only mid-November. What the fuck’s with the weather lately?”
“Have you ever heard of a little thing called ‘global warming’?” Drake asked.
“Fuck that—that’s just a bunch of bullshit propaganda put out there by the tree huggers.”
“You’re probably right. I’m sure those scientist who’ve devoted their lives to study that sort of thing are just trying to put one over on us.” Drake rolled his eyes. “We’re ready whenever you are.”
Before Stony could say anything more, Drake shut the cockpit door and joined the passengers. He found Joseph standing in the aisle, trying to reassure the young men that they should be thankful no one was hurt in the fires. He also preached that they should think of the next few months as a chance to see a different part of the country.
Drake had nothing to add to the discussion, so he took a seat towards the front of the plane. It hadn’t been easy to convince Joseph to leave the burned out shelter, but like he’d said he would, Drake had played the guilt card. He’d told Joseph not only was it unsafe for him to stay in DC, but he couldn’t just ship eleven troubled runaway teens to Oggie without at least giving him some help to get them settled in.
Retrieving his phone from his pocket, Drake stared at it. He wanted to call Oggie— simply to hear the man’s voice—but it was six in the morning, DC time, which meant it was only four in Wyoming.
“Trouble?” Joseph asked, taking a seat next to Drake.
“No.” Drake turned off his phone and put it in his shirt pocket. “Just thinking about calling Oggie to give him an ETA, but I’m sure he’s still asleep.”
Joseph fastened his seat belt as the private jet taxied to the runway. “I lost everything,” he said, sounding defeated.
“No you didn’t.” Drake nodded towards the back of the plane. “You’ve still got what really matters.”
Joseph’s eyes filled with tears. “Yes, I should be ashamed of myself for feeling that way, but I no longer have pictures of my Phillip.”
“I’m sorry.” Drake knew how much he treasured the photos and other mementos of his mom, so he could understand why Joseph felt the way he did.
Joseph rubbed his hands over his face. “Don’t pay any attention to me. My mind and emotions are all over the place right now.”
“That’s to be expected.”
“I’m not afraid of Willy B,” Joseph stated. “As long as he doesn’t get near one of my boys again, I’ll do whatever it takes to stop him from hurting another street kid.” Joseph cleared his throat. “Maybe it’s a good thing I’m going to Wyoming. Right now, I think Willy’s the one who should be afraid of me.”
Drake felt an odd kinship with the priest. He bumped his shoulder against Joseph’s. “Would it make you feel better if I told you Cullen went sledding yesterday?”
A gentle smile crossed Joseph’s handsome face. “Helps a lot, actually.”
“Good, then I should also tell you that he laughed his butt off the entire time, and even curled up by the fire with the rest of us afterwards and drank hot chocolate.”
“Stop it.” Joseph sounded completely shocked.
“I swear.” Drake held his hand up as if to testify. “I think he needed to get away from the city.”
“Or me,” Joseph mumbled.
Fuck. The last thing Drake had wanted was to bring Joseph down even further. He remembered what Oggie had told him about Cullen’s age and wondered whether it was his place to say something. A string of curses wound their way through his head when he glanced at the dejected man. Maybe he’d made Cullen’s time at Second Chance sound like more than it had actually been. “It was his first day of even smiling, so don’t feel too bad.”
Joseph took a deep breath. “He comes off like he’s really tough, but he’s not.”
“Yeah, I think you’re right about that,” Drake agreed.
* * * *
“Joseph’s coming here?”
Oggie dropped an armful of new towels, fresh from the dryer, beside Cullen.
“Have you ever heard of a little thing called ‘global warming’?” Drake asked.
“Fuck that—that’s just a bunch of bullshit propaganda put out there by the tree huggers.”
“You’re probably right. I’m sure those scientist who’ve devoted their lives to study that sort of thing are just trying to put one over on us.” Drake rolled his eyes. “We’re ready whenever you are.”
Before Stony could say anything more, Drake shut the cockpit door and joined the passengers. He found Joseph standing in the aisle, trying to reassure the young men that they should be thankful no one was hurt in the fires. He also preached that they should think of the next few months as a chance to see a different part of the country.
Drake had nothing to add to the discussion, so he took a seat towards the front of the plane. It hadn’t been easy to convince Joseph to leave the burned out shelter, but like he’d said he would, Drake had played the guilt card. He’d told Joseph not only was it unsafe for him to stay in DC, but he couldn’t just ship eleven troubled runaway teens to Oggie without at least giving him some help to get them settled in.
Retrieving his phone from his pocket, Drake stared at it. He wanted to call Oggie— simply to hear the man’s voice—but it was six in the morning, DC time, which meant it was only four in Wyoming.
“Trouble?” Joseph asked, taking a seat next to Drake.
“No.” Drake turned off his phone and put it in his shirt pocket. “Just thinking about calling Oggie to give him an ETA, but I’m sure he’s still asleep.”
Joseph fastened his seat belt as the private jet taxied to the runway. “I lost everything,” he said, sounding defeated.
“No you didn’t.” Drake nodded towards the back of the plane. “You’ve still got what really matters.”
Joseph’s eyes filled with tears. “Yes, I should be ashamed of myself for feeling that way, but I no longer have pictures of my Phillip.”
“I’m sorry.” Drake knew how much he treasured the photos and other mementos of his mom, so he could understand why Joseph felt the way he did.
Joseph rubbed his hands over his face. “Don’t pay any attention to me. My mind and emotions are all over the place right now.”
“That’s to be expected.”
“I’m not afraid of Willy B,” Joseph stated. “As long as he doesn’t get near one of my boys again, I’ll do whatever it takes to stop him from hurting another street kid.” Joseph cleared his throat. “Maybe it’s a good thing I’m going to Wyoming. Right now, I think Willy’s the one who should be afraid of me.”
Drake felt an odd kinship with the priest. He bumped his shoulder against Joseph’s. “Would it make you feel better if I told you Cullen went sledding yesterday?”
A gentle smile crossed Joseph’s handsome face. “Helps a lot, actually.”
“Good, then I should also tell you that he laughed his butt off the entire time, and even curled up by the fire with the rest of us afterwards and drank hot chocolate.”
“Stop it.” Joseph sounded completely shocked.
“I swear.” Drake held his hand up as if to testify. “I think he needed to get away from the city.”
“Or me,” Joseph mumbled.
Fuck. The last thing Drake had wanted was to bring Joseph down even further. He remembered what Oggie had told him about Cullen’s age and wondered whether it was his place to say something. A string of curses wound their way through his head when he glanced at the dejected man. Maybe he’d made Cullen’s time at Second Chance sound like more than it had actually been. “It was his first day of even smiling, so don’t feel too bad.”
Joseph took a deep breath. “He comes off like he’s really tough, but he’s not.”
“Yeah, I think you’re right about that,” Drake agreed.
* * * *
“Joseph’s coming here?”
Oggie dropped an armful of new towels, fresh from the dryer, beside Cullen.
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