Page 130 of Jack

His father shook his head. “I don’t know who told you that you had to be the best—I hope it wasn’t me—but you need to know that the only one looking at your failure, judging you by your failure, is you.”

Jack looked away, took a breath.

“I know you hate being called out. You don’t do vulnerable well?—”

“I’m not a jerk.”

“That’s not what I mean. You hold everyone away because you think that your failures will make you less in people’s eyes.” His dad stepped closer. “You care very deeply about your people.”

His chest clenched. He glanced past his dad, looking for escape.

“That’s why you ridiculed your sister when she wanted to re-up with the Navy.”

“She was going to join a Marine expeditionary unit!Again.”Oops.That might have come out a little too passionately.

“I know,” his dad said quietly. “For the record, I’m not unhappy that she opted out of that. But I know you carried the rift between you and Brontë and in our family on yourself, and . . . well, you made it bigger than it should have been.”

“I hurt her. I got that.”

“You hurtyourself. You let your shame tell you that you weren’t loved. Weren’t eligible for grace.”

“We fixed it.”

“You might have fixed it with her, but you haven’t fixed it between you and God, have you?”

He looked at his father, made to open his mouth, but his father held up his hand. Great, they were doing this in front of his brothers?

“God loves you very much, Jack. He made you for a purpose. And he’s waiting for you to come to him, to stop running and discover peace. To take your rightful place in this family, as Big Jack.”

Shoot.“I don’t even know what that looks like.”

“Maybe you won’t until you get there.” His dad had walked close enough to put his hand on Jack’s shoulder. “You were created for the outrageous, overwhelming, wonderful love of heaven. Stop telling yourself what you’re supposed to do and simply let God work in youto do. Then, and only then, will you truly stop searching and satisfy this restless itch. The greatest find is waking up every day to the excitement of seeing what God will do.”

And just like that, Harper’s words rushed into his head.“You’re not lost anymore, Jack Kingston. You’re right back where you’re supposed to be. So stop running.”

Except the voice sounded deeper, maybe a heartbeat or a thrum inside him.

He nodded as his dad squeezed his shoulder.

“So, ready to get your littlest sister married?”

“I can’t believe she’s getting married first,” said Stein, probably without thinking.

Jack wanted to wince for Doyle, but his brother took a breath, found a smile. “Let’s do this.”

His father put his arm over Doyle’s shoulder as they walked out. Stein and Jack followed, Conrad swiping up his phone behind them. They tromped out into the frigid, beautiful day.

Jack got into the front seat of his father’s truck as his brothers squished into the back, shoulder to shoulder.

“It’s like I’m five, pinned between my brothers,” Doyle said, sitting on the hump in the middle.

Conrad grabbed one of his knees, and Stein grabbed the other.

“Get your grubs off me.” He elbowed them but laughed.

Jack was right where he was supposed to be.Maybe. At least for a while.

And then what? Florida? He’d purchased the place for investment purposes after the success of the true-crime book.