"Of course we do. Family hurts us the most and helps us the most," Derek said, not knowing if the was talking about Reid or himself. "You can't hurt people that don't care. They can get annoyed, angry, but not really hurt. The opposite is just as true. You don't get hurt by people you aren't close." There were a few exceptions, but serial killers that targeted your family and killed your wife were not exactly the norm under any definition.
Derek hinted a smile. "Some days, you believe your own hype, Reid. You're smart, amazingly so, and you don't relate to people the same way because of that, but pretty boy, you're a man, and it sucks. I'm not saying this is good, but it was what I was trying to tell you. I've gone through too many of these heartaches to have that ... freshness when approaching a relationship. I envy you that, in a way. I never really had that. Every was always colored by my past, but you have a chance to discover new things with new people."
He shook his head. "I've done plenty of that and sometimes it went well and sometime it didn't. I'm not going to get upset with anyone for doing what I do on a regular basis," he said, chuckling. "And you can be annoyed and in a normal situation, you're right, we are equal. On the field-" He shook his head. "She's good, Reid, better than I am for some things. There's so much about her background that we don't know, but you can see it in the way she moves. It wasn't a judgment on you or your training or your ability to defend yourself, but more on her skills. I'm sorry if it made you feel like I was discounting you. It wasn't my intention at all, and maybe- I've spent a year here, Reid, a year where everything has been about chain of command, about one person being in charge, about having a clear line of who's in charge. It has changed me. I know it has, and possibly on this ranch things will get better, but I need time."
Derek got closer and hugged him. "I don't want to lose my family either, Reid. You are family and I love you."