Logan was so engulfed in his own misery that he’d barely heard the squeaking wheelchair on approach. The tears threatening to break through his tough exterior, he’d been focusing on keeping them in. On denying the feelings he was experiencing.
When he looked up, Jenny was sitting in a thin, rickety wheelchair only a few feet from the graves. Her hair was a wet mess, her clothes ruined by dirt and rainwater. But in spite of that, she was smiling. It was a sight that warmed his heart, even if just a little.
“How you holding up?” she asked.
“I’ll be fine,” Logan lied.
Jenny nodded thoughtfully, then pointed to the headstones. “I was so sorry to learn about your family. Maybe one day, when you feel like you can trust me, you wouldn’t mind telling me about them. They must have been wonderful people.”
“They were the best.”
“They were lucky to have you, too.”
Logan wiped his eye with a drenched jacket sleeve, then sat back on his heels. His time for mourning wasn’t over, but for the sake of talking to a nice young woman who had managed to come over, a short break wouldn’t hurt.
“Rebecca was incredible,” he told her. “She was just the kindest person you’d ever meet, but a tough cookie, too. I always told her she was like a commanding officer with a heart. It always made her laugh, but it earned me a little play slap each time. It was probably thanks to her that our kid turned out so great. I never thanked her for that.”
Jenny listened quietly, nodding with a thin smile.
“Amber was something special, too. It felt like… I don’t know. Like God realized he’d done a good job with Rebecca, so he used her as a cookie cutter. It sounds dumb, I guess. She was really more like a newer model. She looked just like her mother, thankfully. Had her brains, too. She was such a sweet little girl, even when she was mad—”
Logan’s voice broke, and he stopped to hide it. But Jenny wheeled closer, stopping when the mud got too thick. Seeing this, he rushed to his feet and helped lift the chair out of the thick, gelatinous dirt. While he did this, he was able to hide another tear.
“They sound wonderful,” Jenny said, taking his hand.
“They were. Until I failed them.”
“You didn’t… I mean…”
Jenny gave a surprisingly strong tug and pulled him to his knees. Not expecting it, Logan fell and caught his balance on the chair. His eyes met hers, and for the first time ever, he saw an amazing strength in her eyes. A fierce, imposing character.
“You didn’t fail,” she told him, staring right into his soul as if to make him believe it. “Just because some sick bastard came along to do what he did, it doesn’t make you any less of a man. Your actions over the past few days have proved you to be strong, determined, and protective. Maggie told me everything, and I can’t thank you enough.”
Logan shook his head. “But I didn’t save them.”
“That wasn’t in your control. What’s important is that you came for me. You made up for your mistakes. And I’ll never… Listen to me.” Jenny lifted his sagging head, holding his gaze once more. “I’ll never be your daughter, but from now on, I get to live, and it’s all thanks to you. I’ll get to be your friend, and there’s nothing more I could ask for.”
That was all it took. Logan felt a smile break onto his face as he held her – protective as ever – rather than falling into her arms. Jenny’s embrace was strong, and it made him wonder if she missed her father. If perhaps she’d seen an instinct in Logan that she’d always wanted from her own dad. If that much was true, maybe he could talk himself into being there for her. To sticking around to take care of her whenever she needed a man in her life. His own family might be long gone, but here was a golden opportunity to love again. To feel something he thought he’d never feel. To have a family who was there for each other no matter what.
Who else was lucky enough to have that twice?