14

      “LANE.”

      Brody sighed, taking a second to rub at the pain knotted between his eyes before turning around. He set the case of beer he’d been carrying on the bar just in case he needed both hands.

      “Sheriff.”

      “We need to talk.”

      “I’m still officially enlisted in the U.S. Navy on medical leave. If you’re looking to drive me out of town, you’re going to need a new game plan.”

      Reilly offered a chilly look, then gave a quick nod.

      “Good to know.”

      “You might also want to know that I’m not playing this time,” Brody said, figuring he might as well lay it all out from the get-go. “You have an issue, you deal with me direct and we hash it out. You’re not calling the shots, but I’m willing to work with you to make Genna’s life easier.”

      Reilly’s stare grew contemplative.

      “Actually it’s Genna I’m here to talk about.”

      “I figured.”

      “My daughter isn’t happy. I accept my share of the blame and I’m working on that. I figure you need to step up, too, and deal with yours.”

      Sheriff Reilly wanted him to fix things with his little princess? Brody tensed. That, he hadn’t figured.

      “Isn’t this why Genna stopped talking to you?”

      “There’s a difference between looking out for someone, in trying to help make their life a little smoother, and in trying to force them to live their lives the way you want.”

      “So wouldn’t your being here fall under the forcing things category?” Brody asked. Even when he wasn’t trying to run his daughter’s life, the guy still had to poke his nose in?

      “I don’t see that I’m forcing anything. Just having a conversation.”

      “Nice.” Brody rolled his eyes.

      “Genna said you’re leaving the navy. Why?”

      “Why the hell do people keep asking me that?” Brody shoved his hand through his hair, even more irritated to feel how long it’d grown since he’d been on leave. Just another sign that he didn’t fit, wasn’t himself. “I’m getting out. End of discussion. I thought that’d make Genna happy. Don’t women want guys who are around more than a few months a year?”

      “I can’t claim to be an expert on women, but I think they’d want a guy who’s honest with them. One who lives his purpose, even if that purpose doesn’t revolve around them. If you leave the service because you think it’s what she wants or because you think that’s the only way you can make a relationship work, then your odds of going the distance are pretty slim. She’s either strong enough to handle your career, or she’s not. Don’t put the burden of her happiness on your shoulders.”

      “Quite a statement from a dad who spent the last ten years putting that burden on his daughter.”

      Cheap shot, but Brody was feeling mean.

      The sheriff took it like a man, though. Instead of snapping back, he simply nodded. Leaving Brody to feel like an ass.

      “I won’t be getting any parenting awards. In retrospect, I’m pretty sure Cara and I made every mistake in the book. And our children paid for them.” Reilly paused, clenching his jaw and his face tight with grief. “Genna and Joe paid for our mistakes. The same as you paid for Brian’s.”

      “Not even close to the same thing.” Shaking his head, Brody grimaced. “Whatever mistakes you made, and I’m not saying there weren’t some head scratchers, you always loved your kids. You acted out of concern. They knew that. Both of them.”

      He didn’t bother to add that Brian hadn’t had an ounce of love to offer anyone, let alone his son. And his only concern had always been himself.

      “I’ll deny it if you ever repeat this,” Brody said quietly, feeling like an idiot but scanning the empty room anyway to make sure he wasn’t overheard. “But I used to be jealous of Joe having a guy like you for a dad. I always figured if I had kids, I’d do a lot of things the way you did. Not all of them, since I’m a fan of learning from other people’s screwups. But some.”

      “Thank you,” Reilly said quietly. His face wasn’t any less tight, but he’d lost that miserable look in his eyes. “I guess it’s only fair that I tell you that there weren’t a few times after you shipped out that I didn’t wish Joe were more like you.”

      Holy crap. Brody jerked his shoulders, trying to shake off the emotional impact of that. This was getting ridiculous. A few more exchanges like that and they’d be hugging and offering to do each other’s fingernails.

      Still, he knew what it must have cost the guy to say that, so he could only offer honesty in return.

      “I’m not leaving the navy because of Genna.”

      The sheriff arched one brow and waited.

      Brody ground his teeth. This definitely wasn’t one of those “jealous for Reilly as a father” moments.

      “I failed. You know how that goes, right? Despite any random thoughts you might have had to the contrary, you’ve called it plenty of times when you said I was a loser.”

      The sheriff rocked back on his heels, both hands in his front pockets as he considered that.

      “You’re talking about the guy who was killed on this mission?”

      Brody went hot, then cold. Fury iced in his veins, freezing out his regret over how things had gone down with Genna. What the hell? She’d shared what he’d told her? Fists clenched, he wondered if the bar would withstand a few solid punches. As the fury coiled tighter, he realized he didn’t care.

      Before he could release his anger on the decrepit wood, the sheriff held up one hand.

      “The mayor pulled strings, called in a few favors to get the basics for the hero event he put together. Nothing classified, all approved by your admiral.”

      Tension seeping away, Brody wondered how many different ways he could feel like an ass in one conversation.

      “I figure that kind of thing, losing someone like that, it might give you second thoughts. Inspire a little worry. Maybe even fear.”

      “I’m not afraid,” Brody said dismissively. Shaking his head at that crazy thought, he laughed and went back to stacking cases of beer. Time to call an end to this conversation.

      “Not for yourself.”

      Brody froze. He took a deep breath, slowly lowering the box onto the bar. Okay then. The conversation wasn’t quite over.

      He