He’d had his doubts early on with Reenie, but she’d proven him wrong.
He wasn’t used to that happening. Then he wondered if he was wrong about Meredith also.
Was he judging her too harshly or pushing her away for the wrong reasons? Was he afraid to open himself up?
Yeah, he was.
But he also didn’t want to rain on her happiness parade.
He wasn’t lying when he said that to her.
“Want a beer?” he asked.
“Yep,” Ford said, getting up and walking into the house.
Clay sipped out of his can and stared up at the sky. He always found a sense of calmness looking at the stars. It didn’t matterwhere he was in the world—if he could see the stars he felt it centered him.
“Is there a reason you’re here?” Clay asked when his brother sat down.
“Because you are.”
“I’m here all the time.”
“We can play it this way again,” Ford said. “Small talk. Or I can tell you to just open up and tell me what is going on with you. You came home a different man. We all thought you were relaxing and then everything happened with Reenie. I didn’t want that for you.”
He knew what Ford was talking about. That Clay killed two men helping to protect Reenie.
He could have shot to disarm as his brother had, but the outcome would have been the same. Probably worse.
He knew people like those that kidnapped Reenie. Desperation was the running emotion. When that happens, the risks have to be weighed.
His assessment saved the lives of those he loved and he’d do the same all over again.
He didn’t worry that there’d be any fallout for his actions. His brother took care of it by following the rules and deputizing him.
Was there an investigation? Yep.
But it all came back as clean kills and the remaining suspect was now in prison awaiting his trial in Florida.
His brother could have died, the same as Reenie.
They were safe and that was all that mattered.
“It’s not anything I haven’t dealt with before,” he said.
“But you shouldn’t have had to deal with it here,” Ford said. “Are you going to tell me why you left the Navy? It won’t go any further. You know you can trust me.”
He could trust everyone in his family.
“It’s difficult to say,” he said.
Months ago he wouldn’t have considered voicing that much.
He wasn’t sure what changed.
“Pretend I’m not here,” Ford said. “Just talk to the sky like you did as a kid in the tree house.”
Clay snorted, not surprised his brother knew that. “Were you spying on me?”
