Page 25 of Not Your Hero

“I’ve thought about it. Not sure I would make a very good dad.”

“Why?”

“Look what we had to start with. He wasn’t the award-winning father,” he laughs. I smile and nod my agreement.

“That’s true, but we can be better than he was. We don’t have to introduce this shit into their lives, Gary.”

“I don’t know, Nix. Maybe one day.” We pull into the parking lot, and he parks the car before we climb out and head inside.

The place is nice. Deep reds decorate the walls and windows.

We’re led to our seats when I notice women staring at us. We’re not ugly men. We’re good-looking, and they can see that much, but that’s not what I’m here for.

“You ever get tired of it?” he asks.

“What?”

“The way they watch us like they’re ready to fall at our damn feet?”

“Not really. They can look all they want,” I chuckle before we order.

“I have many things planned for us while you’re here,” he smiles.

“Good. I need to keep my mind busy.”

“Speaking of, you want to talk about why you were so uptight?” he asks. I shake my head and grab my drink, taking a small sip.

“No. Just some shit going on at the office I haven’t solved yet, but I have my best guys on it,” I inform him.

“I’m sure they’ll figure it all out for you.”

“I have no doubts.”

Our dinner is served, and we spend most of our time talking and laughing about stupid shit that has happened to us in the past. We catch up on what we’ve missed in each other’s lives, but I leave out the part about Emerson. He doesn’t need to know about her. She’s none of his concern.

“So, the hunt? You ready for that?”

“I suppose.”

“You don’t sound so thrilled.”

“Some days, I just don’t feel the need to hunt. It gets old,” I admit to him.

“This year is going to be fun. I promise.”

“We still using bows and arrows?” I ask as I finish off my drink.

“Of course. That’s the best way to hunt, isn’t it?”

“It’s the only way I know how to hunt,” I add.

“That’s true. Dad never taught us any other way.”

“I don’t think he knew any other way either.”

“You ever miss him?” he asks me. I shake my head.

“I miss him doing all the fucking work at the company, but as far as missing the man himself? No.” Our dad wasn’t the nicest of men. He was strict and ruled our house with an iron fist. If you got out of line, you paid the price for it.

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