"Yeah, but..." He grimaced and shook his head. He wished it could be that easy. And Kyle's dad was a good guy. He always made it easier to bear when he could. But that was the whole point.

"I think he knows. Some of it. Not everything. Not the worst of it. And not this. But he and Dad are friends. Were friends. They were together often enough that before high school and hormones, Kyle was almost more a brother to me than my actual brothers."

His brothers always seemed to follow the party line. Anything for dad and country in that order. And Alex didn't fit the mold. Just like Kyle didn't want to be a sheriff like his dad.

But then they grew up and like so many high school movies showed, Kyle became one of the mean girls and he'd dropped Alex like a hot potato.

"Hard to believe, I know, but I don't know. Maybe it's more that my dad has something on the Sheriff. That I'd believe."