“I was proud. I am proud. I just…it took some getting used to. And then you shut us out. Barely came home, never talked about work. I had no idea you were a captain. For all I knew, you sat around and tinkered with planes all day.”

“You could have asked, Dad. I’ll be outside.”

I’m still sitting out on the porch when a silver sedan pulls up a few minutes later. I watch Evie climb out of the car and bend down to say something to her friend Rose. After talking for a couple of minutes, she turns and starts up my parents’ front walk. I watch whatever is on my face register on hers. Evie drops her bag at the top of the stairs and plops down into my lap. I wrap my arms around her, pulling her flush against me.

She turns to look at me, skimming one hand along my jaw. “That bad, huh?”

I sigh and look at her. “I got into it with my dad.”

“Wanna talk about it?”

“There’s not much to say. He asked me if I knew anyone in the Air Force who could recommend the kid of one of his coworkers for the Academy.”

“Not if you would recommend?” She gets it right away, and it makes me want to abandon this conversation and kiss her senseless. It might show in my expression because she smiles a little, knowingly.

“Right. I said if I did, it would carry weight. I’m not sure if he believed me. He didn’t ask me to.”

She exhales. “He’s your dad, Gray. He’s best friends with my dad and I have to see him for my job. If you want, it can end there. We don’t have to do any more of these dinners or invite him over to our place. Or…”

“Or what?”

“You can be the bigger person,” she says softly. “He has regrets. I know he does. He asks about you every time I see him. Your dad wants things to be different, but he doesn’t know how to change them. You’re the most intimidating person I know, your dad included. You could go golf with him. Or invite him to the base with you and show him around. It’s pretty impressive. I’m not saying you need to show off, or that you should have to, but you could just show him. I hope he’ll surprise you. If he doesn’t…that’s on him. Not you.” Evie sits up and reaches down into her bag. “I was going to save these for after dinner, but it’s already getting dark out. And maybe it will make dinner more bearable.”

“Unless you pull a blowjob out of there, I doubt it.”

She smacks me on the chest, then places a long, thin box in my hand. “Here.”