarring him unnecessarily. For the second time in one day, she was going to share her own pain in the hope of easing someone else's. "I had to have surgery that means I'll never be able to have children of my own, Ricky. But even if that hadn't happened, I'd give anything to have a son like you in my life."
A deep voice joined in the conversation. "Even if he's part of a package deal?"
She released her hold on Ricky as they both turned to face the man standing in the doorway. Her pulse went into overdrive in response to the heated look Jack gave her before turning his gaze in Ricky's direction. What kind of package deal was he talking about? Before she could ask, Ricky spoke up.
"Jack, you came back!"
The man in question made his way to stand on the opposite side of Ricky's bed. "Did you think I wouldn't?"
The fact that the teenager nodded about broke Caitlyn's heart. Jack's, too, considering the flash of pain that crossed his handsome face. "Yeah, well, I'm sorry I deserted you for a while. What happened to you today stirred up some old memories from my past. I needed to work through a few things before I came back."
"Because your old man was like my stepfather."
Jack swallowed hard and then nodded. "Yeah, his brother and my grandfather, too. Luckily, a few people have pointed out that I turned out differently. Same as you did, Ricky. We're better than the background we came from, which is something we both need to be reminded of occasionally."
He reached down and gently ruffled the boy's hair. "So here's the deal. If you're willing to stick around to remind me, I promise to be there to remind you."