Page 49 of The Outsider

He looked at his brother. He loved him. There was no doubt about that. And he knew Denver loved him too. But after the scales had been torn from their eyes, after their dad’s empire had crumbled and they’d seen it for what it was, there had always been a wall between them.

Landry and Justice seemed beneath their dad’s notice most of the time. Arizona had been the object of contempt. Daughtry and Denver had been his boys. There was an inescapable feeling that his bond with Denver was somehow tied to that and he knew they both rejected it completely.

It made things a little complicated sometimes. They worried about each other. They didn’t really know how to fix each other. Mostly they left each other alone when it came to deep emotional wounds or whatever.

Why Denver was choosing to get in his grill now, he couldn’t say.

Daughtry gritted his teeth. “I have done my level best to make sure that I do better, that I give better, since then. But I have to be careful. You know that. I have to...”

“What? You think if you quit being a police officer then you’re going to forget how to not be a criminal? You’re not going to forget how to not be a narcissist.”

“You don’t know that. And anyway, it’s my business.”

“We all have our own ways of dealing with this,” Justice said quietly. Justice rarely opposed Denver. Hell, none of them opposed Denver all that often. “If that’s what works for him, then it’s what works,” Justice continued. “It’s not up to you to tell them what to do, or how to do it better.”

“Well, that’s nice,” said Denver. “My little brothers forming an army against me. When I’m the reason that this place got pulled up out of ruin.”

“And I’m appreciative,” Daughtry said. “But you can’t tell me that you want to share the crown with anybody. We both know you don’t.”

“The whole point of expanding all this is to give everybody their own niche,” he said. “But the truth is, Daughtry, you don’t have that kind of time.”

“You’re right. I don’t. And I don’t especially care but I...” Suddenly, he remembered what Bix had said to him. “What do you think about beer?”

Denver gave him a look like he was insane and raised his beer bottle in the air. “I like it pretty well.”

“That isn’t what I mean. I mean what do you think about brewing beer? There’s my contribution.”

“Brewing beer?”

“Yeah. I mean, I’m not going to actually head it up, but that was an idea that Bix had. And I think it’s a good one.”

“Not doing much to make me think she isn’t your surrogate.”

“That’s your hang-up, not mine. I think it’s a good idea. And I think it’s something that she could manage.”

“If she does that, then you’re looking at a much more permanent position.”

It was true. He was looking at needing to get her a place of her own, as well. He was looking at...

For some reason, his brain just quit working. He wasn’t sure he wanted Bix to find a different place, and yet the idea of having her on a more permanent basis was... strange. A little bit jarring. But definitely less jarring than the idea of her leaving. And anyway, the beer thing was a good idea.

“It is a good idea,” said Denver. “Four Corners beer?”

“Yeah,” said Justice. “There can be a type for each ranch. I mean, assuming everybody else wants to chip in. They don’t get fancy beer for nothing.”

He could sense the irritation coming off of Denver in waves, because Denver couldn’t deny it was a good idea. And Daughtry could see that he wanted to.

“Okay. Find out some more information about that. Or get your critter to do it.”

“She’s not mycritter. Talk about her with a little bit of respect. You said she was a good worker. So give her the full credit that you would give any good worker.”

“I do. In front of her,” Denver admitted. “It’s only in front of you that I’m this big of an ass.”

“Lucky me,” said Daughtry.

He rounded out the night with his brothers without having another fight or coming to blows. Not that they ever did that. He was a little bit surprised at Denver’s commentary. Mostly because they didn’t tend to get in each other’s business like that. Their father had beenso manipulative, and they were all pretty wary of that sort of behavior.

But there it was. Resentment, bubbling up beneath the surface. He wasn’t that thrilled about it. He pondered it as he drove home. The lights were on in the front of the house, but he could see through the windows that Bix wasn’t lingering in any of the front rooms.

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