Page 3 of The Stone Family Warrior

“I care!” Hunter bellowed into his face. “I care!” Anguish filled his face and then he pulled back. “It’s not like I haven’t analyzed ten ways from Sunday why she cheated on me.” He glared at him.

Gut punched; that’s how Trent always felt when his brother actually showed emotion. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, and he was. It wasn’t like his brother to yell in his face or get teary-eyed. Trent didn’t know what to say now.

Hunter rapid blinked and threw up a hand. “It’s fine.”

That was definitely like his brother; forgiving him instantly.

Trent moved to Hunter’s side, not wanting to torment him over Amy any longer, so he opted for a joke. “I mean, you’re right, I’m a total narcissist and I can’t have you getting married and leaving me.” He stuck out his lower lip. “Who would check my closet for monsters at night?”

The side of Hunter’s lip turned up. “It’s true, you’re such a baby.”

Trent put his arm around his brother’s shoulders, grateful he had forgiven him. “Hey, you took the job of monster hunter when we were eight and it turned into your superpower.”

Hunter leaned into him, letting out a slow breath. “Don’t try to make me feel better. You’re right, Amy doesn’t deserve any more of my energy. I guess, I just …”

“You still hurt, dude. It’s fine. I was just being the insensitive jerk you know so well.”

Hunter let out a light laugh and then sucked in a long breath. “Yeah.”

It was easy to insult himself, especially when he knew his twin needed the emotional release.

Trent pulled his arm back, but both men stood staring out at the landscape. It was easy to just … be with Hunter. The truth was, when they weren’t together, it was harder. Trent had figured out long ago that most of the stuff people said about twins was true; they were connected in very real physical and emotional ways.

He and Hunter didn’t really talk about it, but Trent couldn’t deny how many times he’d feel things about his brother when he was on an opp and later, Hunter would tell him how he almost died or how he’d been fearing for his life; there was an intense bond between them.

Hunter grinned at him. “Dude, you’re so codependent.”

Trent laughed. “I know.”

For a long time they stood there, staring at the sun starting to go down.

Hunter sniffed, then looked around. “So none of your ‘getting in touch with your inner warrior’ meditating lead you to any answers about where mom and dad would have put the gold?”

Trent had taken this whole meditation class on how to tap into the inner warrior inside. He definitely thought of himself as being a warrior; he was a SEAL. But, he liked the idea that he had an inner warrior, too. Hunter made fun of his meditating, but Trent didn’t care, they were friends again and that’s all that mattered. “Dad and Mom had this area on the map. It has to mean something. But, no, my ‘inner warrior’ couldn’t tap into it.”

Hunter groaned. “Dude, none of us have any idea what mom and dad were thinking, so … could we just stop trying to figure it out for a bit? At least for these next couple of days before Christmas?”

Trent’s patience was waning. “We have to find it, I’m not taking a break. There’s not time for breaks.”

“You gotta chill, dude. You can’t fight everyone and everything all the time.”

“Sure I can,” Trent said, puffing out his chest.

Hunter sighed. “You know faith can’t be used when you’re all uptight.”

Trent sucked in a long breath and thought of all the times their mother had told them something along those lines. “Just … stop.”

“Exactly. 2 Corinthians 5:7.”

Immense irritation poured through him. “Of course I remember it. For we live by faith, not sight.”

“Yep.”

Trent shook his head, wishing his brother hadn’t done that. “I don’t want to hear scripture quoted.”

“You’re the one who quoted it.”

“Shut up.”

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