Page 31 of A New Era

“He left a little while ago. He’ll be back later. Why don’t you go and get your reading book and we’ll read in the garden this morning?”

Leo never changed his mind when it came to Rayna starting school and Alannah and I spent weeks looking into home-schooling. I got the paperwork sorted on Leo’s behalf and here we are. She runs up the stairs to her room and Harper pulls me into the kitchen.

“What the…?”

“I only have a couple of minutes, I left Gunner with Jay and he’s got to go out. I want all the details.”

“Of what?” I laugh.

“Of you slapping Zara! That’s what.”

Taken aback, I ask, “How did you hear about that?”

As far as I know, she’s been at home with the kids till now.

“I doubt there’s anyone who hasn’t heard about it,” she quips.

“Oh no,” I groan and sit at the table and hang my head in my hands.

“Oh no? Own it!”

There’s no escaping the violence the brothers dish out and take often, but it’s not who I am. Unless when provoked hard enough, obviously.

“She said some things about me and then Rayna, and I just lost it.”

“Sounds like she deserved it, don’t be embarrassed about it.”

I don’t plan on hiding from it, but I do plan on forgetting about it, so I change the conversation.

“I’m going to host an old ladies' night soon. You want to help me?”

Her face lights up and just like that, the slap and Zara are soon forgotten. She promises to come back and help me at a later time and Rayna and I spend the morning working on her reading and her maths.

Once we’ve eaten our lunch, I get her ready to head into town and sigh when Grim walks over.

“I can see you’re heading out, but I just wanted to apologise for any offence Zara caused you last night.”

I’ve always liked Grim. He was the one who took me to the hospital the day my father died. He was the rational person I needed when I felt nothing. He’s always been polite and courteous around me. But as I look at him now, knowing he’s with Zara, I don’t recognise him.

“I have no issue with you. Just keep her away from me and my family.”

He wisely keeps his mouth shut and nods. But I haven’t said enough, the words burst from me, “I know all too well you can’t help who you fall for but in this instance, maybe you should try and fight it.”

Again, he says nothing and walks off. The words poured from me, but they didn’t leave me feeling any better for it. I’m not the type of woman who slaps others or tells others how they should live their lives or who they should be with. I run after him and catch him up before he reaches the bar.

“I’m sorry,” I blurt out. “I shouldn’t have said what I did. It’s not my business who you go with or who you care for.”

“I’d rather know what you’re really thinking. You don’t need to apologise.”

“Still, it’s not my place. It’s hard to be happy for her, but I see you as my friend and I do want to see you happy.”

He smiles softly. “With or without her, I’ll always see myself happy,” he says with a wink.

One thing I like the most about the brothers is they’re so easy-going, it can make you forget the rest of the world.

“I just wanted to say sorry. I won’t put myself in your business again.”

He nods and walks into the bar. Chances are, he and Zara won’t last. But Grim will always be a brother and in my life in some way. The club comes first, and I don’t want to cause bad feelings between me and the brothers. I don’t want Leo in the position I’d put him in if I didn’t apologise and this shit between Zara and I festered.

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