Page 87 of Peaks and Promises

“But you’re not now.”

“Definitely trying not to be.”

“Is that why you’re helping us? So you can be a good guy?”

Gazing out at the trees, I took a deep breath. “Yeah, probably.”

“You don’t seem like Axel.”

“Good. I don’t want to be like him. I’m not sure if your mom wanted you to know that about me. But I didn’t want you to find out and think I lied to you.”

“Did you ever steal anything?”

“I did.”

“But you never went to jail?”

“No. I got lucky.”

“I’m glad you didn’t go to jail.”

“Me too, chief. Me too.” I paused again. “There’s something else I need to talk to you about. It looks like Axel broke into your apartment in Arizona.”

“Did he steal our stuff?”

“Not sure if he took anything. But he did break things.”

“Why?”

“Good question. My guess is, he realized you and your mom left, and he was angry.”

Nate stood and took a few steps through the dry pine needles, opening and closing his fists.

“Did he break my stuff?”

“Yeah, he did.”

“Why?” he asked again. “Why does he get to be angry, and I don’t?”

“You do get to be angry.”

He spun around, and his cheeks were flushed. “What do you mean?”

I stood and pulled the small axe out of the wood. “Feeling anger isn’t always a bad thing. It’s what you do with it that matters. You could grow up to be a man like him, without any self-control. Who lets his feelings make his choices instead of using his brain. And who winds up hurting people because of it.”

“I don’t want to be like him.”

“I know you don’t. You’re already on a better path. The other mistake you want to avoid is the one I tend to make.”

“What’s that?”

“Being mad but burying it. Do you know what that feels like?” I put a hand on my chest. “Maybe you put it here. Try to lock it up and not let it show?”

“Yeah. I feel it right here.” He put his hand on his chest, then moved it to his stomach. “Or sometimes here.”

I handed him the axe. “You’re mad at Axel?”

He nodded.