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He laughed. “Yeah. You were.”

“You were playing a game with me, though.”

“I admit it.”

“Yeah. I know you did. I’m just saying.”

“You’re just justifying,” he said.

“Maybe.”

“Quinn Sullivan, you are kind of a brat.”

She huffed a laugh. “Not the first time I’ve heard that, oddly.”

And then he remembered what she’d said about her dad, and he knew a moment’s guilt, which was sort of a novelty.

“If your dad left because you are the way you are, he’s a dick. Just so we’re clear.”

“I am totally aware that my dad is a dick,” said Quinn.

“I mean, we all are. I just wanted to make sure I said it. My dad loved us, loved my mom, loved this land until it put him into the ground. Do you understand that? He loved my mother so much that when she died, his heart was never the same again. He literally died of a broken heart. And we were a ragtag group of imperfect people. He loved us like that anyway. He’s still here, even though he’s gone, you know? Because that’s how much he loved us. That’s how much he loved this place. So yeah, if your dad could leave because you are a stubborn cuss, he’s no kind of man, in my opinion. And definitely no kind of father.”

He looked over at her and saw that she was staring at him. She had the oddest look on her face. Her expression sharpened and incredulous.

“What? Has anyone ever said that to you before?”

“No. Maybe because I never said to anybody what I said to you.”

“Why did you say it?”

“I don’t know.”

He was happy enough to leave it there. Because he could well understand saying and doing things you couldn’t explain. He felt like all the last few days were that for him. Why the hell he had indulged her for even five seconds was kind of beyond him. Not something he could wholly grasp. And then they pulled up to the house, and he was saved from his own thoughts.

They opened the doors at the same time and got out, and she followed him up to the house.

“Do I need to take my shoes off?” she asked, looking down at the pile of shoes by the door.

“No. You know, I think Jessie still has shoes there. And Dylan, for that matter. He hasn’t been home since Christmas.”

His younger brother was a whole thing. Loud and brash and filled with bravado. Which he supposed wasn’t actually bravado, since he went out and risked his life every day in service of the country.

Dylan had definitely changed in the years since he joined the military. He had been idealistic at first. And had behaved like he thought he was bulletproof. And every year, there’d been a little less of both those things. Every year, it had become more and more obvious that he had seen things. That he questioned things.

But Levi still respected the hell out of what his brother was doing. Even while it terrified him.

“That’s just...a dumping ground, then?”

“Yeah. You know, the house was new and we thought maybe we’d keep it all nice, but we did have too much living to do in here.”

“Right. Has Camilla gone back to school yet?”

“Not yet. She has until the end of the week. But she needs to get gone. And frankly, having you up here in the office will go a long way in getting her there.”

“I really will just help.”

“Why?”