Page 66 of Forsaken Hearts
Ben ran off to his bedroom to get his dinosaur collection, leaving a short silence that wasn’t loaded, but it was filled with an energy Pope couldn’t identify.
Summer started filling the sink with soapy water to do the dishes, and Edie stepped up beside her. “So, you’re dating.”
Summer stilled for half a breath. “Mom.” She sent a sideways look at Pope.
“I never liked your ex. He never looked us in the eye. Shifty.” Then she turned the same assessing gaze on Pope. “You seem like you’re a good guy. But I get the feeling you don’t think you are.”
Summer’s head snapped up. “Mom!”
The words hit him harder than he expected. Not because she was wrong, but because she’d landed so close to the truth with barely any information about him.
Summer’s eyes were wide with horror, but he just stood up and walked over to her, picking up a dish towel so his hands had something to do.
Summer’s lips pursed with apology, but he touched her arm to soothe her. “No. Your mom’s right.”
Her mother studied him for a long moment. “We’d like to know more about you, Vander.”
He turned to include her father in the conversation. “I’m a veteran.”
“Let me guess.” Frank leaned back in his chair. “Navy?”
“Yes, sir.”
Summer walked to the table and snatched up the empty breadbasket. “My grandparents never took me on cool road trips,” she attempted to redirect the conversation.
Edie laughed. “I guess Ben’s grandparents are cooler than your grandparents.”
She looked at her father. “You never went hiking with me.”
“Of course not. We were too tired from working all the time to support you.”
Summer rolled her eyes, but affection cut through the pressure her parents’ questions had created.
Ben was back, lining up his dinosaurs on the table. Summer and Edie shooed Pope back to the table, and he took a seat across from Frank again. They slid into conversation more easily. Frank asked about the ranch Ben had drawn a picture of, and Pope told him about the horses and Flint going to auction.
“You can’t sell Flint! You love Flint! I love Flint!” Ben cried out.
He reached out and ruffled Ben’s hair. “I just might change my mind and decide to keep the gelding myself.”
Pope glanced toward the window where the big rig sat parked at the curb. “Nice setup. I too have ridden around in a big tin can.”
Frank’s face lit up. “Oh, you’ve RV’d?”
“No. Naval submarine.”
Frank let out a bark of laughter. “That counts.”
Ben’s eyes went huge. “You lived under the ocean?”
“Not for fun.”
Frank appraised him. “Ever been in enemy territory?”
Pope took a drink of coffee before answering. “More times than I’d like to count.”
“Ever jump out of planes?”
“No,” Pope said, then paused as Summer’s gaze slid to him. “But I once parachuted into Baghdad. Can’t tell you the rest of the story. Classified.”
