Devlin had watched those declarations crash down on Connor Healy, crushing him more with each syllable. If Dan Brown hadn’t stopped him, the boy would have fled the cemetery.
“How is he going to survive this?” Axel whispered, standing beside Abel, his face a mask of sorrow and fear, tears streaming. “It’s not his fault, but… how could anyonenotcarry that guilt? I don’t think I could survive that kind of guilt.”
Devlin didn’t miss the look the cowboy gave Axel. Regardless of what Axel was going through, Clint wouldn’t allow him to slipso far that he couldn’t come back. Fortunately for the cowboy, Axel offered the same “stability” when he came home with burdens too great to bear.
Devlin squeezed Abel’s hand, and the boy pressed against him. Devlin would never take his healing relationship with the young man for granted. Without Abel—and others very close to them—he might not have survived the revelation about his brother.
Midway through the service, Clint glimpsed two figures in the distance, their faces obscured by shadows cast by a large oak at the cemetery's edge. He observed them out of the corner of his eye; both were dressed in dark suits. They did not try to come nearer, and after the service concluded, instead of greeting the families, they disappeared into a nearby grove of trees. Soon after, Clint heard a distant car engine rumble.
Clint and his small group hung back, waiting for the other mourners to drift away before approaching the two families. Rita Healy cast Clint an affectionate look and thanked him for coming.
Nora Brown gazed at Axel for a long moment, then a spark of recognition lit her eyes. “It was you,” she whispered. “That day on the street…”
Axel nodded, swallowing hard. Tears welled in his eyes.
“You… You tried to help my son…” Her chin trembled as she stepped forward and hugged him. “Thank you.” She held him tightly, crying softly.
Axel returned the hug. “I’m so sorry.” He closed his eyes as tears fell.
Clint’s chest tightened, aware of how much this was affecting Axel. Dan Brown met Clint’s gaze, then took him aside while the others spoke with the rest of Clint’s group.
“I want to thank you,” Dan Brown said, emotion thick in his voice. “For what you did at the hospital. If you hadn’t stepped in…” Genuine fear rippled in the man’s eyes as his gaze shifted to Connor Healy. “I couldn’t have lived with it if I had hurt that boy.” His throat worked, and he whispered, “I’ve never harmed anyone. That poor kid…”
“You were in distress,” Clint murmured. “Understandable.”
Dan cleared his throat. “I’m worried about him. The guilt is more than he can bear. What if it becomes too much for him…?”
“Talk to his mother,” Clint said. “She needs to get him help. Now… before she’s faced with another tragedy.”
A shudder ran through the other man. “I will.” He hung his head and pressed his fingers to his eyes. “Maybe… Maybe it’s good for me to have someone to focus on and care about.” He swallowed hard, raised his head, and wiped tears from his face. “Thinking about Jamie right now… it hurts too much. I think helping Connor… might help me, too.”
Clint nodded. “I think so, too.”
“That young man…” He nodded toward Axel, who stood close to Nora Brown, her hand resting affectionately on his arm. “You and him…”
“He’s my fiancé,” Clint said.
Dan nodded, his eyes resting on Axel. “Nora told me about him,” he murmured. “That he was the first at her side, trying to help.” His jaw tightened with the strain of emotion. Tearswelled. “I’ll always be grateful for that,” he whispered, thickly. “That in that moment… she wasn’t alone.” He pressed his hand to his eyes. “She’s so lost now.” His chin trembled. “All she ever wanted to be was a mother. And she was such a wonderful mom.” Dan sniffed and lowered his hand. “She cherished Jamie so much. Without him… without a child to love… I don’t know what that will do to her.”
Clint looked at the woman, almost clinging to Axel. The way she touched his arm with such deep affection… he could sense her motherly instincts trying to surface. Axel was hurting, and though it washerchild who had been taken, she was trying to comforthim.
Clint didn’t know if now was the right time, but he spoke his mind anyway. “If the day ever comes,” he said softly, reverently. Dan looked at him. “That you and your wife might want to adopt another child.” He swallowed. “I know of many kids who need a lot of love.A lot.” Sympathy warmed his eyes. “I don’t expect you to be thinking about that right now. And I apologize if I’m out of line even bringing it up.”
“No,” Dan whispered, his voice a rasp as his gaze settled on his wife. “I think, in time, Nora might need that. She’s a mom at heart.” He wiped away fresh tears, his chin trembling. “A mom needs a child to love.” He shook his head, a flicker of anger darkening his eyes. “It isn’t fair that someone can just…destroypeople’s lives and walk away Scott-free. I mean…” His jaw clenched, driving fresh tears into his eyes. “How thefuckis thatfair?”
“It isn’t,” Clint said quietly, squeezing the man’s shoulder. “And he didn’t.”
Axel sat quietly in the passenger seat the entire drive home. His heart hurt, and he wanted to cry, but somehow the tears had dried. Which made it hurt worse. He looked away from the passenger window when Clint reached out and took his hand.
“They’re going to make it through this,” Clint said, and Axel knew they were more than just empty words; hope resonated in the cowboy’s voice.
“And Connor Healy…” Axel whispered. “How is he going to make it?”
“They’ll get him help,” Clint murmured. “It’ll take time, but he will heal.” He squeezed Axel’s hand. “I believe that.”
Axel threaded their fingers and brought Clint’s hand to his lips. “If you believe it,” he said with a tremor. “Then I can believe it, too.” He trusted the cowboy completely. If Clinttrulybelieved in something, Axel couldn’t help but have faith as well.
“Good.” Clint smiled small. “I don’t like seeing you… like you have been the last few days. I need you happy, content, andsmiling.”
