Ryder stopped whittling. The knife slipped, nicking his thumb.
He's scared.
It wasn't just caution. It was a phobia. The kid was terrified of animals.
Ryder felt a strange, cold disappointment settle in his gut. It was an ugly feeling, and he hated himself for it immediately. He wanted his son to be brave. He wanted a mini-Ryder who laughed at danger. Instead, he saw a little boy crying because a dog barked.
He's soft,Ryder thought.Because I wasn't here to toughen him up.
He watched Cole try to comfort the boy. Cole was gentle, but he was big. He loomed. Leo was inconsolable.
Ryder looked at the crutches.
Stay away,Elena had said.
Ryder stood up. He grabbed the crutches.
"To hell with the rules," he muttered.
He hobbled down the stairs.
III. The Soft Touch
He reached them in thirty seconds.
"Cole," Ryder said quietly. "Back off. You're crowding him."
Cole looked up, relieved. "He just... the dog spooked him."
"I know. Take the dog to the barn. Give us a minute."
Cole hesitated, then nodded. He grabbed Buster by the collar and dragged the confused dog away.
Ryder stood over his son.
"Hey, Leo."
Leo sniffled. He peeked out from between his arms. His face was streaked with dust and tears.
"The pirate," Leo whispered.
"Yeah. It's the pirate." Ryder lowered himself to the ground. It was an awkward, painful maneuver with the cast, but he managed to sit in the dirt next to the boy.
"You don't like dogs?" Ryder asked.
Leo shook his head violently. "They possess teeth."
Ryder suppressed a smile at the vocabulary.Elena's kid.
"They do possess teeth," Ryder agreed. "So do I. So do you."
Leo checked his own teeth with his tongue.
"I'm scared," Leo admitted. The shame in his voice broke Ryder's heart.
"It's okay to be scared," Ryder said. "I get scared too."
Leo looked at him with skepticism. "You ride bulls. Bodacious."
