Alice caught the interaction between them and was starting to ask when Dan looked at her, then at Patty, and shook his head.
She nodded, and the moment passed until they were cleaning up the kitchen and Dan’s phone rang.
“It’s Chief Pittman,” Dan said. “I need to take this.”
That’s when Alice frowned. “Okay, Dan…I need to know what’s going on.”
“Just a second, honey. This call will probably have answers for both of us,” he said, and then answered. “Hello, this is Dan.”
“Hi, Dan. This is Lon. I wanted to let you know your tip paid off.”
“Really? Are you serious? They really did it?” Dan asked.
“Well, they tried. Your boy saved Mr. Phillips. They were waiting for him with a baseball bat, but we pulled a switch on them. They got me instead of Phillips.”
“Oh my God,” Dan said. “I can’t imagine. They were going to beat him up?”
“Probably planned on knocking him out, but getting hit in the head with a ball bat can be lethal. At any rate, thank Charlie. And make sure he understands that no one will ever know who tipped us off.”
“What’s going to happen to them?” Dan asked.
“They’ll do some time. I can’t say how much or where, but they’re both nineteen, so they’re too old for juvenile detention.”
“That’s too bad they turned out that way,” Dan said. “The family rents from me. They’re a really nice couple.”
“Yes, and they were horrified and humiliated and so angry at their boys. Anyway…thought I’d let you know before I head home.”
“Thanks, Lon,” Dan said and disconnected, then began telling Alice everything that had ensued, from Charlie coming to him to the phone call just now which confirmed the twins had followed through with their plan.
Alice was stunned. “Oh, Dan… What if Charlie hadn’t heard them?”
“What if Charlie hadn’t told someone is more to the point,” Dan said. “He would have felt guilty for the rest of his life, especially if Mr. Phillips had been hurt or killed.”
Alice put both hands over her heart, smiling through tears.
“I am so proud of the man he is becoming…but I’m not surprised. He was trying to take care of Patty and me long before you ever showed up in our lives. He has a good heart and a good head on his shoulders. And you…you are the example he needed of what it means to be a good, decent man. I love you so much and am so grateful you are in our lives.”
Dan took her in his arms.
“I’m the one who is grateful for all of you for loving me. I needed what you offered…a family…and your love,” Dan said, and held her.
“Let’s go tell Charlie,” Alice said.
Dan nodded. “As long as Patty doesn’t know. It’s imperative that no one ever knows Charlie was the anonymous tipster.”
“She’s in her room watching her hour of television before getting ready for bed, and Charlie is outside with Booger,” Alice said.
“Then outside we go,” Dan said.
They found Charlie sitting in the dark, waiting for Booger to finish prowling the perimeter. It was the dog’s nightly ritual.
Charlie turned around when he heard the back door open.
“Hey, Dad…Mom… Look at Booger. He’s on patrol.”
“He’s a good watchdog,” Dan said.
Alice sat down beside Charlie and gave him a hug.
“You did the right thing,” she said.
Charlie glanced at Dan.
“Yes, I told her,” Dan said. “No secrets ever between husband and wife…and she’s your mother. Never any secrets between you and her.”
Charlie nodded, then hugged her. “Sorry, Mom. I didn’t intend to leave you out.”
“No, no, you did the right thing,” Alice said. “But you can always tell me anything. Then we’ll both go find Dan, right?”
Dan grinned. “Always. Oh…and Chief Pittman says to thank you, Charlie, even though it will be noted in the case as an anonymous tip.”
Charlie lowered his voice to a whisper.
“You mean they really did it?”
“They tried. The police caught them in the act. They’re in jail.”
Charlie was silent for a few moments, and then he looked up.
“What’s going to happen to them?”
Dan shrugged. “Chief Pittman said it will be up to the courts, but he believes they’ll serve some time. It was attempted robbery, car theft, and assault.”
“I can’t believe they’d do something so stupid,” Charlie said.
“That’s all on them,” Alice said. “Just remember Mr. Phillips is the real victim and might not even be alive tonight were it not for you.”
Booger barked.
Charlie stood.
“I know, Mom. I get it. And thanks, Dad. Now I better go get Booger and bring him in for the night before he stirs up a skunk.”
Dan put his arm around Alice as they watched Charlie leap off the patio and run out into the dark.
“That’s a really good boy you have, my love.”
Alice leaned against him. “We have…and yes, he is.”
* * *
Night drove Hunt and Ava from the park back to her home, and after the passion of making love had tempered their body heat beneath the covers, Hunt held her in his arms, watching her sleep. Her hair was like silk against his face, and the rhythm of her breathing matched the beat of his heart.
For all these years, he’d considered himself a loner. Sometimes he told himself it was because of the abrupt disruption of his family and the way that he’d been cast out. Other times he blamed it on the war, telling himself it had numbed him beyond repair.
And then he’d come home, and the dark-haired nurse standing beside his mother’s bed had both surprised and intrigued him. Now, he couldn’t imagine life without her. When she shifted slightly in his arms and sighed, he pulled the covers up over her back and then rested his chin on the crown of her head.
Sweet God in heaven… Hunt had never thought of his father as a loving man, but he couldn’t get past that paper he’d found. He didn’t know what had happened, but it felt like his father had controlled all of it, including the outcome.
“I love you, Ava. Thank you for loving me,” Hunt whispered, and then closed his eyes and slept.