Standing opposite Caroline’s father as he blocked the front door, I clenched my hands into fists by my side. His salt and pepper hair was wild, arms crossed with a dark rage displayed on his face, and for a brief moment I debated turning around and going back upstairs.

But I learned my first month in boot camp never to turn my back on an enemy, and in this moment, he was one.

“I’m going to shoot you the first chance I get.” To an extent I understood his threat; Caroline was his daughter- his only child- and I was in a position to break her heart. Grinding my teeth together, I only jerked my head in a nod as guilt coiled in my gut. Any man would be pissed off if his daughter was brought back home totally unconscious, but Caroline’s father didn’t make a single move towards me.

It might’ve had something to do with the fact that Kiki was bristling next to me, and I unfurled my fist to scratch her scruff roughly. She was tense, ready, and my eyelid twitched at the bunched-up muscle beneath her fur.

“I don’t blame you.” Finally speaking up, I caught Caroline’s father’s eye and held it as I took a deep breath. “You wouldn’t be the first person that shot me, and I doubt you’ll be the last.”

The old man took a sharp breath, and I pursed my lips together. He had to know I was a combat veteran; there was no way he could glance a split second at me and not see it. I’d made the mistake of thinking I was done fighting battles, but this one would be the hardest, most drawn out one yet. Thirty feet across the room, Caroline’s dad kept my gaze, and the steel in his eyes was almost enough to make me back down.

“… Dinner’s ready?” Oh yeah- we’re also two hours late. Sheila’s announcement wasn’t uncertain at all, and I tore my eyes off the man in front of me to take her in. She looked just like Caroline described, and I watched her take off her floral pattern apron with steady hands before she spoke up again. “If you two want to stop being gorillas for twenty minutes, I made meat and cheese shells. I already put a plate away for Care, so it’ll just be us three.”

“Thank you for the offer, but I sh-“

“Sit down and eat.” The hard command cut me off, and I clenched my jaw tightly as my gaze flew to Caroline’s father. Adrenaline coursed thickly through my veins, and I almost choked on my protest as it tightened my throat. Releasing a hot, short breath through my nose, I turned back to Sheila to find amusement slathered across her aged face.

“I would be happy to.” Grinding the words through my teeth, I walked towards the kitchen on stiff legs, and Kiki’s intense eyes bored holes into my back. Glancing over my shoulder, I flicked my hand in a mindless gesture I’d used countless times before when I didn’t want my buddy’s dog up my ass. For a moment she hesitated, eyeing her master’s father before slowly getting up and heading back upstairs. She was pushing herself; our hike had tired her out just as much as it had Caroline.

And yet, she still defended me.

“So-o…” Once seated across from the old man, with Sheila to my right, I held my fork loosely as she attempted to break the tense silence. “Why did you choose the Navy, James?”

Staring down my nose at the man across from me, I rubbed my leg under the table even though it didn’t ache or throb. The action was purely habitual, and I licked my teeth before answering without taking my eyes off him.

“I wanted to be a SEAL operator. The best way to train for it is in the Navy.” This was some fucked up version of a test, I realized. Flickering to Sheila, I wondered briefly if she was the good cop, and Caroline’s father was the bad cop. “I went to boot camp when I was 16, and went on my first tour at 18. Three days after my birthday.”

“But you never became an operator? Did something happen?” I had to forcibly remind myself that Sheila was Caroline’s mother figure, and I nodded absently. The memories had faded until nothing was left but bits and pieces, but those were the only parts that mattered.

“My brother made his first billion when I was 22, and when people realized we were related, they started to rumor that I’d bought my position. I didn’t want to deal with that, so I let my ambition go.” If she was surprised, Sheila hid it very well, and I turned my attention to my plate. Her shells looked delicious, and I adjusted my grip on my fork to cut into one.

“So, why did you get discharged, then? You’re too young to have done your career.” Blinking slowly, I focused on balancing my piece on my fork rather than Sheila’s curious observation. It’d been a long ass time since anyone called me young, and discomfort wormed its way into my chest. Pushing my forkful past my teeth, I nodded quietly to her in appreciation as cheese and meat assaulted my taste buds.

Caroline was right; Sheila’s cooking was amazing.

“On my last deployment, we ran over an IED. My leg was shredded, my commander is a paraplegic, and the Navy didn’t want to deal with it any more than they had to.” Turning my gaze back to Caroline’s father, I ended my informative mini-rant with another, larger bite of my shells. His eyes cast in shadows, and I knew he was remembering an incident similar to mine. Most combat vets lost something or someone during their tours, and I felt a little better about being able to get this man to just tolerate me.

“I see- very tragic. Was your family supportive during this time?” God, she’s like a fucking interrogator. Keeping the thought to myself, I nodded before swallowing roughly. If I had known I was going to be grilled, I would’ve brought Caroline back to my place.

“Nick was, but Ethan was too young to really understand what had happened.”

“What about your parents?” For the first time Caroline’s father spoke up, and I grimaced involuntarily. His eyes narrowed on me, and I cut another piece of my dinner before offering a reply.

“What about them? They’re just happy I came back alive and with a few new medals.” Disgust coated my voice, and I couldn’t do anything to mask it. I could see Sheila’s next question written on her face before she even opened her mouth, and I spoke up quickly to answer it. “Not particularly beyond what’s genetically required.”

Even slightly below average parents were still parents, and their kids loved them. Shoving a forkful in my mouth, I tried to recall a single time when my parents had loved me in any slight resemblance that Caroline’s dad did with her. No matter how far back I searched, they always came up short, though. Sure- they loved us, but there wasn’t much to show that they loved us.

And that was the exact reason I hadn’t seen them in years.

“I can definitely understand that, James. I grew up in foster care under my aunt- she didn’t want to adopt me, but she didn’t want me to get sent into the system either. It’s very difficult. So, what do you do now, if you don’t mind my asking? Do you work?”

“No- I have enough money to last until I die.” Keeping my annoyance in check was almost as difficult as breathing through the tension in the air. Every cell in my body screamed at me to get up and walk out, but my mind told me I couldn’t. If I did, Caroline’s father would never let me back- figuratively and literally.

Sheila seemed to have all of the information she wanted, and the room was filled with nothing but the sound of metal scraping on ceramic. All the while the old man across the table never dropped my gaze- he barely even blinked.

I ate as quickly as I deemed respectful, and when I was done I pushed myself up to stride for the sink. The gray and white, marble countertops were clean, and I rinsed my plate and fork before setting them in the basin. A nagging in my head told me to really clean them, but I could sense Sheila watching me intently. She’s probably the kind of woman that doesn’t let guests clean up after themselves.

Turning to her, I cleared my throat, but even then, it was hard to speak past the lump that’d formed there over the past fifteen minutes.

“Thank you for dinner, but I really should leave. It was wonderful to meet you, Sheila- and you, sir.” Nodding to Caroline’s father, I headed out of the kitchen, and surprise straightened my back when neither person told me to stay a while. Anxiety and adrenaline thrummed through me, and once the front door was shut behind me, I took a deep, shuddering breath.

At some point, I had to figure out what Caroline’s father’s name was.