Soldier Mine (Sons of War #2)(8)

“Did you recruit anyone?” he asks in a thick Russian accent, lowering the book. An ardent supporter of the military despite losing a son to it, my father asks the same question every day.

“Not today.”

“You should try harder, Petr.”

I laugh.

“You should not take this so lightly,” he chides me. “A country is only as –”

“- great as its military. I know, Baba. I did hook up another wounded vet with the Mikael Foundation,” I say, referring to the charity the family established in my brother’s name to help other soldiers and vets.

He smiles. “This is good. We will collect them all and help them.”

I sit down at the other end of the leather couch where he’s reading.

My father is a rare man. Born into relative poverty in Russia long ago, he managed not to let my mother’s obscene wealth change him after they married and instead, urged her to create and support charities. He co-manages half a dozen and is on the board for another ten, everything from Mikael’s Foundation to community and local programs to wildlife preservation.

I think that’s part of what made Mikael and me go into the military. My father, like our mother before her death, maintains a strong sense of public service. Mikael and I graduated from Harvard and had the option of never working a day in our lives, thanks to our trust funds, but chose instead to channel our boyhood adventure seeking ways into an avenue that could potentially help a lot of people.

The other reason we joined: we were both diehard risk seekers. This edge is tempered on me now, though I do still love skydiving and scuba diving and any other sort of physical activity that lets me become an adrenaline junkie once more, even if only temporarily.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I miss Katya,” I muse.

“She has gone on to make the life of another man interesting.”

I snort. Married this past summer to my old commander, Sawyer, I’m half afraid to call my sister Katya and find out how she’s adjusting. She went from a mansion to military housing, and I’m not entirely certain what mood she’ll be in if I ask.

Thinking about it makes me grin. I don’t doubt Sawyer is taking care of her. He’s like a brother to me now, the man who helped Mikael save my life.

“They’ll be back for the holidays, right?” I ask my father.

“Yes. I told Sawyer, if he needs to leave her here, he can.”

“I think he says he has to do the cooking when he’s in town.” I laugh again. “That and something about how she borrowed his truck and he can’t get the glitter out of the nooks and crannies.”

The two are complete opposites – Katya emotional with a huge heart and quick temper, and Sawyer, who is chilly enough to make ice shiver. They’re a perfect match, in my opinion. I was happy to push them toward each other and even happier to realize I’d done a fantastic job. I never have to worry about either now that they’ve got one another.

“That reminds me. She sent us cookies.” My father picks up a glass container from the stand beside him.

“Oh, no. It’s your turn to choke one down and tell her they’re great,” I say. My sister is a notoriously bad cook. “I just ate.”

My father grunts in response and sets the cookies down. “I told them I want grandchildren. Two boys and a girl.”

“When they’re ready, Baba. They just got married.”

“I want two boys and a girl from you, too, Petr.”

I grimace. “Just tell Katya you want four boys and two girls. Then I’m off the hook. It’s a little harder to date women when you’re half metal.” I tap my leg in reminder.

“Nonsense. You are a good man, a better cook than Katya, and you are very kind. If your leg is the problem, lie about it. For now.”

His sage, wry advice throws me into belly laughter.

“They will figure it out eventually,” he adds. “Why poison the well up front?”

Grinning, I catch my breath. He’s smiling at me, proud as always. His faith and confidence in me can make it harder for me to tell him the truth. I don’t fear battle, but I’m afraid of being rejected by women. “All right, Baba,” I say then add jokingly. “I’ll work on finding a woman so you can have your grandchildren.”

“The more you have, the less of Katya’s cookies we have to eat.”

“Great point.” Standing, I circle the couch then lean over the back and give him a bear hug. “I love you, Baba.”

“I know, Petr.” He clasps my forearm. “Now let me read.”

I leave, always a little more cheerful after talking to my father. The ringtone for texts goes off, and I check the phone.

Sorry about today, Brianna has written. We can try again???

A twinge of regret flutters through me. Why am I doing this to myself? Involving myself with her?

Maybe it’s not rejection I fear. Maybe I’m trying to prove to myself I’m worthy of any woman’s attention as well as being worthy of Mikael’s sacrifice. Maybe I want to show her I’m the man I used to be, fully knowing she can’t see that now and that in truth, I’ll never be who I was before.

I don’t know if it matters what she thinks or if she can ever accept me as I am now. My therapist says it matters how I view myself.