Page 48 of Mountain Grump Protector

Her eyes close briefly, and she inhales deeply.

And that’s the moment I know. Not because of what she says, but because of everything she doesn’t.

I pinch the bridge of my nose and shake my head.

“Cal.” She reaches for me, but I shrug her off as I move past her.

Chapter Fifteen

Willow

“Cal.”

His name barely leaves my mouth before he's moving, shrugging off my touch as he heads towards the garage, his shoulders back, his jaw set.

“Cal, wait.”

He doesn’t.

Murph’s barking gets louder as we reach the garage. Luke’s right there beside us.

By the time Cal reaches for the door, I already know it’s too late.

He knows and whatever tiny hope I’d been clinging to—that I could explain it, or fix it, or…I don’t even know what—vanishes completely.

Cal shoves open the sliding door. It rattles on its hinges from the effort.

Inside, Bryson stands in front of a toolbox spilled open on the floor. When the door opens, he lunges for a wrench. Cal’s voice stops him.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

In what’s probably the smartest decision he’s had in recent years, Bryson freezes.

For a long second, nobody speaks.

My brother looks like an exhausted little boy, dwarfed in the clean flannel I took from Cal’s drawer, his eyes darting between all of us like a trapped animal looking for an escape route.

Next to me, I can feel the tension radiating off Cal’s rigid body.

“You knew.” It’s not a question, and he doesn’t look at me when he speaks.

“Cal,” I try. “I can explain.”

He doesn’t acknowledge me. He takes two long strides into the garage, stepping over his spilled tools as he reaches for Bryson, grabs him by the collar of his shirt, and slams him up against the wall.

“You have some fucking nerve coming here after⁠—”

“Cal!”

My shout echoes in the garage, but he barely seems to hear it; he’s so locked on my brother and the perceived threat of him.

The color drains from Bryson’s face as Cal shoves him harder against the wall. “You better have one hell of a fucking explanation for showing up here after everything she’s been through because of you.”

“I know,” Bryson says quickly. “I know I screwed up.”

“Do you?” Cal’s voice stays low, but that only makes it worse, emphasizing his anger even more. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you ran away and left your sister to deal with another one of your messes. And this one almost got her...” he swallows hard. I see the tension in his jaw as he shakes his head. “I should kill you for the danger you put her in.”

Bryson flinches; no doubt he believes Cal will make good on his threat. And for a flash, I’m not sure he won’t.