Page 66 of Crow's Haven
Scout opens his mouth, but I give him a stern look, warning him to knock it off. He quickly snaps his mouth shut again.
“Yeah, I can see that,” I grunt, hooking the canoe up to the stakes hammered into the bank. “Looks like someone’s got himself a new hobby.”
Sharon steps out from behind me and the boys go wild, pumping their fists in the air and rushing over to her.
“I missed you so much!” she says as she wraps them both in her arms. The sight tugs at something deep inside me.
Chase whispers, “I knew you weren’t gonna fly away like a butterfly.”
I see her expression twist into a mask of pain for a brief second. She covers it quick, wiping at her eyes like it’s just dust or sun. Then she leans in and says what he needs to hear. “Ladybugs always stay.”
Scout elbows his brother aside and hands Sharon a green, thumb–sized stone. She’s still crouched down, smiling that gentle smile that still makes my heart ache. She lifts the stone up to the light. “Wow, this is really pretty.”
I drop down beside her and take a look. “Shit, that’s got a shine to it. Might be an emerald or something like malachite.”
“I found it for Ladybug. She can keep it.”
Before she can say anything, I see Chase rifling through his rock stash and handing her one that’s whitish-green. He presents it to her like it’s solid gold.
She takes it with a smile, “That’s a good one too. We’ll have to get you a book on rocks so we can find out what they are.”
She stays kneeling there with a rock in each hand for a moment before she speaks. “These are really beautiful. I don’t know what to say.”
Chase says helpfully, “You’re supposed to say thank you.”
Now, Sharon can’t seem to keep the smile off her face. She holds out both arms and the boys smash in on each side to get a gigantic hug. She gets a little teary-eyed. “Thank you so much. These just might be the best gifts I’ve ever received.”
I rake my hands through their rocks and say, “Will you look at these? Each one’s a story waiting to be told.”
I turn around to see Evan and Levi sitting on the cabin’s steps looking equal parts relieved and exhausted.
“Thanks for stepping up,” I say to them. “You did good.”
The prospects look as proud as punch. “Anything for a brother,” Evan says.
“We’re gonna stay at the cabin tonight, so you’re both free to go—unless you want to hang around?” I say. I honestly don’t mind, even if the small cabin will be crowded. It’s not as if we’re gonna be having a romantic time. It’s more about reconnecting as a family.
A family.
I turn that idea over in my head.
“No offense, Crow, but an evening of gate duty at the clubhouse seems like a breeze compared to wrangling your kids,” Evan says with a laugh.
Levi’s quick to add, “We’d do it again in a flash though. Was fun even if I’m gonna need to sleep for a week.”
As they head towards the pickup Evan drove them here in, me and Sharon watch them go. I pull her in tight, one arm slung low around her waist. “These two are gonna be the best damn club brothers the Legion’s ever seen,” I say, letting my voice carry proudly. Her cheek brushes mine, and I lean in, pressing a rough kiss to her temple.
“You two up for a ride?” I call out.
The boys race ahead to swap their river shoes for sneakers, and we head over to where my bike is parked.
The road cuts through the forest, the trail flat and cleared of debris. Scout and Chase lean forward, perched on the edge of the sidecar, shouting observations about the landscape and wildlife they can spot.
We roll into the meadow, the sidecar tires rolling through soft grass. I kill the engine, and the boys explode out ready to explore.
“Stay where I can see you,” I call out.
Sharon tilts her head at me, her eyes shining.
