“Seems only fair,” Lexi shrugged. “He’s seen ours.”
Michael had tended to both Taryn and Lexi when necessary, but Sean’s croie had needed no such care. Maggie turned to Nicki, who, like Taryn and Lexi, made no secret of the fact she was enjoying the impromptu peep show. “And what’s your excuse?”
Nicki blinked her clear, diamond-like eyes. “Damn. Fine. Ass.”
“Good point,” Maggie admitted with a sigh and turned back in time to see Michael pulling up his shorts and launching himself at Ian. They both went down and were rolling around in the grass like little boys instead of grown men while the rest of the brothers goaded them on.
*
“Uncle Michael! Uncle Michael!”
Riley’s cries were lost among the hooting and hollering of the men, but Taryn shot to her feet as her daughter made a beeline in her uncles’ general direction. Jake smoothly intercepted his daughter and scooped her up before she got hurt.
“Daddy! Let me go! Uncle Michael! Uncle Michael! Stop. STOP!”
“Riley Kathleen Callaghan, what’s gotten into you?”
“It’s Grandpa! He’s fallen asleep under the tree and he won’t wake up!”
Ian and Michael ceased their tussling as all attention focused on the little girl. As one, the women rose and moved closer. Ian jumped to his feet and gave his brother a hand up.
“Where?” Michael asked with a somber face, all traces of levity gone with Riley’s words.
She wiped at her tear-streaked face with dirty hands. “Down by the pumpkin patch. I was picking out my pumpkin and it was too big for me to carry and I asked him to help me and he didn’t answer,” she sobbed. “So I went over and tried to wake him up but he just won’t!”
Jake handed Riley to Taryn. “Okay, sweetheart, you did fine. Stay with Mom while we see what’s going on with Grandpa.”
Game forgotten, Kieran and Shane were already sprinting down the hill, followed closely by the others. Jake shot Taryn a somber, knowing look, slipping into commander mode. “Keep the kids here until we know what’s going on. Nicki, ready the Hummer. Maggie, run inside and get Mick’s emergency kit.”
They nodded, their expressions worried, then took off without hesitation.
“Daddy, is Grandpa going to be all right?”
Jake loved his daughter, but he wouldn’t lie to her. Until he knew the situation, he wasn’t going to make any promises he couldn’t keep. He kissed her on the forehead. Then he took off too.
He knew it was bad when he spotted his brothers around the base of the old tree, a semi-circular wall of large men obstructing the view from above. His worst fears were realized when he reached the bottom and saw his father prone. The eldest, Kane, was straddling him, doing chest compressions while Michael searched for a pulse. Ian met his eyes and shook his head slightly.
“Nicki’s got transport,” he said even as he heard the powerful engine of the H2 roaring to life. “Status,” he barked.
“Probable heart attack,” Michael bit out.
“Is he...”
“His heart’s not beating.”
“Come on, old man,” Kane grunted out with each push. “You will come back to us.”
––––––––
June 1968
Pine Ridge
“You will come back to us.” Jack’s mother kissed him on the cheek, her words brimming with a confidence he didn’t feel.
“I know,” he lied. His mother gave him a smile, one that said she knew he was full of shite, but one that also told him she believed with all of her heart that he would return alive and in one piece. It helped. A little.
She moved away with her head held high, back toward a gathering of other neighborhood moms. They all shared the same stoic, determined look as they replaced near-empty pitchers of iced tea and lemonade on the picnic tables, along with plates of homemade cookies and brownies.
The truth was, he was scared. Scared and excited and proud and determined. Each of the emotions warred for dominance in his eighteen year old mind. In a few days he would be heading out with a half dozen other local boys. The massive block party was the town’s way of giving its native sons a proper send-off. A few, like him, were headed into the Navy. Others had chosen the Army, Air Force, or Marines.
Jack had chosen the Navy with dreams of becoming a SEAL. The relatively new special operations force was trained to operate in all environments –—SEa, Air, and Land –—and only selected the best of the best. Jack was determined to be one of them.
With furtive looks to where his mother was talking with several others, no doubt rallying around each other in support, his father handed him a beer and patted him on the back, pride shining from his clear, blue Irish eyes.