Page 85 of Final Proposal

I clench my fists and scrunch my nose.

I see it.

Of course, I see it and understand it and find truth in everything he just said.

But doesn’t that make the sting even sharper? Ledger’s kids will know about his dedication to be just like their grandfather. Callahan’s will learn about his rebellious ways but how my father admired that streak in him.

And mine? Mine will know their dad as Just Ford. The man who was so unremarkable his father didn’t have much to say about him. And because of Mom’s words from long ago, it’s Dad’s opinion of me—or lack thereof—that is tearing me down. And nothing I do can change that now. He’s gone. I don’t get a second chance.

“I see it, all right. I see it and then some. The problem is you’re not seeing it either. Or rather, you’re not seeing what’s not there.” He holds my glare and gives a slow nod. “Discussion over. Call Miguel to fire up the chopper. I’ve got a shitload of work to do, and I’m sure you’re about ready to head home. You came all this way for nothing.”

Callahan’s chuckle is low and taunting. “Not exactly for nothing. I mean, it’s good to know we were right about one thing.”

“Let it rest, Callahan,” Ledger warns.

If they wanted my attention, they sure as fuck have it now.

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“C’mon, man. The sexual tension between you two is so fucking thick it’s muggy in here.”

“There’s nothing there,” I groan. We were around Ellery for a whole twenty minutes. There’s no way they noticed anything. He’s bluffing. Plain and fucking simple. “Nice try, though.”

“My God. You are so full of shit.” Ledger’s laugh grates on my nerves. “Do you think I don’t know you, Ford? Know your moods?”

I step into his personal space, my voice cold. “If that’s the case, why can’t you understand why promoting the book is a slap in my face? Why being made to feel like I didn’t matter is reason to be pissed?”

“Because it’s asinine, that’s why,” Ledger says. “We lived this life. We know Dad. We know how he felt about each one of us. That’s all that should matter. Isn’t that what Mom taught us?”

“Yeah, but he sure had a helluva lot to say about you, didn’t he?”

“Will you two stop acting like little old ladies? There are more important things to discuss, like how Ford here needs to get laid so he can chill the hell out.”

“Fuck off,” Ledger and I say in unison and then look at each other and start laughing. And despite everything—their trip to gang up on me, the biography, their requests for press—it feels so damn good for the pretenses to be gone and to simply laugh with them.

“Hallelujah!” Callahan glances at his watch. “We have a breakthrough. It only took five hours to get there, but we’ll fucking take it.” He grins like he’s the mastermind when he’s far from it. “So what’s the deal with Snaggletooth? Is it on? Is it off—”

“Have you stuck it in?” Ledger asks and then chortles like a teenager, proud of his lame joke.

It’s not lost on me that weeks ago I almost punched Diego for saying something similar. Now I’m laughing at my brother and flipping him off.

“How about no?”

“How about you’re a lying motherfucker,” Callahan says. And there’s the triplet telepathy. I don’t have to say a word, and they already know the goddamn answer.

And maybe I don’t want them to know the answer.

Maybe I want to figure this shit out on my own.

Besides, the minute they know anything has happened, it’s open season for them. The last thing I need is for Ellery to get spooked when she’s already skittish enough.

“I believe I only saw one bedroom. One bed. Tell me how exactly that’s working out for you,” Ledger says.

“One bed on the first floor. One bed up here. That’s how it’s working for us,” I chide.

“So you have variety. Beds. Tables. Floor. The sand. That’s always good for the sex life,” Callahan says and shrugs nonchalantly. “I mean, Sutton and I try to make sure we go somewhere new at least once a—”

“TMI. I do not need to know about Sutton’s and your sex life,” I say, holding my hands up in surrender. “Just like you don’t need to know about mine.”