Page 20 of Guarding Over You
“Like good older brothers do,” Gale said, patting her boyfriend’s cheek. Talk about a guy who had it rough in life.
Came here on vacation as a teen, tasked with watching out for his sister and lost track of time when she went on a walk, only to find her murdered.
Fifteen years of living with that guilt and pain. And knowing the guilty was behind bars wasn’t going to erase it quickly.
But Blaze’s sister would have a hand in it because Gale Ridgeway got what she wanted when she put her mind to it and his sister was in love and determined to make it three for three for his mother.
He knew it, even if no one else did.
The two of them were a lot alike. Hard outer shell, that squishy center that few ever got to see. But when the goo oozed out, the ones who had it land on them, they got covered, weakening him in the process.
Making him more vulnerable than he liked to be. Been there, done that. Didn’t need it in his life again.
“We all took the heat for Gale. She was a brat and never let her tell you otherwise.”
His sister laughed. “Hey, someone had to be. And I did my fair share of chores. I don’t remember you getting up early and making donuts on the weekend. You got to sleep in more than me.”
“Your brothers could sleep in because you whined about getting dirty on the land, so they worked harder and needed more rest. You got to bake and eat while you did it.”
Gale grinned and puffed her shoulders out some. “I enjoyed rubbing their faces in that.”
“It’s no wonder you didn’t turn into a little porker yourself,” he said.
Gale looked around the room and marched into the living room.
“Don’t you dare grab a pillow to throw at him in here,” his mother said sternly. “He has a knife in his hand and if you do it, you’re sitting by yourself for dinner and Rory can join the rest of us.”
“Is Gale getting into trouble?” Ash asked, walking in the back door.
“Always,” Blaze said.
Ash moved closer and snagged a piece of cheese he’d just cut.
His mother pulled the knife out of his hand. “All of you out. Too much commotion in here. It makes me crazy. Go to the living room. Dinner will be done in ninety minutes.”
“What are we having?”
“Your father is going to grill burgers and sausage and I’ve made a few salads. More than enough for everyone to take leftovers home with them.”
Blaze moved to the living room with Ash, Gale and Rory, just as Clay and Ford came in to join them.
“Mom kick you all out?” Clay asked.
“Gale was being a brat,” he said. “But she must have seen you coming.”
Clay snorted, but at least there was a smirk behind it. His once hardened brother still carried those traits along with his demons, but there were less of them now.
Everyone in this room could see it.
“Who is Mom kidding? She’s in her glory when we are all together and causing problems,” Ash said.
His youngest brother wasn’t wrong. “We rarely get the time off all together anymore.”
“How many extra shifts are you grabbing?” Gale asked Blaze.
“One or two a week if I can. Depends on how close they are to my normal shift or if it’s nights or weekends.”
He wasn’t normally selective, but he wouldn’t grab a night shift on the heels of his normal day one, even on his last shift. He tried to avoid twenty-four-hour shifts now unless mandated.
