His shoulders shake, and he clutches onto my shirt like he’s afraid to let go. “I’m so sorry, Remi.”
“It’s okay, I promise.”
“No, it’s not. I shouldn’t have messed around on the tractor, and now it’s broken because of me.”
“Kid, that tractor was broken long before you found it. It’s older than I am.”
I hold him tight, my hand rubbing soothing circles over his back until his breathing finally evens out. Pulling back just enough to look at him, I wipe the moisture from his face and cup his cheek.
“Lukas, I love you. That love doesn’t come with conditions, and it doesn’t go away because you make a mistake.” My voice cracks, but I keep going. “You’re a teenage boy. You’re goin’ to make mistakes—trust me, I know—but that will never change how I feel about you.”
His bottom lip trembles again as he nods.
“Can you promise me next time you get scared, you come find me right away instead of runnin’? We’ll figure it out together, okay? You can talk to me about anything.”
Another nod, this one accompanied by a sniffle.
“Good. Now, let’s get out of here before it collapses on top of us.”
Lukas climbs down first, and I wait for him to be safely on the ground before I make my descent. Gentry pulls Lukas to his chest, his arms tight around him.
“You had me so worried,” he murmurs.
“I’m s-sorry, Gentry,” Lukas says. “I b-broke?—”
“Hey, no need for apologies. I heard what happened, and it’s okay. All I care about is that you’re okay. You gave us quite the scare.”
“I’m sorry.”
“What did I say about apologizin’? It’s not needed.” Gentry pulls back and looks Lukas in the eye. “Remington was right… I could never hate you. I love you, Lukas. You’re family now, and family sticks together even when shit gets hard.”
My chest cracks open, listening to the man I love reassure this scared, anxious thirteen-year-old boy whom I also love. My eyes get misty, and I don’t even try to hide it.
Lukas is okay.
He’s safe, and he’s here.
That’s all that matters.
Thirty-Three
Gentry
“Want help?” Remington asks, stepping up to the counter beside me.
Turning my head, I meet his gaze. His blue eyes shimmer as he smiles. “I wash, you dry?” I suggest, handing him a dish towel.
“Think I can do that,” he muses. “Thanks for dinner. It was delicious.”
“You don’t have to thank me for that. Glad you enjoyed it, though.”
“Lukas did too.” He chuckles. “Don’t think I’ve ever seen that boy scarf down food as fast as he did at dinner.”
I breathe out a laugh. “Gainin’ a teenage boy’s approval is a lot harder than you’d think, so I’ll take it.” Handing Remington the plate I just washed, I ask, “He asleep?”
It’s been a few hours since we found Lukas hiding in the treehouse. After we brought him back to the house, he and Remington spent the rest of the afternoon watching movies on my couch while I finished what I needed to get done for work.Once I got back, I cooked the three of us dinner. It was…nice eating together.Like a family.
Remington nods. “Yeah. He’s exhausted. I’ll let him sleep until we’re done, and then I’ll take him home.”
