It was an honest text, and it wasn’t inflammatory. The next move would be up to Ethan, and she trusted the man.
He was decent and kind.
Like his father.
When Wyler went to tuck it away, it chimed, and he’d not been expecting a reply.
That was so very un-Ethan-like.
But it was, indeed, a text from his son.
‘The fault is mine, Dad. I shouldn’t have been pissy still. Sometimes, I forget that time is not always a given, and I don’t want to be angry with you. I’m going to be home from this case tonight since I have to sit down with Lance tomorrow. Will you join me when I meet with him in the morning? I could really use your backup since Elizabeth is going to be working in Holladay. I love you too. Ethan.’
At his words, there was hope.
In fact, Wyler had tears in his eyes.
“Well, shit. It actually worked.”
Caryn touched his cheek.
Yeah, she wasn’t shocked. Ethan was a good man, and she knew he’d do the right thing.
The Blackhawk men were cagey and trouble, but they were decent human beings.
“My love, he’s your son. He loves you. There’s time to fix everything, and it’s clear that he wants you to be by his side as hetakes on the role of Shaman. Be there for him, and he’ll be there for you when you need him.”
Yeah, he was seeing that was definitely happening. Wyler wouldn’t miss it for the world.
So, he messaged him back.
‘I’ll stay at the cabin tonight if you’d like to have dinner with me. I’d like to have some time with you, and it would be my honor to go with you to the council tomorrow. I’ll be there, Ethan. I promise.’
What he fully expected back was something about how he never kept his promises, and he would have a valid argument.
In the past, Wyler hadn’t.
He had an MO, and he stuck to it.
But over the last fifteen years, he’d kept all of them with the exception of going home to see Oliver’s birth. That would be the last one he’d broken.
That was for damn sure.
When he got a reply, he wanted to weep.
‘I’ll stay with you at the cabin. Can you make dinner? I could use some of Granddad’s stew. Seeing him when I went into the smoke alone made me want to reconnect on this plane, too. Please make me dinner? If you’re not up for it, I can pick something up on my way home.’
Forget that.
He’d cook.
Wyler knew his son was trying, and for that, he was so goddamn grateful. Deep down, he didn’t deserve it, but he would take it.
Ethan was giving him a second chance. It appeared that he’d gotten forgiveness.
Finally.
He rattled off a reply, and when it was sent, he stood up, and pulled Caryn up.
