The next month was a blur for Dani. She hadn't seen Shelly since the night after she clocked Bobby. Shelly called that night in tears saying Bobby skipped town. It was all Dani's fault. How could she? Shelly hadn't been at school. Dani tried calling, but Shelly's mom always said she wasn't home. She'd tried going over, but no one would answer the door.
Vic wasn't making things any easier. Doesn't he know I'm practically an adult? That I don't need him telling me who I can date or who I can hang out with? Deep down, Dani knew he was just trying to do what Daddy would do, but that didn't make it any better.
Daddy. He'd be home soon after more than a month in military rehab facilities on the East Coast. When she finally got to talk to him on the phone, he'd backed Vic up—even when it came to her car, which still wasn't fixed. He didn't sound the same. He was always tired and couldn't talk long. She'd wanted to go to him, but he insisted she stay in school. Besides, she and Vic needed to keep the shop running.
Rio Flaco was planning to make a big thing of his homecoming. Throwing a parade and everything. Dani didn't know all the details, but Greg had told her the scuttlebutt was that he'd saved two Marines from being crushed to death by the Humvee that landed on his legs.
Dani didn't need a parade to tell her Daddy was a hero.
Hero or not, though, he took Vic's side on everything, especially Jon. Nothing she could say had been able to make either of them see sense and budge even a little. They just don't understand him. At all. If they just got to know him, they'd see he's a good guy underneath it all, that he loves me, that I love him.
Maybe someday, they'd see. For now, she'd have to continue keeping it quiet, seeing him when and where she could, even if that did mean only seeing him when she cut class to rehearse with Inferno. Her bandmates had quickly become like family to her.
It was no big deal. The school had sent notes about her absences, but she'd become pretty good at signing Vic's name. It's not like I'm missing class enough to fail or anything. Even if she did, she could afford to fail one class and still graduate. Two, as long as English IV wasn't one of them.
Jon wasn't thrilled with the reduced rehearsal time or the reduced make out time and made a point of saying so. Repeatedly. He didn't understand why Dani didn't just leave home if her brother gave her such a hard time. It wasn't like the cops were going to do anything about it this close to her eighteenth birthday. He had plenty of room in his trailer. She doubted that, though she'd never been inside. She knew in her gut that if she ever did, even for a few minutes, things would get out of hand. As it was, she'd stopped fighting it when he let his hands wander where they shouldn't, as long as he didn't try to take her clothes off.
She felt guilty about it, especially when she'd go to youth group and Kari would talk about purity—every week, it seemed. She did want to save herself for marriage, but she loved Jon. How wrong can it be as long as we don't go all the way?
Fortunately, most of their alone time consisted of a minute or two carved out of rehearsals while the rest of the band took a smoke break. What if they did go all the way? It wasn't any different than what everyone else was doing. Everyone but Kari, anyway. And Vic. And maybe a couple kids who didn't have any friends outside of youth group.
What would Mom say? Dani often found herself deep in the back of her closet, where she would run her hands over Mom's dress. It was still as white as in all the wedding pictures. Dani knew if Mom were here, she'd pull her close and tell her she was worth waiting for.
***
Vic allowed himself a smile as he reviewed the books. Everything was finally in order. Once Dad got home, Vic could turn the business side of things over to him. Dani and Greg could handle what they'd been handling all along, and there would be no real need for him in the shop. With the uptick in business Fidelis had experienced over the last couple months, they could even hire another guy if they needed to.
Things were even starting to cool down with Dani. She'd been on time to work every day. She'd been coming home on time from school. Most surprising, she'd stopped pushing the whole thing about going out with Jon. Dani had Dad's stubbornness, and he hadn't expected her to give in so easily. She seemed to be going out of her way to do everything he asked her to do. He debated whether he should tell her the parts for her GTO had been under his desk for two weeks.
He pulled a stack of brochures from his desk drawer and pored over them for the thousandth time. Missionary programs. He'd prayerfully narrowed his choices down to two, both of which would make use of his business education and experience while he served under a veteran missionary. Now it came down to deciding whether he felt called to South America or Central Africa. Being accepted to either involved a process, but at least he could get started on it now.
The first step, and the hardest, would be telling Dad. Dad had always been supportive of his preaching, but Vic was sure it had never occurred to him that he might have a bona fide calling to full-time ministry, much less missionary work. Dad had been talking about him taking over the business since before there was a business to take over.
A greasy cable landed on the desk, splattering the brochures and stacked ledgers.
"Found the problem with the Charger's speedometer."
Vic wiped a splotch of grease off his coveralls.
Greg leaned in, hands smudging the desk. Vic determined not to let him see how much that bugged him. He'd only get a rise out of it.
"Still got one more problem," Greg said.
"That problem went away for now."
"Wouldn't be so sure."
Vic arched his eyebrows, begging the question.
"How I know's not important. But that's not what I'm talking about. I was hoping to wait till Gunny got back, but I got an offer from a dealership up in Sacramento, and they need an answer. Hate to do it, but I got a kid to think about."
Vic leaned back, stacking the brochures. This changes things. He felt a migraine coming.
***
8 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, 1991
Rio Flaco Regional Airstrip
Dani had never seen the town so worked up. President Bush had just declared the cease-fire two days ago, and everyone was excited to greet their very own war hero. Everywhere she looked, people waved flags and parents held small children to give them a better view. It looked like the whole town had turned out.
You'd think we'd lived here all our lives or something.
In reality, very few of these people outside of the church congregation even knew Daddy.
As the side door of the airplane opened, the Rio Flaco High School Band struck up "Stars and Stripes Forever" and what passed for a parade marched along the local airport's single landing strip.
Dani scanned the crowd for someone else as Daddy wheeled himself to the edge of the airstair's platform. He said he'd be here. She still debated whether asking him to come was a good idea. But if Vic and Daddy were ever going to give him a chance, she couldn't think of a better time to introduce them. Maybe Jon thought better of it? Kari stood on the other side of Vic, talking his ear off. He looked annoyed. Maybe it's just as well.
Daddy, in his dress blues, waved and saluted the crowd as a pair of uniformed Marines lifted him in his wheelchair. Best Dani could tell, he hadn't seen her yet. She waved her hands over her head, catching his eye and drawing a smile just as she felt warm hands touch her from behind.
Daddy maintained his smile, but his jaw set as he saw Jon encircle her waist, pull her back into himself, and kiss her ear, whispering something she couldn't make out over the noise. Dani smelled something under the cinnamon gum he chewed, faint but unmistakable. Of all days. You promised you'd stop.
Vic must have noticed the subtle change in Daddy's demeanor, too. Turning, he clenched his teeth and closed his eyes. Kari's jaw dropped, and she gave Dani a look over her glasses. Dani straightened to her full height, placing her hand over Jon's as if to dare either of them to say anything as the TV-9 camera crew panned back and forth between them and Daddy, a young reporter prattling on about local businessman and hero Gunnery Sergeant Anthony Grassigli and how his family waited for him just off the runway.
Vic made an obvious effort to paint a smile back on his face when the cameraman faced them.
"Here we are with Victor and Danielle Grassigli as they get ready to be reunited with their father after nine long months. And with Danielle is…"
Dani sported her sweetest smile, fighting the blush she felt coming. She'd planned this out, but now that the moment arrived, she feared she'd lose her nerve. She looked back over her shoulder at Jon. Why are the rest of them here? And how dare they invite Bobby, of all people?
"Ummm, this is Jon Ryder, my b…"
"Bandmate," Jon finished, pushing his way in front of her and mugging for the camera.
"He's the lead vocalist for Inferno," Bobby added. "Check out Dani and the rest of us at the Rock Creek Festival next Saturday."
"What're you doing, man?" Jon shoved Bobby.
Dani wanted to crawl under a rock. She watched disappointment work its way from Kari's eyes to her slumped shoulder and knew her days on the praise team were done. Now off to the side, Marc stood twirling a drumstick while Bobby Van Zie smirked and threw up the rock 'n roll salute. Beyond them, Tom Basil stood, trying to make conversation with Cal, who shuffled from foot to foot, shaking his head, eyes on the ground.
Vic stiffened, but forced a smile and made small talk with the reporter as their father wheeled closer, sunlight glinting off his brass and snorting fire as the Who's Who of Rio Flaco tried to keep up on his flanks.