Page 128 of When the Storm Breaks
He sighed. “I know it feels like that now, but it won’t always—”
I held up my hand to stop him. “Save the speech, Dr. Phil.”
“Yeah, okay. So what are you going to do about it?”
I scrubbed my hands over my face. “There’s not a damn thing I can do. If I could go into that first-grade classroom and kick every kid’s ass who talks shit around my kid, I’d fucking do it. But something tells me, folks wouldn’t take too kindly to that. Noah’s suffering because of this. Ridge is having to deal with it… everyone around me is dealing with the shit storm thatIcaused.”
“You didn’t cause it. None of this is your fault.”
“My name is mud around here. I wouldn’t give a shit what anyone said if this was only affecting me. But it’s not.”
He was sitting on the coffee table across from me and leaned his forearms on his thighs. “Fuck. There must be some way to fix this.”
“Not everything can be fixed, Jude. You know that as well as I do.”
He nodded. “Have you heard from Shiloh?”
I shook my head. “No. And I won’t. She’s done with me.” I rubbed my chest. Fuck, it hurt. All of it. I’d lost the only girl I’d ever truly loved. There would never be another Shiloh for me.
“What time is it?” I thought to ask.
“Eight.”
“Fuck.” My day usually started at six thirty. Jude stood up at the same time I got to my feet. “I need to get to work. Did Ridge—”
“He was just leaving for school when I got here. He’s worried about you.”
“I don’t want anyone worrying about me.”
“It’s what we do. We’re family. I need to get going but I’m only a phone call away.”
I nodded once, acknowledging that I’d heard him.
“You’re going to get through this, Brody. You’ll come out the other side.”
“And then what?” I’d be alone. A lonely, miserable bastard.
He shrugged one shoulder. “Time to start rebuilding. Time to figure out how to get her back.”
“Not happening.” He opened his mouth to protest, but I held up my hand again to stop him. “It’s over, Jude. Save your breath.”
He nodded once then turned and walked out the front door.
After I took a quick shower, I poured coffee into a travel mug and carried it out to the barn. My only saving grace right now were my horses.
* * *
Four days later,we celebrated my son’s seventh birthday. Instead of the party we’d planned, it was just a family affair at Jude and Lila’s house.
As soon as Noah answered the door with Lila standing behind him, the baby in her arms, I handed him his gift. “Hey little man. Happy birthday.”
He shoved it back at me and crossed his arms over his chest. “Keep it. I don’t want it.”
“Noah,” Lila said, her voice sharp. “Tell your daddy thank you.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “He’s not too happy with me right now, are you, buddy?”
He shook his head, his eyes not meeting mine. “I didn’t want any of my stupid friends to come today. But I wanted Hayley…” He raised his eyes to mine and the look on his face, the devastation, his eyes swimming with tears, nearly made me cry like a fucking baby. I’d hurt the most precious thing in my life, and I had no idea how to make this better.
