A Soldier's Honour. Regan Black
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she’d made every effort to give him a stable life, while assuring him that his father was a good man, doing good work in the Army.
On top of that nonnegotiable stability, she’d given Caleb roots and tradition with her side of the family, let him know he was loved and valued. She’d created opportunities to explore various interests, while fostering an appreciation for history that matched hers and Matt’s.
That had been her one calculated effort once she’d accepted that this day would come whether she wanted it to or not. Matt had respected every limit she’d set in her quest to raise Caleb alone. The two of them deserved to have some common ground from the first introduction.
Strange that until now, when she could only guess at Caleb’s reactions, her choices had never felt quite so selfish or self-serving. She’d been so confident that giving Matt room to have a Military career unencumbered by a whoops baby was the right thing for everyone.
Now she felt as if she’d done them all a grave disservice.
Matt gathered his thoughts before striding to the general’s office. He supposed this conversation would be good practice for telling his parents about Caleb. It was rather surreal that he’d be having that conversation tonight.
He knocked lightly on the open door. “Do you have a minute, sir?”
“Come in,” Knudson said. His normally jovial smile was slower to show up today. “Have you heard something from the police?”
“No, sir. This is a different matter. Personal.” He closed the door and came forward to stand next to the guest chairs.
“And serious,” Knudson observed. “Have a seat.”
“Thank you.” Better to just get it out there as efficiently as possible. “I have a son.” Wow. He was finally getting to share this with someone. A surge of pride shot through him as the general’s eyebrows lifted. “He’s fourteen, almost fifteen,” Matt added, thinking aloud. “His mother has been raising him alone. She insisted on complete privacy on the issue, although I’ve contributed financial child support since the start.”
“Well, that’s the responsible move, son.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“I can assume there’s a legal arrangement?”
“Yes, sir,” Matt confirmed. “And it’s been noted properly all the way through my security clearance investigations.”
“All right.” Knudson bobbed his chin. “Why has it become an issue today?”
Matt kept his shoulders back when he wanted to slouch with relief. “It seems he’s learned about me. He didn’t find out from his mother.”
“The security breach?”
“Possibly, though I don’t see how a fourteen-year-old would have access to my personnel records, even if he knew to look for them. His mother just called to let me know he skipped school and appears to be on a train scheduled to arrive at Union Station in about forty minutes.”
The general gave a short bark of laughter. “Sounds like he’s a chip off the old block after all.”
“Possibly,” Matt allowed, trying not to smile. “I suppose my mother would know that answer.” Assuming his mother had known he had a son.
“Always admired your mother,” Knudson said. “Ben and Patricia are dear, dear friends.” He studied Matt long enough that it was a struggle not to fidget. “I take it I’m the first person you’ve told?”
“Yes, sir. Outside of the JAG office and the security clearance investigators,” Matt replied.
Knudson’s gaze grew serious. “If I could offer a piece of advice?”
“Please, sir.”
“You’ll want to soften up that delivery some and show more remorse about keeping the secret—whatever the reasons—when you tell your mom.”
“Thank you, sir.” Matt intended to do all of that and more.
He’d been trying to be as efficient as possible with Knudson, in the interest of time. He already had a shopping cart loaded with her favorite wine and chocolates waiting online. All he had to do was complete the purchase and request rush delivery. He’d also made a mental note to bring flowers with him whenever he saw her in person, for now until the end of time.
“Take the rest of the day off,” Knudson said. “But if you bring him for a tour, I’d like to meet him.”
Matt made appropriate assurances and escaped the office, arranging for a ride to Union Station. By the time he arrived, the train Caleb was likely on was only a few minutes out. Matt breathed a sigh of relief. If he hadn’t been here in time, Bethany would have cause to skin them both.
It wasn’t easy trying to spot one teenage boy as passengers flooded from the trains and into the terminal. He’d only ever seen Caleb in school or soccer-team pictures. Bethany was commendably stingy about posting more candid photos of him online. Understandable, but it meant he had to look at how people moved in groups rather than for the individual face. Even at midday, the terminal was busy enough that he almost missed a young man of the right height and age passing by alone, his face down as he fiddled with his cell phone.
Matt fell in behind him and dialed Caleb’s number.
The kid who was a few paces in front of him stepped out of the flow of foot traffic and swiped the screen to answer. “Hello?”
Matt heard it through the phone a half second after he watched Caleb’s mouth form the word. “Hi, Caleb,” Matt answered. The kid looked so much like his mother, it was uncanny. He had her big brown eyes, under straight eyebrows. His dark blond hair, cut in a modern, subtle Mohawk, was streaked by the sun from his time on the soccer field. Matt had seen the resemblance in the pictures. In real life, the similarities were startling. What now?
Caleb’s gaze darted around the terminal before landing on Matt. The hand holding the phone seemed to melt as he stared.
Matt couldn’t move. His heart had lost its rhythm and his breath stalled. He’d felt stronger on his first jump from an airplane to graduate Airborne School. This was his son. His son. Those two words comprised the entire sum of his thoughts, and time seemed to slow to a crawl.
And he was a father, damn it. Gathering himself, he took a firm step forward, catching himself before he yanked Caleb into a bear hug. One more step and he closed the distance, sticking out his hand. “Matt Riley. Pleased to meet you.”
Eyes wide, the kid met his handshake, and words seemed to fail him.
Matt understood the magnitude of the moment and sympathized. He was still on the verge of losing it himself. “You are Caleb, right?” The boy nodded. “Good.” Matt tried to smile. “Your mom, Bethany Trent, called and told me you might be here.”
At the mention of his mom, Caleb blanched. “She already knows I’m here?”
Matt nodded. “She says you’ve dodged her calls and texts.”
“No.” He hunched his shoulders, as if he could slouch into the shelter of his backpack. “Technically my phone is supposed to be off during school hours.”
Technically. Matt remembered how poorly that excuse worked on his mother. “Do you know who I am?”
Caleb nodded, swallowing hard.
“Good. Call your mom. Let her know you’re safe.”
Matt waited, laying a hand on his son’s shoulder when he saw him sending a text. “Call. Use the speaker.”
“Yes, sir.” Caleb swiped to a different screen and held the phone so Matt could see the display, as well.
When Bethany answered, her relief was obvious but it didn’t take long for that relief to give way to blistering