Chapter 10 #2
“Fine,” I mutter, standing. “Do I need to sign anything?”
“I’ll send a report to Brooks via email. You can sign Liam out at the front desk.”
I nod, nudging Liam on the shoulder. “Let’s go, kid.”
Liam gets up on his feet and follows me back down the hall to the front office. “You okay?” I whisper.
His shoulders hike up to his ears, but he doesn’t say a word. The ride back to the ranch is quiet, apart from Liam shooting Ava a few curious glances from where he’s wedged between us on the bench seat. We find Rhett waiting on the porch steps of the main house, sipping from a bottle of beer.
“Hey!” he shouts toward Liam as he jumps out of the truck. “What did I tell you about that anger?”
The question catches me off guard—I wasn’t aware Rhett’s already addressed the subject of anger with our nephew.
“Let him explain,” I call back, giving Rhett a sharp look.
I don’t care what school policy is, Liam didn’t do anything wrong.
Rhett and I would have done the same thing to defend ourselves in his situation.
Rhett’s eyes narrow. “Fine. Explain.”
So Liam does. This time, he shares that Max and his friends have been heckling him for weeks, calling him a “sissy boy” who misses his “mommy.”
“Who the fuck’s this kid’s dad?” Rhett asks with an icy tone.
“I’m not sure,” I answer. I tried to place who his parents might be the whole ride back.
“Greene?” Ava chimes in behind me. I almost forgot she was still here. “Might be Silas Greene.”
“Oh shit,” Rhett says. “The owner of the hardware store!” He points a finger at her, the rest of his hand still wrapped around his beer bottle. “You’re good, Ava Jones.”
She grins. “He’s friends with my dad.”
“And he doesn’t like us,” I add. “Not since our dad robbed his store.”
“Makes sense that he’d be encouraging his kid to be a dick.”
“Hey,” I warn. “The kid’s innocent. He’s just mirroring his father.”
“You’re right,” Rhett agrees. “His dad is a dick, and he’s going to regret the day he decided to fuck with my nephew.”
Liam laughs. I roll my eyes. “Rhett,” I scold. “I’ll talk to him. You need to stay out of trouble, for fuck’s sake.” I won’t say more in front of Liam or Ava, but he knows exactly what I’m talking about.
“Maybe I can help,” Ava suggests.
All three of us Bennetts turn to look at her. “How?” Rhett asks.
Ava smirks. “Just give me a few days. I’ll come up with something.”
It’s honestly a little scary to see that look on her face again, the one she used to get while planning revenge against someone who’d wronged her.
She always had a flair for the dramatics, and she was so good at creating elaborate schemes to ensure her target felt the weight of her vengeance.
I remember swearing to myself I’d never give her a reason to aim that weapon my way.
I was always on her side of things, even when I didn’t necessarily agree with what she was doing.
Back then, Ava valued loyalty more than pretty much anything else.
I think she had a lot of broken pieces of her heart that needed mending, and now as I look at her, I can’t help but wonder if she still does.
It’s a reminder, really. To protect myself in all of this.
“Look, Liam,” I say in an attempt to get this conversation back on track.
“You didn’t do anything wrong. Sticking up for yourself might sometimes look dangerous to other people, and your principal is responsible for lots of kids in that school—she’s doing the best she can to keep order.
I get it. But I want you to hear me say that, in this family, we will always support your right to defend yourself. ”
Liam grins. “Thanks, Uncle Kasey.”
“That said,” I continue, and his smile drops. “If I ever hear that you’re the one out there starting problems, you will absolutely be facing the consequences. We are not bullies, and we do not find joy or humor or fun in the pain of other people. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, sir,” he confirms. “I hear you, I promise.”
I grip his shoulder and pull him in for a hug.
“I’m sorry that you had to deal with Max and his friends.
You’re going through a lot right now, and their words are nothing but a cruel attempt to make themselves feel bigger.
I know it’s hard, but you have to brush it off as best as you can, okay?
You’re a strong kid, Liam, and you’re smart as hell.
Don’t let kids like that get the best of you, okay? ”
Liam nods again. And then he asks, “Why do people hate our family?”
Ava snorts, crossing her arms over her chest. The question is a gut punch. Even Rhett blows out a long breath.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“You know exactly what he means,” Rhett chides.
I shoot him a glare. “I want to hear it from Liam.”
Liam’s eyes bounce between us, no doubt trying to decipher all the things we’re not saying. “It’s just that, it feels like people don’t like us, or think something’s wrong with us. When grownups hear my last name they look at me funny.”
I sigh. “Well, I guess our family has sometimes found it difficult to get along with other families from town. Grandpa Bennett didn’t always behave well—he acted like a bully, himself.
And a lot of the grownups remember the way he treated them.
Your dad and us brothers have tried to undo some of that bad reputation, but it hasn’t exactly been easy.
” I look at Rhett again. “We’re still working on it,” I admit.
“But we all want you and your brothers to have an easier time. And you can, I promise. But it starts now. The choices you make today will mold you into the man you’re going to be in the future. Does that make sense?”
“Yes, sir,” Liam confirms.
“And remember,” Rhett adds, “when you make poor choices that hurt other people, it affects the rest of this family. Especially your brothers.” There’s a hard line set in his jaw, and I feel the weight of his own regret in the air around us.
I keep my eyes on Rhett when I say, “Everyone makes mistakes. It’s a part of life. The goal is to be a better man tomorrow than you were today.”
Rhett flashes a grin that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
The front door swings open, revealing my mom on the other side. She’s wearing a yellow house dress, her hair pinned in a neat bun on the top of her head. “There you are,” she says, looking at Liam.
“Go easy on him, Ma,” I say. “Let him tell you his side.”
She tuts. “Don’t I always listen to you boys and your sides?”
This time, Rhett’s smile is genuine. “She’s got you there,” he says.
I laugh, turning back to Ava. “How are you feeling?” I ask.
“Fine,” she says. And I believe her.
“Wanna go for a ride?”