Page 13 of Give Me Redemption

And taking care of me was up on his list. Sometimes I try to put myself in his shoes. He was just a boy, taking care of another, but he was all I had, and as soon as we moved here, he checked out. I know we’ve got Pops and Emily, Lou and Monnie, but my brother is my only blood.

He’s my world and he left me behind so quickly.

Years in the Army have taught me one thing: brotherhood is forever. You don’t leave, you don’t give up on the other person, and I saw “lost cause” in his eyes when he picked me up at the airport.

It’s almost as if he’s been expecting me to fail.

Well, I failed.

Fuck, did I fail.

Chapter Seven

Jace

TheBetter Homes and Gardenfarmhouse comes into view and so do Doc and Holliday, Pops’ Great Danes. They barrel off the porch, barking like crazy up to my truck. I roll the window down and reach my hand out when they jump up, their paws resting on the edge. They lick my fingers and make whimpering noises, and it’s nice that they’ve missed me.

“Move, boys,” I say. I open the door, and as soon as I do, they jump on me. I notice a ball where the driveway meets the yard. Dodging them, I run over and pick it up. This makes them go even crazier. I laugh as I toss the ball as far as I can. It bounces once and they take off.

“They missed you,” I hear and turn to see Emily standing by my truck. I sniff and give her a Jace smile. It’s all boy and just for her.

“Don’t just stand there. Give me a hug,” she says, wearing a faded blue shirt. Her jeans are whitewashed, and her boots are worn. Emily works hard out here tending to the horses, the ranch hands, and Pops. I walk over and lift her up.

“Damn, it’s good to see you,” I say to her. I breathe her in, that comforting smell of home, and it’s then I realize just how long I’ve been gone.

Years.

Hundreds of days and hours away from this place.

This is where I grew up. I was just a kid when our dad died in that car accident. I was sad for a little while about that, but I had my brother and that’s all that mattered to me. I was glad we were getting a new place to live. We got lucky it was here.

Sometimes I could see that Bryce was missing something. I don’t know what… maybe it’s because he got to know our parents more than I did, maybe he got to witness a side of them that I never got. All I saw were two people who were selfish and self-absorbed in their own shit.

I didn’t see them as parents. I only saw a broken man and a drugged-out woman who never showed me any affection. I saw two people who picked something else over their kids.

Love and heroin.

Both of them can kill a person, just in two different ways.

And as far as I’m concerned, it did.

Emily breaks away from my hug, but not before I give her a big kiss on the cheek. She laughs. “Put me down, Jace Grant,” she says playfully. I do so and she looks me over, narrowing her eyes slightly.

A flash of guilt bounces off my chest cavity. She knows I’m high. The cocaine is still buzzing in my system. The drive didn’t give me enough time unfortunately.

“Where’s Pops?” I ask, trying to get her attention on something else.

“He’s out at the barn, working on that old ass tractor.”

“He still hasn’t bought a new one?” I ask.

She chuckles. “Nah, you know him. He’s not one to give up on something just because it’s got a little age on it.”

We both head out to the barn. Dirt compacts below my boots as we walk, and it reminds me that only a short time ago I was fighting for our country. I may live life with no regrets, but damn, do I wish I wouldn’t have been such a fuck-up in that aspect of my life.

“He’s going to have some things to say, you know,” Emily says, breaking me away from my thoughts.

“Yeah.” I nod. “I’m sure he does.”

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