“Taking a walk.”
“Thanks again for the tour of your company. It was very impressive.” Tyler set down the bottle of wine to shake Dakota’s hand. “I’m Tyler, Stryker’s dad.”
“Dakota Luck. This is my son, Graham.”
After a moment of bullshit small talk, Stryker suggested they take off.
“I look forward to catching up with you,” Tyler said before ringing the doorbell. Gordon opened the front door and welcomed him inside.
Agitation clouded Stryker’s thoughts. “What a piece o’ work. He turns my stomach.”
Dakota strapped his son in the stroller and the three ambled toward the playground. “You handled that well.”
“He ghosts on his children after his wife dies, then rolls back into town twenty years later like nothing’s happened. He’s got some nerve.”
“He’s not worth your time,” Dakota said.
“No, he’s not,” Stryker replied. “Let’s change the subject. Are you hiring any ALPHA operatives?”
Dakota and Providence ran the top-secret government organization.
Dakota slapped him on the back. “Finally! You’re coming on board.”
Stryker chuckled. “I’m asking for Cooper.”
“I thought he liked working at the Bureau.”
“He misses fieldwork. Sitting on his ass in meetings isn’t his thing. Plus, he’s up for promotion out west and he doesn’t want to go.”
“You think he’d make a good operative?”
“Damn good.”
“I’ll call him.”
They arrived at the playground and Dakota unstrapped Graham, then took him out of the stroller. “You want to go on the swing, buddy?”
“Yes!”
Dakota lifted him into the toddler swing and pushed him.
“You’re a good dad, Dakota,” Stryker said.
“Thanks, man. I love my kids. They keep me young and remind me what’s important.”
“How are things with you and Providence?”
Dakota smiled. “Keeps getting better.”
“I started seeing someone, kinda,” Stryker said. “It’s complicated.”
“Women always are. Who is it?”
“Daddy, done,” said Graham.
Dakota slowed the swing to a stop, then unstrapped Graham. “What’s next, Graham?”
“Slide with Unca.”