It wasn’t easy leaving Gretchen, but I had to figure what in the hell was going on. I drove through the streets of Havenville until I was on the other side of town. I pulled into the driveway of my cousin’s house. Cane was sitting on the front porch.

I slammed the truck door behind me as I strolled toward him.

“Hey, cuz.”

I glared at him. “What was that stunt last night?”

“Stunt? Don’t know what you’re talking about.” He drank from a cup of coffee.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. I told you I didn’t want to get involved in family business. Then I hear you and God knows who else shouting in the woods near my house.”

“Oh, you heard that?” He pretended to be surprised.

“Don’t be a dick. You know I heard it. Why were you in the woods?”

“Just having some fun.”

I shook my head. “Fun? You’re lucky you weren’t shot.”

It was the first time I had seen Cane look serious. “Sorry. Some of the guys and I thought it would be fun to get you a little riled up. A little welcome home hazing.”

“Damn it, Cane. Don’t pull that shit again. Not on my land. Do you understand? It could have gotten bloody last night. It could have been a fucking nightmare.”

The only thing that had kept me from patrolling the property was that I had Gretchen with me. I didn’t want to leave her alone and defenseless in the cabin. Cane was an idiot.

“I’m sorry. All right? It won’t happen again.” He lowered his head. “Do you want to stay for some coffee?”

“Yeah. I’ll take a cup.”

He marched in the house and returned with a cup of black coffee. Just the way I liked it. I sat on the stairs.

“Thanks.” It was hot. Exactly what I needed on a chilly morning. “Sorry I bit your head off.”

“I probably deserved it. I might have been a little drunk last night. I wasn’t thinking. I fucked up, man.”

I remembered what Gretchen had said about opening up. About talking to people now that I was home about my experiences at war. But Cane wasn’t that kind of person. Sure, he was someone I had childhood memories with. We shared family. We shared blood. But I didn’t share feelings with him. I’d rather talk to her. I should be waking up with her in my bed right now, instead of having coffee with him. Damn it.

“Since you’re here, maybe we could talk about the details of the lawsuit. I know you’re pissed, and I know you don’t want to get involved, but it might help, Brett. The family could use you. Everyone is scared.”

I huffed. “Tell me.” I sat and drank my coffee.

“Really? I wasn’t expecting that. All right. All right. Since you’ve been gone, I told you the Osborns have launched the suit to contest the land in your dad’s name.”

“I don’t know why they are bringing all this shit up now. This stuff was settled a long time ago.”

Cane shook his head. “You can blame Riley Osborn. He’s the one stirring it up. Since your Dad died and you left, he claims the rest of the family doesn’t have a right to live here and they want us off the land because the land was in your dad’s name.” He clears his throat. “They don't know about the contract, Brett.”

I jumped from my seat, my chest puffed forward. The coffee sloshed to my feet. “They can’t do that. I’m not dead. I’ve just been overseas. Serving my country.” I gritted my teeth.

Cane sighed. “They don’t seem to care. Riley has decided this is the time to take it to court. Your dad is gone. You’re not around. There is no one to prove that you are the rightful heir without the contract. It’s going to be contested unless you step in.”

“What? That’s fucking insane. I’m back. They can’t touch us as long as I’m here.”

Cane’s eyes lit. “So are you saying you’ll stay? You could end this entire thing. You’ll tell the Osborns you’re back? You’ll tell them about the contract? Will you present it in court?”

I grimaced then hung my head. “I didn’t say that.” He made it sound simple. It wasn’t.

“What is going on with you? This is your duty. This is your family. All you have to do is get married and the contract can be honored. The Osborns can back the fuck off. What the hell, Brett?”

Before I knew what I was doing I grabbed Cane by the shoulders and slammed him against the wall. My eyes blazed.

“Don’t question me.”

Cane gasped for air. “You’re willing to fight over there, but you won’t fight here?”

“I said to shut your damn mouth.”

“I’ve done all I could while you were gone, but I’m not you,” he hissed. “You’re here. And you need to put an end to this.”

“I’m not finished over there. I have to go back.” He didn’t understand my mission wasn’t complete. I couldn’t just shift priorities like he wanted. It didn’t work that way. I wasn’t wired to change course.

Cane pushed at my chest until, finally, I let go. Just like when we were kids. I’d always been bigger and stronger. He’d always been the one to joke his way out of situation. He never took anything seriously, and I was the opposite. Sure, he was like the brother I never had. But he was also a pain in my ass.

“I don’t know how you can talk about duty and honor and serving your country while there is a war going on in your own backyard. If you don’t do something, we’ll all be homeless and we’ll lose this land that has been in the family for hundreds of years.”

Cane rubbed his shoulders where I had held him.

“You don’t know what it means to do what I do,” I snarled. “You have no idea what I go through. What I fight for every day.”

“No, I don’t.” Cane glared at me. “But I do know what it means to be a part of this family. If you don’t do something there might not be anything to come home to. There will be no reason to fight. We’ll all be scattered. You do realize we’re talking about kids losing their backyards. Kids not playing in the woods anymore. This family…your family is counting on you to do the right thing.”

I closed my eyes. “I’m sorry, Cane. You’re asking too much.”

“Don’t be sorry. Be the leader of this family. That’s all I ask. It’s not too much.”

I shook my head. “The thing is, Cane. You are asking too much. I get that you don’t see it. You don’t know it. But it’s too much.”

He sighed. “Delta Force will carry on with or without you. I promise you that. There is always going to be another badass to replace the last one. But this family won’t make it if everyone loses their homes. It needs you.”

I stared at my cousin. I couldn’t sort through everything fast enough. The words fell from my lips. “What if I did have someone who could help me with the contract? What if there was a girl?”

I scratched the back of my head.

Cane laughed. “It’s the hot doctor, isn’t it?”

“Hypothetical someone,” I lied. “If I did have a girl, would that solve this problem?”

“I knew it.” He grinned. “Hell. It had to be her. You’ve only been in town for two seconds. Did you tell her? Did she agree?”

“Wait, what?” I stared at him in disbelief. This conversation shouldn’t be happening right now. Nothing about this felt right. From the family drama to including Gretchen in any part of the legal problems.

“No, I didn’t tell her. What am I supposed to say? Nice to meet you. I’m in Special Forces and there’s a contract my dead father made me sign that says to keep our land I have to be married and have a baby to pass on the family name, so I need you to spend the rest of your life with me.” I glared at my cousin.

“Ok, not an easy conversation. I get it. But you should say something.”

“You’re telling me the neighboring families have found out the land is not technically in our name and want action, which means I have to pull her into it. I just met her. This is the last conversation I should have with a woman I’ve had one date with.”

“I think the timing is fucking perfect.” Cane grinned. “You met her when we need you to get married most.”

“No. It’s not perfect timing.” I shook my head. “My mission isn’t finished. I have a commitment to my Delta team. I’m going back to Razastan. I’m not about to get married in the middle of a mission.”

“I don’t think you have a choice, Brett. It’s the only way to stop the Osborns. Get the land back in our name. Show the families the next generation is on the way. You need to tell her fast. Things are out of control. You can fix this.”

I ran my hands over my head. My hair was starting to grow over the close haircut I had not that long ago. My beard was thick.

“I can’t. I’m not doing that to her. The family can handle this without me.”

“You’ve been gone too long, cuz. I don’t know if you’re more soldier than Brett Jackson right now. The man I knew wouldn’t put anything in front of his family. Who are you?”

I had wondered the same thing. I felt the pull in different directions cutting through my soul. Had I come back the same man? It didn’t feel like it. I was torn between protecting the people I shared blood with versus the men I shed blood for.

“I risk my life every day keeping the country safe. The least everyone back here could do is not stab their neighbors in the back. Fuck. I’m not asking much. Can’t they keep the peace a little while longer? They don’t even know what they are fighting for. If they had seen half of what I’ve seen, they would realize how fucked up this is. It’s not worth ruining everyone’s lives over a few hundred acres of dirt.”

“Maybe that’s true.” Cane sighed. “I don’t know what you’ve been through. It’s shitty no one else is thinking about that right now. They only have one thing on their minds—that’s taking something that doesn’t belong to them.”

“It shouldn’t be like this, Cane.”

“But it is.” He stared at me.

I placed the coffee mug on the porch.

“Let me know if you change your mind,” he called to me as I jogged down the porch steps.

I marched to my truck without saying goodbye. I didn’t want to hear anything else about the neighbor wars or what my duty was. I didn’t want to hear about how I was abandoning my family or how I had forgotten who had raised me.

I had to drive. Drive and think.