Page 57 of Homecoming

“Oh my God.”

“What?”

“We fired him two years ago after he’d failed multiple drug tests. He sued us, saying the firing was unjust because he has an illness. We’ve refused to settle, and he’s demanding at least two hundred fifty thousand to make it go away. We’re fighting him because he was fired for cause—and we can prove it. It goes to trial in December.”

“Isn’t that interesting?”

“Sure is. He’s certainly no friend of ours.”

“We can introduce the family’s history with him at trial, if it goes that far.”

“Do you really think it’ll go to trial?” Chuck asked. “It’s already affecting our business. We’ve had multiple orders worth millions canceled since the news broke, not to mention the damage to my sons’ reputations. So much for innocent until proven guilty.”

“My goal is to present as much evidence as I can at the preliminary hearing, to poke enough holes in the prosecutor’s case to get the judge to dismiss the charges. That’s our best shot of getting this dealt with quickly, but there’re never any guarantees the judge will rule in our favor.”

“I appreciate what you’re doing. Make sure you’re tracking your time so we can pay you.”

“There’s no charge for my time.”

“Come on, Dan. This could be a long haul. You can’t do that for free. You certainly don’t owe us anything.”

“No, I don’t, but I owe your daughter everything. That makes you, Keith and Kirby family to me, and my time is free to you.”

“Thank you. That’s very generous of you.”

“I want this situation resolved as quickly as possible so I can take my wife home.”

“I understand, and it was good of you both to come in light of, well, everything.”

“Yes, it was good of her to come when she sure as hell had good reason to stay away.”

“I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. We handled the situation with Matt and Kelly badly, and we regret hurting Kara.”

“It means a lot to her that you’ve owned that, but those kinds of hurts don’t just scab over. They fester a bit. Just because she’s here, and just because I’m here, doesn’t mean she’s forgiven and forgotten what went on.”

“I understand.”

“I’m not trying to be a dick, Chuck. I swear that’s not the case. But what was done to Kara is somewhat unforgivable.”

“Yes, it is. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, but that was the biggest one, and I deeply regret the role I played in hurting her.”

“That’s why we’re here, because she knows that, and she believed you when you told her so.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“Her mother, however, is another story.”

“Yes, she certainly is, and if it makes you feel any better to know this, we’ve had some of the worst arguments of our married life over Kelly and Matt and what they did to Kara.”

“Kara would tell you she’s better off for their deception. We’re incredibly happy together. But that doesn’t negate the deep pain that was caused by two people she loved and trusted.”

“We agree on that, and I’ve said as much to Kelly and Matt, too. All this strife in the family is painful to me. It’s been too much a part of my life. Beginning with my brother and now among my kids. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.”

“Nor would I. I lost my only brother far too soon, and there’s almost nothing I wouldn’t give to have one more day with him.”

Chuck’s deep sigh echoed through the phone.

“You should patch things up with your brother, Chuck. Life’s too short to carry around grudges.”

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