“Love you, too. Bye.” Theresa hung up.
Wolfe chortled. “I only heard half of that, but I find the situation funny.”
Scott wouldn’t say that. “Humph.”
“So. Millie and I were just talking about your wedding.”
Scott tripped on a rock and quickly regained his footing along the dirt driveway. “Really? What did Millie say?”
“She suggested that I’d make a great groomsman,” Wolfe said, swiveling his eyes left and right as he scanned for the cat.
Scott figured the cat’s white coat would show even in the darkness, so he did the same, hoping to find the animal soon. “You would make a great groomsman,” he agreed.
“Thanks. I’ll take that as an offer.” Wolfe’s teeth flashed in the dark. “You’re going to do right by my little sister, aren’t you?”
Scott stepped lightly over a pothole and made a mental note to take a look at the driveway the next day. All this rain caused too many holes that required filling. “I think one brother of hers is enough for me to worry about.” JT had been cordial, but he had every right to be protective of his sister.
“Oh no, buddy. She has two,” Wolfe said. “The minute I decided she was a sister, she became a sister, you know?”
Scott sighed. “I know.”
“What are your intentions?” Wolfe asked.
“Well, I don’t know.” He surprised himself by giving the man the truth instead of saying something smooth or glib. “I like her a lot. In fact, it’s pretty obvious I more than like her, but I’m as fucked up as can be. I can’t get rid of the nightmares, and sometimes I wake up afraid that I’m going to punch a pillow or somebody near to me.”
Wolfe stepped onto the grass, studying it closely. “Have you ever done that?”
“No,” Scott admitted.
They walked through the gate and Wolfe paused, looking one way down the quiet country road and then the other. “Then you probably won’t. Besides, Millie knows how to defend herself. I taught her. If you ever get that lost in a nightmare, she’ll kick your ass.” Wolfe shook his head. “I’m serious, man. Don’t ruin the rest of your life because of shit you’ve gone through. We’ve all gone through too much crap to count, and if we let it beat us, or keep us from living, where would we be?”
The man made a good point.
“And it’s not just that,” Wolfe said, starting to walk toward town.
Scott fell into step beside him. “What do you mean?”
“You’re bored, Terentson. You’re tired of fighting about contracts and worrying about associates. You’ve finally found something exciting and intriguing in Millie, and you’re afraid that she deserves better, that you’re just using her to find some inspiration.”
Scott nearly stopped in his tracks as the truth of the statement hit him. He hadn’t even thought of it that way. He looked again at this man who had become a friend. Even though they spent a few hours a week together working on cases or playing poker, he truly hadn’t witnessed Wolfe’s depths. “I didn’t realize that,” he said.
“Sure,” Wolfe said easily. “Let me tell you, that’s not it. It’s not the excitement of Millie. It’s actually her. She’s one of a kind, man, and something in you recognizes that. Even though being a lawyer seems kind of dumb sometimes, you’re not stupid.”
“I think I appreciate that?” Scott murmured.
Wolfe clapped him hard on the shoulder, jarring his bruised ribs. “Good talk. Now, let’s find my cat.”
* * * *
Early in the morning, Millie handed everybody Pop-Tarts as Scott and Wolfe rummaged for iced coffees in the back of the refrigerator.
“I’m headed out again,” Wolfe said, drink in hand as he strode grimly out the door where Ian and Oliver already waited.
JT and Alex had taken out the charters early that morning. The Derby was in full force.
“You two didn’t uncover anything?” Millie asked, munching on her strawberry-frosted Pop-Tart.
“No.” Scott took a deep drink. “We searched up and down the main road, but found no sign of the cat. Wolfe’s getting really worried.”
