74. Skyler

I love my father.

I’m pretty sure I’ve never actually said that to him because we are uptight Midwesterners. We don’t even hug.

But I love him.

More than that, I owe him twice over.

Once for raising me.

And once for saving my life.

But I’ll just have to find another way to repay that debt, because there’s no way in God’s green earth that I’m going to let Reese go.

Not without a fight.

Leaving her in Colorado was harder than I expected. Once I made the decision to shift priorities, I just wanted to get back to her.

The drive from Colorado back home feels excruciatingly long this time.

I offer to drive, but even pushing the speed limit, it still takes seven hours to get back.

I finally get back to my house well after sunset. I could go home, take time to gather my thoughts. But I had seven hours to arrange my words and I don’t want to wait anymore.

Hopping in my truck, I drive across the lane and pull up next to my parents’ house. There’s a strange car there, a Subaru. I’m mildly put out, but still determined. I’ll pull my dad to the side if I have to.

Zipper comes shooting out the door and I bend down to pet her smooth head. I glance up to see who let her out and do a double take.

Uncle Don stands silhouetted by the light of the entry. “I come to Nebraska only to find out that you’re in Colorado.”

I grin, following him into the house. “This is a surprise.”

That’s putting it lightly. He laughs, leading me into the living room. Dad and Cliff are drinking beers, discussing college football. I come to a halt, looking from Uncle Don to my dad and back again.

My mom slips by with a tray of pinwheels. “There’s our traveling man. How was the drive, Sky?”

“Too long.”

I sit down, accepting the pinwheel mom shoves in my hands.

Uncle Don sits down next to Cliff, resting his hand casually on Cliff’s thigh. I glance at Dad, relieved to see he’s taking it all in stride.

Dad glances at me and huffs a laugh. “Shut your mouth, son. You look like a fly motel.”

My jaw snaps shut, and I shrug. “I just wasn’t expecting visitors.”

Uncle Don laughs. “I’ll bet not.”

He grins at dad. “I think we’ve shocked him into silence.”

Dad tips his head. “He’s not a big talker on a good day.”

They’re talking about me like I’m slow to cotton on, but I was born into this feud. I don’t know anything else. How can they just turn it off?

Cliff climbs to his feet. “I think the kid needs a drink.”

He moves into the kitchen, chatting with my mom about her pinwheel recipe.

Uncle Don turns to me. “I’ll put you out of your misery, kiddo. I really enjoyed spending time with you and your brother, and it got me thinking about my own brothers. So, I gave Brad a call and here I am.”

“We talked.”

Dad says it as a complete statement. As though that’s all that needs to be said. I have a million questions, but I think those two words are all I’m going to get.

“And Uncle Chad?” I ask.

Dad leans forward, snagging a pinwheel. “You just missed him.”

Uncle Don is less miserly with the details. “I owe you my thanks, Skyler. I closed the door so hard on Silver Bend, I never really gave it another thought. But you cracked it open, and I guess I realized with a little time and perspective that we could overcome our disagreements.”

Dad smiles reluctantly. “Skyler don’t talk much, but when he does, it’s worth listening. You should have heard the lecture he gave me over gay rights.”

Uncle Don grins at me. “I’d believe it. Good head on this kid’s shoulders.”

“Yeah.”

Dad meets my gaze. “He’s a good kid.”

Coming from my dad? That’s high-fucking-praise.

I had a ten-step plan for getting these two to reconcile. And overnight, they’ve crossed that bridge on their own. I’m relieved, I guess. But I’m also having a moment. I’m realizing that they didn’t need me to fix their problems, that I’ve been taking responsibility for other people’s issues.

It feels a little like setting down a big load.

I’m not responsible for my dad or his thought process, but that won’t make the conversation any easier.