Page 35 of Healed
“You know what, some may be upset, but ultimately, they’ll understand. They’re not blind and they’ve been watching his spiral from the sidelines. Besides, you gave him a choice and he chose to walk away. And it’s not forever. It’s just until he pulls himself together.”
“Isn’t that kind of the opposite of what family is? You’re supposed to be there for them when they’re spiraling.”
“Sometimes the people you love are so lost that they don’t even see it until something shocks them out of their own heads. Maybe this will do it. And you're forgetting that he practically challenged you. You had to assert yourself, had to stand for the clan. It’s what Alphas do. Making poor decisions and trusting the wrong people for yourself is one thing, expecting everyone around you to just follow you blindly into the pits of despair is quite another.”
“Why did I want to be an Alpha again?” he asked.
“You were born to it, my dear,” she said. She turned in his arms just enough to kiss him. “You did nothing wrong. It’ll be okay.”
“Promise?” he asked.
“Promise,” she answered.
~~~
Two days later Daisy was outside helping her dad with lawn work. He was cutting the grass, while Daisy was edging her mother’s flower beds. She had her ear buds in, and her safety glasses on, her head bobbing in time to whatever song she was listening to.
Bane had just finished a pass along the empty field next to their house when a car slowly made its way toward him. He brought the lawn tractor to a stop and engaged the brake as he watched the car approach. As it got closer he noticed a little boy in the back seat waving furiously.
Bane grinned and killed the engine on the lawn tractor, swinging a leg over the tractor so he could walk out to the road and greet the driver and his passenger.
The car came to a stop and the window rolled down. “Hello! Hope we’re not imposing too terribly much. But you did say any time,” Charlie said.
“How you doing, Charlie?” Bane said. “No imposition at all.”
Charlie’s gaze wandered over to watch Daisy dancing her way down the flower beds with the edger. He chuckled and lost himself for a moment watching her.
“She’s something, ain’t she?” Bane asked.
Charlie’s attention jerked back to Bane. “She really is. I see y’all are busy, maybe it will be better if I just come back later.”
“Not at all! Park this thing and get yourself out here and help,” Bane said.
“Yes, sir,” Charlie said.
“Back it up and park it on the edge of the road back there a bit. Just make sure that people can get around you.”
“Will do,” Charlie said. He backed up the car and pulled over to the side of the road that ran between Bane’s house and the two on the other side. Soon as he turned off the engine, Carson was pushing the back door open and jumping out. He ran right back to where Bane had spoken to them, and still sat waiting. “Stay out of the way, Carson! They’re doing yard work.”
“I will,” he yelled back.
“You ever ride on a lawn tractor?” Bane asked Carson.
“I never rode on any tractor.”
“You will today!” Bane said, gesturing for the child to come closer.
Carson darted toward Bane, then stopped and looked back at his father.
“You don’t have to do that, Mr. Bane.”
“It’s just Bane. I’m not a mister. And we’ll go cut some grass while you see if you can manage to let her know you’re here.”
“If you’re sure,” Charlie said.
“Of course, I’m sure. I’m never wrong,” Bane said, winking at Charlie as he picked up Carson and put him on the tractor with him, showing him how to start it and then how to turn the steering wheel.
The blades engaged as Bane took his foot off the brake and Carson hunched in on himself.
