Page 91 of The Grizzly Situation

“Brent, let it go. You all saved me. Again. I have nothing but love for everybody. Your father? Yeah, not so much. But we’ll never see him again, so there’s no issues.”

He was quiet then, dipping the cloth into the water, watching as it stained red. I knew this hurt him, but I also hoped he’d come to understand how much I appreciated what everyone had done for me and him tonight.

We were family, after all.

After he finished washing my face, he emptied the water, then came back and called the boys to us. We all lay quietly until Cullin informed us that Gavin’s plane had left Bear Mountain.

He wouldn’t be missed.

Chapter Twenty-Four

BRENT

The end camethree weeks later. I got the call from the hospice telling me he’d gone in his sleep. I’ll be honest, for a while I wasn’t sure how I should feel. Especially after the nurse said he’d been in no pain, but her voice told a different story. He’d suffered, and I wasn’t sure if I felt happy or sad.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Uly asked, wrapping an arm around my waist as we lay in bed.

“Just wondering if I was wrong. Should I have let him stay here?”

“Only you can answer that question. You’re one of the few who knew everything he’d done. If I’m honest, I think Chaim would agree with your choice. He dared to attack Benjy, he swiped at our kids, and?—”

“You said our kids.” My insides went all gooey.

“I’m sorry, I thought?—”

“No! You said it, and you aren’t allowed to take it back.”

“I wasn’t going to. Still, I should have talked to you before I assumed.”

“You heard me tell him they were our boys, so you didn’t need to ask anything. I do need to know, though. What would you have done?”

He sighed. “I’m not a bear. I haven’t spent my whole life in a sleuth, learning the ways of your people. For me, it would have been a different approach based on what I was taught. I wouldn’t have forgiven him, but I would have let him die at home.”

“You should have said something.”

A quick scowl that was clear, even in the darkened room. “Really? He attacked you. Benjy. Chaim. The boys. My limited supply of sympathy would have been gone immediately after that.”

I rolled over and pulled him to me. He sighed and snuggled in.

“No, it wouldn’t. That’s one of the reasons I love you so much. You seem to have a limitless supply of goodness in your heart. You balance out my anger issues.”

“Psh, please. You are one of the most levelheaded people I know. When the kids broke that vase you had in the great room, did you yell?”

“No, but not for the reason you think.”

“Fine. Tell me why.”

“Because it was fugly, man. Who the hell put a neon orange and neon purple color scheme like that on something you’re meant to display? In fact, after they knocked it over, it was only cracked. I might haveaccidentallygiven it a kick to finish the job.”

“You did not!”

“I said might have!” I protested. Even though I totally did.

Uly chuckled. “I told Deb she shouldn’t have let Jamie spend money on it. I swear, I thought it was a gag gift, but he liked the combination. And so you know? I nudged it the day before.”

“You little asshole. I only put it up because your brother sent it.”

“Well, accidents happen. I told them we had it in a place of honor, and the boys accidentally knocked it over. Jamie said he’d get another, but I told him the boys weren’t old enough to have something that fragile in the house.”