“Even back when you were posted out at Fort Bliss.”

“The Caldwells keep her very busy,” Richard said.

He rubbed the pale scar on his thumb again, working out the exact driving distance between his quiet five acres and her husband’s gated driveway.

“Ethan’s got state government contract reviews coming at the end of the quarter,” Richard added.

“His accounting people run on tight schedules.”

William took one of the cookies, turned it slowly between his fingers, and set it back on the edge of the plate without biting into it.

“You gave thirty years to the uniform,” William said, studying him.

“You’ve earned a peaceful afternoon.”

“Retirement’s only as peaceful as your perimeter,” Richard said.

“You’ve been sitting out on that front porch since seven this morning,” William said.

“I was watching the thick fog burn off the ridgeline,” Richard said.

“You were standing right at the gravel fence line when I pulled into the drive,” William said, lowering his voice a little.

“Staring down the county road like you were expecting an armored convoy.”

Richard shut off the gas knob on the stove with a hard, sharp twist.