Divine by Cait Jarrod

injuries and wanted to be left
alone. He relaxed in his seat and closed his eyes. In no time, the
plane landed and he disembarked. The fact he slept for over ten
hours didn’t escape him. He’d been beat and hadn’t been able to
rest much with all the rehab.
    Outside, he breathed in the humid air and
searched the crowd, waiting on the tarmac.
    Travis’ face was tight, his mouth firm. He
inspected him like his father would have, with compassion, caring,
and the I’m-sorry-for-what-you’re-going-through expression.
    Matt blinked and swallowed the sour taste in
his mouth.
    “Hey!” Travis pulled him in for a hug. “Damn,
I like having you home.”
    “I’m half the man, I was,” he said, not
releasing him.
    “You can never be half a man, squirt!” His
brother patted his back. “Never.”
    He chuckled at the childhood nickname. “Who
are you calling a squirt?”
    Travis cocked his head and searched his face.
The deep concern in his eyes about broke him. “Damn glad to see you
again.”
    Another tight squeeze, and Travis reached for
Matt’s duffle.
    “I can carry it.”
    “I know, but I want to do this.” Travis
placed a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s go home.”
    Appreciating his big brother’s comfort, he
walked in silence to the silver truck.
    Pulling out of Andrew’s Air Force base and
heading northwest toward home, Travis said, “I assume you’re
staying at the house.”
    “Where else?” He stared out the window.
    “Dunno. That’s why I asked.”
    Travis tried to behave as if nothing had
changed, but not him. Everything he’d held dear, the things making
him tick, had disappeared within a few months. Eerie, how life
transformed so quickly. One moment he loved life, feeling good, and
ready to take on the world. The next, he didn’t much give a shit
what happened.
    “What about finding a job?” Travis asked
after an hour-long stretch of silence.
    “I may contact the fire department.”
    “You haven’t mentioned being a fireman
since,” Travis paused. “Since before...”
    “Yeah, I know.” Matt’s decision to become a
sniper happened the day Dad had died.
    “Dad would have been proud of you. Mom, too,
but Dad would have been showing all his buddies your
commendations.”
    Their dad had bragged endlessly to his
friends about his boys. “I miss them.”
    “Me too,” Travis said. “Every day.”
    An awkward silence stretched between them
until the sting grew too much. “I plan to call a few fire chiefs,
see if any of them are willing to take on a one-legged vet who
can’t run into a building or climb a ladder.”
    Travis pulled into River Grill’s parking
lot.
    He tugged on the handle, but his brother was
faster and locked the doors.
    “Food after you recover from your pity
party.”
    “Here we go,” he said, “acting like my
parent.”
    “Fuck. I don’t want to be anything but your
big brother, but I have all three jobs.”
    Another guilt he wore like a badge. “And
who’s your parent? Who watches out for you?”
    Travis’ face flushed. “I thought it was
obvious. You are.”
    He jerked his head toward Travis so fast he
heard a bone in his neck crack. “Say, what?”
    “We’re it.”
    “I know we’re it,” he scoffed. “You’re five
years older than me.”
    “So? Does that make it any different? Maybe
at thirteen and eighteen it did, but not anymore. Hell, you fought
in a war. Seen the worst in life.”
    The dangerous places Travis flew scared the
hell out of him. “You find people who no one believes
survived.”
    “Same, but different,” Travis said. “Do you
want to talk about what happened?”
    “No.” His curt tone left no room for
discussion.
    “Okay, then are you good with the River Grill
for supper?”
    “Here works.”
    Travis unlocked the doors, and he climbed out
of the truck.
    The scent of grilled burgers and fries
cooking in oil produced a growl from his stomach. “I’ve missed
this.”
    “Lots of memories,” Travis grinned and opened
the