11. Thoren
CHAPTER ELEVEN
thoren
I shut Lily’s front door behind me, turning to find Michele leaning against her car with her arms crossed and a smile on her face. Shadow runs back and forth between us as I make my way over to her and lean against my truck that’s parked next to her.
“What’s that look for?”
“You’d be good for each other,” she says simply. “I’m just not sure she’s ready to be with someone.”
“Her story tonight made that glaringly obvious,” I mutter. “I’m going to fucking kill that guy.”
I kick at the gravel beneath my boot. I had to leave her house before I started breaking things and scaring her. I’m furious, the anger coursing hot through my veins. Tyler deserves to pay, and I will ensure that he does. The tiny dicked fucker used her and lied to her for two damn years. Cheating is the one thing I will not tolerate, and by the disgust and shame written all over Lily’s face, I would bet she feels the same. Yet, he put her in that position without her knowledge. I’m not mad at her, but I am mad. She probably needs someone to hold her and be by her side after that admission, but I can’t be that person tonight. I need to go for a run. Or hit something. Preferably both.
“Put your hammer down, Thor. She’s going to need you around after we crush this guy, so we need to help her do it legally. Might be the one time to use your brother.”
A part of me hates that she’s even bringing him up, but she’s right. River has connections and sway that I will never have, and even though I try to never take advantage of his place in life, I will for Lily. Not that he will see it that way. He’s always trying to use his money and connections to do more for our family, even though we continually refuse.
“Yeah, I was already thinking that. She’s so pure, Chele. She watches my dog and makes me dinner, and she still hardly knows me. How could someone make her feel like less than she is?”
“The world is full of assholes. You and I both know that. She’s special, that’s for sure. Go home, eat that amazing dinner she made, and call me this weekend,” she says, climbing into her car.
“Michele,” I call, before she shuts her door. “I’ll wait for her, you know? To be ready.” Her smile is bright as she shuts her door before backing out and driving away. I open my passenger door and set the container on the seat before calling Shadow up to sit there, too. I shut the door, taking a moment to stare at the small cabin, marveling at how quickly this woman is worming her way into my heart. Then I hop in the truck and head for home where I can plan Tyler’s demise.
Shadow is waiting dutifully by the door for me on Friday afternoon when I get off of work. Today was a shit day. I couldn’t focus on anything but the anger still flowing through me. I know better than to let anger fester, so I change into shorts and head straight to the garage gym before I have dinner with my parents tonight.
Shadow sits on her mat in the corner, chewing on her bone, her eyes never straying far from me. She knows me the best, and she’s seen me push myself too hard in here when I am upset. She was by my side when I was almost crushed, pushing my chest press, and when I almost passed out after maxing out my deadlift. I had a lot of anger to work out when Jen left; anger at her, at myself, at the world in general.
I know Shadow can feel that same tense energy radiating off me now. I am furious at the world again. Cheaters piss me off, and when I heard those words tumble out of Lily’s mouth, it churned my stomach. I could feel the deep shame surrounding her, trying to drag her under. That whole situation is not her fault. He was the one in a position of power, the one manipulating and taking what should have never been his. He broke Lily, the woman who exudes light, kindness, and passion. The type of woman he could never deserve.
I finish my last set of squats, sweat dripping down my face and chest. My body still feels wound too tight, but my parents will be waiting on me, so I take a quick shower, load up Shadow, and head for their house. They live on the other side of town, which I am really starting to hate. I worry about them, not that they have given me a reason to. They’re getting up there in age and have a lot of land they still care for. My dad was a police officer who retired five years ago, and my mom was a school counselor at the high school until I graduated. She retired then too, and now they have a large garden that they use to fill the local food bank and farmer’s market.
Shadow knows exactly where we are as we pull into their long driveway. Her nose is pressed to the window, tail whipping me, ready to sprint out the moment I stop. She hops right over my lap and out of the truck the minute my door is open. The little shit sits right on their front mat and barks, knowing full well my mom will open the door with a treat in hand. The first time I brought her here, my mom showed me the treat container she bought and put on the entry table for her ‘new baby’.
Sure enough, as my boots thud up the steps, my mom opens the door to a patiently waiting Shadow. Her wild black tail swishing back and forth is the only thing giving away her excitement as the rest of her sits still as a stone. My mom places the treat carefully on her nose and gives her ear a scratch before giving her the okay to take it. Shadow flips it off her nose, catching it midair and runs inside with it.
I shake my head, as my mom wraps me in a hug. “I still don’t understand how you do that. I try at home sometimes, but she never waits for permission to eat it.”
“It’s a grandma thing,” she shrugs, leading me into the kitchen. “Wash up and you can chop the veggies while you tell me about the SAR case this week.”
“How do you always know everything?” I huff, washing my hands at the sink.
“That would be a mom thing. Be lucky I’m not asking you about the girl yet,” she winks, moving to remove a dish from the oven to place it on the island. I swear, I never see my mom in town, yet she is always up to date on all the latest gossip. “Go get grandpa,” she tells Shadow, opening the back door that leads to their garden.
I tell her about the rescue while we finish preparing dinner together. In my mom’s true fashion, she gushes about how proud she is of me for leading a successful team. It would feel good, but it was an easy rescue, all things considered. I found where communication between the team was lacking, and what we need to focus on with our next training. The fact that we got Kelsey out of there and she’s going to be fine is really the most important though.
My dad finally stomps his way into the house, dropping a kiss to my moms head on his way to the sink. They have a love most people dream about. It’s not to say they haven’t faced hardships, because they have, they’ve just loved each other harder through each one.
“Hey son,” he claps my shoulder, leaving a dirt handprint behind. “Did I miss the inquisition about the girl?”
I roll my eyes lovingly, dispersing the plates and dishes on the table. “Nope, mom saved that conversation just for you.”
We all take our seats, Shadow directly under my mom like always. “We just want to see you happy. That’s all we’ve ever wanted for you and River, and I happen to think you have good love karma coming your way after everything with Jen.”
I mumble around a bite of potatoes, “Is good love karma even a thing?”
“Probably,” my dad answers. “River said her name is Lily?”
Of course it came from River. My mom has been pestering him about settling down and making her a real grandma for years. It’s no surprise he pawned that attention off onto me.
“Yep, Lily bought Gary’s old cabin. She’s beautiful, kind, gentle, and loves Shadow. She isn’t in a place to date right now, though. The last guy did a real number on her, and she’s getting a lawyer involved. I was going to call Riv tonight to get the name of a good one.”
Both my parents go still, shoulders stiffening as they sit up. “Anything I can help with?” my dad asks. “I can get a restraining order started tonight, just let me make a call.”
“No, nothing like that dad. Plus, he’s in Arizona, where she’s from. Thanks though.”
“Does she have the support she needs?” I give a warm smile to my mom, ever the counselor and silent protector.
“She has me, and Michele has taken her under her wing, too. Her parents are in Florida, and don’t seem that involved with her.”
“I always liked that girl,” mom says about Michele, sneaking some food down to Shadow. The loud smacking of lips always gives her away. “You can bring Lily here for dinner. We can keep our mouths shut, but sometimes, it’s good to just know people are around.”
“Thanks, mom. I was actually going to ask if I can bring her next time anyway. I think she’d like to see your garden, and she writes those romance books you like.”
“Oh lord, not another one,” my dad grumbles. “Do you know how often I have to hear about what’s happening in her books?”
I can’t help but chuckle. I’ve heard my mom’s ramblings many times over whatever she is currently reading. She gets fully immersed and invested in every book. My dad can gripe about it all he wants, but I know he likes to listen to her recaps. I wonder if Lily is the same. I’ll have to ask her more about what her book is about, besides just baseball.
My mom waves her hand in my dad’s direction, dismissing him. “We would love to have her here. Now, tell me more about what’s going on. Can we help in any way?”
“She dated an older coworker who lied to her, took advantage of her, and then got her fired. It’s a lot more in depth than that, but that’s the gist. She’s going to sue for wrongful termination though,” I say, picking at my plate of food. “I would like to do a lot more than that.”
Both my parents nod at the sentiment. If there is one thing that my whole family shares, it is the fierce protectiveness we feel for those we care about. My parents saw a lot of people get mistreated and neglected through their careers. They always used the walnut analogy with River and I growing up. How, in this world, it is important to have a hard exterior in order to allow others' words and actions bounce off of us, especially while standing up for others who may be missing a hard shell of their own.
With that hard shell, we needed to have a soft inside. An inside filled with empathy, compassion and love. A soft place to feel the way we felt, and to care for others and ourselves. River always preferred the tough shell, but I tried to be the perfect walnut that my parents were. It’s why I feel so strongly about Lily’s situation. I want to be the protective barrier for her to keep her from any more hurt, but also have waiting arms for her to seek comfort in.
“It’s settled then,” my mom breaks me out of my thoughts. “She will come with you next time. Now that we have covered your love life, has River told you anything about Vanessa? The only information we have gotten from him is her name.”
Chuckling, I put my hands up in surrender at her meddling. “I’ll ask for all the juicy details when we talk next, I promise.”
“Good. Your mom bought Shadow three new bandanas last week. She needs an actual grandbaby, and soon,” dad grumbles playfully.
“Oh!” My mom drops her fork, leaving the room and coming back with a bag of goodies. “I forgot about those. They were buy two, get one free. I had to get three of them, David. I also got some new treats but wanted to check with you first to make sure they were okay to give.”
My mom pulls out a bandana with flowers printed on it, before passing me the bag to check the treats. She carefully ties it on Shadow’s neck, then slips her another bite of food. Watching both my parents gushing over my dog and continuing to rib each other over the appropriate spoiling level of a dog, I am hit with a conflicting wave of grief and joy. I am so lucky to have parents who are so involved in my life and care so deeply, but it guts me that there are people like Lily who have no siblings and absent parents. I want her to feel the love and chaos that family brings. She deserves it.
We spent the rest of dinner talking about their garden, and what was growing well this year. The weather has been kind to them and it seems to be flourishing, much to their enjoyment. When our plates were empty and stomachs full, I helped my mom clean up while my dad threw on the sports channel to watch the highlights with my dog.
“Can I steal a few clippings from your lilac bush before I leave? They’re Lily’s favorite, and I told her about yours.”
Mom stops putting the plates away, grabbing the scissors and handing them to me with a smirk. She places her hand over her heart, a twinkle shining in her eyes. “You’ve always been my softie. Never change that heart of yours, baby.”
It’s getting close to the end of season for the lilacs to bloom so I scour through the bush finding the best and most fragrant flowers. By the time I get inside with a handful, my mom is waiting with a small vase already filled with water for me. I say goodbye to my parents, promising to get the inside scoop on River’s girlfriend and to bring Lily by as soon as I can. The heavy set of my shoulders feels lighter when I hop in the truck and head home.
When I pull down Alder Ave, I put my truck in park behind the trees at the end of Lily’s driveway and walk the flowers to her door. Leaving them on her front mat, I knock on the door and run to the woods, hiding behind some trees. Staying put, I watch her open her door in a pajama set, a fuzzy sweater wrapped tight around her. She looks around before spotting the vase of flowers. The smile that takes over her face is enough to light me up for a week. Lily stays on the porch for a minute breathing in the flowers before she giggles to herself and steps back inside. Shadow is impatiently waiting for me in the truck when I trudge back, and we head home for the night.
I change into lounge shorts, grab a beer from the fridge and splay out on the couch. Grabbing my phone, I tap River’s name and wait for him to answer.
After the fourth ring, his loud voice answers, “If it isn’t the god of thunder!”
“Har-har, dickbag. You know my hammer brings the thunder.” I quip back.
“Gross, don’t talk about your dick. How are things? You haven’t called since your date last weekend.”
We usually talk weekly, but it has been a minute. I hate asking my brother for things, and now I am about to ask him for two favors. “Things are going. I do want to catch up, but I also called for a reason.”
“What’s up?” His voice takes on a serious tone. We like to joke, River more than me, but he can change his tune quickly when necessary.
“Well, first, I want to bring Lily out for a game. I was hoping you could show her around the dugout and locker room or whatever to help her with her book?”
“Done, pick a day and let me know. I’ll get good seats and take you guys to dinner after so she can see what it’s like being in public with me and ask anything she wants. What’s the next one because you sound too upset to be asking about a game.”
“I need a lawyer. And not just any, I need the best. A woman if possible.” I didn’t ask Lily about this yet, but I think she would feel more comfortable being honest in detail with a woman. Someone who will be understanding and not run the risk of another man making her feel small. She didn’t ask us to find her a lawyer, but this is one thing I can easily do to take off her plate.
“What trouble are you in? I don’t have a game tomorrow, I can be on the road in twenty,” his voice is stern and there’s a rustling in the background as he moves around his apartment.
“Not me, I’m fine, you can calm down. It’s for Lily.”
He’s quiet for a moment on the other end before he breathes out, “Explain.”
So I do. I tell him everything that I overheard her say and what happened to my knowledge. How upset she was, how angry I was, and that she agreed to get lawyers involved. I even told him I tried to Google the guy, but I don’t know his last name, and I don’t know which of the two major financial firms in Phoenix he works at.
River remains pretty silent through it all, grunting or hissing out a ‘fuck’ here or there. By the time I finish, he sounds as pissed off as I am about the whole situation.
“Kinsley DeWitt is your girl. I haven’t worked with her, but one of the team docs has. Said she helped her through a defamation and harassment suit in a previous workplace. DeWitt is known for being a shark in the courtroom, but the doc said she was understanding and a girl’s girl.”
“Sounds like you know a lot about that situation,” I needle him, poking for information.
“It’s not like that, she’s a good friend. She’s the one who introduced me to Vanessa. Let me get in touch with DeWitt and have her reach out to you guys. I’ve got the fees covered.”
I roll my eyes even knowing he can’t see. “I don’t need you to do that, I’m taking care of them.”
He grunts in response. Besides Michele, River is the only one who knows I’ve been buying land and property since I turned twenty. First, it started as an idea to have a nice plot of land to retire on, then it turned into wanting to preserve the land and stop some commercial real estate. Now I buy a few properties here and there because it’s a good investment and I can be a fair landlord to those that need it.
“So, now with that part done, I had dinner with mom and dad tonight,” I move the conversation along.
“Fuck. I’m not getting married, I’m not having babies yet, and Vanessa is a very nice lady that I have been official with for about three months. That’s all you get,” he grumbles.
His summary makes me chuckle. Our parents will never change. We stay on the phone for another twenty minutes talking about life, work, and women. Between my conversation with my parents and the call with Riv, I feel a lot better about everything. I just need to let Lily know I might have found her a lawyer and convince her that she’s doing it pro bono. When we end the call, my phone dings with a text.
Lily:
Thank you.
Thoren:
For…?
Lily:
The flowers. My whole cabin smells heavenly already.
My smile breaks free, and I get the urge to go over and smell it for myself. I haven’t talked to her since yesterday evening besides a text to thank her for the incredible dinner. I just needed to clear my head and have a plan before I see her again.
Thoren:
That sounds nice. Someone must have been thinking of you. You busy tomorrow morning, say around 9:30?
Lily:
Nope, free as a bird.
Thoren:
I’m leading a group hike, Fremont Falls. Want to come?
The three dots pop up then disappear again. I wait only for her to leave me on read. I let Shadow out one more time, then brush my teeth and climb in bed. Right as I turn out my bedside lamp, my phone pings again.
Lily:
Michele and I will be there. Looking forward to it.