“Right. Goin’ to see the folks first, and then out to Cali to meet with Doc.”
“Does that mean you’re coming on board?”
Mantis nodded, and Dutch held out his hand.
“Congratulations,” he said when Mantis shook it. “I’m glad you changed your mind.”
When he first came back from Afghanistan, he’d talked to Dutch about his plans to retire. He hadn’t mentioned Alegria, but neither had Dutch.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
“What’s that?” Mantis asked.
“I’ve known you a third of my life. More than that. I know you, Cassman, and I know what you’re thinking.”
“If that’s true, you wanna explain why you didn’t?”
“The truth?”
Mantis nodded.
“I figured she’d change her mind.”
“You thought I’d come back and Alegria would break things off with you.”
This time Dutch nodded.
Mantis leaned back in his chair. “You were wrong.”
“How do we work this?” Dutch asked.
“You tell me, man. How many years were you in love with her and somehow managed to spend time with us when we were a couple. I figure you know how to do this better than I do.”
“It’s different.”
“I don’t think it is.”
Dutch shrugged. “Time will tell. I just hope we can be friends again.”
“There was never a time we weren’t.”
“There was never a time you didn’t want to pummel me?” Dutch laughed.
“I didn’t say that, did I?” Mantis rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “Listen. I was pissed, okay? For a lot of reasons. I’m not gonna lie and tell you that I don’t wish you’d found someone else. Anyone else. But you didn’t, and that’s something I’m going to have to live with.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Nothing to say. She and I ended things, and then I was gone for a long time. Neither of you knew when or if I was coming back. I should probably thank you for taking such good care of her, but I’m not a big enough man to do that yet.” Mantis pushed his chair back and stood. “Dutch, you’ve been a good friend to me for many years. Fuck, you just saved my life. But I can’t talk about this anymore.”
“Understood.”
Mantis turned to walk away, but stopped and looked over his shoulder. “This was the last conversation we’re gonna have on the subject. It is what it is.”
“Roger that,” Dutch said as Mantis left the room.
—:—
“There’s something I need to talk to you about,” Alegria said to Dutch when they’d gotten the niceties of their telephone conversation out of the way.