It has not, for some reason, really occurred to Simon to just let Cade vent for a while as part of the healing process. His pep talk here is a combination of exasperation and genuine well-meaning, but eventually it does get through his head that it's having the opposite of its intended effect, and he sighs and pats Cade lightly on the shoulder just before Callum swings by again and does the same.

His wariness of Callum hasn't subsided any since their arrival at the tavern, and it doesn't now, but his answering smile is blank and pleasant. "They didn't allow us much practice with that, no," he says amiably. "'Kitty?' That a childhood nickname?"