“Thanks. I didn’t do it alone though.”

She smiled sweetly and reached out for his arm. “I know. Where is she?”

Tyler bit down hard so that he didn’t snap at his own mother when nothing was her fault. “I haven’t seen her in two weeks. I’ve had to bury myself into final details here and—well, she hasn’t been around.”

Regan Benson wasn’t just any fool, and he knew that. And the way she scanned her eyes over him he knew she was trying to pick up on what had happened. It was better to just tell her.

“She found out her brother wasn’t killed in action, but he committed suicide.”

His mother put her hand on her chest. “Oh, Tyler. That’s horrible. You should go to her.”

“I did, Mom. I’ve called, texted, emailed, faxed even—no response. I go to her house, she won’t answer. I go to her parents’ house and she won’t see me. I’m lost.”

The pain on his mother’s face softened. “You love her.”

He pulled out the ring he’d been carrying in his pocket for the past two weeks, showed it to her, and saw the first tear glisten in her eye.

“Before we got the letter from a man who knew what had happened, I’d asked her father for his blessing.”

“And?” she asked with her eyes wide.

“He gave it to me.” He looked down at the ring. “Avery helped me pick the ring.”

“When are you going to give it to her?”

Tyler dropped his shoulders and shoved the ring back into his pocket. “I was going to do it tonight. This was our project. It seemed fitting.”

“You should give it to her tonight.”

Was his mother not listening to him? She wasn’t there. He hadn’t spoken to her in weeks.

She stepped closer and rested her hands on his arms. “I love you. It hurt when you went away. It hurt more because I felt as though I pushed you away.”

He took a breath to speak, but she shook her head.

“I’ve seen the two of you together. You’re in love and that should get you through anything. She’s hurting, Tyler. She’s hurting in a way I hope you never know. Don’t give up on her. Look,” she said as she pointed toward Simone and her father dancing. “The strangest things can happen.”

He nodded. “When this is over I’ll head to her house again.”

His mother kissed him on the cheek, caught sight of her granddaughter, and let out a little squeal. “I could use a house full of those,” she said with a grin and hurried toward Darcy.

When Tyler moved toward the door to go check on events outside, he noticed Mr. and Mrs. Field walk in arm in arm.

His breath hitched. Was she with them? He didn’t see her, but they’d seen him.

As they walked toward him he felt the box in his pocket dig into his thigh. He swallowed hard and walked toward them trying hard to smile.

“Mr. Field.” He held out his hand to shake the man’s.

“Tyler.” Michael Field looked around. “Quite impressive. You did a fine job here.”

“Thank you, sir.” He turned toward Mary Field and held out his hand. “Mrs. Field, it’s nice to see you.”

“Thank you for the invitation. We just had to see what our Courtney had been working on. I read the program, very impressive.”

“The organization is very impressive. So is your daughter’s writing. She did all the work on that herself.”

He saw the flash of pride in her eyes.

Tyler steadied his breath. “How is Courtney?”

“Fine. Miserable. Lonely,” her father said and didn’t seem to have a bit of remorse when his wife elbowed him. “Mary, she’s miserable. Why tell him a lie? She misses you like crazy and she’s sucked up in a pity party.”

“She loved Fitz very much,” he offered.

“Yes she did. And he loved her too. But unfortunately the demons in his head got to him. And I regret the demons of war as well.” He looked down at his wife’s hand over his arm and gave it a pat.

Tyler knew the face of a man who carried regret. He’d looked at that face in the mirror for years.

“I’m honored that you came tonight. It means a lot.”

Michael Field pushed his shoulders back and looked down at Tyler. “I might have told my wife about a little something you were planning. She wanted to see the ring.”

Mary Field’s eyes lit up. “That seems petty doesn’t it?”

“No,” he said pulling the ring from his pocket again.

“Oh, Tyler that is stunning,” she cried when she saw it. “She’s going to love it.”

“I’m not sure she will,” Tyler said closing the box and sliding it back in his pocket. “I can’t get her to talk to me.”

“She’s at her house,” her father said. “I think that if you were to go to her, she might let you in.”

“Really?” Tyler’s voice rose in anticipation. “I love her,” he said looking at both of them. “I want her to be my wife. I don’t care that she’s blind. I don’t care that there will be many things that will have to be dealt with in our lives. I just want to be with her.”

Michael Field nearly smiled. “I think she might be ready to hear that now.” He looked at his wife. “Feel like dancing?”

She smiled. “I would love to.”

The Fields walked away and spun into each other’s arms with the music. I think she might be ready to hear that now—the words resonated in his ears.

“Who is that?” Darcy asked as she and Spencer walked toward him.

“Courtney’s parents.”

“I didn’t see her here.”

Tyler shook his head. “I haven’t talked to her in weeks. She’s not accepting the truth of her brother’s death, now that she knows it. But,” he looked toward her father, “he thinks maybe she’ll let me in now.”

Spencer placed his hand on Tyler’s shoulder. “Go to her. We got this covered. Besides, if you don’t give her that ring it’s going to wear a funny hole in your pocket.” He smiled at him.

“How do you know about the ring? I really haven’t told anyone.”

“Avery picked it out,” Darcy said on a laugh. “We all know.”