Page 112 of Finding His Redemption

He froze, his hand tightening on the frame. After everything that had happened—after she’d told him she couldn’t have him around Oliver, after the way she’d looked at him like he was something dangerous—she was asking him to stay.

He turned slowly, searching her face in the dim light spilling from the hallway. Her eyes were red-rimmed from crying, her hair still damp from the rain, and there was a fragility in her expression that made his chest ache.

“You sure about that? Last time we talked, you made it pretty clear where you stood.”

She flinched, and he immediately regretted the edge in his tone.

Christ, the woman had just spent hours thinking her son was lost in the woods in a storm. The last thing she needed was him taking his hurt feelings out on her.

“I’m sorry. That was... I shouldn’t have said that.”

She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly looking small and lost standing next to her son’s bed. “No, you’re right. I said terrible things to you. Things I didn’t mean.”

“You were protecting Oliver. I get it.”

“Was I?” Her voice cracked. “Or was I just being a coward?”

He wanted to go to her, to pull her into his arms and tell her it was okay, that he understood. But the space between them felt charged with everything they hadn’t said, everything that had gone wrong.

“Nessie—”

“I promised you an explanation.”

He searched her face, looking for… he wasn’t sure what.

“Please,” she whispered. “Stay.”

Finally, he nodded. “Let me go tell Ghost.”

In the alleyway behind the bakery, he found Ghost leaning against the side of his truck, a lit cigar between his teeth as he watched a calico cat clean its face with one paw.

“Those things will kill you.”

A flicker of a smile crossed Ghost’s lips as he removed the cigar and blew out a puff of smoke. “What, cats? I believe that. They’re evil little shits.”

“Look at you with the jokes. River would be proud.”

“Don’t tell him. He doesn’t need to know I have a sense of humor.” Ghost’s gaze went to the windows of the apartment, glowing soft yellow against the night, and his expression turned serious. “You laid some heavy truths on that kid tonight.”

“He needed to hear it.”

“Yup.” He didn’t seem inclined to say more on the subject, which was one of the reasons Jax liked the guy so much.

They fell into silence.

Jax leaned against the truck beside Ghost and looked up at the sky. The storm had cleared, leaving a winter-like chill in its wake.

Thank God Oliver wasn’t still out in this.

He cupped his hands and blew into them. “It’s May. Why is it so fucking cold?”

“Sometimes I forget you’re a California boy. Welcome to Montana.” Ghost took another deep inhale of his cigar. “So, you staying?”

“She asked me to.”

“Figured as much.”

“She says she owes me an explanation.”