in the here and now.”
George said it as if it was a hard-learned lesson.
“You made a mistake?” Mark asked quietly. “Not because I want to gloat over you being a ridiculous ass like I was, but because it sounds as if you’re on the other side of that blunder.”
“Don’t know if I’m quite at the top of the hill and on the downward slide, but I’m working on it,” George confessed. “I’ve got four girls I didn’t say I love you to often enough. Not with my words or my actions. I’m just damn grateful they’re still willing to let me try and make a change.”
One part of that Mark had heard from Trevor via the letters over the past year. “Four girls, not three. Damn, bro. That must’ve been a hell of a surprise, finding out you had another daughter.”
George finally took a sip of his beer then stared at the label. “A surprise, but also a blessing. And I’m working my ass off trying to be a worthwhile dad in her life instead of a hindrance.”
So many years. So many wasted opportunities, and yet it seemed Mark wasn’t the only one.
Mark clapped his hands on the table. “How about I start working on getting supper together? If you’re truly good with me camping out with you for a bit.”
His brother was on his feet. “Let me help grab stuff from your truck.”
The second lasagna that Mark had put together while over at Becky and Trevor’s was popped in the oven, then George found him a place in one of the empty rooms.
The house was familiar in the way that an old melody scratched and teased. Mark had helped build this house. He and John, and the rest of the brothers. The year before he left. The year before John died.
If the house wasn’t full of memories, his head was.
They hadn’t quite put the food on the table when George paused. “You talk to Mike yet?”
Mark shook his head.
“Why don’t you give him a call?” George suggested before offering a wry smile. “As my daughter Tamara pointedly reminds me, putting off something painful doesn’t make it less painful when you actually do it.”
“You think Randy wants to come out tonight? With the new grandbaby and all?” Mark offered a grin. “Because I’d like to do it all at once, like ripping off a Band-Aid. Which works well with your less-painful analogy.”
“Give them a shout.”
Which is how, before seven p.m., Mark found this unending day of activity finishing up with what would be the make-it-or-break-it moment.
Standing in George’s living room, he faced his three surviving older brothers.
It had been clear from the moment they walked into the room, though, that this wasn’t going to be about holding old grudges. Not on their side at least.
Mike gave him a hug and a back pounding. Randy nearly shook his hand off his arm before going in for his own rib-creaking squeeze.
George just grinned.
Mark stared at the floor for a moment to find his balance. “I didn’t expect this.” He lifted his gaze to meet each of theirs in turn. “I told George, but I’ll tell you all again. I’m sorry. And I missed you. And I’m sorry I missed so damn much over the years.”
Randy rocked back in his easy chair, stretching uncomfortably before offering a smile. “I hope you don’t expect us to catch you up on everything that happened while you were gone, because my list of complaints would take a good three months to go through, and ain’t nobody got time for that.”
“Really? You’re going to complain about something?” Mike tilted his head with a grin. “I’ll let Blake know.”
Randy immediately straightened. “Hell. Don’t you dare.”
Mark thought it through quickly and put two and two together. He turned to Mike with a laugh. “I met your oldest boy this afternoon. Is Blake doing all the work scheduling these days?”
“Yup.” His oldest brother eased back and put his feet up on the coffee table, damn near gloating as he glanced across at Randy. “Trained that one up right. He follows our da’s example of sweating the complaints right out of a man.”
It was such a flashback to their growing up years. Their father, Royce, had been a man with endless energy in spite of his pain. He never made any of them suffer to the point of physical danger, but he did encourage his sons to keep a positive attitude and their butts in gear. Any complaints were met with