Chapter 47

“Shut your trap,” Dad snapped. “Your brother, your responsibility.”

“Oh hell no.”

“Hell yes, now can it.” Jason did, but mutinously, and Shane already knew where the weakness in this punishment was. Good. Because…because Dad was saying the right things, but…“And, uh, you know. Any problems, you can talk to me.”

“Or not,” Shane said.

Dad frowned. “Who do you talk to when you have problems?”

“Uh, no, because you’ll go into interrogation mode.”

“Snap,” Jason said.

“I’m going to staple your mouth shut in a minute,” Dad threatened, then turned the scowl back on Shane’s feet. Shane was unfazed. Scowling was Dad’s default setting. The averted eyes…not so much. “But you do talk to someone?”

“Yes, Dad.”

“Right,” Dad said. “But you know. If you need to. Or, you know, commiseration beer if shit goes wrong.”

“More like it,” Shane admitted, and found a smile. It still felt strange and plastic, but it was a smile all the same. “Thanks, Dad.”