Page 56 of Mended Hearts

“Actually.” Dax takes a gulp of beer, rinsing down his food. “I do plan on it. But it’ll happen slowly. Once this instructor job starts at the end of the month, I’m not sure how much time I’ll have for it. Plus, we’re going to convert the garage into a studio for Lynsie before I figure out how to go about mine.”

“What’s this woodcarving business you guys speak of?” I ask with a frown. Then it hits me. My mind was such a haze that night, but I remember Dax mentioning a memorial he had made. “Wait, like the wing that was on display at your award ceremony?”

Dax nods. “Yep.” He takes a big bite of pizza, talking as he chews. Some things never change. “It’s something I kind of took an interest in after you left.” He says it so nonchalantly like it’s no big deal and I wonder if he’s trained himself to feel that way.

Shit, maybe that’s because he doesn’t know what all happened. Echo has to have told Lynsie. That’s what girls do, right? And Lynsie has to have told Dax. That’s what wives do,right? Maybe I just need to quit assuming shit. Especially since Lynsie isn't Dax's wife yet.

Good ole oblivious Dax breaks the silence he doesn’t even realize took place. “But I don’t want my business just to be carvings. I’d really like to get into distressing furniture and even making signs and such.”

I want to tease him and ask where his balls went. Maybe call him Martha Stewart. But the fact is, he has his shit together. He has his woman, his daughter, and he has plans. He knows what he wants in life and he’s going after it. Why should I tease or belittle him when he has everything going for him and I have nothing? He’s my brother, and even though I’m jealous as hell, I’m happy for him.

“Sounds like a great idea, man. I really hope it works out for you.”

Dax looks up, and all the goofiness his face usually holds is gone. It’s almost as if he’s been waiting for my recognition all these years. That knowledge twists knots in my gut. It’s something I should’ve given him long ago, but instead, I ran and stayed away—keeping the one person I should have held on to at arm’s length.

“Thanks, bro. That really means a lot.”

I just nod. No need to get any mushier than we already have.

“All right.” I stand. “We got some work to do. Ladies, resume your posts on the inside. Us men got this out here.” I smirk, and Echo doesn’t even bat an eye. She instantly fires back, showing me that spitfire of mine still exists.

“Yeah, I’m sure since youboys,” she drags out, “have a third to do compared to us.”

“Don’t y’all worry your sweet little asses,” Dax chimes in, smacking Lynsie on hers, causing her to yelp. I wish I had the right to do the same to Echo. My hand practically itches wondering what her ‘sweet little ass’ would feel like in my palm.He finishes with, “It’s not like we won’t be in there to pick up the slack once we finish.”

“Yeah, yeah. I give y’all two hours, and then we’ll see who’s slacking,” Echo challenges and all I can do is eye her and her delicious curves.

I’m in trouble if I can’t keep my thoughts on the straight and narrow. And I don’t know how I’ll do that being in her vicinity.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

ECHO

“Ijust don’t know what to think. So I’m trying not to. After Dax’s ceremony, I thought Dustin despised me.”

“Yeah, I don’t think that’s the case at all,” Lynsie says, and it brings my eyes back to hers that are filled with such understanding. “I think that night was mixed with a lot of shock and anger. He was caught off guard, just like you were. I think he’s trained himself to use anger as his go-to emotion.”

“Yeah, but thinking he wanted nothing to do with me didn’t stop me from writing him while he was at war.”

“What? You didn’t tell me you wrote him,” Lynsie shrieks.

“Well, it felt borderline wrong, so I thought it was safer to keep to myself. It was only two letters. Because then the accident happened.”

“But all this anger everyone seems to reference to, even himself, I’ve yet to see.”

“It’s because you, and only you, can calm the storm that brews within him.”

I think about her words for a second, letting them sink in. “But why do I feel like I can cause the storm as well?” I cross my arms.

“Because you can.”

I swallow. “I don’t want to be responsible for that.”

Lynsie and I finish what Dustin and I had started in the kitchen before moving to the master bedroom.

“So you’re going to open your own salon? That’s exciting.” I wipe the beads of sweat off my forehead before dipping my brush into the paint.

“Yes, I’m crazy excited. The only thing that would make it better is if you stayed here to work it with me,” Lynsie offers, and it’s highly tempting.

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