AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Whatever,” he said, his voice choked up.
As Casey started to slam out of his office, Dean said, “I didn’t excuse you.”
Casey turned around with a clenched jaw and a defiant gleam back in his eye. “May I be excused, sir?”
“Yes, you can report to the mess hall.”
Casey walked out without bothering to close the door. Dean took a deep breath and reminded himself that these kids had been through things most adults couldn’t handle. They’d had their trust broken more times than they could count, and he had to earn their respect.
But it took all of his resolve not to go after Casey and make him scrub the bathroom floor with a toothbrush for being such a turd.
Of course, Dean would have to be blind not to compare Casey to Violet and her own defense mechanisms. After she’d thrown him out last night, he’d driven around for a while before going home, seething. It wasn’t right that she carried this burden alone.
If only they realized Dean really did want to help Casey, and not just because he was Violet’s little brother, although he couldn’t deny that was part of it. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her wide, tear-filled eyes. The worry and pain written all over her face had made him want to ignore her wishes and stay.
But Casey, too, had been getting to him, especially in those brief moments when he brightened. Like when Apollo accomplished another command and Casey slipped to his knees to give him a hug and a biscuit or two.
Moments like that showed Dean who Casey was beneath all the anger and distrust, and Dean wanted to erase all the bad for him. To look after the three of them, Daisy, Casey, and, of course, Violet, and keep them safe.
But if he pursued Violet, it would mean taking on all her problems as his own. And despite the fact that she’d been surviving for ten years taking care of two kids when she was basically a kid herself, she was struggling, that much he could see. Did he want to take that on, knowing he wouldn’t be staying?
News flash, hotshot, what makes you think she wants you to? She’s made it pretty clear she isn’t interested in you.
Except her kisses said otherwise.
At the time, she’d made him so frustrated and furious that it had been a choice between kissing her and shaking her, and he’d chosen the former. And man, what a kiss. He’d been so caught up in her that when Best had knocked, he’d almost told him to fuck off. It had only been the brief flicker of panic in Violet’s eyes that had told him not to push for more.
He wanted more from her, though. It wasn’t fair or right, but he would never stop craving her if he kept denying what was between them.
God, what a selfish bastard he was. His life had been good, filled with stable, loving parents and a supportive extended family, while she had needed to grow up way too fast just to compensate. She’d told him she didn’t have anything left for him, but at this point, he’d take anything from her. Even if it was just her friendship.
Not that she’d ever believe him, though, especially when he mauled her in visiting rooms.
What Dean needed was an olive branch. Something to show her that he could be trusted. That he could be her friend.
Suddenly, an idea struck him, and Dean picked up the phone, dialing.
“This is Sergeant Kline.”
“I was thinking about taking a group out a week from Saturday for a community service project. You in?”
“Sure, what’s the project?”
“Home improvement. Let’s recruit ten of the kids who have been here awhile and want to earn some extra privileges. I figure we’ll leave about oh six hundred and be back by lunch.”
“Sounds good, I’ll enlist the volunteers and let the parents know. What about their dogs?”
Dean grinned. “Best is working Saturday. I’m sure he won’t mind ten extra dogs.”
Chapter Fourteen
Ten Days Later
ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON, Violet carried two mugs of coffee into the living room—one for her and one for Mrs. Paulson from Child Protective Services. When Violet had called her back to set up the appointment, she’d wanted to push it off until after Daisy was at Oregon State U and Casey was home, but Mrs. Paulson had insisted on sooner. Violet had given up her afternoon shift to work six until two in the morning, which meant better tips, but she hated getting home so late and leaving Daisy alone.
Technically, she’s an adult now, and once she’s a full state away, she’s going to be on her own anyway.
Which was actually rather terrifying, but there was nothing she could do about it.
