His arms tightened around her and she felt his lips in her hair briefly.
“Ethan doesn't talk about your family much, but Annabelle told me he struggled with the guilt of leaving you behind at the mercy of your father.”
She felt his chest rise and fall.
“My relationship with Ethan is a mixed-up mess.”
“No.” Macy shook her head. “You love each other, and the rest will work itself out, Brad. You’re both good men, and you need each other. You have to see that surely? Have to talk this through before you go.”
“Men aren’t into that kind of thing.”
“Talking?”
“Emotions, talking, stuff like that.”
“The men here are mostly, but they do it in their own way, and over beer, football, and food.”
This time it was he who laughed.
“Ethan carries a lot of guilt about you, Brad.”
“We all carry guilt, Macy. I'm sure your bucket’s full of it.”
“Overflowing actually.”
“Two messed-up souls.” He closed his arms briefly around her.
“Something like that. You need to cut your brother a break, Brad.” Macy was determined to get him to talk about Ethan. She knew when they left there she’d probably never get another chance. They were alone, squashed in this small space, and neither of them was going anywhere until they heard a helicopter.
“How do you figure that?”
“Because you made the break from your father when you realized that if you didn’t, he would destroy you. When you walked out that door you left your mother behind, just like Ethan left you and the rest of his family.”
She felt his body jerk. Macy had struck a nerve.
“My mother will never change.”
“Sure, I get that.” Macy let the subject drop now. She’d said enough, knew he would think about her words, and hoped that in time the brothers could be friends.
“Why won't you let Billy have a dog?”
“What?” The conversation change threw her.
“You heard, and why not?”
“It's just another responsibility, and one that will fall on me.”
“You never had one is my guess.”
“That doesn’t have anything to do with it.”
“Sure it does, but it would be good for him to learn to care for a dog, and it would offer you protection.”
“I get this constantly from everyone in Howling.” Macy sighed.
“So do it.”
“I'll think about it.”
