She glanced at me one more time with a cruel glint in her eyes. “I hope you enjoy chopping firewood all by yourself, Riley.”

I wanted to tell her exactly where she could shove her real estate plans, but I grabbed my jacket and stood up instead. My years in the service had taught me when to fight and when it was smarter to simply walk away.

Walking away was definitely the better move in that moment. Skylar, though, wasn’t done with her performance quite yet.

She followed me into the hallway, her high heels clicking against the hardwood like gunshots. “Don’t be mad, Riley. It isn’t like you ever actually cared about this family anyway.”

“You were always off playing soldier while I was the one here taking care of things,” she sneered. I spun around to face her, because I’d reached my limit.

“You mean you were here taking care of yourself?” I said. “Our father built this family. You just spent your life taking advantage of his hard work.”

Her eyes narrowed into slits, but the smile never truly left her face. “And now I’m the one who gets the reward, so enjoy your little shack in the woods.”

“Maybe you can use the side of the barn for target practice,” she added with a mocking laugh. I walked out the front door without another word.

My bags were already packed upstairs, but I wasn’t going back into that house while she circled like a vulture. I’d come back for them later, when the house was quiet.

The cold evening air slapped me in the face as I stepped onto the porch. It felt much better than sitting inside that suffocating house where my father’s memory was being carved up into assets.

I stood there a long minute, listening to the muffled voices of the guests inside. Skylar’s loud laughter carried through the walls and echoed down the quiet street.

I thought about my father, and the years he’d served before I was even born. He knew what it meant to stand by your people and never leave a teammate behind.