“Really? Then why didn’t she…” She trailed off before finally adding, “You two look so different from each other. I never would have guessed.”
“Technically, she’s my foster sister…or was , seeing as we’ve both aged out of the system, but she’s the only family I’ve ever had. Since the day we met, I’ve always viewed her as my little sister.”
Foster sister?
“You were…oh, God, Carson. I’m so sorry.” Before I could so much as blink, she had her arms wrapped around my waist, squeezing me with more strength than I knew she possessed. “I had no idea. You’ve never really talked about your family, so I just thought you were a private guy.”
Of their own accord, my arms went around her soft body, holding her to me tightly. “It’s okay. I’m sorry I haven’t told you; it’s just not something I’m all that comfortable talking about. My life wasn’t really sunshine and rainbows, Cass. It’s just easier to leave the past in the past.”
She pulled back to look at me but I refused to let go completely, only loosening my hold enough for her beautiful face to tip up to me. “And Navie?”
“Unfortunately, Navie had it worse than me. You can’t really miss what you never had, but she wasn’t brought up in the system as a baby. She was four when her mom abandoned her.”
“Oh, God,” she gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.
“She’s still in high school, but just turned eighteen not too long ago. The day she aged out…her fucking birthday , her asshole foster family put her out. She didn’t have anywhere else to go, and—”
“She’s your family,” Cassidy replied. I was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. She got it. My shrinking violet understood that I did what I had to do.
“She’s my family.”
“I’m so sorry, Carson.”
I tightened my arms, hugging her to me once more. “It’s okay, Violet. I get why you jumped to conclusions.”
Her face pinched in a frown. “Stop being so terrific and understanding. At least give me the silent treatment or something. It’s the least I deserve. I was kind of terrible.”
“You kinda were.” I wasn’t going to argue with her about that.
I laughed as she smacked me playfully in the chest. She sounded hesitant when she started talking, keeping her attention on my chest as her nimble fingers toyed with the faded fabric. “I couldn’t help but overhear what you and Navie were talking about…I mean, I wasn’t eavesdropping or anything! Well, only a little bit, but it wasn’t to be nosey….It’s just your voices carried into the kitchen…” She paused, her forehead wrinkling in frustration, “This isn’t coming out right.”
I might have been bothered by the fact that she heard about our less-than-stellar situation if she wasn’t so damn cute when she got flustered. “Just say what’s on your mind, Violet.”
She pulled in a deep breath. “I think I know how to fix your living situation.”
Convincing both Carson and Navie that moving into the small, empty ranch house a little further back on the property hadn’t been as simple as I expected. After explaining that a majority of the guys working on the ranch lived in the other houses, Carson had reluctantly agreed to discuss it with Navie to see what she thought. While he was in the living room, I took the opportunity to gather Kal and Milly and explain the situation to them. As I expected, they were just as on board with my idea—if not more so—as I was. Milly especially, after getting one look at the cute, tiny girl sitting on her couch looking so sad.
It was just another reason why I loved my aunt and uncle so much. Their hearts were bigger than anyone’s I’d ever met, and they never hesitated to jump at the chance to help out.
The look of uncertainty on both Carson’s and Navie’s faces ripped my heart in two. I wouldn’t have understood if Carson hadn’t admitted to growing up in foster care, but their expressions were those of
“Technically, she’s my foster sister…or was , seeing as we’ve both aged out of the system, but she’s the only family I’ve ever had. Since the day we met, I’ve always viewed her as my little sister.”
Foster sister?
“You were…oh, God, Carson. I’m so sorry.” Before I could so much as blink, she had her arms wrapped around my waist, squeezing me with more strength than I knew she possessed. “I had no idea. You’ve never really talked about your family, so I just thought you were a private guy.”
Of their own accord, my arms went around her soft body, holding her to me tightly. “It’s okay. I’m sorry I haven’t told you; it’s just not something I’m all that comfortable talking about. My life wasn’t really sunshine and rainbows, Cass. It’s just easier to leave the past in the past.”
She pulled back to look at me but I refused to let go completely, only loosening my hold enough for her beautiful face to tip up to me. “And Navie?”
“Unfortunately, Navie had it worse than me. You can’t really miss what you never had, but she wasn’t brought up in the system as a baby. She was four when her mom abandoned her.”
“Oh, God,” she gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.
“She’s still in high school, but just turned eighteen not too long ago. The day she aged out…her fucking birthday , her asshole foster family put her out. She didn’t have anywhere else to go, and—”
“She’s your family,” Cassidy replied. I was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. She got it. My shrinking violet understood that I did what I had to do.
“She’s my family.”
“I’m so sorry, Carson.”
I tightened my arms, hugging her to me once more. “It’s okay, Violet. I get why you jumped to conclusions.”
Her face pinched in a frown. “Stop being so terrific and understanding. At least give me the silent treatment or something. It’s the least I deserve. I was kind of terrible.”
“You kinda were.” I wasn’t going to argue with her about that.
I laughed as she smacked me playfully in the chest. She sounded hesitant when she started talking, keeping her attention on my chest as her nimble fingers toyed with the faded fabric. “I couldn’t help but overhear what you and Navie were talking about…I mean, I wasn’t eavesdropping or anything! Well, only a little bit, but it wasn’t to be nosey….It’s just your voices carried into the kitchen…” She paused, her forehead wrinkling in frustration, “This isn’t coming out right.”
I might have been bothered by the fact that she heard about our less-than-stellar situation if she wasn’t so damn cute when she got flustered. “Just say what’s on your mind, Violet.”
She pulled in a deep breath. “I think I know how to fix your living situation.”
Convincing both Carson and Navie that moving into the small, empty ranch house a little further back on the property hadn’t been as simple as I expected. After explaining that a majority of the guys working on the ranch lived in the other houses, Carson had reluctantly agreed to discuss it with Navie to see what she thought. While he was in the living room, I took the opportunity to gather Kal and Milly and explain the situation to them. As I expected, they were just as on board with my idea—if not more so—as I was. Milly especially, after getting one look at the cute, tiny girl sitting on her couch looking so sad.
It was just another reason why I loved my aunt and uncle so much. Their hearts were bigger than anyone’s I’d ever met, and they never hesitated to jump at the chance to help out.
The look of uncertainty on both Carson’s and Navie’s faces ripped my heart in two. I wouldn’t have understood if Carson hadn’t admitted to growing up in foster care, but their expressions were those of
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