Golden Trail (The 'Burg #3)(217)

“Dad,” Tripp called softly, “you’re bein’ too hard on Uncle Dave.”

Layne turned to his son. “That’s not my job, Tripp, lookin’ out for Dave. That’s my woman up there.” He jerked his finger to the ceiling. “It’s my job to look after her.” He turned back to Dave and swept through Merry with his glance. “It goes without sayin’ you shoulda let me in on this shit eighteen years ago but that’s done. Then you had a second shot, both of you, I asked, I f**kin’ begged, and you still kept this shit to yourself.”

“This was coming back up for all of us, Tanner,” Dave defended himself. “Knowing why she left you, knowing it might surface again, not only for her, but for all of us. This wasn’t exactly easy.”

“You have turns like that?” Layne asked.

“No, but I feel Fisher in my bones every time it rains,” Dave returned.

“So, you think, maybe all of you might need some help to sort your shit out?” Layne suggested derisively. “So you could deal with that pain in your bones, Merry could get his head sorted after leavin’ the only woman he’s ever loved and Roc wouldn’t have to endure another turn?”

“Dad and I talked and we thought, she had another episode, this time, we would have your back,” Merry said and Layne’s eyes locked on him.

“Well, you didn’t, you weren’t here. My boys and my mother had my back.”

Merry stared at him a beat before he nodded.

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.