by Hart, Taylor
“Paying your bills?” Damon’s voice had taken on a rougher tone. He pushed back from her and put his hands on her shoulders. “You listen: you took good care of her. You wanted her to come with you. You have always taken care of her. She made a choice.”
Sam recognized the speech he was about to give her; she’d given it to him first.
“We can’t control people’s choices. We’re not meant to.”
She stood, jerking away from him and moving across the room, hating that she had let go of Zoey’s hand but knowing she couldn’t be in proximity with Damon at the moment when he was giving her this speech. “No.”
Damon didn’t move, just stared at her.
Tears filled her eyes so fast she couldn’t push them away. “Don’t give me the choices speech. Don’t. Okay? This was different. This is my sister,” she said vehemently.
Damon stood and slowly moved over to her. “I know what it’s like to be responsible for someone’s death, okay?” Tears filled his eyes.
Emotion stuck inside her throat, and her own tears fell.
He took her hand. “Let’s sit. It’s okay.”
They moved back to Zoey, and she took her hand again, feeling better near her, but not wanting to face the truth—the truth Damon told her.
She didn’t believe it. This was not Zoey’s fault. This was hers.
* * *
For two more days, Damon stayed by her side at the hospital.
He brought her and Janet food, he talked with Janet and got to know her. He kept close to Sam, and Sam began to realize how much he had become a part of her life. How much she needed him.
Every time a doctor came in, he was with her, trying to decipher what the next step should be for Zoey.
When Tim showed up again and refused to leave without seeing Zoey, Damon arbitrated between him and Sam and Janet and talked them into letting Tim stay in the room with Damon. He would make sure it was okay while they went to the cafeteria. They grudgingly agreed to it.
As she and Janet walked to the cafeteria, Sam kept quiet, not thinking about anything except Tim and his jerk friends who had dragged Zoey down. A million thoughts ran through her mind, all culminating in the belief that she should have prevented this somehow.
They reached the cafeteria, and Sam sat at a table. She wasn’t hungry; she didn’t want to eat.
Janet bought two apple juices and two bagels, bringing them back and pushing one over to her.
She and Janet locked eyes.
It’d been a long time since they’d tried to talk. For the past few days, all they had done was share biting quips.
Janet took a bite. “You should eat.”
Sam shook her head. “Your nose looks good,” she said.
Janet sipped some juice. “You know this isn’t your fault, don’t you?”
Anger surged inside of Sam, but she didn’t want to fight with Janet.
Janet sighed. “You don’t have to say it, okay? I know this is partly my fault. I know I’ve been selfish.”
Sam was shocked.
A tear fell down her face. “I love her too. Maybe you don’t think so, but I do.”
Sam sat in silence for a moment before asking something she’d been wondering about since she arrived. “Where’s David?”
Janet shrugged. “I guess I didn’t tell you I’m getting a divorce.”
Sam didn’t have it in her to feel too bad, but she was surprised she did have a little compassion for Janet.
“I’m sorry.” Janet sighed. “It’s been in the works, but I was in denial.” She softly touched her nose. “That’s partly why I got the stupid surgery. I thought maybe if I looked better, he would want me back.”
Sam thought about how Janet had been just as lost as she and Zoey. She’d just done different things to show it. Without thinking, Sam reached out and took her hand.
Janet’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m scared, Sam.” Suddenly, Sam saw her teenage sister from all those years ago. The vulnerable one she hadn’t seen since the night her parents were killed.
Sam scooted closer to her, and they wrapped their arms around each other. “I’m scared too.”
“I don’t know if I can take it if she dies.” Janet cried.
Sam held her tight. “She’s not going to die.” But Sam didn’t know for sure. She took Janet’s hand. “Let’s say a prayer.”
Janet pulled it back. “I can’t. I stopped believing in God a long time ago.”
Sam squeezed her eyes shut. “I know.” She sighed. She did know. It felt like everyone she’d ever loved died. Left her. She let out a light laugh. “Maybe we should pray to a saint.”
Janet frowned. “What?”
Sam shook her head. “Nothing.” She released a breath. “All I know, Janet, is mom and dad would want us to say a prayer.”
A stray tear fell down Janet’s cheek. She nodded and took her hand again. “Okay.”
They bowed their heads and prayed. No sooner had Sam raised her head than a nurse ran up to their table. “You need to come quick. She just woke up.”
17
A week later, Damon waited on Sam’s steps and watched her car pull in. Damon had witnessed a miracle when Zoey had woken. He’d witnessed another miracle in the way Sam had become closer to her sisters. Both sisters.
He’d gone home the day after she’d woken, and it’d been a week since he’d seen Sam. Janet would be bringing Zoey out in a couple of weeks to check into a rehab facility in Park City. Nick had helped them figure it all out.
Damon stood, moving to the side of her car, unable to contain the relief and happiness at her being back. He opened the door for her and helped her out. She immediately crumpled in his arms.
He hugged her closer. “I’m glad you’re home.” It struck him as funny how different that word sounded now. Yes, Sam was home to him. Here, Park City, was home to both of them. He took in the smell of her strawberry shampoo, and he closed his eyes and kept her against him.
She pushed away from him and leaned up to kiss him.
Her lips were soft and minty, and suddenly, he realized how much he’d missed her. He never wanted to let her go.
She laughed and pulled back. “Hey, don’t you have a fight to get to?”
He shrugged. “Maybe I’ll just skip it?” He could definitely skip the ego-driven fight for her.
“No.” She grinned. “You have to pound Tommy.”
He kept her close to him and kissed her again. Seconds later, he was lost. He ran his hands through her hair and loved the feel of her against him.
Laughing, she pulled back. “I think you missed me?”
Her eyes were bewitching, and all logic left his brain. “Understatement, counselor.” He kissed her again.
She laughed harder, and he laughed too, spreading kisses down her neck and into her hair.
“Go.” She ordered. “I’ll meet you over there in a little bit.”
* * *
As Damon stood outside of the makeshift boxing ring at the station, he tried to ignore the men shouting and the music pounding through him so loudly he couldn’t think.
Nick stood next to him, and Luke was on the other side. Nick grunted. “You ready for this?”
He rolled his eyes at Nick dismissively. “What are you doing here? You want to see a preview of what’s gonna happen to you next week?”
Nick laughed. “Nope, just here to watch you pound the crap out of Swenson. I hate the guy more than I care about the fact your face will look like dog meat when I get you in the ring. I expect the fight tonight to go one, two.” He made a jab and a hook motion. “And Tommy to the ground.”
Luke sighed. “I can’t believe you all are still doing fights like this.” He looked nervous as he clenched and unclenched a fist. “You’re gonna take him out quick, right?” He flashed a grin.
Damon grinned back. “Heck yeah—one, two.” It felt good to have his brothers here supporting him. He hadn’t realized until the last couple of weeks how much he’d m
issed them. How much he needed them.
Tommy walked out into the shop, with groupies surrounding him like he was Mike Tyson or Muhammad Ali.
The music instantly changed to a Rocky song, “Eye of the Tiger.” Luke laughed. “Oh man, this guy is full of himself.”
Jake appeared at Damon’s side. “Hey, this guy is using our song!” He looked ticked.
Instead of going to his corner, Tommy went straight for Damon.
Damon had his gloves on, and he was bouncing back and forth, keeping his blood pumping. He spotted something in Tommy’s eye. Something boastful and mean.
Tommy pointed at Damon. “Hold on, I just have one thing to say first.”
Damon didn’t like the feeling that passed into his gut like a warning of ill boding in the storm.
Suddenly, the music was cut and everyone seemed to gather closer.
“Hey, buttwipe.” Tommy growled at Damon.
Damon froze, staring into the ugly mug of Tommy and feeling like this face was just the face he wanted to break, and he was more than ready to break something—specifically Tommy’s face.
“Whoa.” Nick saw the look on his brother’s face. He turned to Tommy. “Just get your butt into the ring.”
“Ha, ha. How sweet.” He looked at both brothers. “You guys are so tight now, aren’t ya? How sweet. The Freestone brothers rally to support each other.”
Luke stepped forward. “Follow Nick’s advice and get in the ring, Tommy.”
All of them could feel Tommy was up to no good.
Tommy would have nothing of that. He laughed and turned to the crowd, raising his voice. “You guys heard the most recent joke around the firehouse? Well …” His eyes were steel, black plunges of darkness aimed at Damon. “Well, my new joke anyway.”
None of them said anything. None of them had a moment to say anything.
Tommy’s eyes were dark. “Yeah, a buddy of mine from a firehouse back East told me about this guy. Captain Freestone, I think it was, who on his first call ever, made a bad call and lost somebody. Like, killed them. Dead.” He emphasized the last word.
Damon’s head felt like it was swirling. He felt like he was there again. He’d sent in Jamie Mills, the new candidate, and Jamie had been so eager and fresh, and he’d told her not to go up the stairs only to clear the main level. He flashed back to running in and up the stairs and the way her body was positioned from the beam falling. He stumbled back.
“You little …” Luke ran forward, swinging. He hit Tommy square in the jaw. Tommy wasn’t expecting it, and he stumbled back and then started to fight back.
Nick grabbed Luke, pulling him out of the way in the nick of time. “Hey, calm down . Let’s not drag everyone to jail tonight.”
But Tommy was wound up, pointing at Luke. “Assault charges right there for the attorney.” Then he pointed at Damon. “And that idiot can’t even move, clear as day, it’s true—he killed that woman!”
The whole place was quiet.
Before Damon realized what was happening, Nick swung at Tommy, hitting him again.
The place exploded.
Damon suddenly unfroze and noticed some of Tommy’s friends were holding back Nick and Luke while Tommy and some of his other friends were winding up to pound them.
Damon moved forward, running through the group, straight at Tommy, his head tucked, hailing back to his old football days. “Don’t mess with my brothers!” He rammed Tommy in the gut and they fell to the floor.
A messy scuffle ensued between him and Tommy.
Of course, it didn’t last long. Guys were pulling him and Tommy apart, and then Captain Castro was there, ticked as heck, ordering them all to stand down.
Sirens pierced the silence, and the captain shook his head. “I come in late from finishing paperwork and this is what I get?” He fumed. “Well, I guess you clowns all won yourselves a trip to jail.”
18
Sam drove up to the firehouse and noticed the sirens flashing in front. Her adrenaline spiked, and she wondered if there had been an accident with Damon. She parked and rushed out of her car just as a policeman pulled Damon, his hands cuffed behind his back, out of the firehouse. Trailing him, also in cuffs, were Luke and Nick.
All of them looked sweaty and ticked off.
“You don’t have to put us in jail, officer,” Luke spoke loudly. “Swenson better not press charges, or he’s going to have the powers of hell rain down upon him.”
“Damon!” Sam called out, running to them.
All three brothers turned to her, but she focused on Damon. His boxing gloves were still on him. He winked at her. “You arrived just in time. We need a good attorney to get us out of jail.”
Sam was mystified as she watched the cops load the brothers into two different cars.
Before Luke got in, he turned to her. “Guess if you want to practice family law, now’s the chance to prove yourself.” He winked at her.
19
Damon sat on the bed in the jail cell. It was the first time he’d ever been in jail.
He stared at Nick, who sat on the other bed, and Damon knew he was worried he’d never live this down. He probably wouldn’t.
Luke stood by the bars. The cells were separated by a main door from the office.
It had only been twenty minutes, but Luke was jumpy. “They should have let Sam in by now.” He shook his head, and Damon could see him running strategy in his mind. “That troublemaker, Swenson, got exactly what he wanted.”
Damon snorted, surprised he felt a bit of relief at having been outed to the whole fire station about his past. It also surprised him how much gratitude he felt toward his brothers. He shook his head. “You idiots shouldn’t have defended my honor. I can take care of myself.” He didn’t like the fact that both of their jobs could be impacted by being in jail.
“What were you thinking?” Nick stood and glared at Luke. “You’re an attorney.”
Luke pointed back at him. “You’re a cop! And if memory serves me right, and it always does, you threw the second punch.”
Nick shook his head and stood in front of him. “You know Tommy. He’s going to sue us for everything!”
Damon felt even worse. “I’m sorry, guys.”
It was still sinking in. His brothers had fought for him. Were still fighting for him.
He burst out laughing. Then tears bubbled into his eyes.
“What the …?” Nick turned back, and Luke stared at him.
He laughed harder, tucking his hands into his gut and leaning over and laughing so hard. “Did you see how Luke got him right in the jaw?” Damon laughed harder. He pointed to Nick. “And you got in a good shot too.”
Then Luke laughed too. “Dang, I still got it. I think I could kick both your butts.”
Nick was laughing. “Well, I wouldn’t go that far.” He slapped his leg. “We should have pantsed him!”
Damon laughed harder and harder, and all of them laughed until they were holding their stomachs and tears were streaming down their faces.
Finally, Nick shook his head, looking more sober and inspecting Damon. “Are you okay?”
Luke stared at him as well. “Like, really okay?”
Damon grinned and stared at Luke. “Why did you punch him?”
Luke pushed his shoulder. “You’re my brother, idiot, and no one gets to find out the family secrets besides me.” Tears were in his eyes. “And when you go through crap, we all go through crap. Don’t you freaking know that? It’s been ten years, and I swear, if I would have known …”
Tears were on his face, and then they were hugging.
Nick grabbed them both.
Luke shook his head. “I would have gone to Boston and dragged your dumb butt back here with Nick. You know I would have. Or you should have known it.”
Damon felt bare. Completely bare and completely whole all at the same time. Tears poured down his face. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I left you guys.”
They untangled, and Nick sniffed. “Ma
n, I don’t know what’s worse: all of us crying like babies or the fact I’m going to be asked to file a report on my lawyer brother who took down fat butt Tommy.”
They laughed.
Luke shook his head. “I can’t believe it. I just … I couldn’t control it. I just …”
Damon put a hand on his shoulder. “You acted like a brother.”
Nick grunted. “I guess I should have pantsed him while I had the chance.”
They all lost it again.
Luke looked around then gestured to Damon. “Seriously, are you all right, man?”
Damon sighed and sat on the bed. Both brothers sat on either side of him. “Ya know, not really, but tonight helped.” He looked at his brothers with more appreciation than he’d felt in a long time. “I did what Tommy said. I killed that girl.”
Nick tsked his tongue. “No, you didn’t.”
Damon put up his hand. “I know, but it felt like it.” Damon insisted.
Luke sighed. “You guys make hard choices, but you and I and Nick know crap happens.”
They all fell silent.
Damon shrugged. “I think I lost my mind for a while. I don’t know.” He broke off. “Then tonight, I was losing it again.”
Luke scoffed. “Well, I did lose it.”
Nick snorted. “Yeah, you did.”
They all laughed.
Damon sighed. “What am I gonna do?”
Luke put his hand on his back. “You’re going to be home, and you’re going to be fine.”
Damon stared at Luke and Nick and knew this was why he’d come home.
20
Sam stood on the edge of the cliff. It’d been two weeks since Zoey had been in the hospital, and today she would be arriving with Janet. They would stay with her for a couple of days, and then she and Janet would take Zoey to the rehab facility they had picked out.
It felt good. Sure. A new beginning.
Turning back from the cliff’s edge, she watched as Damon moved to join her, taking her by the waist and pulling her into him as they both stared out over the lake.
