30. Brodie

brODIE

B rodie slept for most of the day. The travel took more out of him than he'd expected, and he was glad the Argentinian doctor had insisted he go by medevac. If he had tried regular travel, he might not have lived through it.

Maddox came in and pulled a chair closer to Brodie's bed. He leaned forward, rested his forearms on his knees, and then gripped his neck.

"What's bothering you, Mad?"

"Tell me what happened between you and Peyton."

"It isn't any of your business?—"

"Tell me!" Mad bellowed. " Right now. Or I won't help you, brother. And whether you've figured it out or not, you need a helluva lot of help."

By the time Brodie finished recounting his last night with Peyton, Maddox said he understood why the word "regret" had set her off the way it had.

"Are you going to help me?"

"Nope. You're good. Just remember this—no woman wants to think she was a mistake. Be mindful of that when you're groveling."

"Why would she think she was a mistake?"

"You mull it over. When you're certain you're ready, I'll make sure you get to talk to her."