Dave pressed his lips together.

Layne’s voice lost its animosity and he said softly, “You didn’t do right by Rocky and you didn’t do right by me, then and now.”

“Are we gonna stand in your yard in the cold and go over last night’s territory, Tanner, or are you gonna let me see my girl?” Dave asked tersely.

“I wasn’t done,” Layne replied.

“Then get to it,” Dave ordered.

Layne sucked breath into his nose and then let it out.

“Okay Dave, I’ll get to it. That said, that’s done. This is now. We’re movin’ forward. Roc and me. Roc, Jasper, Tripp and me. And you’re family so you’re movin’ forward with us.”

“Sounds good,” Merry stated cautiously.

“With conditions,” Layne continued.

“Shit,” Dave muttered.

“Cecilia existed,” Layne told the old man and Dave winced then he cleared it and glared at Layne. “And she died a terrible death. That shit isn’t under the carpet anymore. Rocky needs her mother and the only thing she has left is memories so she’s going to be allowed to have them.”

“I –” Dave started.

“She visits her grave,” Layne cut him off and Dave’s lips parted as Merry’s body visibly went still. “When she needs her, she goes to her. I’m guessin’ from your reaction you didn’t know that.”

“No,” Merry whispered.

“Well she does,” Layne returned, his eyes locked on Dave’s and his voice got quiet. “I remember her, Dave, I remember that she was always smiling.” Dave closed his eyes, Layne ignored it and kept talking. “She died and that was tragic, her missin’ out on life, you losin’ her, her kids losin’ their Mom. But Carson Fisher killed her, Dave.” Dave’s eyes shot open and he stared at Layne. “You didn’t do it, you just were doin’ your job. Rocky didn’t do it by not putting herself in danger to help her Mom; she did what her mother needed her to do and stayed safe and alive. Carson Fisher is solely responsible for what happened to your family. You have all got to learn to quit blamin’ yourselves, feelin’ guilt which means you cut out memories of Cecilia and connections with people you care about.” His eyes shifted to Merry. “Start living again and bring Cecilia back where she f**kin’ well should be.”

“Why don’t we focus on the matter at hand and you leave Mia out of this?” Merry suggested, his voice edging toward hostile.

“What makes you jump to the conclusion I’m talkin’ about Mia, Merry?” Layne asked and Merry’s jaw got tight. “Okay then, just to confirm, that reaction right there means I’m talkin’ about Mia, brother.”

“Jesus,” Merry clipped.

“You gonna heal all my family’s wounds on your front lawn, boy?” Dave asked.

Layne’s eyes sliced to him. “No, but I’m going to tell you when Merry told me Rocky was intending to put herself out there to out Harry Rutledge and I went to talk to her, she spoke about you and her Mom. She did it with fierce pride, Dave, and that was pride instilled in her by her mother. Cecilia was proud of who you were, what you did and what you stood for and she taught her daughter to feel the same way. You wore the white hat, Dave, your son does it now. Your daughter is proud as hell of that. Now, I don’t know, I’m not you, but I know my boys are proud of me and I know how it felt when Jasper told me that, straight out. So I get it, that wound runs deep, it’ll never heal but I can’t imagine knowin’ your wife felt that way and your daughter still feels it, that doesn’t help, even a little bit.”

Neither Merry nor Dave spoke and Layne waited but they still didn’t speak.

So he did. “Vera’s out with Dev gettin’ stuff for Mexican layer dip, we’re gearin’ up for the Colts so it’s not noon but I’m havin’ a f**kin’ beer. You can come in if you want and you can stay as long as you like. Just understand, when Vera and Devin get back, I’m not discussin’ the possibility that they’re becomin’ an item because it freaks me way, the f**k, out.”

Both Merry and Dave’s mouths dropped open.

Layne finished, “You can follow me and hang, you can come in and see Roc’s all right, go away and plan my death, you can do what you want, but I’m havin’ a beer.”

With that, Layne turned and walked into the house.

The door didn’t even begin to close on his back because Merry had his hand on it and he and his father were moving in right after Layne.

“Hey Uncle Dave!” Tripp shouted. “Merry!”

Merry and Dave went to the sectional.

Layne went to the fridge.

* * * * *

It was halftime of the Colt’s game, the Mexican layer dip was decimated so they’d moved on to crackers and cheese squirted from a can and Vera had whipped up an emergency batch of sour cream onion dip for chips. She’d put out some carrot sticks with the chips with more hope than realism. Blondie had stolen a carrot stick and then spat it out on the floor by the couch. No one else had touched them.

Merry, Devin, Dave, Blondie and Layne were outside.

Merry was sitting and smoking.

Dave was standing and tossing a ball for Blondie.

Devin was sitting and scowling at Dave and the dog.

Layne was sitting, drinking beer and looking over his shoulder into the living room.

He’d left the couch where Rocky was lying with her head on his thigh, her feet in her father’s lap. Now, she was sitting between Tripp, who was turned toward her, his mouth moving, and Jasper, whose head was bent and his cell was in his hands. His boys had both moved from the floor to her before his and Dave’s asses were out of the couch.

Vera was in the kitchen, likely assessing ingredients to concoct a dinner later which would sit like a lead weight in his gut after all that junk food but which his sons would burn off in approximately twelve minutes.

“Jig is up, brother,” Merry muttered and Layne’s eyes turned to Merry.

“We lost Towers,” he surmised and felt Devin and Dave’s attention shift to them.

“Yep, she’s gone. Lost her tail and vanished. Even her army is laying low. The word is out they’ve been made and they’re off the grid,” Merry confirmed.

“Fuck,” Layne whispered.

“Goulding?” Devin asked.

“Picked him up. Charged him with identity theft times two, Gaines and Aubry. Informed the authorities in Tennessee we’ve got him. We’ll process him but he’ll go down there first to answer to those charges. Don’t expect we’ll see him back in Indiana for awhile,” Merry answered.