“Neon, my man, I need a favor.” Thad paced across the floorboards of his kitchen.

“Monk. Good to hear from you, buddy. What can I do for you?” There was no hesitation, no what-now tone in his friend’s voice. Support for life. That’s military for you.

“I need to tap into your social media network. I need to raise money, and fast. It’s for a good cause.”

“Don’t tell me that old cabin’s got leaks.”

“No, man, nothing like that. There’s this animal shelter that trains service dogs. Some of the guys coming back need help. I want to raise funds to train the dogs.”

“Hey, Kenny? Thad’s on the line. Doesn’t your sister own a kennel?”

#Busted.

“Neon?” He waited for the shuffling to die down. “Neon. Yo, man. Just forget it.”

“Not happening. You need a love fund. That’s what you need, and Kenny and I will get you one.”

Love fund? He was never going to live this one down. Sometimes there was a downside to having buddies who knew too much. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”

“No. It’s a great idea. We gotcha covered. Tell me what you're thinking.”

Turbulent insecurity tumbled through his chest. You can do this. He hated asking for help, but he wanted this for Karly. He rolled his neck to steady his uneasiness. “I want to set up a page on CrowdFund.com, see if I can’t get a few people to chip in. I need to raise five grand.”

“Dude, I know you’re doing this to help Kenny’s sister, but you’ll also be helping vets. If we’re going to do this, do it right. Set the goal high.”

“You know how to do this stuff. What do you suggest?”

“Let’s double it, and see where we land.”

“Double?” Wow. “That’s a hefty goal.” Thad watched a herd of elk move through his pasture and stop to graze. Every member of the herd depended on the others to alert them to danger, and to keep the group healthy. Just like his friends. “Okay, ten grand. Ask Kenny to help.”

At that moment, the clouds shifted and the sun unveiled her brilliant colors.

Maybe this would work.

The heavy burden he’d been carrying slid off his shoulders.

“I ain’t gonna ask. He’ll help. I won’t be able to stop him.” Neon puffed out in disgust. “If this is for you, and his sister, he’ll fill the love bucket to overflowin’.”

It’s more than about me. “If I don’t get this money, Karly will give up her dreams. I can’t let that happen.”

“It’s about time you unbolted that door. I’ve been wondering when you were going to admit to loving that woman.” I already asked her to marry me—twice.

Love. What a funny thing it could be. He leaned against the counter. “Karly stole my heart when I was in grade school, and she’s never given it back.”

“Then let me talk to some buddies and see what we can do. Once you get the account set up, send me the link. There’s this guy at the hospital in San Antonio. He makes videos of vets returning from the zone. I’ll see if he’s willing to put together a few clips.”

His excitement transformed into real possibilities. “That would be great.”

“Hey, Kenny wants to talk to you. Hang on a second.” The moments ticked by and Thad waited.

“Monk?”

“Hey, Kenny. What’s up? You doing better?”

“Yeah, the sergeant is sending me on a new course next month. All’s good. How about you? Are you staying out of trouble?”

The last few weeks slashed through his mind, but he couldn’t tell Kenny about the kidnapping. It wasn’t his story to tell, and Karly insisted her brother shouldn’t be told, especially while he was preparing to leave. Kenny needed to keep his head in the game. Karly’s words, not his, because war wasn’t a game.

“No trouble here.” Thad switched the phone to the other ear. “You wouldn’t happen to know if something happened to Karly after I left Elkridge, would you? I get the feeling it’s something bad.”

“Karly’s always been a locked box. Not even a crowbar will open her up unless she wants to tell you what’s going on.”

“Would someone else know?”

“Our cousin in New York, maybe, but when it comes to Karly, she wouldn’t say a word. She's loyal. Always has been.”

“I’d sure like to know what she’s afraid of. It’s like she’s resigned to spending her life alone.”

“Wish I could help you out there, man, but Karly’s always kept to herself. I’m the closest to her, and I still don’t think anyone knows my sister.”

Good to know. “Thanks. If you think of anything, shoot me an email.”

“Good talking to you. Catch you next time.”

Thad ended the call and crossed his legs. The last phone conversation he had with Karly all those years ago replayed in bits and fragments. He’d been jealous. She’d been angry. Both of them said a whole lot of things, yet nothing worth anything.

He needed to get her to open up.

Talk to him.

This time, he’d listen to not only what she said…but what she didn’t say. This time, his future was riding on her answer.