saw the shooter tumble
back just as his body hit the sidewalk. Fuck, Micah thought, his
mom and grandparents were going to be pissed if he died
today.
~~~
Howie moved between the two operating
rooms like he was on a mission. He supposed in a way he was. His
grandson was going to be fine, they’d told him, but needed to have
the bullet removed before he could shift. It was lodged in his ribs
a little too close to his heart. Howie knew that his other
grandson, Nolan, would bring him through. But the girl, she was his
biggest concern.
He laughed a little when he thought of
her being brought in. She’d been cursing up a storm about insurance
and money. Howie had thought his missus was going to have a heart
attack when the little bitty thing had grabbed Burke by the balls
and told him to leave her alone. He’d calmly told her that she’d
been shot and it was his duty to make sure she didn’t die. His
brother had made him promise. All the while he’d been talking to
her, a nurse had been shooting her up with something to make her
sleep. The look on little Reggie’s face when she realized what was
happening made him think that nurse had better not be around when
Reggie came out of it. Now she was in surgery too.
“ Do you think they’re
going to be all right?” He looked over at the love of his life and
pulled her into his arms. Howie felt better right away and told her
that he knew they would. “She’d lost a lot of blood, Burke said. Of
course it didn’t seem to slow her down much, but he was
concerned.”
“ She’s a spitfire is what
she is.” Katie nodded and smiled. “They’ll be fine. The one I’m
worried about is Gracie. That woman can’t lose another person in
her life. I thought for sure we’d lose her when my Micah
died.”
His son had been shot just a year ago.
Everyone knew that, but no one but Katie knew that he’d reached for
his dad with his dying breath, begging him to watch over them all,
his children and especially his wife. Then he’d asked his father
for one promise and so far, even a year later, he hadn’t been able
to make good on it. Howie was to make sure that Micah’s sons had
mates that would love them as he did his own. And that Howie should
care for Micah’s wife, Gracie, like she was his child. That was
easy but the rest, not so much. The boys were being
stubborn.
Howie had cried for three days before
he’d gone to see Gracie after Micah had died. Of course by then
she’d had her boys around her, which was the way it should have
been. But there was no talking to her then, not about the promises
he’d made to his son as he lay dying.
“ This girl, she might be
the bond that brings them out of this.” Howie asked her what she
meant. “They’ve been suffering. All of us have, but those kids and
Gracie have not had a good time in a long time. She was just
telling me yesterday that she’s no desire to have a Thanksgiving
dinner this year, and might not even put up a tree. You know how
our Micah loved those two holidays.”
“ He did. And him going
like he did only a few weeks before Thanksgiving has made them all
hate the days.” He and Katie had cooked them up a little turkey
roast last year at Christmas. The thing wasn’t fit to eat, but
they’d made the effort. Gracie and her boys hadn’t even put up a
single light. There had to be something to bring them out of
this.
“ Joey did a search on her.
She’s been through some hard times herself. You remember that thing
with the Websters? And what those men did to that family?” He
looked at his wife of seventy years, not believing this young thing
in the other room was the child his Micah had seen. “It’s her. And
she cares for her brother, too. He’s in a nursing home. Joey said
it was the worst one he’d ever been in, and he’d been in a lot
working his way through college. But she’s paying for it because
there is no insurance for him to collect on. That family had
nothing left after all the medical
back just as his body hit the sidewalk. Fuck, Micah thought, his
mom and grandparents were going to be pissed if he died
today.
~~~
Howie moved between the two operating
rooms like he was on a mission. He supposed in a way he was. His
grandson was going to be fine, they’d told him, but needed to have
the bullet removed before he could shift. It was lodged in his ribs
a little too close to his heart. Howie knew that his other
grandson, Nolan, would bring him through. But the girl, she was his
biggest concern.
He laughed a little when he thought of
her being brought in. She’d been cursing up a storm about insurance
and money. Howie had thought his missus was going to have a heart
attack when the little bitty thing had grabbed Burke by the balls
and told him to leave her alone. He’d calmly told her that she’d
been shot and it was his duty to make sure she didn’t die. His
brother had made him promise. All the while he’d been talking to
her, a nurse had been shooting her up with something to make her
sleep. The look on little Reggie’s face when she realized what was
happening made him think that nurse had better not be around when
Reggie came out of it. Now she was in surgery too.
“ Do you think they’re
going to be all right?” He looked over at the love of his life and
pulled her into his arms. Howie felt better right away and told her
that he knew they would. “She’d lost a lot of blood, Burke said. Of
course it didn’t seem to slow her down much, but he was
concerned.”
“ She’s a spitfire is what
she is.” Katie nodded and smiled. “They’ll be fine. The one I’m
worried about is Gracie. That woman can’t lose another person in
her life. I thought for sure we’d lose her when my Micah
died.”
His son had been shot just a year ago.
Everyone knew that, but no one but Katie knew that he’d reached for
his dad with his dying breath, begging him to watch over them all,
his children and especially his wife. Then he’d asked his father
for one promise and so far, even a year later, he hadn’t been able
to make good on it. Howie was to make sure that Micah’s sons had
mates that would love them as he did his own. And that Howie should
care for Micah’s wife, Gracie, like she was his child. That was
easy but the rest, not so much. The boys were being
stubborn.
Howie had cried for three days before
he’d gone to see Gracie after Micah had died. Of course by then
she’d had her boys around her, which was the way it should have
been. But there was no talking to her then, not about the promises
he’d made to his son as he lay dying.
“ This girl, she might be
the bond that brings them out of this.” Howie asked her what she
meant. “They’ve been suffering. All of us have, but those kids and
Gracie have not had a good time in a long time. She was just
telling me yesterday that she’s no desire to have a Thanksgiving
dinner this year, and might not even put up a tree. You know how
our Micah loved those two holidays.”
“ He did. And him going
like he did only a few weeks before Thanksgiving has made them all
hate the days.” He and Katie had cooked them up a little turkey
roast last year at Christmas. The thing wasn’t fit to eat, but
they’d made the effort. Gracie and her boys hadn’t even put up a
single light. There had to be something to bring them out of
this.
“ Joey did a search on her.
She’s been through some hard times herself. You remember that thing
with the Websters? And what those men did to that family?” He
looked at his wife of seventy years, not believing this young thing
in the other room was the child his Micah had seen. “It’s her. And
she cares for her brother, too. He’s in a nursing home. Joey said
it was the worst one he’d ever been in, and he’d been in a lot
working his way through college. But she’s paying for it because
there is no insurance for him to collect on. That family had
nothing left after all the medical
Similar Books
