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“Was he violent?”

His abrupt subject change caught me off-guard and it took me a second to understand. “Dad?”

Beau nodded. I saw him swallow. Hard.

“Sometimes,” I admitted. “Can you tell me about Mom?”

I watched and heard Beau sigh. “It’s a long story.”

“When’s your next leave?”

“I’ve got plans.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, Little Grandma told me you were jumping off bases.”

Beau snorted. “I loved that old lady. Good to hear she’s still kicking.”

“So, you’re coming back? Checking things out?” I couldn’t keep the hope out of my voice, but fuck it, if he didn’t come here, I’d go to him.

But seriously, Brady. Kai.” He looked at me and clenched his jaw. Was he seeing me or the man who broke his mother’s heart? I couldn’t be sure. “Jasper Creek is not my favorite place.”

This time I sighed. “I hear you. Still, I would like to hear more about Mom.”

“I get it, brother.” He stared at me for a long time while I let the fact that he called me brother sink in. It felt good.

“I’ll see what I can do,” he finally answered.

“I’d appreciate it,” I said around the huge lump in my throat.

Beau lifted his chin. “In the meantime, I’d like to set up a call when I have more time. I’ve got to go in for a debrief.”

Didn’t that sound familiar?

He didn’t say anything more, just stared at me again. It was seriously like looking in a mirror. Then the left side of his mouth tilted up and a dimple popped. A dimple I didn’t have.

I remember that!

“Shit, Brady, I’m blown away, but so damned excited. I hope you know that.”

“Same.” I swallowed around an even bigger lump. Choking back tears.

“Retirement’s made you soft,” Beau chuckled.

I laughed. “Fuck you.”

“Right back at you.” He paused, flashed that dimple again, then said, “Bye, Brother.”

The screen went black.

Driving back from Bernie’s I was anxious to talk to someone about Beau. I would have thought it would’ve been Clay, but actually it was Marlowe. It made me stop and think about just how close we’d gotten in the last month.

Damn, how did that happen?

I just waved to Gretchen when I flew through reception at the Whispering Pines Inn. The elevator was taking too long, so I took the stairs. When I got inside the room, I wasn’t surprised to find Marlowe practically crawling out of her skin.

“Did you talk to him?”

“I did.”