I glance at the stove, where the digital green clock flashes ten after seven. “Mom’s gonna be home in a few,” I remind them, then look at the food laid out on the counter. I’d grabbed the bags out of my truck as they were driving off with Troy, but hadn’t gotten around to putting them away yet. “We didn’t get our cookout but we’ll do it tomorrow.” I look between the two older boys. “Can I fix you anything to eat?”
Rawley shakes his head. “No, but I’ll get this stuff put away and make something for mom to eat when she gets home.” Yet before he touches the groceries strewn about, he grabs me a bag of frozen peas, then nods to the lump above my eye where Troy connected.
Tanner nods. “I’ll help him.”
“Arch, let’s get you bathed, what do you think?” I ask, because I know Clara June likes coming home to him already bathed and in pajamas. With everything she’s about to find out, I’d like to make the rest of the night as easy as possible for her.
He nods. “Alright, c’mon. Go grab some pajamas and I’ll go run the bath and get a towel.” He runs off, and I watch him, hoping today didn’t burn any lasting scars on him. He doesn’t deserve it.
“He’ll be okay,” Rawley assures me.
I lean against the counter and finish my whiskey. “And what about you two? You guys okay?”
Rawley nods, and Tanner follows his lead. “We’re okay. Just… rattled. It’ll wear off.”
I nod, then pause in the doorframe, splitting my focus between the two of them. “I’m proud of you two. The way you handled yourselves, the way you defended and protected each other.”
“Thanks. And…thanks for being here. I don’t want to think about what would have happened if you weren’t here,” Rawley says before grabbing his phone from his pocket. “Hey, can I call you back in an hour?”
I face Tanner. “You okay? You’re pretty quiet.”
He shrugs. “I feel like it’s kind of my fault this happened. If he hadn’t seen me in the paper, he wouldn’t have come back.” His eyes fill, and it’s probably why he can’t bring them up to meet mine. “What if he hurt Archie, all because of me?”
I place my hands on top of his shoulders. “None of this, not a single moment of it, is your fault at all. Okay? I need you to hear me when I say that you and your mom and brothers did not ask for any of this and none of you are at fault.”
He nods. “I know you’re right I just… feel weird.”
“It’s how you feel after an adrenaline rush. This is the crash. The nerves that come with the aftermath of a tense situation. What you’re feeling is normal. And if you wanna talk about it more or later, or a week from now, I’m here.”
It’s unexpected but he wraps his arms around me. “Thanks, Coach.”
“Dean! I’m waitin’ for ya!” Archie stomps his foot from the hall, and his impatience warms my soul right now. More than an hour ago he cried my name and reached for me, and my life flashed before my eyes, fearful something could happen to one of the boys.
But they’re safe, and it’s over, and so I welcome his impatience and foot stomp. “I’m gonna go help Archie. Everything’s okay now, alright?”
They nod, and this time, it feels like they aren’t appeasing me, but that they believe it. Being able to calm them down after what just happened feels like I just coached a hundred winning football games.
I only hope I can keep Clara June calm when she gets home.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-NINE
CLARA JUNE
The house is unusuallycalm when I come inside. The kitchen lights are set to low, and the place is spotless. I set my purse down on the ground, and drop my keys on the table, then kick off my sneakers.
“Guys?” I call, keeping my tone quiet still becauseit’s past eight and Archie is clearly already asleep. The house could not be this still if Archie was awake.
I make my way into the living room and stop when I see Tanner and Rawley sitting on the couch, in the dark, the TV on but muted, and the brightness turned low.
“Jesus,” I gasp, pressing my hand to my chest. “What are you guys going in here?” It’s clear that I startled Tanner. He smooths his hands through his hair, as if collecting himself, and Rawley gets to his feet, motioning for me to sit where he was sitting.
“Sit down, mom, we gotta talk to you.”
My heart rate skyrockets like the night I saw Tanner get hurt on the field. My hackles rise. The hairs on my neck stand on end. My stomach roils. “Where’s Archie? Is he okay? What’s going on?”
Rawley nearly forces me to sit as he says, “Archie’s just fine. Dean’s in with him now, getting him settled into bed.”
