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“What do you think, Wyatt?”
Moving toward him, I squatted in front of the swing, and he smiled when he saw me. The fact that he was here, and healthy, and smiling at me was the best gift I could’ve gotten. The next best gift had been Race agreeing to spend the day with us. When I asked him, I knew Bear wouldn’t be himself if he was even around. Josie left town a week ago and planned to spend the next few weeks with her mom. My brother would never admit it, but losing her was breaking him. He’d been forced to make a lot of decisions recently that were reminiscent of the old club, the very one he’d resented, but I knew why he was doing what he was doing.
He was scared.
He’d also never admit that, but it was true. We’d lost a lot in our lives, and by protecting the club in its entirety the only way he knew how, he lost the woman he loved. He hadn’t spoken those words, but he was miserable without her. The only people my brother grieved this openly were the ones he loved.
And he loved Josie.
But he let her go.
I wasn’t sure I could’ve made that decision. If I was offered the chance to be with the person I loved, I couldn’t imagine throwing it away, but Bear’s loyalty knew no bounds. He promised to protect and serve the members of the Sinners, and he would pay any price to do that, even if it came at a great personal cost to him.
Gently, I grabbed Wyatt’s feet and tickled the bottom until he giggled before standing again. Hearing my phone, I moved across the room to the counter where it lay and picked it up.
Then my stomach sank.
Race: Can’t make it
I thought about that for a moment. Did he mean tonight? I wondered if something had happened at the club I didn’t know about yet.
Becs: Will you be there tonight?
Race: No. At the airport now.
Airport? He was flying somewhere? I didn’t understand what the hell was going on. Race seemed happy to be going to the clubhouse tonight and then come here tomorrow. As a matter of fact, over the past month, it was as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
Race: I need to go out of town for a while.
Why would he have to go out of town on Christmas Eve? I thought we’d made progress last night so it didn’t make sense that everything would change again this morning.
Becs: Where are you going?
There was a long pause, and I didn’t think he was going to answer, but the text bubble suddenly appeared. It wasn’t long before I read the words that seemed out of character for him.
Race: Home
That one word filled me with dread. He’d shared a lot with me, more than I’d ever expected, and the one thing I’d assumed from all he shared was that he was never planning to go back.
Becs: Why?
He ignored that question, but at least he kept talking.
Race: I won’t have my phone.
Becs: Do you know how long you’ll be gone?
Race: Not a day longer than I have to be.
I knew him well enough to know I wouldn’t get more information. He was being vague for a reason, and I wasn’t going to convince him to give me more than he was ready to share.
Becs: Be careful.
I tapped my phone against my hand, wanting to say so much more but scared to admit too much.
Race: I’m coming back. I’ll explain everything as soon as I can.
Becs: We’ll miss you.
