Engage by June Gray Read Free Book Online

down at our entwined fingers, not knowing when that had even taken place. “She and Jason were dating when he was killed,” he said.
    “You were?” I asked, my eyes flying back to her pretty face. “I didn’t know he was even seeing anyone.”
    “We’d been on and off since college,” Julie said. She motioned for us to sit down and she followed suit. “I lived in New York until three years ago when I moved here to Dallas for work. Come to find out, Jason lived only a few hours away. We started seeing each other a few months before he was deployed.” She bowed her head, losing the sunny smile on her face. Her big blue eyes were filling with tears when she suddenly exhaled and stood up. “I’m really sorry for your loss.”
    “His death was your loss too,” I said and in that instant, as our eyes locked, I somehow got the feeling that she and I would be friends. I didn’t know how I knew it, only that I felt a kinship with her through our shared loss.
    She blinked and shook off the cloak of sadness. “Anyway, would you guys like a drink? Or maybe some apple pie?”
    “I’m starving,” Henry said. He stood up and patted his stomach. “Would you like some help?”
    “Sure, thanks,” she said and they walked off, leaving me alone in the living room.
    I stood up to look at the birds again, my eyes landing on a little glass eagle with its wing outstretched as if about to take flight. It was different from the other birds, which were all cutesy and pretty, and I wondered if maybe Jason had given it to her.
    I was reaching out to touch the tip of its glass wing when a little voice said behind me, “Who are you?”
    I turned around to find a little boy of about four standing by the coffee table. He had a round face, floppy blond hair, and a familiar smile. “Hi there,” I said. “My name is Elsie.”
    He marched straight to me with his hand outstretched. “My name is Will,” he said and shook my hand like a little man.
    I stifled my smile. “Nice to meet you, Will. Is Julie your mom?”
    He nodded. “But I don’t have a dad,” he said solemnly. “My mom says my dad died in Apganistand .”
    My heart dropped to my feet and blood rushed to my head. “What… what’s your dad’s name?”
    “Jason, like my middle name,” the little boy said proudly. “I’m William Jason Keaton.”
    “Will.”
    Both of our heads whipped around at the sound of his mother’s voice, and my eyes instantly connected with Henry’s. He glanced at Will then back at me, giving me a little nod and a smile.
    “I guess you’ve met Will,” Julie said, setting a tray down at the table. She touched the little boy’s blond hair, the same color as Jason’s. “Will, this is Henry Logan. He was your dad’s very best friend.”
    Tears filled my eyes and I turned away to hide my face.
    “Nice to meet you, Henry,” I heard Will say.
    “I’m very happy to meet you, Will,” Henry said, his voice closer now. He touched my shoulder. “This is your Aunt Elsie.”
    I took a few seconds to collect myself before turning back around to face my nephew.
    Jason had a son.
    “Hi,” I said with a wavery voice. Julie handed me a tissue and I looked up at her with gratitude and newfound respect. “Did Jason know?” I whispered.
    Julie nodded and took a tissue for herself, dabbing at the corners of her eyes. “I told him the same day he…” She pursed her lips, unable to continue.
    “I received an email when I was at Osan,” Henry said, trying for a little levity. “Julie said she’d been looking for me, that she really wanted me to meet her son. I told her about you, Els.”
    “Are you sure?” Even as I asked the question, I already knew the answer. With that easygoing smile and that open face, the little boy was the spitting image of my brother.
    “There was nobody else,” Julie said, sitting on the couch and gathering Will into her arms. “Jason and I were even talking about getting married.”
    I turned to Henry. “Do