Keegan
I hated leaving the cabin. I hate driving to Blue’s court-martial more.
I can't get rid of my sense of dread.
Holmlund’s staring at us in the rear-view mirror. I meet his gaze and notice how tired he looks. He probably didn’t get much sleep last night either.
We’re meeting Venla Ahlstrom tonight in Lawton. She’s not scheduled to appear at the court-martial until it’s time for the defense.
We didn’t know until three days ago she’d be there at all. Not even Holmlund knew.
“I am pretty fucking amazed,” he boasted when he called Blue to tell him. “I thought that P.I. I hired in Finland was worthless. But he managed to find her, way up north in some remote fishing village. I guess that’s where she’s originally from. Apparently, she gave up all the aid stuff in Afghanistan and went home.”
Holmlund spent an hour on the phone with Venla, and she finally agreed to fly to Oklahoma to testify on Blue’s behalf.
“I can’t believe she’d do that for me, come all this way,” Blue said wonderingly. “I just can’t believe it.”
I can feel Holmlund’s eyes still on us.
“We’ll be in Lawton in about twenty minutes,” he says, his eyes darting from the mirror to the road and back. “We’ll have just enough time to check into the hotel and get some lunch before we have to leave for the base.”
I nod, glancing at Blue. He’s staring out the window, his mouth set in a hard line.
Frasier Bryson offered to pick up Maria and bring her to Lawton. My grandmother is coming, as well. That surprised me, but she insisted on being there.
I’d asked Holmlund if it was a good idea.
“Absolutely,” he said. “She’s highly respected in this state, especially for her strong support of the military. We want her there.”
We’re all supposed to meet at the hotel and go to the base together.
I stare at Blue's profile; even from the side, the ice-blue eye color he got from his mother stands out.
Maria came to the ranch several times during the weeks we've been there. Once, I tried to apologize to her.
“None of this would be happening if Blue hadn’t met me, if I hadn’t written everything down in my journal. I’m just so sorry.”
“Don’t do that,” she’d shushed, drawing me into a tight hug. “Do you really think this wouldn’t have come to light, even if Blue never met you?”
She brushed the hair away from my forehead. “Do you really think he’d have been able to bury this forever?”
I swallowed, searching for something to say.
“I’ve seen how he looks at you,” Maria went on, her voice wistful. “I know how much he loves you, Keegan. Not everybody gets that kind of love in a lifetime. I am so glad he has you with him while he’s going through this. I would never wish he hadn’t met you.”
I sigh, remembering that conversation with Blue’s mother. Maria is so sweet; maybe too sweet for her own good. She reminds me of my own mother.
Blue turns toward me and squeezes my hand as we pull up to the gate at Fort Sill.
Holmlund lowers the driver’s window and gives the uniformed guard our passes. The soldier looks over the passes, then bends down to peer at all of us. He looks longest at Blue, fixing him with a pointed, unmistakably challenging stare.
Blue shifts uncomfortably in his seat, and I press my thumb into the top of his hand, moving it back and forth. I guess I think that will soothe him.
Blue holds the soldier’s gaze for a long moment. Then he looks down.
The guard straightens and hands the passes back to Holmlund. “Go ahead, sir,” he says. “They’re expecting you.”
~~~
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