“I’d like to thank you all for gathering today to help celebrate the founding of Apple Grove,” Miss Trudi said. “We’re a community that relies on each and every one of our neighbors, family, and friends to keep this town going. In all my years—and they are considerable—I’ve never wanted to live anywhere else.”
When the applause died down, she cleared her throat. “Now, if Joseph Mulcahy and Dr. John Gannon the elder will kindly come up, I’ll turn the microphone over to them.”
Jack looked over at Cait, but she shrugged. She had no idea what was going to happen either. Relief speared through Jack when Cait started making her way back over to where he stood.
Their fathers were smiling as they approached the gazebo, followed by three marines in uniform. Jack recognized them at once. He wanted to turn around and leave, but then he felt Caitlin’s hand on his back.
“Did you know about this?”
“I knew they were hoping to track down one or two of the marines you served with…but not this,” she told him.
He nodded as his father stepped up to the microphone. “As you all know, my son, Jack, is a former navy corpsman.” Doc Gannon paused and nodded to Jack. “He served two tours in Iraq attached to a marine battalion. Some of you may know that he was injured, but he never talks about it.”
“Joe and I would like you to meet three of the marines he served with: Private First Class James Weinstein, Lance Corporal Alec Stark, and Corporal Tom Biederman.”
The crowd around them applauded.
“Corporal Biederman, would you like to say a few words?”
He nodded and walked over to the mic. “Navy Corpsman Jack Gannon saved my life and lives of PFC Weinstein and Lance Cpl. Stark on the same day…but in the seven years he was attached to our battalion, he patched up more marines and kept them going than I can count.”
Cait’s hand squeezed his, and he pulled her against his side, feeding off of her strength, knowing that whatever Corporal Biederman had traveled all the way to Apple Grove to say, Jack would listen to.
“I nearly lost my leg in Iraq and would have lost my life had it not been for Corpsman Gannon’s quick actions and level head applying a tourniquet to keep me from bleeding out.”
Cait’s arms slipped around his waist, anchoring him to the present.
Biederman motioned for Weinstein and Stark to step up to the mic. “He was trying to save the life of Gunnery Sergeant Napolitano when the IED hit.”
Jack listened to the words, but for once wasn’t propelled back into the horror of that day; he’d purged part of the hurt, baring his soul to Cait and his parents. Now with Caitlin standing by his side, leaning into him, he realized they had been right to force his hand. The breeze picked up, blowing through the maple trees, clearing his mind enough to know he’d be thanking his family and the amazing woman at his side later.
Glancing at the crowd gathered, he saw Miss Trudi Philo standing proud and tall in her best khaki jodhpurs and white button-down shirt listening to Biederman speak. Joe Mulcahy stood beside Jack’s dad, shoulders back and chest out—proud former military men.
The McCormack sisters, Honey B. and the sheriff, Meg and Dan Eagan—every last one of them bearing witness to what Jack had held inside of him since that day.
Standing amidst the people he’d known all his life, in the town he’d come back to, with the woman he loved standing proud by his side, he realized that it was past time to face that day. With the help of three marines he’d served with and two meddling men—Cait’s dad, a former coast guard ASTC, Aviation Survival Technician Chief (rescue swimmer), and his own father, a former navy doctor—he accepted his past so that he could claim his future.
The loud applause had him blinking and looking around. All eyes were turned toward him. Cait was trying to hold back her tears as the marines started walking toward him.
“Jack,” Biederman said, clapping a hand to Jack’s sore shoulder. “I’m glad your dad got in touch with me. I’ve always wanted to say thank you but haven’t been back in the States long enough to look you up.”
Weinstein reached for Jack’s free hand to shake it. “I’m not long on words,” the man said, “and thank you doesn’t seem to be enough, when you saved our lives.”
Stark waited his turn to shake Jack’s hand. “We owe you everything.”
***
Cait tried to let go of Jack’s hand so that he could talk to the men who’d come all this way just to say thank you, but he held on and wouldn’t let go.
She pinched Jack in the side and Corporal Biederman laughed. “I think someone’s trying to get your attention, Gannon.”