“Did you buy the toilet paper?” Seth couldn’t help but ask.
“Sure did. Rolls and rolls of it sitting in my trunk right now.” Alan winked. “Because you gotta compromise to keep the peace. You can’t keep fighting everyone and everything, son.”
Seth wasn’t sure how Alan buying toilet paper when his wife had asked him to do just that was compromising, but he just smiled, shaking his head.
Alan had been a father figure to him in a way, and Seth found himself wanting to tell him about Sergeant Loyd’s offer. It wasn’t as if his own father would be of any help: Dave Thornton had never been fond of his son’s decision to join the Marines instead of doing something more prestigious. Like becoming a physician like himself and Harrison, or a lawyer. Or an investment banker or something like that. Something involving a suit, tie, and lots of money.
Alan listened without comment as Seth told him everything. Crossing his arms, Alan nodded and harrumphed a few times until Seth reached the end. Although he’d hardly mentioned Rose, apparently he’d said enough to convey that his feelings were more than just surface feelings.
“Here’s the question,” Alan said, “what do you want?”
“What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said. Do you want to make sergeant? Go back abroad to fight again? Or are you doing it because you’re running from something—or someone?” Alan stroked his mustache. “Think about that, is what I’d say. It’d be one thing if you felt like this was the right path for you. It’s another if you’re doing it for stupid reasons altogether. And it sounds like you care about this girl a lot.”
Seth shook his head. “I don’t know what I feel.”
“Yeah, you do. Don’t be a dumbass, son.” Alan slapped him on the shoulder. “Get your head out of the sand and figure it out. I have a feeling you know what the answer is; you just don’t want to face it. We all get into that place. It’s just a matter of how you get yourself out of it.”
Seth was able to finish the table without destroying another leg, his mind focused on the task at hand.
On the drive home, his phone rang. “Hey, are you still coming to the thing tonight?” Lizzie asked him.
“The thing…”
“The Fourth of July party. You know, the one our parents put on just about every year…?”
He’d totally forgotten. Shit, today wasn’t just Friday, but the Fourth of July, wasn’t it? Seth grimaced. He hated fireworks. They just reminded him of the sound of bombs, and they inevitably went on all night long. Last year had been his first year back in the States for the Fourth of July, and he’d only made it through that night with a lot of booze and some earplugs. It hadn’t helped, though, because the fireworks were close enough that that they shook the apartment.
“Yeah, I’ll be there,” he said, only so Lizzie wouldn’t be suspicious.
“Bring Rose with you.” Her tone was sly. “She can meet our parents finally.”
That made Seth groan. “That’s just evil, Lizard. She doesn’t deserve that.”
Lizzie laughed before they said goodbye. Seth hadn’t planned on taking Rose to the party, mostly because his parents would descend on Rose like vultures. Then again, he wasn’t about to leave her alone right now.
Rose agreed to come along after some persuasion. “Can I bring Callie?” she asked. “I hate to leave her alone with the fireworks going off.”
Seth knew his mother hated dogs, so he said, “Yeah, sure.”
They arrived at the Thornton mansion that sat in the hills overlooking Fair Haven later that evening. The sun wouldn’t set until after nine o’clock, and the fireworks weren’t scheduled until closer to ten thirty. Seth just prayed he could drink enough so nobody would notice his reaction to the fireworks.
Lizzie found him right away. She knew how the fireworks affected him, and she squeezed his arm. “I didn’t want you to be alone,” she explained. “Will you be okay?”
“I’m fine.” He didn’t want anyone hovering—especially not his sister.
Lizzie gave him an assessing look before turning to Rose. “It’s so nice to see you! How are you?”
“I’m great. How are you? And Bea?”
Lizzie beamed. “Come and see for yourself. I think one of my brothers has snagged her. They act like such big strong men, but around their niece…”
Seth watched as Lizzie took Rose around, introducing her to anyone she hadn’t already met. Not only were the Thorntons and their various significant others present, but a number of people from Fair Haven were there. The Thorntons never skimped on parties, that was for sure.
Some people Seth hadn’t seen since before he’d enlisted came up to talk to him, including a few teachers he’d forgotten about from elementary and junior high school. It was a bit like a bizarre reunion of sorts, and Seth hadn’t been prepared to answer the usual types of questions lobbed at him.
“What are you doing now?” and “What are your plans now that you’re out of the Marines?”
He dodged those questions like bullets and found refuge with his brothers, who could at least be counted on not to ask the same damn questions over and over again.
“Seth!” Caleb gave him a hug. “Good, you came. We weren’t sure you’d come. Hey, Harrison, when are the fireworks supposed to start again?”
“Ten forty-five.”
“I’ll tell Megan.”
Caleb wandered off, leaving Seth with Harrison and soon thereafter, Mark. Caleb had always been the talker of the family, so without him, the brothers often fell into usually comfortable silences with each other.
“You brought Rose with you,” Harrison finally said. “I’m glad she could come this time.”
“I’d totally forgotten this was even happening,” Seth admitted with a short laugh. “I’ve been preoccupied.”
“We heard. Have you made a decision yet?” This from Mark.
Seth was about to ask how they knew, but then he rolled his eyes. “Can nothing in his family stay a secret?”
“No,” said Mark and Harrison at the same time.
Seth told them what he’d told Alan earlier, except he made more of an effort to avoid saying anything about Rose. Now that both Harrison and Mark were happily married, they tended to act like everyone around them wanted to fall in love and get married and have families.
“There you are,” Sara said as she approached the trio. “Your mom wanted to ask you where the champagne was stored.”
Harrison rolled his eyes. “How should I know? I don’t live here.”
“Because you’re the oldest.” She smiled at Seth. “Long time no see. How are you?”
Seth could just make out a slight bump on Sara’s figure, and when Harrison covered her belly with his palm and kissed the crown of her head, envy struck Seth like a lightning bolt.
He remembered Harrison as someone who didn’t have time for relationships because he’d been too focused on his career as a pediatric oncologist. When Seth had first joined up, Harrison hadn’t had a serious girlfriend in over two years. And Mark—Seth couldn’t have been more shocked if someone had told him Mark had decided to dye his hair pink and become a pastry chef when he’d found out he’d fallen in love with Abby. Returning to so many of his siblings being happily married had been strange, like Seth had entered some alternate dimension.