Brett knew exactly what Dave was like, especially if alcohol were involved. “Get ready. I’ll see you in the barn.”
On his way out of the house, he called Dave’s cell phone. When he didn’t answer, Brett left a message and headed toward the barn. Sometimes, looking after two teenagers was like having a ready-made family. Except these two teenagers had been through hell and back.
***
Two hours later, Dave walked into the barn. “Sorry I’m late, boss.”
Brett wiped his hands on an oily rag. “You missed the morning feed.”
“I know. I’ll make it up to you.”
Dave looked like he’d pulled himself out of the gutter. With black circles under his eyes and hair sticking up like a rooster’s, the after-effects of his night on the town didn’t seem very enjoyable.
Brett leaned against the front bumper of the 1971 Corvette Stingray he was restoring. “Why weren’t you here for your shift this morning?”
Dave scuffed the toe of his boot against the concrete floor. “I met some friends in town and stayed at their place. I forgot to set my alarm.”
There were a lot of things he had forgotten, but bringing them up now wouldn’t do any good. “Thomas has gone to check the fences along the northern pasture. Get yourself cleaned up and have breakfast. If you’re lucky, Mrs. Bennett might have some leftovers you can eat. When you’re finished, call Thomas and see if he needs your help.”
“Okay. I don’t need food, just a shower.”
Dave didn’t move, so Brett waited for what he wanted to say. Twelve months ago, he asked Pat if they could take on two ranch hands as part of a police youth program. Working on the Double Circle was supposed to give Thomas and Dave a chance to turn their lives around. But some days, Brett felt as though he was wasting everyone’s time.
“My dad called last night.”
Brett took a wrench off his workbench and tried to hide his disappointment. Dave’s dad was serving time at the Montana State Prison. Each time he called, Dave went off the deep end, hiding his hurt and fear in alcohol.
“What did he want?”
“More money,” Dave muttered. “Mom won’t take his calls.”
Brett didn’t blame her. If it had been up to him, he would have blocked Dave’s dad from calling the ranch. But part of the program was teaching Thomas and Dave how to deal with real-life situations. And dealing with his father was one of the hardest hurdles Dave would have to face.
“Will you send him some money?”
Dave took a deep breath. “No. Mom doesn’t want me to.”
Brett hid his surprise by leaning over the hood of his car. Up until now, Dave hadn’t cared too much about what other people thought.
“What did your dad say when you told him?” He glanced at Dave before inspecting the car battery. Brett didn’t need to hear the words to know what Dave’s father would have thought. With his arms crossed and a scowl plastered across his face, Dave wasn’t the poster boy for a happy father/son relationship.
“He told me I needed to be a man and stand up to mom.”
Brett’s fingers tightened on the wrench. Those words could have been straight out of his own father’s mouth. After years of physical and mental abuse, it had taken him a long time to figure out what being a man really meant.
“How did that make you feel?”
“Bad. I’m worried he’ll start harassing mom again.”
Brett forced himself to loosen his grip on the wrench.
Dave’s dad’s violent temper had almost destroyed their family. By sheer willpower, Dave and his mom and brothers had survived and were rebuilding their shattered lives. “Maybe you should tell your mom.”
“I have. Mom called the police.” Dave moved closer to the Corvette. “I saw some friends from high school last night.”
Brett loosened one of the nuts holding the car battery in place. “The same friends you saw a week ago?”
Dave nodded. “We were hanging around the museum when the chief saw us.”
