Page 78 of One Last Chance

And she’d kept her word today and kept out of the way. Mostly.

Until Sullykissedher.

He should have known by the look on Axel’s face that little bro had feelings for her. But Sully had lived to see another day, and apparently, given the moonlight tango out there, they’d sorted it out.

He had a mind to wander down to the river, though, just to make sure that Axel behaved himself . . .

Have a little faith.

He didn’t know if it was his voice or God’s, but yeah, his big little brother was probably old enough to figure out what kind of man he wanted to be.

Moose headed over to the television. It was paused on—oh boy.The Sizeup. That stupid reality show he’d agreed to.

He sat down and pushed play. Laughed a little at the scene of Axel playing the dummy, although at the time he’d wanted to strangle him.

But it played well on the show. Oaken came on, talking about his experience, and then the show cut away to them debriefing at the Tooth. Axel sitting at the table and Boo with him, Shep, standing, his back to the counter. They were talking about training and how Oaken was doing, right before he came in from the locker room. Axel tossed him a rope bag he’d been stuffing, one they’d use for the upcoming river rescue training.

And then someone asked where Moose went.

He froze when Axel grinned and said, “He went to see his girl.”

His girl.

Yeah, not even a little. He turned off the television.

He walked to the refrigerator and opened it. Took out the container, looked at the heart. “Sorry, Till.” Then he opened the trash and dumped it in.

Some mistakes couldn’t be fixed.

He glanced out the window. Axel had gotten up, taken Flynn’s hand, and they walked back to the house.

He watched as Flynn headed into the downstairs entrance. Axel came up the stairs to the main floor.

Good boy.

He headed upstairs to his room and finally closed his eyes when he heard Axel’s door close.

Maybe it was enough to see Axel happy. Healing. Heading toward wholeness.

And maybe he should stop babysitting his brother.

He just didn’t know how.

CHAPTER9

Flynn needed to go home before she did real damage to her heart.

Starting with her love for Axel’s mom and her baking skills.What.Ever.

Flynn walked out of the Last Frontier Bakery, peeling a layer off a hot and gooey cinnamon roll, Axel beside her holding a couple coffees and a grease-stained bag with a cake donut. Overhead, the sky arched a deep blue, although heavy clouds obscured the mountains, a slight chill in the air.

She popped the bread into her mouth. Cinnamony, caramelly . . .”I’ve died and gone to heaven. How are you not three hundred pounds?”

“Lots of hockey as a child,” Axel said.

She could see that. He had a competitor’s aura about him. He wore a pair of black cargo pants, hiking boots, and a white long-sleeved shirt, had shaved, and looked like he might have walked off some celebrity movie shoot with the confident stride in his aviator sunglasses.

His words last night—this morning?—hard to keep track with all this sunlight—returned to her as they sat at an outside picnic table, him setting the coffee cup in front of her.“You make me feel like that guy—the guy I thought I was—is back. Like Rose did for Jack. You make me feel like I can be more.”

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