shoved his hands into his front pockets, looking, for all the world, lost. Malcolm hated to see him that way.
Yes, he knew he was changing with Luke in his life, but he didn’t think it was for the worst. Luke made him feel like a young man again. He made Malcolm smile on the inside. He knew Riley didn’t have a problem with him being happy.
His son had a problem letting him go.
Sharing him.
“Supper will be ready soon. Why don’t you go on inside? I’ll finish up here.”
Riley nodded, walking from the barn like a kicked puppy. Malcolm hated to see him like that. Everyone was finding their mates, yet he was still without.
Malcolm walked to the barn door, the twins still goofing off on the front porch. “Get your asses in here,” he bellowed.
The two came running.
“Finish Riley’s chores.”
“But, Pa,” Chauncey whined until he saw the set of Malcolm’s jaw. “On it.”
Malcolm smiled as he walked from the barn. Those two were born with trouble stamped on their foreheads.
Grabbing the reins, Malcolm climbed up onto Lover Lost’s back and headed back to his own work. He tipped his Stetson back, his gaze roaming as he thought about Riley. His son was having a hard time with accepting the fact that no one was out to hurt his pa.
He got that.
But he also knew that sometimes kids had a hard time accepting the new parent, even when they were grown. Riley had always felt compelled to look out for Malcolm, even though he could take care of himself.
Now it was Luke’s job, and letting go sometimes was the hardest thing to do.
Chapter Eleven
“I brought you some coffee,” Pa said as he entered D’s bedroom.
He looked up at Pa, wondering if the man had lost his mind. Since when did Pa voluntarily bring him coffee? He was more likely to take it from D.
“No thank you,” he replied from his bed.
D was curled up, blankets wrapped around him to his shoulders, cocooning in his pain, keeping it from spilling out and taunting him. His heart was shattered and a big, gaping, bloodsucking hole sat in the center of his chest, eating away at him, reminding him of what he had lost.
His mate was dead to him, gone, forever lost.
And Pa was offering him coffee.
How ironic.
“You can’t hide in here forever, D.”
“Wanna bet?” D said as he glanced down at the floor, fresh tears prickling at his eyes. “I have no reason to come out. My mate has disowned me. Why would I want to live?”
Pa set the pot on D’s dresser as he crossed the room and sat on his bed. D didn’t want any company or soothing words.
He wanted his mate.
The pain was so consuming that D was surprised it hadn’t killed him. How could anyone hurt this bad and still be alive? It wasn’t possible. His entire body ached to be held by Sloane, a man that declared his death to D.
What was the point?
“I’ll leave the coffee here for you. Christian sent over some blood. You should drink some. You’re getting too thin.”
D could hear the worry in the bear’s voice, but he didn’t care. Sloane didn’t want him. His mate did not want him. D turned over, staring at the wall as hopeless despair filled him anew. He hated himself for what he had done and wished by all that was good that he could take it back. But he knew that some things couldn’t be forgiven.
Placing a hit on his mate’s head was at the top of that list.
“You should shower as well,” Pa said, trying to use levity. D appreciated it, but it was lost on him. He’d never smile again.
He had no reason.
Pa got up from the bed, patting D’s arm as he left him to his wallowing misery. D deserved his misery and so much more for what he had done. He lay there as the tears blinded him, running down in rivulets to drip onto his bed.
His body shook as he cried, holding his midsection and praying the pain would end soon. His life was over because he had been scared of the unknown.
And now he was mateless.
* * * *
Luke grabbed Malcolm’s hand as he walked with
Yes, he knew he was changing with Luke in his life, but he didn’t think it was for the worst. Luke made him feel like a young man again. He made Malcolm smile on the inside. He knew Riley didn’t have a problem with him being happy.
His son had a problem letting him go.
Sharing him.
“Supper will be ready soon. Why don’t you go on inside? I’ll finish up here.”
Riley nodded, walking from the barn like a kicked puppy. Malcolm hated to see him like that. Everyone was finding their mates, yet he was still without.
Malcolm walked to the barn door, the twins still goofing off on the front porch. “Get your asses in here,” he bellowed.
The two came running.
“Finish Riley’s chores.”
“But, Pa,” Chauncey whined until he saw the set of Malcolm’s jaw. “On it.”
Malcolm smiled as he walked from the barn. Those two were born with trouble stamped on their foreheads.
Grabbing the reins, Malcolm climbed up onto Lover Lost’s back and headed back to his own work. He tipped his Stetson back, his gaze roaming as he thought about Riley. His son was having a hard time with accepting the fact that no one was out to hurt his pa.
He got that.
But he also knew that sometimes kids had a hard time accepting the new parent, even when they were grown. Riley had always felt compelled to look out for Malcolm, even though he could take care of himself.
Now it was Luke’s job, and letting go sometimes was the hardest thing to do.
Chapter Eleven
“I brought you some coffee,” Pa said as he entered D’s bedroom.
He looked up at Pa, wondering if the man had lost his mind. Since when did Pa voluntarily bring him coffee? He was more likely to take it from D.
“No thank you,” he replied from his bed.
D was curled up, blankets wrapped around him to his shoulders, cocooning in his pain, keeping it from spilling out and taunting him. His heart was shattered and a big, gaping, bloodsucking hole sat in the center of his chest, eating away at him, reminding him of what he had lost.
His mate was dead to him, gone, forever lost.
And Pa was offering him coffee.
How ironic.
“You can’t hide in here forever, D.”
“Wanna bet?” D said as he glanced down at the floor, fresh tears prickling at his eyes. “I have no reason to come out. My mate has disowned me. Why would I want to live?”
Pa set the pot on D’s dresser as he crossed the room and sat on his bed. D didn’t want any company or soothing words.
He wanted his mate.
The pain was so consuming that D was surprised it hadn’t killed him. How could anyone hurt this bad and still be alive? It wasn’t possible. His entire body ached to be held by Sloane, a man that declared his death to D.
What was the point?
“I’ll leave the coffee here for you. Christian sent over some blood. You should drink some. You’re getting too thin.”
D could hear the worry in the bear’s voice, but he didn’t care. Sloane didn’t want him. His mate did not want him. D turned over, staring at the wall as hopeless despair filled him anew. He hated himself for what he had done and wished by all that was good that he could take it back. But he knew that some things couldn’t be forgiven.
Placing a hit on his mate’s head was at the top of that list.
“You should shower as well,” Pa said, trying to use levity. D appreciated it, but it was lost on him. He’d never smile again.
He had no reason.
Pa got up from the bed, patting D’s arm as he left him to his wallowing misery. D deserved his misery and so much more for what he had done. He lay there as the tears blinded him, running down in rivulets to drip onto his bed.
His body shook as he cried, holding his midsection and praying the pain would end soon. His life was over because he had been scared of the unknown.
And now he was mateless.
* * * *
Luke grabbed Malcolm’s hand as he walked with
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