Like it was just par for the course.A normal thing to do.Not something she had to… earn or pay for.
“Let’s put it this way,” Nate said after a heavy silence.“I know youcantake care of yourself.It’s, in fact, one of the many things I admire about you.But one of those other things is that you’re smart.So, you know it’s a bad idea to try to entice this guy we don’t have enough information on when you’re alone.”
She did know that, unfortunately.What she didn’t know was how to weathercompliments.And things likeadmire.It made her feel like she was in some sort of horrible spotlight.And Nate only saw the good things right now, but eventually…
But this wasn’t about their relationship.It was about a case, more or less.Multiple cases, really.
“You’re right.Let’s head back to the office,” Nate said, shifting in his seat.
It was the kind of shift that made her think maybe his leg was bothering him.
“Make sure your friend didn’t try to break in or anything again.Then we’ll take my truck up to the ranch.Talk to Cal and bring Landon and Aly into the loop.Hayes gave us an idea of what he talked to Glenda about and why.I think that should be a… everyone should know.”
“And what about Cal’s belief we should get rid of Bo?”
Nate sighed.“Look, he’s not wrong that Glenda has been historically on our side and helpful to us.I think we have to consider her warning at face value, but it’s also the same cryptic bullshit.So, we need more information.Maybe if we talk to Aly about it, she can talk to Jill.I just think… we have to lay out all the cards, don’t we?”
Sam fully agreed.She’d been pushing for that for a while now.The Bennet players weren’t used to laying the cards out.Except Nate.Maybe that was why she felt… resistant.She didn’t like witnessing the way Cal and Landon sometimes formed a kind of team against him.She knew they weren’t aware that was what they were doing, but they’d fully grown up in the Bennet…culturewas the only word she could think of.Sure, they were trying to deprogram themselves from the Benjamin Bennet of it all, but whenever Nate suggested something they didn’t like, they looked at him like he was an outsider instead of theirbrother.
Sam was very aware her feelings on that were… personal and therefore probably shouldn’t factor into their decisions.If he wanted to beat his stubborn Bennet head against theirs, it was his prerogative.
She just hated watching the little pieces of himself that got chipped off along the way.Especially if his leg was bothering him.
And especially when Sam herself couldn’t fully jump on Cal and Nate’s interpretation of what Glenda had said.Not that she’d fully worked outherinterpretation.She was still… figuring it out.
She pulled into the Honor’s Edge parking lot, parked next to his truck.She didn’t get out right away.
She sat there for a minute trying to find the right words.“I don’t think Cal’s going to appreciate us deciding to lay out the cards without his input.”
“No, he’s not.But I’m a big boy, Sam.I can handle Cal being pissed at me if that’s what you’re worried about.It’s not going to torpedo whatever… progress we’ve made to be a family again.”
He said thatverypointedly.Pointedly enough Sam wasn’t about to touch it.Because she thought for all Nate’s usual amount of reason, he had too much optimism when it came to people.
“Besides, Cal’s just pissed in general,” Nate continued.“And he will be, for a while yet.”
She looked at him since she was parked now.“You say that with such confidence.”
“I’ve seen my share of PTSD.”
She finally voiced something she’d thoughta lotabout over the past few months.She figured sleeping together gave hersomekind of… right to ask.
Maybe.“Seen it or experienced it?”
He met her gaze.Didn’t answer right away.She couldn’t tell if he was thinking through some sort of superficial, pat answer, or just considering the question.
“Mostly seen,” he said after the pause.“There was a bad spell when I was in the hospital for my leg.Maybe that even worked in my favor.I had a safe space to work through all that while my leg was healing.A nightmare still pops up every now and again.Haven’t had much of a flashback since Tennessee.Mostly, I dealt with what I saw, what happened to me.Cal hasn’t.And there’s no guarantee he will or that dealing will lead to some… healthy acceptance.If thereishealthy acceptance of any of this.”
“Are you worried that he just… won’t ever get better?”
“Sometimes.There’s no… rhyme or reason for these things.It’s like any other disease.Some people suffer.Some people don’t.Luck of the shitty draw, I guess.But he’s taking the right steps, mostly, and that’s all he can do.”
“I guess that’s all anybody could do,” Sam muttered, more to herself than him.
Which meant, as much as she didn’t want to admit it, he was right.They should head up to the ranch, lay out all the cards.See what kind of hand they could come up with.Together.Even if there was friction.Even if things got sticky.
Maybe life was just damn sticky.
“Text Aly we’re coming.God knows she’ll want to make food for us.”
