“He heal up okay?”
“Better than that.” She’d told him about all that had gone on over the New Year weekend immediately afterward. That didn’t explain why he was here four months after the fact.
Law moved to hitch a hip on the edge of the sofa because it was the closest seat to hers. “I’ve quit the state police.”
Before she could stop herself, her gaze dipped to his left pant leg. A casual observer might not have noticed the way it sagged. That’s because behind it lay a state-of-the-art prosthesis. The best available. But it wasn’t the same as the leg Law had left with when he went to Afghanistan a little more than four years ago.
She tried to read something in his expression but his sludge-gold gaze gave nothing away. He’d lost more than a leg in the war. He’d lost himself. He had come pretty close to the status of off-the-grid crazed loner holed up in the backwoods of northwest Arkansas when she had barged in on him a year earlier, demanding that he seek help for his PTSD issues.
Getting back on the payroll with the Arkansas State Police had been the only thing that had kept him sane. He’d even passed the Arkansas State Police physical in order to go back on full duty in February. What had changed in two months?
“Does Jori know?”
“Haven’t discussed it with her yet. Figured I needed to get my act together first.”
“I see.” The bottom fell out of Yardley’s stomach. Jori was the main reason Law had been doing so well. She and his dog.
Yardley’s gaze flickered to the rusty-red goldendoodle standing watch by Law’s side. Sam held a world of knowledge in her gentle gaze. Too bad she couldn’t share it.
Law stood up, running a hand impatiently through his unruly black hair. “The truth is I need to think about my future. That’s not something I’ve often done. But if I want Jori in my life, I need something to show for it beside a willingness to get shot at.”
He’s talking about the future. His and Jori’s. Yardley almost smiled but she knew better than to be obvious. “Law enforcement is an honorable profession.”
“The best. I’ll always be Blue. But I’ve stopped running. I used to think that it was best not to owe anything to anyone and for them not to need to depend on me. But that’s stupid and juvenile.”
He turned back to her. “Of all the people I’ve hurt, I’ve hurt you the most. And that’s unforgivable because you’re blood.”
Yardley swallowed back emotion. “You never heard me complain.”
“No. You’re a Battise, which means you’re too stubborn and too proud for your own good. We’ll take the heat for something we didn’t do just to prove to ourselves that other people’s opinions of us don’t matter. Especially when we aren’t even sure that’s what we really want.”
Her eyes widened in alarm. “Don’t tell me you’ve been converted into some sort of touchy-feely cult?”
He laughed. “No to-the-hell not. What I’m saying is, I want to start making things up to you.”
“You’re making me very nervous. Just what do you have in mind?”
“First, I apologize for leaving you to deal with this.” He indicated the room. “I was so busy trying to kick a dead man that I simply walked out on you and left a hell of a mess.”
“You mean your inheritance? But I wanted Harmonie Kennels.”
He shook his head. “I heard how you almost went under the first year. How law enforcement and the feds didn’t think a woman could cut it.”
“You knew about all the hell I went through?”
“I did. And I didn’t care. Honest to God, I think I hoped you’d fail. Ruin everything Bronson Battise had built.”
“You rat bastard.” Yardley jumped to her feet, feeling tears prick up behind her eyes. “You knew and you did nothing.” She gasped, searching for words that she couldn’t find.
He looked equally injured by his admission. “I know. I’ve been a selfish prick, Yard. I was going through my own hell, and I was so angry at Battise for all the times he hadn’t been there when I needed him as a kid. I wanted to prove to myself that I didn’t need anything from him when he was gone. I had nothing left to give you. It was a dick move. But I’ve learned a few things since then. Had to crawl my way back to being a decent human being. Hell, you’re responsible for a lot of it. You, and Jori, and Sam. I don’t deserve it. But I’m asking. Forgive me?” He reached out an arm toward her. It was all the apology she was going to get.
Yardley didn’t need more. She moved into his embrace and pushed her face against his shoulder as he closed his arms around her.
After a moment, Law tugged her hair and she swatted his shoulder, and the balance in the world returned.
“So, what now, little brother?”
“We get to work on you. Aside from housekeeping, you have some emotional cleanup to do.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “What, in your opinion, would this consist of?”
“You need to straighten things out with Kye.”