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My old man and I had a knock-down, drag-out in front of everyone, then he kicked me out. I went to live with my grandmother, attended the University of Tennessee. Got a little financial aid and worked out the rest. I was scared to death, but I felt free. It may sound cliché, but that day, I started living for me.”
    He laughed and took a swig of his water. “Man, I don’t know why I told you all that. I bet you’re sorry you asked.” He said it jokingly, but there was a vulnerability in his eyes I’d never seen before.
    “Not at all.”
    He smiled and chugged the rest of his water. Leaning back in his chair, he said, “So, that’s me. What about you? I’m going to feel like a jackass if your family isn’t as dysfunctional as mine.”
    “Oh.” I exhaled. My past wasn’t something I talked about much, even with Grady. It was awkward, but after everything Cougar had told me, I felt obligated. “Well, there’s not much to tell, really. My father left before I was born. My mother worked two, sometimes three jobs, to support us. She died when I was a senior in high school.”
    “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “What happened?”
    “Um, lung cancer. She was a smoker. She’d been feeling bad for awhile. I’d tried to get her to go to the doctor, but she wouldn’t do it because she didn’t have insurance. By the time she finally went, it was too late.”
    “That must have been tough. Did you have any family to help?”
    I shook my head. “Just the two of us. I did like you, worked and put myself through college.”
    “What about your father? Have you ever had any contact with him?”
    I nodded. “He came to see me after my mother’s funeral. Said he wanted to help me. I told him to go to hell. I’d managed without him for the past seventeen years, and couldn’t imagine why he’d think I needed him now.”
    “Kinda harsh, don’t you think?” Cougar askedaround a mouthful of roll.
    “Was it?” I asked, and didn’t realize how sharp I sounded until Cougar held his palms up in surrender. Clearing my throat, I said, “My mother worked herself to death. He left her when she needed him most. He left me, and started a new family. You know how you resented your father for foisting this whole other life on you? Well, I resented him for the same reason. It didn’t have to be like that between us. He made his choice, and it wasn’t me.”
    I forced a smile. “But it worked out okay. Made me stronger. I learned I didn’t have to depend on anybody.”
    “Even Grady?” Cougar waved his hand. “Never mind, I retract that question. But I admit, I’ve always been a little curious about how the two of you ever hooked up. You meet him at college?”
    The chirp of my cell phone saved me from replying. I frowned down at the caller ID. “Ubi,” I told Cougar, and answered it.
    “Necie! We’ve got a tip on Barnes. ATF is chasing him on I-676 East. They think he’s heading to a private airstrip in Medford.”
    My heartbeat began to gallop.
    Medford. Cougar and I were close. Maybe we could cut him off.
    “I’ll stop by and grab Cougar—”
    “I’ve got Cougar.” I rummaged in my purse for apen. “Do you have the location of that airstrip?”
    “Hang on a sec.”
    Cougar jumped up and began closing containers. I waved to get his attention. “Leave them,” I said.
    Ubi came back on the line with the address, which I scribbled on my hand. Clicking the phone shut, I said, “Let’s go. I’ll explain on the way.”
    I relayed Ubi’s information to him while we sprinted down the corridor and outside to the parking lot.
    “Where’s your car?” Cougar asked. “We’ll have to take it. Tuck’s supposed to pick up mine.”
    I panicked for a moment when I didn’t see it, then remembered I was in Grady’s car. “That one,” I said, and pointed at the black Porsche in the corner.
    Cougar laughed as we ran to it. “I don’t think we should steal doctors’ cars.”
    Hitting the door locks, I