Ward drove his truck to the end of the Cartwright’s drive and stopped. Little Addy was in the backseat, standing on her hind legs and looking out the window. Her little tail was wagging a-mile-a minute. A partial bag of kibble lay on the passenger seat. He would stop at the mill store to pick up more food and the other things Addy would need.
When he’d told his mother and father he would take the puppy to Tyler and the boys, his mother smiled and said she’d call to let them know. Ward was glad of that. He wondered if Tyler would even have taken the call if he had checked caller ID and saw that it was him.
Ward got out of the truck, walked to the mailbox, put the reenlistment letter inside, and raised the flag. He stood looking at the flag for a while, took a deep breath, got back in the
