Page 51 of Someone You Deserve

“That’s a great memory.” Then I pinch his chin between two of my fingers, direct his face to mine, and say, “And that’s something that no one, not even that little shit Marcus, can take away from you, do you hear me?”

He nods, tears sliding down his face.

“That kid has no say on the relationship you had with your dad, Bentley. And your father died protecting and fighting for his country. There is no more noble way to go. He loved you and always will. He’s with you every day in here.” I tap his chest. “And I will always be here for you too. Any way I can.”

Bentley doesn’t say anything as he rests his head back on my shoulder, but his breathing has started to slow and the red blotches on his face are fading.

“Uncle Penn?”

“Yeah, bud?”

His fists tighten in my shirt. “I’m really glad you’re still here.”

My heart swells with emotion and a tear slides down my cheek. “Me too, Bentley. Me too.”

And I will be here for these kids no matter what. But if Astrid and I become more, would they accept my new role in their lives? Would I want my role to be different?

And then I think about Brandon and my dad.Once a Marine, always a Marine, as my dad would always say. The two of them had a relationship of their own. Would my father be angry with me for acting on my feelings toward another Marine’s wife? I mean, Brandon’s not coming back, but still—there’s an unspoken code there.

The resolve I had earlier about moving forward with her is dwindling the longer I sit here with Bentley in my arms, considering everything at stake.

Squeezing him into me, I breathe him in from the top of his head and focus on what I can control.

At this rate, I may never have children of my own, but I could die happy with that reality because these kids—Bentley and Lilly—they feel like mine in my heart. And that will never change.

***

“Oh, thank God!” Astrid rushes down the porch as Bentley and I exit my truck. As soon as she reaches her son, she encases him in her arms and kisses the top of his head.

“I’m okay, Mom,” Bentley grumbles, glancing up at me, silently asking for assistance. But now that he’s in Astrid’s hands, he’s on his own.

“You may be okay on the outside, but we clearly need to talk about what’s going on in here.” She lays her hand over his heart, her eyes scanning his face. “Have you been crying?”

“A little sawdust got in his eye,” I chime in, winking down at Bentley.

Astrid arches a brow at me. “Is that so?”

“Yeah. Speaking of, Bentley, why don’t you go inside and take a shower? You’re filthy.”

He rolls his eyes, but walks toward the house, leaving me and Astrid alone. She watches him walk away and then turns back to me. “So youhandling itwas getting him all dirty?”

Crossing my arms over my chest, I stare down at her. “Look, he needed to release some anger, all right? So I took him to a job site and let him swing a sledgehammer into a wall a few times.”

Her eyes go wide. “You did what?”

“Haven’t you ever wanted to go to one of those rage rooms so you can take out all of your aggression on a bunch of shit and fucking destroy it?”

She casts her eyes to the side and nods. “More than you’d probably think. Did it work?”

I clear my throat, trying not to get emotional just thinking about watching that little boy fall apart in front of me again. Taking a deep breath, I nod. “He broke down and talked to me.”

“And?”

“That other kid said some shit about Brandon and how he died because he didn’t want Bentley as his son.” Her shoulders drop and her lips part slightly. “I’ll let him fill you in on all of the rest.”

She covers her mouth now with her hand. “Oh, God.” Closing her eyes, she shakes her head, hanging it low.

Reaching out for her, I place my hand on her shoulder until she looks back up at me. “He’s going to be okay, Astrid.”

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