Degrees Of Honor The Honor Series Book One

Epilogue

Thank you for reading this book. I hope you have enjoyed it!

Epilogue

Cassie

Once bandaged and resting in his room, Travis slept like a baby. He accepted the medication, he gave in when the nurses said his visiting hours were over and she kicked us out. I was the last one to leave and promised that I would be back in the morning with Jacob to see him.

For now, Doc and I face each other in the hallway, knowing what we were about to do would settle things once and for all. I asked for a paternity test shortly after I had found out my father was gone. I need my mom to come to grips with her loss and know the truth.

Sitting next to Doc as we waited for the test results, I came to a conclusion, the test results don't matter anymore. They never mattered to me because I know who raised me but legally I don't want to deal with this again. I want my father's legacy in the corps to remain honorable. He loved me and protected me the way any loving father would have. I have no doubt that John McAfferty is my father.

"Are you sure you're okay? You don't have to do this right now or at all, Cassie. You can just put this behind you and move on." Doc holds my hand as we mourn our loss and wait.

"Yes, I do. If there's ever a chance that someone else can come at us again thinking they can use something like this against me or my mom, I have to know. It doesn't change anything. He was my dad in every way that ever mattered." Holding on tight for a moment before giving my hand a gentle squeeze before releasing it.

"Cassie." Searching for the right words, Doc knows this isn't going to be easy. "About McKennan, he's a good man. Your dad knew him well. He wouldn't have ordered him to protect you if he didn't believe he was a good man. A good Marine. He would have been proud to have him in the family."

It's a relief and heartbreak to hear him say this. I was afraid Doc was going to say Dad wouldn't want us together. Mom is the only hurdle we have to face. And I suppose it will help if I know whether Travis wants us still.

That is another conversation for later. Mom is down the hall resting from Travis's room. Convenient for me and Doc to monitor them both. I have to decide what I'm going to do now. Do I see if mom will move here to be close to us? Or do we pack up our lives and move back in with her? What will Travis do?

So many questions and no easy answers.

"You know..." Doc grinned slyly in my direction. "A couple more youngin' would do your mother some good." My eyes met my fathers old friend, and I knew at that moment, all would be okay.

Before I could comment, the doctor came into the waiting area. "Doc! Good to see again." He greeted his colleague. Giving me a curt nod, he addressed the question at hand. "Looks like you just couldn't keep out of trouble... again. I thought you gave up the Seals. You didn't reenlist, did you?" The grin broke out on the Doc's face.

"Oh no! I'm retired, boy. That doesn't mean I don't like a little action once in a while, but I think I'll be keeping it to movie nights from now on." The two laugh as they shake hands.

"I've got the paternity results you asked for. The DNA is a match for mother and father." He acknowledged surprising both of us.

Dad was so sure that he wasn't my father. I'm confused. "But... are you sure?"

Doc squeezed my hand and nodded with a tear in his eye. It was as it should be. "Tom and Stella were so sure he wasn't your daddy. Looks like you have some news to share with your mama."

"Technology is a wonderful thing... when it works." The doctor smiles. "The tests are conclusive, unless John and Tom have the same bloodline, which I know from his military records they don't, John is Cassie's biological father." Letting the news sink in, the doctor left the room.