Survival. Evasion. Resistance. Escape. The truth was, Noah didn't want to do the last three, and he would do a lot better than just surviving, but his start would no doubt be rocky.
"There's an upside." Zane chuckled. "At least you don't have to change diapers."
Adam raised his eyebrows as if in agreement. "What's your plan?"
"We know you have one," Zane said.
His plan? It was a work in progress and had been patchworked together from all over the world. Noah liked the minutia of solving problems and how to fix them-or wire them, which was one of the reasons he was highly successful in the field of explosives. It wasn't all light a fuse and kaboom. He was known for his precise measurements after studying the circumstances, often under intense pressure, but also for MacGyvering it, and whatever was on hand for any purpose, in any condition, from diversion to survival.
Maybe that was why his plan was based on more than internet research. Family and friends gave him polite advice but mostly reassurances that he would do a great job parenting. Reassurance wasn't what he was looking for. Noah needed actionable intelligence, and he found the ones most likely to give their raw opinions and specific action items were the self-proclaimed mommy bloggers.
The websites were a treasure trove of information-from ways to discipline children who swiped before they knew how to wipe to raising a gifted child in the era of information overload. And he had no time when sites contradicted one another. He simply picked the option that had the most agreeable comments then proceeded to outline his own crash course in Parenting 101.
While the best how-to advice came from the mommy bloggers, the most thought-provoking advice came unexpectedly during a special project deployments. Kunar, in particular. Their team allies, led by female tribal leaders in the mostly rural province, saw the worry and pain in his eyes when he couldn't sleep.
One tribal leader had explained to Noah that the day didn't start and end with the sun. Except common sense told him it did, as did the twenty-four hours on the clock.
It took him two days and one of his teammates calling home to ask his wife before Noah understood the concept of starting the day over. His teammate's wife explained that their kids would push an imaginary reset button for a fresh start to the day if their behavior needed a reboot.
Another tribal leader had taken Noah's hand. Hers was cold and leatherlike, her fingernails thick and short. But her grip had been powerful when she advised Noah that he should always say, "Tell me more."
She didn't let go until he held her eyes and promised he'd never let a child end a story without offering those three words. "Don't forget to listen" were her parting words when his SEAL team left Kunar. Only he knew what she meant.
But their advice wasn't a strategy, more like broad-spectrum tactics, and for now, he would take one day at a time, just as recommended by every expert, blogger, and advice-giver on childhood bereavement and kindergarten success.
"You do have a plan, right?" Zane's words pulled Noah back to the present. Zane gave Adam a side-eye as he inspected the row of glitter nail polish bottles as though they were live exhibits at the zoo.
"You know"-Noah backed them out of Bella's room-"there's a woefully inadequate amount of advice out there from the male and military perspective."
"There's a lot of bling in Bella's room." Adam lifted a bottle of gold polish. "Do you know what to do with that?"
Noah swatted it from his hand. "More than you do."
"Doesn't sound convincing," Adam teased. "I can't believe Noah doesn't have a plan. What's the world coming to? Glitter nail polish and Noah's planless-"
"I have a plan." But not one as detailed and long-range as Noah would've liked. "I figure tonight, we'll order pizza."
"Pizza's the big plan?" Adam led the way down the hall.
"Sure, why not?" Noah lifted his shoulder. "It's not like Bella needs a celebratory dinner for my return. Or her … situation. I just haven't been around as much as I would like to have been."
"Situation. Good word." Zane rolled his eyes.
Noah ignored him.
"Ryder called on the way here." Zane dropped onto the couch in the living room, and Adam sat next to him.
Noah leaned against the wall. "Ryder? How's he doing?"
"Good." Zane stretched back. "Actually, great."
"Good."
"He and Bailey are together."
Noah smiled at news of the twins' sister, laughing. "That's great. One big happy family."
Adam chuckled also. "She's sending over a casserole tonight."
"She is?" Noah cocked his eyebrow.
"We guessed you'd do pizza too, and she said nope, that Bella should have a home-cooked meal tonight."
"What's wrong with pizza?" Noah hadn't thought about food other than to know they'd be hungry, and pizza sounded easy and good.
Bailey had known he'd do pizza and that he shouldn't. Noah didn't even know why pizza was the wrong choice, yet his intuition would be screaming if an enemy was nearby.
"No idea," Adam said. "All she said was nope."
"Nope? Huh." Maybe he should revisit the idea of granola bars and the chocolate instant breakfast drink he'd picked out at the store, though he had made an effort to look at the label. The two items checked all the boxes that seemed important-protein, carbs, calcium, and vitamins. Nutrient-packed. "What do you think about instant shakes and power bars for breakfast?"
They both shrugged, and Adam said, "Yeah, works for me. But don't kids eat things like Cheerios and milk?"
"Think about it, man." Zane wrinkled his nose. "All those bars and shakes make your SEAL team fart like you hit up Beanee Weenee night at the All You Can Eat. What do you think that's going to do to a kid?"
Noah scrunched his nose, semi-missing the nausea-inducing rankness. "Yeah, I can see that being a problem."
Adam chuckled. "I'll text Bailey. Maybe she can throw in a box of Cheerios on the casserole run."
"Appreciate it." Noah checked his watch. "Wow, they're almost here."
"Who else?"
He shook his watch back into place. "Do you know Teagan Shaw?"
"I do," Zane said. "She knows Harper, the new librarian."
Adam waggled his eyebrows, letting it be known there was more to the story. "His new girlfriend."
Zane's proud face lit up. "That too. Not so new, though."
Noah stretched, trying to shake his unease from his muscles. "A lot has changed since our days in detention, staring at the good-looking teacher."
Adam nodded.
"Miss Woody." Zane said her name reverently, and Noah repeated it, though that wasn't really her name. Woods was.
Still, the thought of the woman made him dopey, as if they were fifteen years old again. They had her so high on a pedestal, Noah was surprised they hadn't broken their necks trying to flirt. "Our high school game must have been … " He made a face. "Underwhelming."
"Yup," Zane deadpanned.
"Ha. I don't know about you, but my game was on point." Adam tugged on the collar of his shirt, smirking like they were again teenagers who thought they were hot stuff.
Zane knocked his twin's hand down. "On point like a Q-tip."
Adam laughed. "What does that even mean?"
Noah ignored the antics of the boys, who were acting as if they were roaming the school halls again. "What's she doing these days?"
"High school principal," Zane explained.
"Really?" Noah's jaw went slack as Adam and Zane sobered, and they shared a moment of silence over what had to be every teenage boy's biggest dilemma-not wanting to be called to the principal's office but wanting to be called to the principal's office.
"Yeah. Those were the days. When Adam didn't have a chance with Miss Woody, and-"
"Like I was the only one who tried for her attention," Adam interrupted. "Remember when you connected me with your FBI contact?"
"My roommate? Kenny?" Noah asked.
"That's the guy."
"Of course, I remember." Noah nodded.
"Long story short, he helped me sort through a few issues, and now I'm with the woman I plan to spend the rest of my life with. I wouldn't care if Miss Woody walked in the door now or not."
Noah stared at them, realizing that not only had he moved back to Eagle's Ridge but also that everyone he knew there seemed to have settled down. Not that he'd be dating. What did it even matter? Now he had a kid. "A lot's changed."
"Not that much." Zane smacked Adam with a pillow from the couch. "If Miss Woody walked in, all of us would do a double take."
They burst out laughing. Adam threw his hands up. "Hey, hey. Lay off."