Right. Lawson’s true colors had shown through at the Veterans’ Center tonight, and she’d be wise to remember that.
—
Lawson glanced at the car key he’d managed to swipe from Julie’s keyring as she’d ignored him all the way here. He headed back to her car and got to work. It was the least he could do, seeing that he’d ruined her class tonight. He pulled a toolbox out of the back storage compartment of his F-350 and grabbed a spotlight so he could see while he worked.
He’d been a dick tonight. Worse than that. The hurt in Julie’s eyes had been clear. Along with something else that left him bothered. He’d recognized pain in her eyes, just before he’d grabbed her arm and brought fear there, too. Despite his job, which required that he kick ass for the military from time to time, he wasn’t a violent guy. Someone had hurt Julie, though, and he hated it.
Dipping to look under her hood, he started investigating why her car kept shutting off. He’d always been good with his hands and with cars. He guessed he had that as a fallback plan if he didn’t steel-up and get back in the cockpit. He didn’t love mechanics, though. Not like he loved flying. He needed to get back in a helicopter. He would—just as soon as his commander was satisfied that he could handle it.
Lawson studied the engine. It only took a moment to locate the culprit. The connections with the car’s battery were grimy. He pulled off his shirt and used it to wipe the dirt away. Then he retrieved his battery cables from his truck and gave the Honda a jump start. It revved to life immediately. Looked like she needed a new battery if she expected to get anywhere safely. He’d tow her car back to her house, then head to the local Walmart’s automotive department to get one. He hooked the front end of her car to his rear and slowly towed it to her driveway. The lights inside her house were off. Good to see she hadn’t lost any sleep over his jackass ways. Fixing her car was his idea of a peace offering. Hopefully she’d accept it, and the apology he would give the next time he saw her pretty face.
He jumped back in his truck and went to get the battery. After installing it, he headed home. It was after ten, but he wasn’t a bit tired. Instead, he fired up his computer and YouTubed Huey helicopters. Even watching them on the little screen made his blood pressure spike. The dulled roar of the engine brought back memories of fire and death. He forced himself to watch anyway. This was his idea of therapy. Not talking or yoga. Even though Dr. Pierce’s advice had helped him with his interaction with BJ earlier. And seeing Julie did help distract him. He watched the videos until he started to fall asleep, then headed to his bedroom.
—
The next morning Lawson walked next door to his sister’s house and entered without knocking. He made the coffee and sat down with a cup, waiting for the aroma to rouse Beth from her bed.
“Good morning, sunshine,” he said as she shuffled into the kitchen a few minutes later. Her hair was poking out around her sleep-creased face. She grunted a hello. It usually took some coffee before she made any sense. Lawson stood, poured her a cup, and waited. “So,” he said after she’d drained the first cup. “Any leads on a sitter for Sabrina?”
Her gaze flicked up and, for a moment, she looked so much like his mother that he got a little homesick. “No. I’ve interviewed three people. One was barely sixteen. You and I both know what a handful my daughter can be. The second one smoked and Sabrina is prone to respiratory stuff. Not a good fit. Then yesterday afternoon I interviewed a lady that seemed perfect. Absolutely perfect.”
“What happened?” Lawson asked, leaning back in his chair.
“Sabrina happened. She told the lady to, and I quote, ‘Buzz off.’ ” Beth shook her head, trying not to laugh. “Then she cried for an hour asking where her daddy was.” Beth’s laugh was short-lived. Now her brows were tilted in a deep V.
Lawson’s heart squeezed.
“I hate lying to her, but you can’t tell a little girl that her father just left. That I don’t know when or if he’ll ever come back.”
Lawson sipped his coffee. If the sorry-ass kid who’d knocked his sister up and left her to raise a daughter alone ever did come back, he’d have to answer to him. “You should’ve hired the lady who was perfect. Sabrina will adjust.”
“Will she?” Beth frowned as she looked at him.
“Yes. She’s strong-willed just like her mother,” he said pointedly. “But she’s a kid. She doesn’t get to run the show, and riding horses is important to you. You need something of your own.” He’d be damned if he was going to watch Beth give up her dreams unnecessarily. Ever since his father abandoned their family during Lawson’s senior year of high school, he’d stepped into the authority role of the family. He felt responsible for his mother, his sister, and now his niece. “You need to train for the show and Jax needs to stay conditioned. So we need a babysitter for Sabrina.”
“Always looking out for me. You’re a good brother, you know that?” Beth smiled behind her mug of coffee.
“Yeah, I know.”
“You’re going to make some girl very lucky one day,” she added.
Julie’s face crossed his mind for some reason. That wasn’t the girl he’d make lucky. She couldn’t stand the sight of him right now, and he didn’t blame her. He set his cup down and stood.
“Going to work?” Beth asked, still watching him.
“Yep.”
“Flying again?”
“Not yet,” he said. Last she heard he hadn’t been cleared to fly. He’d had to get checked out by a doctor and cleared after his injuries. Pilots couldn’t have bum arms or cracked ribs. That’d gotten him this far. Now, only by the grace of God and his commanding officer, he had one month to get his mental shit together.
“What’s wrong?” Beth’s brows lowered. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
Before he could answer, a three-foot ball of energy launched herself into his arms.
“Uncle Lawson!”
Saved by his niece. “Hey, blossom. How’d you sleep?”
