realized you assumed there wasnât,â Coop said. âYou were one of the few, the proud.â
A bitter bark of laughter escaped John. âYou met my old manâyou didnât think growing up with him might have tilted my thinking a little left of center?â He could still vividly remember his father showing up at Camp Lejeune, drunk on his ass and belligerently vocal about his sonâs decision to join the corps. âBefore I discovered my ability with the ladies, I was just the pitiable kid of that crazy noncom who was always being busted back to seaman first class.â
âNavy asshole,â Coop said scornfully.
âFuckinâ A,â Zach agreed. âThe navy is for pussies who canât get into the corps.â
Tactfully neither of his friends mentioned the vitriol his old man had spewed at him that night, or how John had allowed the elder Miglionni to shove him around until heâd finally lost his temper and flattened him. But the truth was, it wasnât the Marines heâd glommed onto to validate his sense of self-worth. Heâd liked knowing he had something in his pants that most guys would kill for.
âSo now it turns out youâve got a kid, too,â Zach said. âAside from being hacked off over the way you found out about her, how do you feel about that? You always swore youâd never have one.â
âYeah, but now that the choice has been taken out of my hands, I donât knowâI feel like Iâve gotta get to know her. At the same time, Iâm scared shitless to get too close. Jesus, Midnight, sheâs got a British accent. She sounds like the frigging queen of England!â
âYeah, I can see where that would unnerve a guy.â
âIs your Victoria a Brit, then?â Coop asked.
âShe is not my anythââ He cut himself off, knowinghow merciless his friends would be if he protested too much. âNo. Toriâs not a Brit. She took Esme there to get her away from her fatherâs influence.â
âThatâs your daughterâs name? Esme?â
âYeah.â
âPretty,â Coop said. âWhatâs she look like?â
âLittle. Sweet. A real girly-girl. She has this wild head of hair like her mother used to have back when I knew her before.â Sheâs got my eyes. That just blew him away every time he thought of it.
âSounds like a cutie to me. Little girls are awesome. I never realized just how cool until I met my niece Lizzy. Get your hands on a camera, pal, and send me a picture.â
They talked a while longer without saying anything of real consequence. John felt better, though, and more in control when he finally disconnected. But as he sat in his car on the side of the road, staring out at the trees, he admitted he was still as confused as ever about his new status as a parent.
Luckily, he had a job to do. When things were out of whack, it was comforting to have something to do that you did well. Figuring out puzzles was something he did very well. So he took off the brake and put the car in gear.
Then he headed down the road to talk to Jaredâs high-school coach.
CHAPTER FOUR
âI WAS INFORMED YOUR team lost its game.â
Jared Hamilton looked up to see his father in the library doorway. The great Ford Hamilton didnât usually instigate a conversation with him unless it was to catalog his faults, but he appeared almostâ¦interested. He must be to have pulled himself away from the dinner party that Jared could hear going on in the dining room. Stealthily sliding the brandy bottle from which heâd been sipping behind his backpack, he straightened from his dejected slouch, an optimistic kernel of hope unfurling in his chest. Maybe he didnât have to drown his sorrows after all. âYeah.â
âAnd I understand it was you striking out that ended the game.â
The hope shriveled and Jaredâs stomach began to churn,