Page 25 of Better Together

Remi

Remi’s heart sank in her chest, pulling down her shoulders. The pressing weight appeared in an instant. She wanted to push against it, but the gutting sadness kept her down.

“Are you serious? Mark?”

She’d heard about Colt’s brother. They’d always had a fragile relationship. Mark struggled with the addictive tendencies passed down from their dad much more than Colt, and the ongoing battle with Mark’s sobriety took an unspoken toll. Colt loved his brother, but it was human nature to shy away from something–or someone–who caused repetitive pain.

The blank look on Colt’s face as he stared down at his phone as if he’d never seen the thing before had Remi screaming on the inside. It killed her to see her happy friend hurting like this.

Colt lifted his head and cleared his throat. “Brittany was with him. She didn’t make it either.”

Remi covered her mouth with her hand. She’d heard of some terrible car wrecks, but two deaths meant it must have been brutal. “Were there any other–”

“I don’t know,” Colt said quickly. “She said it was a single vehicle accident.”

Colt jolted in his seat, sitting up ramrod straight and grabbing the door handle. “The kids!”

“Kids?”

Oh, no. Colt’s niece and nephew!

Colt scrambled for his phone that had slid from his lap when he’d jumped in his seat. “She didn’t say anything about the kids. Surely, she would have said something. Right? Remi, she would have said something.”

Remi’s stomach rolled and bubbled as her skin flashed hot and clammy. “I–I don’t know.” She had no idea what the woman on the phone had said, but she prayed Colt was right.

With shaky hands, Colt found the phone and pressed the button to call the woman back. He tapped his boot on the floorboard and stared out the windshield at the driveway.

Remi’s hand rested on Colt’s arm, and the muscles were tense beneath her sweaty palm. Remi wiped her hand down her jeans, but something told her she needed to hold onto Colt. She slid her hand over his, fisted and resting taut on the console. As soon as her fingertips touched him, his hand opened. He threaded his fingers through hers and squeezed. His grip conveyed a strength he always kept hidden from her, even with his injured shoulder that probably protested with every movement.

“This is Colt Walker. I just spoke with a woman. Officer… Okay. I’ll hold.”

Colt turned to Remi, and the small wrinkle between his brows was something she’d never seen on him before. Was it fear or pain? Either way, it kicked her in the gut. Sure, Remi was scared and sad to hear about Mark and Brittany, but it was Colt’s agony that was wreaking the biggest havoc on her heart.

Colt jolted upright again, keeping his tight hold on her hand. “Yes! This is Colt Walker. You didn’t say anything about Mark and Brittany’s kids, Ben and Abby. Ben is maybe seven, and Abby is four.”

Remi closed her eyes and prayed. She didn’t want to see Colt’s face if he got more bad news.

Lord, please. Please not the kids, too.

Colt’s grip tightened on her hand until the bones rubbed against each other. She gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes closed.

“I’m coming to get them,” Colt said resolutely.

Remi sucked in a shaky breath.Thank you, Lord.

Colt stuck the phone between his ear and shoulder and released her hand. Grabbing a pen in the console, he jotted down a phone number on his palm. “Thank you. Thank you.”

Colt ended the call and turned to Remi with wide eyes. “They were placed with a foster family this morning. They were with a babysitter when the wreck happened, and she stayed with them until she had to go to work this morning.”

“Where are they? Where do they live?”

“Newcastle. It’s about five hours away.”

“And you’re going to get them? Then what?” She hated to be the one to deliver the reality of tough decisions, but what would happen after he got there?

“I’ll bring them home with me. They don’t have anyone else. Brittany doesn’t have any family. Our dad is probably drinking his breakfast this morning, and who knows where Mom is.” Colt flung his good arm in the air like the woman who’d given birth to him and then abandoned him was nothing more than the wind in the Wyoming evergreens.

“You’re going to keep the kids?” It was a life-changing decision. It was huge. He’d be responsible for two little humans from now on.

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