When I got to the winery, I went straight to work in the warehouse. I avoided Crow and Cane because I was so furious I couldn’t see straight. I took care of the orders and prepared to ship them out on the shipping truck even though that wasn’t exactly in my job description anymore.

The manual labor helped relieve my rage, and we were able to get the truck loaded in a fraction of the time it normally took. When I went back into the warehouse, I calculated how much of the harvest was left before I went over the orders we would need when spring arrived.

It was past noon when Crow stepped into the warehouse.

I didn’t want to see him right then. I didn’t want to see anyone. I’d considered taking a personal day just to avoid him. Whenever I was angry, my temper exploded like a bomb, and the fallout lasted for weeks.

Crow came to my side, examining my features like he knew something was wrong. “Everything alright, son?”

He called me and Conway by the same name, making me a part of his family in a way I’d never expected. The affectionate term didn’t pierce my solid armor. I was too far gone. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Crow continued to stand there, sliding his hands into his pockets.

I kept working, doing my best to ignore him. When minutes passed and he stayed, I knew he wasn’t going anywhere. “Yes?”

“Whenever there’s something bothering Vanessa and Conway, I usually just wait until they tell me what’s wrong. I don’t ask any questions, but they usually open up to me whenever they’re ready. So I’ll stand here and wait.” He grabbed the order sheet I was working on and scanned through it, checking through all the data I’d just reported.

I was annoyed with Crow for infringing on my space. I’d never had anyone do that before, not even Vanessa. It didn’t seem like he was being nosy; he just wanted to help me. I didn’t have any other relationship to compare it to, but it seemed like a relationship a father and son would have.

Crow was the closest thing I’d ever had to a father.

“Vanessa and I are going through a hard time.” I stared at the crates in front of me and didn’t make eye contact with him. It was strange to talk to him about his daughter, but I suspected he already assumed she was the reason I was angry. “She pissed me off, and I’m still pissed off.”

“What’d she do?”

“She put herself in danger, and she acts like it’s no big deal.” I finally ignored the crates and met his gaze. “She had lunch with Bosco and Carmen yesterday. Her bodyguard told me about it, so I hauled ass until I got into Florence and slammed Bosco into a wall. Vanessa was upset with me…and I said some things I shouldn’t. But I’m pissed she brushed it off. I’m pissed she didn’t call me. I’m pissed she doesn’t take this seriously. She’s carrying our son. I haven’t even met him, and I worry about him all the time.”

Crow didn’t react as he listened, behaving impartially to the story.

“I haven’t apologized because I want an apology from her first. I damaged Bosco pretty badly, but he didn’t retaliate. His men came in to shoot me, but he called them off. Said he promised Carmen he would never hurt any of us…and he kept his promise. He probably isn’t a threat, but that’s not the point.”

Crow crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against one of the crates.

“I know what it’s like to lose her. I couldn’t go through that again…not with my son too. I wish she understood that, but it doesn’t seem like she does.”

Crow continued to listen, remaining quiet until I was completely finished. “Pearl did something stupid shortly after we were married. I’ll skip the specifics. She basically put herself at risk with a few demons to help someone else…and she did it alone. When I found out about it and confronted her…” He shook his head and rubbed the back of his head. “I did something really terrible. I was just so angry with her for putting herself at risk, especially after everything I did to keep her safe. So…I slapped her. Slapped her hard.”

I couldn’t hide my surprise, shocked that Crow would do something like that.

“It was over thirty years ago. I haven’t done it again because I understood how wrong it was. I didn’t want to be that man ever again, regardless of how much she pissed me off. She forgave me…even when I didn’t deserve it.”

I didn’t know what to say. I would never raise my hand to Vanessa, no matter how angry she made me.

“Our women will never understand what it’s like to be in our shoes. And frankly, they shouldn’t have to. They have their own burdens, their own sacrifices they make for us on a regular basis. I understand why you’re upset. You just want Vanessa to be safe. But you’re never going to get your point across by pushing her away in the process. When it comes to marriage, there’s no such thing as keeping score. Apologize for what you said, then tell her how you feel. I know my daughter. She’s so stubborn that she won’t listen until she gets the apology she deserves. Unfortunately, that means you need to cave first. It sucks, but your marriage is more important than your sacrifice.”

I could tell he’d been married for a long time based on what he said. I slid my hands into my pockets as I considered his words. I was a simple man with simple needs. One of those needs was for Vanessa’s safety. If that requirement wasn’t met, I was often deranged.

“I hope that was helpful.” He clapped my shoulder before he walked out.