Too Late, Sarah: A Husband's Vow

rely more than one room, smell

ford on his meager Coast

on the narrow cot t

relief after the t

the cabin habitable, cleaning,

tion Dr. Thorne had prescribed. It took the edge off, but the

tment in Soldotna, an hour's dri

s hurting, confused. Part of him, a sm

d dismissive, as she' d told him Ben was

ning away from his pa

d, replaced by a

that man again.

r, staring out the grimy window at t

his sudden departure and the divorc

ian, a rising star. This

he would use it to his advantage, to f

kept his appointme

date about moving out,

PTSD, Mr. Walker," she said. "Removing yourself f

g again, checking h

e. The surgeon did a good job, but you'll always have limitations. The key i

tand," Et

rmer rescue swimmers, military types... you're used to pushin

first life, he' d tried to push through, t

rning,"

e. Dr. Thorne was an ally. A pragmatic, un

s cabin, he saw Sarah'

mach ti

he rickety porch ste

proached, her face pa

lk about Ben," she sa

king the cabin door. H

. "He wants to know why you weren'

n was only eight. This was

u tell him?"

p. For the Coast Guard Auxiliary." A lie.

d, Sarah. He' ll

at's why we need to decide what to tell him. How t

ame. "There is no united front,

r Ben's

rom Sarah' s car. He' d been

s them, a sympatheti

placing a comforting hand on

t mind me tagging along. Sarah was pretty upse

fectly feigned, it mad

ndling it," Ethan s

onableness. "But Sarah' s right. You guys need to think abou

are of that,

s a great kid. It would be a sham

th gratitude. "Thank yo

much of his past misery, now positioning himself as the

e fixed on Liam, "is that this is betwee

hardened. "When it affects Sarah, and by e

here," Ethan

d Sarah needs support right now. Her father

tain Hayes. The guilt

up. "Dad did want tha

ear-streaked face, her reliance

n from his first life, shor

onvinced her to liquidate a joint investment account Eth

d, his voice earnest. "A sure thing. I' ll double it in

But Sarah, already under Liam'

d vanished. The "busines

se to buy a local fishing quota in this new life. A small boat, a

al, his options we

inancial manipulations, preying

an said abruptly. "

closed the door, leaving Sarah

ffled voice, then Li

nst the door,

am was a more formidable opponent this early in

his independence, to provide for hims

likely out of reach no