Layne kept talking. “Rocky, she loves you, she’ll always love you. Me, I’m feelin’ a f**kuva lot different. She’s in my house and she’s under my watch now. I want you two gone. I know you’ll be back and I know I’ll have to deal but, right now, I want you two gone.”

Dave puffed out his chest. “I want to see my daughter.”

“You’ll have to call her tomorrow,” Layne replied.

“I want to see her now.”

“She’s sleepin’ in my bed now, Dave, so, like I said, you’re gonna have to wait until tomorrow.”

“She’s my daughter, Tanner,” Dave hissed.

“Dad, let’s go,” Merry whispered.

“No, I’m not –” Dave started.

“Dad… let’s… go,” Merry clipped.

“He can’t tell me when I can see my daughter,” Dave shot back.

“Yeah, Dad, he can,” Merry returned.

“He can’t.”

“Would you let someone see Mom, you’re pissed as hell at them?” Merry retorted and Dave’s torso jerked back. “Yeah, that’s what this is. You know what this is. We’re Merricks for f**k’s sake. You’re like that. I’m like that. Mom was like that. Rocky’s like that and, you know, Rocky’s gonna find a man like that. So, Tanner’s pissed and we need to go.”

Dave glared at his son. Then he turned his glare on Doc. Then he turned his glare on Layne. Then he turned on his foot and stalked to the front door.

Merry’s eyes went to Layne. “We’ll work this out, brother.”

“I wouldn’t hold your breath ‘til that happens, Garrett.”

Merry studied him then shook his head, a small, sad grin on his face.

Then he said, “You’re pissed now but you love her. We’ll work this out.”

Merry was right but Layne sure as f**k wasn’t going to give that to him. So he stayed silent and watched Merry walk out.

“I’ll go to the office,” Doc announced after the door closed behind Merry. “Get some names. Good counselors. I’ll call you with numbers. She needs to find one she trusts and start right away.”

Layne nodded.

“I didn’t give her much, she won’t be out long,” Doc went on. “I’ll leave some sleeping pills. She has trouble sleeping, you need to make her take them. If she wakes and she’s still not well, exhibiting disorientation, any of the symptoms you saw, even amnesia, not remembering what happened today, I need to know.”

“Right,” Layne grunted.

Doc rounded the island and got close to Layne. “You need to make yourself safe harbor, Tanner. She needs to know she can lay this weight on you. It’s heavy, son, you want her better, you learn to brace.”

“She’s safe now, Doc,” Layne muttered and Doc’s eyes searched his face.

Then he nodded and murmured, “I reckon so.”

Doc’s eyes swept the room, he nodded again then he turned to go but he stopped by the stairs and turned back. His eyes locked on Layne and he spoke.

“Later, not now, later, you think about Rocky, how you feel about her, then how you’d feel learning that she was tortured then shot twice in the chest and once in the face.” Layne’s middle jerked back at Doc’s words but he didn’t break eye contact. “It happened to you, you might deal with it different. You might make better choices. But that man did what he could carrying the burden that he brought that on his wife and left his daughter with demons. A burden he’s still carrying, Tanner. You’re right to be angry but no good man can understand the burden Dave Merrick carries and hold a grudge.”

With that successful parting shot, Doc turned away and disappeared.

Layne stood frozen for long moments after he left and only moved when he felt Tripp fit his body against Layne’s side, his arms going around his Dad’s waist, his cheek to Layne’s shoulder and his boy hugged him.

Layne’s arm went around Tripp’s shoulders and he gave him a squeeze.

Tripp stepped back from Layne and looked in his old man’s eyes. “Can I go up and sit with Gram and Rocky?” he asked quietly.

God, Tripp was a good kid.

Layne lifted a hand, curled it around Tripp’s neck and squeezed. “You okay after you saw that, Pal?”

“Yeah, I’m just worried Roc’s not okay.”

“She’ll be okay,” Layne assured his son on another squeeze and a short tug.

“You think you can fix her?” Tripp asked.

“I know it,” Layne answered.

Tripp smiled, it was wonky and halfhearted but he did it.

“Good thing is, I didn’t have to tackle her,” Tripp noted.

“Yeah, that’s good,” Layne replied.

“But I stole her keys out of her purse. They’re in between Blondie’s forty-first and forty-second food bowls,” Tripp informed him and Layne returned his smile, figuring his was halfhearted too but at least it was a smile.

“Thanks, Pal” Layne said on another squeeze.

“I’m gonna go up,” Tripp whispered, Layne nodded and let him go.

Tripp gave him a long, last look, turned and ran up the stairs.

Layne felt cold on his arm and turned to see Jasper was holding a beer there.

“Think he needs whisky, boy,” Devin grunted.

Layne took the beer from Jas, slapped him on the shoulder and said to Dev, “Not sure whisky’s a good idea right now. Or, not as much as I want of it.”

“Right,” Devin was in the liquor cupboard, “you need your faculties about you. I, on the other hand, can get as drunk as I want.”

Layne moved to the island and felt Jasper crowding him, like he did Tripp and Seth when Cosgrove abused them and he turned to look at his son.

“I’m good, Bud,” he murmured.

“Okay, Dad,” Jas murmured back but he didn’t move away so Layne flung his arm around his boy’s shoulders and pulled him, hard, into his side.

Jasper slid his arm around Layne’s waist and held on.

Devin opened the bottle of whisky and turned to Layne.

“What’d I say?” Devin asked.

“About what?” Layne asked back.

Devin looked at him. Then he said, “Kaboom!” Then he put the whisky bottle to his lips, tipped his head far back and took a huge shot straight from the bottle.

Jasper turned his head and Layne did the same, they caught each other’s eye and Jasper shook his head.