Page 13 of Bones

Back then, it just had a desk and a small bed in the corner.

Now, the walls were painted gray, the bed had a new comforter and pillows, and I’d hung several pictures I’d brought from home. It was nice—much better than living in my car, and I liked knowing the guys were just down the hall.

They’d really looked out for me.

They made me feel safe. Not only had they given me a roof over my head, but they had given me a home, and not just because of what my father had done for them. They’d taken care of me because they wanted to, and I would be forever grateful. But I was older now and about to graduate college. It wouldn’t be long before I had to start really thinking about my future.

It wasn’t like I could live at the clubhouse forever. I needed to get a job—a real job, and I needed to find a place of my own. Just thinking about it made my head spin.

Thankfully, I had some time before I had to start planning my future. I had to graduate before I could get a real job, and in order to graduate, I needed to pass my Spanish test. With that thought, I turned my attention back to my studies, and I spent the next few hours focusing on my classes. By the time I was finished, I was both tired and ready for a bite to eat, so I decided to go check the fridge for leftovers.

I was just about to walk into the kitchen when I heard Henley say, “I saw Bones early, and I swear the boy has grown another foot. I can still remember when he was our sweet, little Wyatt with his little game in his hand.”

“Oh, I remember it all too well,” Wren replied. “He was a precious little thing, but I gotta tell ya. Raising him wasn’t always easy. He had a bit of a stubborn streak.”

“What?” Henley scoffed. “No way.”

“I know it’s hard to believe, especially now. But we had some rough patches.” Wren let out a breath before saying, “Mainly because I pushed him to do things he didn’t really want to do.”

“All kids need a little pushing from time to time.”

“That was definitely true for Wyatt. I remember the summer when Michael and I took him to the beach for the first time. He was only five at the time, and we’d just gotten his Asperger’s diagnosis. It wasn’t the best time to hit the beach, especially when he was going through this phase where he didn’t want to touch or be near anything that felt funny on his skin.”

“What happened?”

“Girl, the second that baby’s feet hit that sand, he lost it. He started screaming and fussing, and I immediately regretted my decision to go to the beach.”

“Oh, no. What did you do?”

“I did the only thing I could. I took his little hand and forced him to walk down that beach.” My chest tightened when Wren said, “The screaming only got worse, and it didn’t help matters that everyone around was staring at me like I was the worst mother on the planet. And to be honest, I felt like the worst mother on the planet.”

“Oh, Wren. I can’t imagine how hard that must’ve been.”

“Oh, it was, but it had to be done. He had to learn that he could do the hard stuff.” I could hear the emotion in her voice as she said, “And in the end, it was totally worth it ‘cause when we finally made it to the ocean, and that water touched his little toes, his entire face lit up. He totally forgot about the fit he’d just thrown. And when I saw that smile on his face, I forgot about it, too. The next day was much better. He knew if he could just get to that water, all would be well. We both learned a big lesson that day.”

“That story makes me want to cry.” Henley’s voice was filled with emotion as she said, “You were a good momma, Wren. You still are.”

While I enjoyed hearing Wren’s story, I felt guilty eavesdropping on them, so I decided to skip dinner and headed back to my room. I crawled into bed and thought about Wyatt on that beach. I could almost picture the smile on his face when he reached the water for the first time. It was a thought that had me smiling as I drifted off to sleep.

The next few days were filled with various chores around the clubhouse and lots of studying. By the time the weekend rolled around, I was ready for a break. Even more so, I was ready for my date with Ben.

Knowing the brothers would never let me live it down, I chose not to have him come to the clubhouse and made plans to meet at the restaurant instead. I had no clue what to wear, but Lacy was kind enough to help me piece something together. She even helped me with my hair and makeup, and her face lit up when she saw the final product. “You look incredible! Your guy is gonna flip when he sees you in that dress.”

“You really think it’s okay?” I tugged at the hem. “It’s a little short.”

“It’s not too short. It’s perfect.”

“What about the necklace?”

“It’s good. I like it.”

Lacy and I couldn’t have been more different. I was tall and curvy. She was short and thin. She was a club girl, and I was not, far from it. But we did have one thing in common—something that made us closer than either of us could’ve imagined. We’d both suffered from a tragic past—one that left us both with no family. Lacy’s mother and little sister were killed in a tragic car accident, and with her father out of the picture, she was left to fend for herself.

I understood her pain, and she understood mine.

That meant something to us both and was one of the many reasons we spent so much time together. Lacy grabbed my purse from my dresser and offered it to me with a bright smile.

“Now, stop worrying and go have yourself a great time with your hot fella.”

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