Page 177 of Rhodes

“Coop tried to kill me.”

“I missed.”

Cain nods. “Do better next time.”

“Thanks, Brother,” I say.

“You are all so lucky I chose this family,” Greer says.

I point at her. “Yes, we are. Especially Cain. Why you love that bald bastard, I’ll never know.”

“Be nice to your brother.”

Coop opens the cooler.

“Yeah, be nice to your brother, Rhodes.”

He pulls out a beer and holds it toward me. I take it. That's pretty much where we are.

A year ago, there were stretches when I wasn’t sure he would ever willingly sit across a table from me again. He answered my calls if they were about something important, ignored the ones that weren’t, and spent about three months calling me asshole instead of Rhodes.

Eventually, asshole started sounding affectionate again. We never had one giant conversation that fixed it. There isn't anything to fix with one conversation.

I lied to him. He knows why, and I know why he was furious. He also knows Tallulah chose me, which took him longer to accept than either of us enjoyed.

Now he drops furniture on my foot and gives me beer. I call that progress.

“Where is your sister?” I ask.

Cooper immediately points the bottle opener at me. “Don’t.”

I laugh. “I asked where she is.”

“You’ve known her location every second for the last year. You don’t need me to track her.”

I stare at him. He realizes what he said, and for a beat, neither of us moves.

Then he rolls his eyes. “Don’t make it weird.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“Your face did.”

Cain looks between us. “Did you two just have a breakthrough?”

“Shut up,” Cooper and I say together.

Greer laughs. My phone vibrates in my pocket. It's Tallulah.

Parking is a nightmare. Jo says this is your fault.

I type back.

Always

Three dots appear.

We’re walking now. Be there in 10 minutes.