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Greta notices and stops cold. For a moment, I wonder if Jude is yanking his chain, or if she’s noticing the content of the film.

But he turns and sees her and jumps off the oversized chair.

“Greta!” He fumbles with the remote, trying to shut it off but only succeeding in making it move in fast forward, the women pumping at double speed.

Merrick and I glance at each other. We have no idea if this is a normal occurrence in their house or not. Given his panic to shut it off, I’m guessing not.

Greta’s voice is bitter. “Caden is in his room.”

Jude finally ejects the DVD entirely. “Sorry, sorry, sorry.” He holds out his arms. “You came back!”

He moves to embrace her, but Greta steps back. “I decided to get my house back. You can pack and leave.”

Jude drops his arms. “This is my home, too.”

“Only until we get a temporary order in place.”

He frowns. “Order?”

“Divorce, Jude. I’m divorcing you.”

He sits back down in the chair. “Sherman thought you might say that.”

“You’ve been talking to Sherman?” Greta’s voice is high and tight.

“Of course. He’s the only rational one of the bunch. He’s got a marriage counselor lined up for us already.”

Greta glances our way. That’s our cue.

I elbow Merrick, and we storm into the room.

Merrick reaches Jude first. “Our sister said leave, so I suggest you pack in a hurry, or we’ll throw your things out the window after we’ve tossed you on your ass.”

“And the second floor will work fine,” I add.

Jude’s face goes pale. “I’ll pack.” He hurries past us.

When he’s gone, Greta says. “I should take you two around with me everywhere.”

“He’s not gone yet,” Merrick says. “I’m going to stand in the hall and make sure he doesn’t do anything rash.”

“I’ll hang with Caden,” I say. “We’re not involving him.”

“I’ll go with you,” Greta says. “Can you believe he called Uncle Sherman?”

“That man seriously pisses me off,” I say.

“Jude or Sherman?” she asks.

“Both.”

Merrick moves to the hall, and Greta and I follow.

“Where’s your room?” Merrick asks.

“Downstairs,” Greta says. “I can show you.”

“I’ll figure it out,” Merrick says. “Watch the boy.”

Caden’s room is closed, and we pause outside of it as Merrick descends the stairs.

“I guess we can wait out here,” Greta says. “No use involving Caden at all.”

“You’ll have to deal with Jude with custody,” I say.

“I know. We’ll figure it out. Thank you for being the heavy.” Greta sits on the floor and leans her head against the wall. “I am so exhausted.”

“We’ve got you. We can help here as long as you need. We have nothing else to do.”

She closes her eyes. “Might not be a bad idea.”

I sit next to her, and we wait. Merrick and I abandoned our phones when we took off, so I can’t text him to see what’s happening.

A clock ticks away on the wall. After half an hour, I ask Greta, “Should I go check on them?”

She nods. “I’ll wait up here.”

I head down the stairs. It’s awfully quiet. Something in my gut sends me into combat mode. I tread carefully, making no sound as I cross an all-white living room that looks like it’s never used.

There’s a hallway at the back, and that’s where I find Merrick standing outside a closed door. I relax. “What’s going on?”

Merrick shrugs. “He hasn’t come out. Haven’t heard any sounds at all.”

“No drawers opening?”

“Nothing.”

My senses tingle again. What is he doing? “You sure he’s in there?”

“Yeah, I heard him talking on the phone when I first got here.”

“You think there’s a back door?”

“Might be. You could do recon.”

I head down the hall away from the living room. I end up in a kitchen. One side opens to the dining room, which leads back to the stairs. There’s a back door to a yard.

I unlock it and step outside. A long deck runs the length of the house. There’s no other back door. To be sure, I walk to the end and peer around the corner to check for a side exit. Nothing.

Unless Jude climbed out of a window, he’s in there.

I head back in right as a sharp rap sounds at the front door. I spot Merrick following Jude to the foyer and rush to catch up.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

Merrick shrugs.

We watch Jude open the front door.

Then we see it.

Dad is there. And behind him, Uncle Sherman.

“Is Greta here?” Dad asks.

I do not hold back. “What the actual fuck? Are you siding with this piece of shit?”

Merrick crosses behind me so we flank Jude at the door.

“Boys!” Sherman cries, beaming at us. “I’m so glad Greta had you two to look after her during this difficult time.”

My anger is so intense that I can feel the vein throbbing in my neck. “She didn’t come to you for a reason, and you’re proving her right.”

Sherman pushes past us. “Come on. Let’s all sit down and have a good chat. All marriages need work. I’ve got a great counselor on standby. Did you know Patricia and I saw a counselor once, between Max and Anthony? Heck, she might be the reason Anthony exists.”

Greta appears on the stairs. “I’m not having another baby to fix a bad marriage.”

“Greta!” Sherman cries. “You look tan! Did you and Caden have a vacation? I think time away can be a good thing for any couple.”

“I’m not interested in talking,” Greta says. “You all are acting like I did something impulsive, but it’s been a long time in coming.”

I grab Jude by the back of his collar. “Go pack your goddamn things, or we’ll throw you in the fucking street.”

“Such language,” Sherman says. “Come now. Let’s all sit in the living room.”

“No,” Greta says. “I brought Merrick and Dean here to help me get Jude out.”

Merrick leans forward menacingly. “And we’re happy to include you two in the forced exit.”

Dad stares at the ground. Sherman finally drops the fake cheer. “All right, I see there’s no reasoning with you three.”

“Exactly,” I say, giving Jude a hard shove toward the hall. “Now, go fucking pack, or we’re carrying you out by your balls.”

Jude scurries through the living room. Sherman and Dad still stand on the porch outside the open door. I’m about to shut it in their face, when Dad says, “Is it as bad as all that?”

Greta nods.

Dad turns to Sherman. “We’ve got this. Thanks for coming, but we’re good.”

“Daddy?” Greta asks, her voice nearly a sob.

“Martin, I can help,” Sherman says.

“Not today. Go on home.” Dad steps inside to draw Greta into his arms. “We can handle this.”

Sherman takes a step back. “If you’re sure.”

“We’re sure ,” I tell Sherman.

The old man nods. “I was hoping I could help. But I will step aside.” He pulls a folder from under his arm. “You know, that’s all I want, to help my family.” He hands the folder to me. “I was glad to hear you came with your sister. Family is important. I knew you’d come around.”

He continues to hold the folder out. I plan to ignore it, but Dad looks at me with pleading eyes.

Fine. I take the packet. None of us say anything else as Sherman turns and heads to his car.

“I’m going to take Greta and Caden to our house,” Dad says. “Can you boys make sure Jude gets out of here?”

Merrick nods with a fiendish grin. “Our pleasure.”

“I’ll go get Caden,” Greta says. “Let us know when he’s gone.”

She runs up the stairs.

“Thanks for bringing her back,” Dad says. “I, uh, heard about the bar.”

I shrug. “Easy come, easy go. We’re heading back to the Army.”

He nods. “It’s not a bad gig for kids like you. I’m proud of you.”

I glance at Merrick. “Thanks.”

Greta returns, a frowning Caden in tow. “I was just getting past level four,” he whines.

“We’re going to see PopPop and Grandmama,” Greta says. “They want to hear all about the beach.”

Caden’s face lights up. “I got a super soaker that shoots twenty feet!”

Dad puts his arm around Caden to lead him out to his car. “That’s far. Did you get your uncles good?”

“So good. And Uncle Dean can throw me ten feet in the air! I made a wicked splash!”

Dad glances at me. “That sounds fun.”

Caden keeps chattering at them as they head to the car.

Merrick closes the door. “When Jude’s gone, then what?”

I frown. “Maybe stay around a day or two. Make sure things are settled.”

Merrick nods. The sounds of Jude slamming drawers and rustling around filters in from the back room. He’s actually packing this time.

“What did Sherman bring?”

I look down at the folder. “Beats me.” I open the top and slide a sheaf of papers out.

Merrick peers at the top sheet. “Is that the deed to the Leaky Skull?”

“Looks like it.” I glance through the pages. “He bought it from our broker, apparently, and put it back in our names.”

Merrick pulls another sheet out. “And he got the new liquor permit approved.”

I slide out the next one. “And we got the approval for the repairs.”

“Shit. And we threw him out,” Merrick says.

“I guess that’s what he was trying to tell us,” I say.

“Fuck. Now I feel like shit.” Merrick shoves the papers back in the folder.

“Greta comes first,” I say.

Merrick nods. “He’ll get that. So, I guess we better show up for Christmas this year.”

I nod. “I guess so. Seems like we’re back in the biker bar business.”

Merrick flips through the pages. “We going to hire Vicki back?”

I laugh. “I guess we have to. She’ll show up either way.”

A clattering sound makes us look up. Jude approaches, two suitcases in tow, mumbling under his breath.

“Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out,” Merrick says.

“And don’t come back for your porn,” I tell him. “You have shitty taste.”

We watch as Jude struggles with the bags on the stairs and unlocks his SUV.

Only after he’s gone do we shut the door.

“Want to raid their fridge?” Merrick asks.

“Hell yeah, I do.”

As we head to my sister’s kitchen, I’m glad we could help her out.

And with this paperwork, we’re kind of back to where we were. Better, even.

Which begs the question, what do I do now?

And will Symphony be a part of it?