Page 115 of Legacy of Danger
Vaughn winced as the man's words, like an arrow, hit a bull's-eye on his heart.
"And your credentials in family counseling are from what university?" Kerr raised orange brows.
Odie shot a tight smile. "My credentials are far more than you'll ever know. Let's just say that I know what it feels like to have someone I love ripped away. I know what it feels like to see someone I love hurt because of my stupid decisions." He pushed away from the table and stood. "You can learn from my mistakes or keep making your own and live with regret for the rest of your life."
"That's the worstDear Abbyadvice I've ever heard." Kerr rolled his eyes.
"Is it? What will you sacrifice for the person you care about?"
"I don't—" Kerr sputtered. "There's no one."
Garrison shook his head and glared. For a split second, he looked like Dad, giving his sons hell. "There'd better not be. Least of all someone with the last name of Brand."
Odie cut off Kerr's sputtered response. "All that matters is that you don't miss your chance. There aren't a lot of do-overs in this life." His mouth twisted into a grimace, like he had an awful private joke. "And you'll pay dearly for the do-overs you get."
Vaughn didn't like the sound of that sage advice. "Where are you going?"
He rubbed his beard. "To personally thank my wife for sticking with an old, dumb Cajun and to beg her to stay with me for years to come."
"How are you going to do that?" Garrison mumbled.
"For starters, I'll tell her that I'm sorry."
Kerr coughed on coffee. "For what?"
Odie whipped around. "It don' matter, boys. But those two words are a great place to start.I'm sorrysoftens the ladies right up. Putty in your hands. Primes the pump. You don't even have to give her specifics, just bury what little pride you have left and say it." He cut his eyes to Vaughn. "You should try it before the chance is gone." Turning on his heel, he swaggered out of the kitchen.
Vaughn tried hard not to make eye contact with his brothers.
"Damn. I'm a real idiot, huh?" Vaughn moaned.
Garrison pulled out his phone and raised his hand. "Don't bother me. I need to text Sara and hope to God she'll talk to me again." Head down, he typed as he slowly walked out of the kitchen.
"You two are one grovel away from losing your man cards," Kerr said. "So, what are you going to do, Vaughn? Crawl back?"
"She may not talk to me again. I'm not sure what to do."
"Wait. You don't know? Let me get this straight. You have a smart, beautiful woman who, by some miracle, digs you despite your weird brain stuff, sordid history, and caveman complex. Oh, and you're ugly. And you kicked that awesome package to the curb?"
"Fuck." He began to sweat.
"Here you sit, still unable to figure out the right thing to do?"
"Uh..."
"Even a blind man can see that was a boneheaded move. What were you thinking?"
Vaughn tried with two hands to scrub the stupid off his face. "I was thinking it would be good if she didn't get hurt by the insanity going on here."
"So you hurt her... to keep her from being hurt?" Kerr flipped two thumbs up. "Way to go, Romeo."
Vaughn shoved to his feet and grabbed his coat. "Fuck if I know what's the best thing to do in this situation. For now, I'm going to do chores until I'm too exhausted to think about stupid crap like feelings. If I'm lucky, I won't reach for something that has 'proof' on the label." He wet his lips. God, how good would a stiff whiskey taste right now? And the numbness to follow would be wonderful.
"Dude."
"Don't worry. I'll steer clear of the Wild Turkey. For now. Damn it. Even if I beg for forgiveness, I don't know if I can ask her to step into the mess we've got here. When Mr. Text Apology stops groveling and wants to discuss the monster trying to kill our family, let me know. As much as I want to fix this disaster with Mariah, there's a bigger problem waiting out there."
