Page 1 of Brandt's Rule

Chapter 1

Tempest stood beside her bike, patiently packing and repacking her laundry bag of clothes. She’d chosen a laundry bag to put her things in because it was soft and she could force it into whatever shape she needed it in to make it fit into her saddlebags. Beneath it she’d already packed a pair of sneakers and she was wearing her favorite pair of boots which could double for work boots in a pinch.

“You forgot this,” Boon said, walking down the front steps of his sister’s home. “Your momma said you’d want to take it.”

Tempest looked up at Boon walking toward her, then at the doll he held in his hand.

Boon came to a stop beside her and handed her the doll before shoving his hands into the pockets of his dungarees and watching her as she smoothed the doll’s hair and smiled softly. “Don’t understand why you want to take a doll that’s almost as old as you are, but it’s not my decision to make. You need a bedroll…”

“Got it,” Tempest said, not looking up at Boon.

“And a spare pair of shoes,” Boon continued.

“Got them,”

“And some changes of clothes,”

“Got them, Uncle Boon.”

“And a weapon of some sort. Maybe a knife, or something…”

Tempest finally looked up from the doll and smirked at Boon with one eyebrow raised. “Seriously?”

“Most of us would. You, maybe not so much.”

Tempest leaned over and pressed a kiss to Boon’s cheek. “Take care of everybody while I’m gone.”

“Always will. You know that.”

“Yes, I do.”

“And don’t do what Saige did. Don’t forget where you come from. Visit us. Send a letter sometime. Let us know that you’re alright. Let me know that you’re alright,” Boon said.

A wave of sadness changed Tempest’s expression. “I told you she wasn’t meant for you. It wasn’t your fault, and there was nothing you could have done to keep her here. Whispers just wasn’t what she wanted.”

“What else could possibly be needed? We have community. Family. Friends. Safety. I’m here.”

“I know. And you’ll find the female meant for you. But no matter how much you wanted Saige to be your destiny, despite whatever connection you might have felt as kids, she wasn’t. Your forever is still out there waiting on you, and you’ll find her.”

“Not likely,” Boon said, his eyes quickly flicking upward to glance at his horns. “I won’t be leaving here to find her.”

“Things have a way of working themselves out, Uncle Boon. Give it time.”

“Yeah. I know you keep saying that. Honestly, I’m about tired of thinking it. And that’s not the reason I’m standing here. Just don’t want you to leave us and never come back.”

“I will never do that.”

Boon smiled at her as she walked around her bike and opened the top of the saddle bag on that side. She pushed and pulled the bedroll resting there, then laid her beloved doll on top, using an edge of the bedroll to protect it from the top of the saddlebag when she closed it. “I’ll miss you,” Tempest said.

“I’ll miss you, too,” Boon answered. “You take care of you. And if anybody tries to give you any trouble, you just zip back here and get me. I’m coming to help, horns or no.” Boon pulled Tempest in for a hug and kissed the top of her head.

“I guess I’ll be on my way,” Tempest said.

“I can’t be the only one that came to see you off,” Boon said, suddenly looking around for anybody else to wish his niece a safe trip.

“That’s what the party was for last night. I’m not good at goodbyes. So I said them all last night so this morning wouldn’t be clouded by them. I made everyone, even Grandpapa and Meme promise not to come see me off.”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to deal with a bit of a cloud, then,” Lily said.

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