Games of the Heart

Chapter Sixteen Unleashed Hell

Fin pulled his books out of his locker and shoved them in his bag. Reesee was standing next to him, shoulders to the lockers beside his, eyes scanning the emptying halls.

It was after school and Fin was taking Reesee home.

This was because, since she and Mr. Haines came back from Texas a week and a half ago, his Aunt Dusty had totally stepped up.

And today was the most recent example of that. No was off with one of his classes on some field trip where he wouldn’t get back until five and Mr. Haines was in Indianapolis doing some cop shit. Since Clarisse’s mother was pretty much checked out like his Ma, but in a different way, when he had to go to Indy, Mr. Haines called Aunt Dusty to ask her to go to the school and pick up Rees. When his Aunt Dusty called Fin that afternoon, she told him that she’d explained to Mr. Haines that Fin was already at the school, he had a ride and Reesee was coming to the farm anyway after school to study so why didn’t he just bring her home? She told Fin she also explained to Mr. Haines that Kirb would be in the truck with them.

Fin figured Mr. Haines probably didn’t like it but he agreed. Fin also figured he agreed mostly because Kirb was going to be there.

But for Fin it would be the first time he had his girl in his truck.

And he was looking forward to it.

Since getting back from Texas, Aunt Dusty had been pulling this kind of shit all the time.

Like, right after she got back, a couple of days later, it was after dinner. Reesee was over and they were sitting on the couch. His grandparents were out with some cronies, his Ma was up in her fucking room (as usual) and Aunt Dusty and Kirb were upstairs doing whatever they did up there. Then Aunt Dusty came down.

She came to the pocket doors and, with a wicked cool grin, said, “I’m just gonna close these. Kirb and me are gonna do Wii. We might get loud,” she tipped her head to the TV, “don’t wanna disturb your program.”

Then she winked and closed the doors.

Fin had found his times to kiss his girl but that was the first time they made out. On the couch. In his living room. With his brother and aunt upstairs shouting and laughing over whatever they were playing on Wii.

It was awesome.

Fin thought it was totally cool Reesee had never been kissed or touched by anyone but him. He also found he had all the patience in the world to teach her how to do it and what he liked. He didn’t take advantage, feel her up or anything. His girl was too good for that shit. He’d wait. Introduce her slow-like. But he liked it that she got a little stiff at first and, if he was gentle and took his time, she lost that then she got all cuddly and sweet.

He liked it a lot.

Aunt Dusty had also “talked” Fin into giving Reesee and No their horseback riding lesson this past weekend.

This, with Aunt Dusty’s go ahead, Fin ended with him on the back of Blaise, Reesee in front of him and he took her out on the land, showing her his favorite places. No had gone home so it was just them. He’d also taken her to a stand of trees by the creek, pulled her off Blaise, walked her around then pushed her up against a tree trunk and took his time teaching her about kissing some more.

She was getting used to it. He could tell because she didn’t hardly get stiff at all anymore. Now she got into it real quick.

Real quick.

His Aunt Dusty was totally the shit.

Reesee was better.

His girl was coming out. She didn’t have any trouble at all talking to him anymore. Still, she wasn’t a jabber-mouth. She listened more than she talked and she only talked when she had something interesting to say. And she always talked soft.

Fin liked that too.

What he didn’t like was what she told him last week after she sat down with her Dad, Mom and Mrs. Layne. He was surprised, as was Rees, that Reesee’s Mom showed. He wasn’t surprised that Rees had a talent that made her better than any kid in that school, made her better than that ‘Burg. He already knew that though he wasn’t expecting it to be her writing.

What he didn’t like about this was they were talking about her going to another school. Fin had another year there and he didn’t want Reesee to be at some other school his senior year. That would totally suck.

But she had to do it. He’d heard his Gram and Gramps saying more than once that they wished they’d had the money to send Aunt Dusty to a special school for the arts and it was just the Lord’s work and Aunt Dusty’s drive that led her to a life of doing what she loved to do. If Reesee had that opportunity and the talent, and Mrs. Layne was totally cool, she would not lie about that, she should take it.

And nothing should hold her back.

Fin slammed his locker and looked down at his girl.

“Ready?” he asked.

Her eyes moved over his face and he knew she was thinking. Then again, she always was. His Reesee was never blank, always had something on her mind. She might talk soft and not very much but whatever she said was interesting. And if she didn’t share, Fin always wanted to know what was going on in her head.

She didn’t share this time, just nodded and pushed away from her locker. Then she moved into him and he claimed her.

It took him a while to get her to this point too. He could tell she was shy about holding hands but once her hand started to find his rather than the other way around, Fin moved it on. He did this by sliding his arm around her shoulders. The first time he did it he knew she didn’t know what to do with herself so he actually had to grab her wrist and tug it around his waist.

But she got used to that too. Like now, the minute he slid his arm around her shoulders, making sure to let his fingers glide through her soft hair, she slid her arm around his waist and hooked her thumb in his side belt loop.

Like always when he had his girl in the curve of his arm, Fin thought she was the perfect height and that he really liked her perfume.

Fin started walking her to the parking lot but he did it grinning.

Kirb would be waiting by the truck and then be in it with them but still, this was an added freedom, a step up and he hoped, eventually, Mr. Haines would trust Fin alone with their girl.

As they walked, Fin asked in a mutter, “What’s on your mind?”

“What’s on yours.”

He looked down at her. “Hunh?”

She looked up at him and her mouth quirked in a little smile. She did that every once in a while and Fin thought it was seriously fucking cute.

“What’s on my mind is what’s on yours,” she explained. “When you were gettin’ your books, your thoughts looked heavy.”

It was weird and sometimes it freaked him out but she seemed to be able to read him. At his age he had no clue this was part of her talent, her innate understanding of human behavior and sensing of moods both of which made her a good writer. And he also had no idea this was part of her, why it made her feel so deep, be so sensitive to others and care so much about the ones she loved.

Her arm gave him a squeeze and she asked real gentle, “Are you thinkin’ about your Dad?”

No, for once he wasn’t thinking about his Dad, his Ma, his bitch of an Aunt Debbie or worried that the adults in his life wouldn’t be able to win the fight his aunt was waging.

Instead, he was thinking about losing Reesee to another school.

He didn’t want to lie so he looked forward and muttered, “It’s no big deal.”

“Heavy is always big in one way or another, Fin,” she whispered.

He heard it but didn’t respond. This was because Brandon Wannamaker, Jeff Schultz and Troy Piggott were headed their way and Brandon had eyes on Fin.

Fin’s body got tight.

Brandon was a senior. He was also an asshole. Rumor around school was his Dad was a serious, major dick. Still, even if things were shit at home, it didn’t mean you should bring that shit to school. Fin knew that now more than ever.

Jeff and Troy were both juniors and they were Brandon’s lackeys. They’d do anything for him. Why they thought Brandon’s shit didn’t stink, Fin had no clue since Brandon was skinny, ugly, had a stupid non-haircut where his blond hair was all long and stringy, he had acne and he was, as Fin noted, an asshole. Fin didn’t get that either. What he did get was that they got off on it. Whatever was in them that drew them to Brandon, it wasn’t good.

Brandon and Fin had tussled verbally more than once. This was because, last year when Brandon was a junior and Fin was a sophomore, they had lunch together and Brandon’s favorite time to spread his asshole cheer was at lunch. Fin let him be if he was giving shit to a kid who was a boy. He didn’t like it but he was a guy and he probably wouldn’t want some older kid making him look even more of a loser by stepping up for him.

But one day when Brandon decided to pick on a fat girl, Fin stepped in. That was totally not cool. Sure, she was fat and probably should do something about it but she didn’t need some douchebag making her obviously miserable life more of a misery.

Brandon didn’t like this. Then again, Brandon didn’t have much of a say. Troy and Jeff didn’t have the same lunch break so his crew was not there to take his back. And even last year, before Fin grew the extra two inches that took him up to six foot, he was taller and bulkier than Brandon. So Brandon saved face by making a lot of threats and slunk off.

Fin stepped in five more times last year. Luckily this year, both semesters, he didn’t have any of them in his lunch.

But right then, walking with Reesee down the hall, he took one look at Brandon’s face as well as his crew and he knew Brandon was in his usual mood to be an asshole.

So he tightened his hold on Reesee, drawing her closer and he locked eyes on the leader of the pack.

“There he is, Farmer Fin,” Brandon called when they were getting close and Fin felt Reesee’s body get tight and her head jerked to face front. “With his new piece,” Brandon finished and Fin’s free hand formed a fist.

“When you throw that away, I’ll take seconds,” Troy offered, smiling an ugly smile at Reesee. Fin’s stomach clenched but he kept his mouth shut, his eyes on them and he kept walking.

Ressee pushed closer.

“Me too,” Brandon put in. They’d made it to the trio and all of them positioned, Brandon walking backwards, Troy and Jeff moving to flank. “Clarisse Haines. Off-limits freshman but you two hooked up, not anymore.” Brandon’s hostile eyes stared into Fin’s. “You tap that yet?”

“Shove off, douchebag,” Fin growled, continuing to move him and Reesee down the hall.

Brandon smiled big. “You tapped it. Was it sweet?”

Fin felt Reesee begin to tremble at his side even as she pushed closer and Fin felt a burn hit his gut.

“I said, shove off, douchebag,” Fin mostly repeated.

“Bet it was,” Brandon whispered, his eyes flicking to Reesee then back to Fin. “You always pick the sweet snatch. Way you go through ‘em though, you’ll be done and she’ll be ripe for the pickin’s in what? A day? A week?” He looked to Jeff and concluded, “I’ll give it a week.”

Reesee pushed closer but Fin wasn’t paying attention to her. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Troy’s hand up and moving toward Reesee’s hair.

Fin halted them then moved them both a step back, jerking Rees behind his back, he turned toward Troy and locked eyes with him.

“Do not even think about it, asshole,” he clipped.

Troy grinned at him. “She’s got pretty hair.” He moved his grin to Reesee, it became a leer and he went on. “Always liked your hair, Rees.” His eyes slid down her body and he whispered in a sick way, “Always liked a lotta things about you.”

Reesee pressed into Fin’s back.

“All of you, fuck off,” Fin ordered.

“What’re you gonna do, Farmer Fin?” Brandon asked snidely. “Don’t got your crew with you so what are you gonna do, we don’t fuck off?”

Fin edged back, pushing Reesee with him, warning, “You don’t wanna find out.”

“We don’t?” Brandon whispered, a weird light Fin did not like burning in his eyes.

“No. You don’t,” Fin whispered back.

Then it happened. Troy moved in and around, his hand came back up going toward Reesee’s hair and Fin shoved her back. Then his hand darted out, he caught Troy’s wrist and twisted it behind his back. Once he got a lock on him, he moved him forward three steps and shoved him face first into a locker.

“Fin!” he heard Reesee scream but he couldn’t even look at her. The other two had jumped him.

He was pressed double, weight on his back, Brandon’s fist connecting with his ribs.

He heaved up, throwing them off while jerking his elbow back and catching Jeff in the jaw as he shouted, “Get a teacher!”

“Fin!” Reesee cried again.

He planted his hands on Brandon’s shoulders, got close and lifted a knee, hard, catching Brandon in his crotch. Brandon’s hands went there and he dropped to his knees on a pained groan but Troy and Jeff were all over him.

“Teacher, Rees!” he roared, just caught sight of her turning on her foot and running right before he caught Jeff’s fist on his cheekbone.

Stars exploded in his eyes and everything that happened since the sixth of January when he saw his Dad dead in the snow exploded in his brain.

And that was when Finley Declan Holliday lost his mind and unleashed hell on Brandon Wannamaker, Jeff Schultz and Troy Piggott.

Mike stalked into the school and right up front by the windowed administration offices, he saw Dusty pacing the hall, her face set right at fury.

The instant she saw him, with long angry strides, her legs took her to meet him.

“Where are they?” he asked, not taking his eyes from her flashing ones and she stopped a foot in front of him.

“In there,” she jerked her head toward the offices. “I’m in the hall waiting for you and trying to list the reasons it would be bad to kill three teenaged kids and lay the smackdown on a stupid-ass principal.”

At her head jerk, Mike’s eyes went to the windows of the office. In the front seating area Fin and Reesee were sitting, thighs pressed close, heads bent and close together. Reesee was holding Fin’s hand. Fin’s hand, incidentally, that had split, bleeding knuckles. This corresponded with a shining, swelling already bruising mark on his upper left cheekbone.

Other than that, no signs of damage.

But just that pissed Mike off.

He’d gotten the call from the school about Reesee, that she and Fin had been involved in a fight and they wouldn’t release her to anyone but a parent and only after they’d had a chat with said parent. Then, not five minutes later, he got a call from Dusty. She was more in the know about the situation because she not only got the call from the school, she’d had the opportunity to talk to both Finley and Clarisse about what went down. Surprisingly, both kids were extremely forthcoming as well as detailed about what was said and done that led to the fight. Then again, maybe it wasn’t surprising. Fin was tight with his aunt and Reesee was forming a bond with Mike’s woman that, by the day, got stronger. They trusted her.

And Mike knew he should likely not condone a teenage kid using violence to deal with a situation but he could not say knowing some scumbag bullies talked smack about his daughter and one tried to touch her, he was not glad.

What he was furious about was Dusty’s second call informing him that the school had a zero tolerance policy for fighting and all involved, including, for some reason, Rees, were being suspended for three days.

Dusty was similarly furious but one look at her, Mike knew her anger was at a much higher level than his.

“The other three boys are in the principal’s office with their parents,” Dusty went on to explain.

Mike jerked up his chin and she fell into step beside him as he approached the glass door to the administrative offices.

He opened it, held it for her and ordered on a murmur, “Go in. Sit with Rees.” He felt her eyes on him but his gaze went to Fin. “Fin. Out here.”

Finley was already looking at him and he nodded. Mike put a hand to the small of Dusty’s back and gave her a gentle shove in. He still felt her eyes but she moved to Clarisse as Fin moved to Mike.

The kid cleared the door, Mike let it close then he walked several feet away, Fin following him. When they turned to face each other, Mike opened his mouth to speak but Fin got there before him.

“I know it, I get it, sir. It was not cool. But it was the second time he tried to touch her, they were talkin’ trash, she was tremblin’ and scared and I didn’t know what else to do. I just meant to get him off her and make a point then they jumped me. One of them clipped me in the face and I just…just…” he looked to his feet, “lost it and fucked up.”

Mike stared at him. He did this for a while and he did it for a while in order to ease his fury.

Then, low, his voice a rumble, he stated, “No one.” Hearing his tone, Fin’s eyes came direct to his and Mike went on, “No one, no fucking one, touches my daughter unless she wants them to.”

Mike watched Fin’s eyes become alert and start blazing with the fire Mike figured was in his own.

“I’m sorry,” Mike whispered. “I’m sorry your father’s gone.” That fire started blazing bright in Fin’s gaze but Mike just kept talking. “I knew him but I can have no clue in this instance what he would say to you. What kind of man he’d try to guide you to be. The only thing I can tell you is the kind of man I am. And if anyone tried to touch someone I care about when they didn’t want it, I would do what I had to do to stop it. If they talked smack, wouldn’t shut up and I couldn’t get that person I cared about away, I would put a stop to that too. So as far as I’m concerned, Fin, you did not fuck up. Those boys didn’t touch my daughter. So the way I see it, as her man, you did your job.”

Mike watched that fire in Fin’s eyes burn as the boy swallowed then swallowed again. Shit was working in his head and not all of it was good and a lot of that was really fucking bad. But Fin held it together and nodded.

“Thanks, Mr. Haines,” he muttered.

“Dusty and I’ll talk to the principal,” Mike told him.

Fin jerked his chin up.

“I might not be able to get you out of suspension but Reesee sure as hell won’t be suspended,” Mike continued.

Fin’s eyes flared, his lips twitched and he jerked his chin up again.

“Your grandmother came and got Kirb. This is done, you take Rees home,” Mike ordered.

Another kind of light flared in Fin’s eyes then there was a different kind of lip twitch and Fin nodded.

Mike kept going. “You wanna do it, No’s always moanin’ that he’s Rees’s chauffer and Reesee is always studyin’ with you so, you want it, from here on out, you’re her ride home.”

“I want it,” Finley whispered instantly.

Mike knew he did.

Shit.

Fuck.

Shit.

He stared at the boy who was mostly a man standing in front of him.

Some fuckwad bully tried to touch his daughter and this boy who was mostly a man stopped it.

“You got it,” Mike said. “Now let’s go in there and talk to the principal.”

Fin nodded again and made as if to move to the doors but Mike stopped him by curling a hand on his shoulder.

Fin’s eyes came to Mike’s.

“Don’t know where your father would want to guide his son,” Mike said softly. “Do know what kind of man your father was. So, fair guess, he was here right now, Fin, he’d be proud of you.”

Fin swallowed again and then clenched his teeth. His eyes got bright and Mike gave him a minute to fight it, knowing from the man he’d been witnessing Finley Holliday becoming, he’d win.

Then he won and nodded yet again.

Mike squeezed his shoulder, let him go and led the way to the office.

Clarisse sat in the principal’s office with her Dad, Fin and Dusty but her eyes were glued to Dusty.

This was because Dusty was angry. Not a little. A lot.

And she didn’t mind showing it.

She also didn’t mind talking about it.

Which she was doing right now.

“You’re telling me, Principal Klausen, that you rule this school like you’re the Director of Homeland Security rather than the man whose job it is to guide young adults into maturity and therefore you don’t assess outside factors when considering discipline? Is that what you’re telling me?”

“Miss Holliday, a zero tolerance policy is a zero tolerance policy. It isn’t a ten percent depending on what happens policy,” Principal Klausen returned evenly and calmly but Clarisse knew he was losing patience.

Principal Klausen was mostly cool. Because of this, the kids mostly liked him. He could be a jerk but only if you did something wrong. Clarisse didn’t do anything wrong so she thought he was all right. And he did stuff. Like he came to the big garage where they were building the freshman float for homecoming and laughed it up with them. That wasn’t during school hours. It wasn’t even on a weekday but a Saturday. And he didn’t come to make sure they were behaving but just because he wanted to see how the float was going and gab with the kids. In fact, he did stuff like that all time and this was why Clarisse figured he was mostly cool.

And anyway, Rees wasn’t around then but everyone knew about the old football coach that hit his son during the game. And everyone knew that Principal Klausen didn’t waste hardly any time at all getting rid of him. And that coach was also a teacher who most kids hated. So when he was gone, everyone thought Mr. Klausen not wasting a second getting quit of him was way cool.

But Clarisse hadn’t had time to share any of this with Dusty.

Then again, even if she did, Dusty probably wouldn’t care. She was that mad.

And Clarisse thought that also was cool. Because she was mad for Fin and, unlike his Mom who, even when Fin was in trouble at school, didn’t leave that farm or probably her room to see to her son. But Dusty was right there and raring to take on the principal.

“These aren’t terrorists,” Dusty snapped. “They’re teenagers.”

“Dusty,” Clarisse’s Dad said low, his hand coming out to fold around Dusty’s.

But Dusty just jerked her head Dad’s way and rapped out, “Am I wrong?”

“I’ve been lenient with Rees –” Mr. Klausen started but Dusty’s eyes sliced to him and she went off.

“Lenient? Lenient? Well, big of you, being lenient with a fifteen year old girl who was doing nothing but walking with her boyfriend to the parking lot and some bully starts mouthing off, saying not nice things and another one tries to touch her when she doesn’t want that. It’s big of you not to suspend her for doing just that. And, no disrespect, but newsflash, Fin was doing the same thing.”

“And yes,” Principal Klausen said soft, conciliatory, “this is, of course, why Rees will not be punished as she didn’t do anything to be punished for. In the beginning, from the others’ accounts, we were misinformed as to Rees’s involvement. As you know, now we have a clearer picture. But what cannot be argued is that Finley used his fists to deal with a situation that didn’t need fists.”

“And the instant the situation deteriorated, being jumped by three kids, he told his girlfriend to go get a teacher,” Dusty shot back. “Was that wrong in your estimation?”

“No, Miss Holliday, but by all of the accounts of those involved, it was Finley who started the physical altercation,” Mr. Klausen explained.

Clarisse watched as Dusty leaned forward, eyes narrowed and she hissed, “Because one of them tried to touch Clarisse.”

“He attempted to touch her hair,” Principal Klausen clarified.

Dusty leaned back, her face hard, her eyes locked on Mr. Klausen. “Is that okay? Is that okay with you? Because, seeing as I’m a woman and all, I’ll clue you into the fact that it’s not. It’s not okay. Not any way a man can touch me if I don’t want it. It…is not…okay.”

Clarisse felt her breath start to come fast and she reached out to grab Fin’s hand. Fin’s fingers curled around tight and she knew he was thinking the same thing she was.

That Dusty was remembering Denny Lowe.

And Clarisse knew her Dad thought the same thing when he whispered soothingly, “Angel.”

Dusty’s eyes flashed to Clarisse’s Dad and she whispered, “Am I wrong?”

And Clarisse saw it on her face and she knew Fin did too because his hand in hers got super tight.

She was remembering. And she was scared for what might have happened to Clarisse. And she was not going to stop for anything in defending her nephew.

And right then, staring at Dusty Holliday, Clarisse Haines fell in love.

And she knew she had to do something to stop Dusty’s pain.

So she did.

She let Fin’s hand go and stood.

“Mr. Klausen, I was scared,” she announced and felt everyone’s eyes come to her. She also felt stupid. She didn’t know what to say. Mrs. Layne said her writing was awesome and that felt great, especially coming from Mrs. Layne who was far and away the coolest teacher in school. But saying words was a whole lot harder.

“I was scared,” she whispered, holding the principal’s eyes. “And Brandon, Troy and Jeff are bullies. They’re mean. You know that, you have to the amount of time they’re in detention. They shouldn’t be at this school. I know Brandon’s Dad isn’t very nice, everyone knows it. And that’s sad and all but that shouldn’t be my problem. They said mean things, just callin’ Fin ‘Farmer Fin’ the way they did it is not nice. But all the rest was really not nice. Fin tried to walk us through them but they followed. He tried to ignore them but they wouldn’t let him. He tried to warn them off but they kept at him. And I’m glad he wouldn’t let Troy touch me. I was scared and he made it all right for me. He stopped me from being touched and being scared. And if that’s not okay, I don’t know what is.”

She stopped talking and no one said anything so Clarisse felt like maybe she sounded like an idiot but when no one saying anything went on a while, for some reason, her mouth kept moving.

“Fin’s Dad died, Mr. Klausen, and things aren’t good at home. Everyone in this school knows at least the part about Fin’s Dad dying. It isn’t cool for those guys to do the stuff they do all the time. It isn’t cool they did what they did to Fin and me. But it really isn’t cool for them to pick on a kid who just lost his Dad. I figure everyone learns in life all through their life. No one ever stops learning. But I’m not sure the lesson you’re teachin’ right now is fair. You’re sayin’ justice is blind but she’s also deaf. And Fin’s Dad dying, he’s already learned life isn’t fair. You may get mad me sayin’ this but I don’t think it’s right that after learnin’ that and him knowin’ it every day when he wakes up and fallin’ asleep knowin’ it at night, you teach him the same thing all over again even when he was doin’ a right that you just consider wrong.”

Again no one said anything and they did this for so long, Clarisse was sure she looked like an idiot.

She didn’t know whether to run out of the room, burst out crying or sit down and shut up.

Before she could make her decision, Principal Klausen said quietly, “How about this? Two days detention for Fin. No suspension. I don’t want fighting in my school and I want that message clear. But I’ll accept extenuating circumstances in this case.”

At that, Clarisse knew she wanted to cry, she was so happy, but she didn’t.

“We’ll accept that,” Dusty said immediately.

Fin grabbed Clarisse’s hand and tugged it so she sat down next to him. She twisted her head to look at him and saw him grinning at her.

She’d done good.

She even might have sounded just a little like Dusty which was cool.

She grinned back.

Dusty, her Dad and Principal Klausen talked for a while. Then everyone stood and shook hands, including Mr. Klausen shaking Fin and Clarisse’s hand.

And when he shook Clarisse’s, he didn’t let it go so she looked up into his eyes.

“You don’t write a bestseller, Rees, then I expect we’ll hear you’re changing things in Washington,” he muttered. Clarisse smiled at him because that felt nice but no way she was going to Washington. Fin’s aunt lived there, she was a bitch and an attorney. Clarisse was not going to do anything like that.

They left the office and her Dad grabbed her head, tugged it to him and kissed the top of it. “That was great, what you did in there. Proud of you, honey,” he whispered in her hair.

That felt good too but better. Way better.

When he let her go, she grinned up at him. Then he started walking to the front doors with Dusty and Clarisse was about to follow when Fin tagged her hand.

“See you later tonight,” Dad called and she looked from him to Fin and her brows drew together.

“Your Dad says I take you home,” Fin said quietly.

Clarisse blinked.

Fin smiled huge.

Then he pulled her closer and finished even quieter, “Every day.”

Wow! Awesome!

Clarisse smiled at Fin then her head jerked around so she could look her father’s way. Dusty was by him and smiling big at her feet, walking out the door her Dad was holding open. Dad was looking their way and he wasn’t smiling, he was watching close (as usual). Then he shook his head. Then his lips twitched.

Then he looked to his boots and followed Dusty.

Watching him go, Clarisse’s heart lurched as something shifted inside her. It was big. Huge. Colossal. And she kept feeling it as she watched her Dad walk away.

And it wasn’t until Fin tugged her hand then moved them toward the hall that led to the parking lot that she got it.

Fin let her hand go, she felt his arm slide around her shoulders and he tucked her tight to his side. She liked walking with Fin like this. No, loved it. His body was solid and warm and he was the perfect height for his arm to curl comfortably around her shoulders and hers to curl around his waist, which she did right away when he pulled her to him.

They fit. It felt right, natural. Fin tall and strong and handsome at her side. Clarisse proud to be held there.

And she knew what just happened.

Her Dad let her go a little bit and walking next to Fin, so close, Fin’s hold on her tightened and she wasn’t talking about the one he had around her shoulders.

But between these two men she loved, both in one way or another holding her close always, Clarisse Haines knew she would never fall.

And it was weird, like feeling lost at the same time feeling found. It made her feel like smiling and crying.

She did neither.

She just walked at her guy’s side to his truck, climbed in after he opened her door and sat there as he rounded the hood and angled in beside her.

But she grinned when he almost immediately muttered, “Buckle up, babe.”

She twisted to find the seatbelt, still grinning.

No, after that day, what Fin had done to protect her then him telling her to buckle up and be safe the minute he got in his truck, Clarisse Haines knew she’d never fall.

Not ever.

Not ever.

“Hang on a second,” I called.

Rees and Fin were headed out the backdoor, Fin with Rees’s book bag slung over his shoulder. He also had some swelling at his cheekbone that had also purpled the area under his eye. But like any hot guy who got tagged protecting his girl, for some reason, his war wound made him look even hotter.

It was eight thirty. Rees had to be home by nine. Fin always moved her out around eight thirty to walk her the five minutes home. Plenty of time to stop by the back gate and chat or participate in other activities. I hadn’t seen it. It was mid-March and the days were getting longer but it was still dark by the time Fin walked Rees home. But I suspected it was a good guess.

They both stopped and looked at me as I walked into the kitchen.

My eyes went to Fin.

“Can I have a second with Rees?”

He looked at me then he looked at Rees then, finally, he jerked up his chin to me.

To Rees, he muttered, “I’ll meet you outside, babe.”

She smiled up at him and nodded.

Fin looked at me again, this time assessingly before he moved out the backdoor, closing it behind him.

I moved to Rees.

She tipped her head to the side and I thought it was cute.

“Is everything okay, Dusty?” she asked.

I stopped close and said quietly, “Yeah. Just wanted to say those tacos you and Fin made for dinner were yummy.”

She gave me a big smile and I liked it. When I met her, those didn’t come easy. Now they were coming often.

“Thanks,” she said soft.

“Also wanna say…” I stopped, took in a breath then I went for it. I slid her beautiful hair off her shoulder, cupped the side of her neck in my hand and I dipped my face closer. “Not my place, you don’t know me very well but I’m going to say it anyway. Today, I was proud of you Reesee.”

Her lips parted and her eyes got big and that was cute too.

“Proud?” she whispered.

“For standing up, having your say and taking care of my nephew,” I explained, brought my face closer and whispered, “Yeah, proud.”

“I…uh…” she stammered.

“You don’t have to say anything,” I told her quickly. “Just know that. And know that I appreciate, more than I can say, you helping Fin out. Understanding him. Making him smile. Giving him something good when he lost something amazing in his Dad.” My hand squeezed her neck and I felt my eyes sting with tears but I kept going. “Means a lot to me but more, it means a lot to him. I know you ease him, Rees. And I thank you for it.”

“I think I like to be with him more than he does with me,” she whispered back.

I grinned. “Then, honey, you aren’t paying attention.”

She chewed her lip but I saw the hope flare in her eyes.

I slid my hand to her jaw and got even closer.

“Our boys, yours and mine, they’re strong. They’re guys. Anyone who sees them, how they act, what they say, they know they can take care of themselves and those they love. But we know,” my thumb stroked the soft skin of her cheek, “we know that someone behind the scenes has to look out for them. Today, what you did, wasn’t behind the scenes. But you looked out for your man. You took care of him. And I knew when you did that you do it behind the scenes too. Any good woman knows two things. She knows how to take care of herself and she knows how to take care of the ones she loves. Today, you demonstrated you’re a good woman, Rees. And it was an honor to be there because it was a sight to behold.”

I saw the tears start shimmering in her eyes before she asked softly, “You think all that?”

“No,” I replied, “I know it.”

Her hand came out and curled around mine, the one that wasn’t holding her face and she whispered, “Thanks, Dusty. That means a lot to me.”

I smiled and slid my hand back down to her neck. “Thank you, honey,” I whispered back. Then I studied her beauty, her eyes soft on me, the tears she was holding back glistening in her eyes and I told her truthfully, “My brother Darrin would have loved you.”

“You think?” she asked, the words pitched slightly high but still said in her soft, sweet voice. The tone was a tone of hope. And it was beautiful.

“No,” I replied. “I know it.”

“Dad knew him,” she told me. “He was around. But I didn’t know him very well. Was he like Fin?”

“Absolutely.”

She held my eyes then said quietly, “Then I would have liked him too.”

I lost hold of the tears I was controlling and felt one slide down my cheek.

My voice thick, I told her, “Yeah, you would have, honey.”

“Can I say something Dusty?” she asked, still talking quietly.

“Anything, beautiful,” I whispered, my voice still thick.

I saw the tears gather in her eyes, the wetness increasing then she whispered back, “I wanna thank you too, for making Dad happy.”

Oh my God. Oh my God.

I loved this girl.

Then one second I was staring at a beautiful girl’s face and the next second I was in her arms.

I wrapped mine around her and held on. Her body bucked as a sob tore up and two seconds later, mine did the same. But we both held on. And we did it tight.

“What’s goin’ on?”

We jumped apart like guilty children and both of us looked to the door to see we were so in our moment neither of us heard Fin come back in.

Fin’s eyes narrowed on Rees then on me. “Why are you guys crying?”

I waved my hand in the air then dashed it on my face and explained, “We’re girls. Today was full of drama. After a day filled with drama we do three things. Eat until we feel sick. Throw a tantrum. Or collapse into tears. Sometimes it’s a combo of two, bad times it’s all three. Trust me, honey, we picked the best one.”

Fin scowled at me and I didn’t know if he was doing that because he was pissed about the possibility I made Rees cry or just pissed two girls he loved were crying and as a boy who was mostly a man he pretty much knew he had no power over that.

Then he asked, “Are you guys done crying then? ‘Cause I need to get Reesee home before Mr. Haines gets pissed at me for bringin’ her home late.”

I looked to the clock over the microwave and saw it was twenty-three minutes to nine. He totally had enough time. He just wanted to make sure he had the time to make sure his girl was okay and, probably, give her a goodnight kiss which would make certain she’d be okay.

I looked at Rees and she must have felt my eyes because hers came to me. “I’m okay if you’re okay.”

She nodded, dashed a hand on her cheek and her lips quirked into a little smile that was seriously cute.

“I’m okay, Dusty.”

“I think you both did so well in the kitchen, Thursday night is taco night every week,” I informed them, stepping back to indicate I was done with creating a girlie scene.

“Great,” Fin muttered and I bit back a smile.

“Sounds good to me!” Clarisse chirped.

I held her eyes. Then I lifted my hand and blew her a kiss.

She replied by giving me one of her big, beautiful smiles.

Then I turned away, calling, “’Night Rees. See you in a bit, Fin.”

“’Night Dusty,” I heard Rees return to my back.

“Later, Aunt Dusty.”

I walked upstairs to Kirby’s room, grabbed my cell, lay with my back on the bed and called Mike.

“Hey, Angel,” he answered.

“Had a breakdown in your daughter’s arms about Darrin,” I announced.

“Shit,” he muttered.

“Just so you know, when she’s home soon, if you see her eyes puffy, she cried with me.”

“Shit,” he repeated on a mutter.

“It’s all good,” I assured him.

“You wanna come over?” he offered.

“I come over any more, I’ll be living there.”

This was met with silence.

I figured this was partly because Mike was harking back to the fact that since we got home from Texas, this was true. Unless Rees was at the farm and I had to chaperone, I was at his house (with Fin). In fact, the schedule normally was that Rees came over to study with Fin after school then when Mike came home, we all went to his place to eat dinner and hang.

I also figured the silence was due to the fact that I was currently scoping out apartments. I shared liberally my apartment hunting in The ‘Burg stories with Mike, a pastime I had no idea would be so fruitless and annoying. These stories never failed to put him in a bad mood not because they were fruitless and annoying to me. No, it was because he loved me and I loved him. It was because he loved to spend time with me and he knew I loved spending time with him. It was because he knew I was having a time of it with all the crap swirling around me and he liked to be close to make sure I was okay and if I wasn’t, to make me okay. It was because he loved to have sex with me and knew I loved having sex with him. And it was because we liked sleeping in each other’s arms.

If he had no kids, I had no doubt the offer to move in would have been extended.

Since he did, and Mike was the kind of Dad Mike was, this was not going to happen for a while.

Which he clearly found a tad bit more than annoying.

Mike ended the silence with, “You want me to come over?”

“I’m good, honey,” I said softly.

This was again met with silence and this silence surprised me.

When it stretched, I called into it, “Mike?”

“Jesus, fuck you’re right next fuckin’ door.”

Right. Mike didn’t shy away from cussing but he sprinkled his curse words abundantly when he was seriously pissed. And he was pissed because I told him I’d been crying and he was too far away to do anything about it even though he was right next door.

“Honey, I’m good. Promise,” I whispered.

“Like to see that for myself, Dusty,” Mike replied.

Seriously, no kidding, I loved this man.

“Okay, then, give it half an hour. Fin gets back, I’ll head out,” I gave in.

“Why half an hour?”

“Um…” Shit! “Just wanna see if Kirb has got his homework done and is settling in for the night.”

Silence then, “Bullshit.”

I pressed my lips together.

More silence then, “Half an hour, Angel.”

He was such a good Dad.

“Half an hour, babe.”

There was even more silence then, “Wanna be face-to-face for this but can’t wait ‘cause, you cryin’, I gotta know. If you say yes, I’m not waitin’ half an hour. Fin can have the back gate, I’ll drive over.”

There it was. Mike knew the back gate ploy. Though, he was a guy. I wasn’t surprised.

Mike kept talking. “Today, did Denny come up for you?”

I drew in breath.

Then I said carefully, “Maybe a little.”

“Shit, I’m comin’ over.”

“Mike,” I said hurriedly. “Only a little. I’m okay.”

“You went somewhere today, sweetheart. I saw it. I’ve given you time. Time’s up.”

“I’ll be over in a half an hour.”

“Dusty –”

“Mike, honey, I’ll be fine and you can make it all okay in half an hour.”

Again I got silence.

Then he announced strangely, “Givin’ it two more weeks.”

“Giving what two more weeks?” I asked.

“Until I have a talk with the kids about them understanding Dad having Dusty for sleepovers.”

My stomach curled and it felt nice.

“You in?” he prompted.

“If they are,” I answered.

“They will be,” he muttered.

I grinned.

“Is now a time I’m allowed to go shopping for bribes for your kids?” I asked.

“No,” he answered and I chuckled.

“Right,” I murmured through my soft laughter.

“Half an hour, Dusty,” he ordered and my smile stayed in place.

“Half an hour, gorgeous.”

“Later.”

“’Bye.”

I touched the screen on my phone. Then smiled at the ceiling.

Then I heard my mother shout, “Kirby, honey, do you have your homework done?”

To which came an exasperated, “Yeah, Gram!”

Now Kirby had Fin, me and his grandmother asking every night if his homework done.

Obviously, from his tone, he was over it.

And I thought that was funny.

So I burst out laughing.