Page 31 of Single Mom for the Mountain Men
My heart skips a beat as Brody starts grumbling. Brody is a man who keeps everything to himself. He doesn’t complain, and he sure as hell doesn’t talk about what haunts him, no matter how severe it gets for him. He keeps it all inside, and that’s how he deals with it.
“Brody has been like that since he got out of the service. Some of the things that happened to him there have stayed with him all these years,” Aiden had told me one time when I had questioned him about Brody’s troubles.
“What happened to you, Brody?” I ask him hesitantly, not wanting to cross a boundary and make him clam up again.
He stills and says softly, “I have watched many people die, Lena. When you kill so many people, you start to lose any humanity you have left. It slithers away from you. My last mission, I had to watch children be used as human shields by terrorists. There were only so many we could save but…that image, Lena…” his voice shrivels into a painful croak as his shoulders tremble. “That image will stay with me for my entire life. The sound of gunshots, and the blood…it never leaves my hands. It will never leave me.”
His harrowed voice tears my heart into pieces. I jump into his lap, tightly embracing him. He shakes as his arms wrap around my waist tightly, as if he is holding onto a lifeline.
“I’m sorry, Brody, I’m sorry you had to go through that,” is all I can say like a broken record, wishing I could take his pain away forever. I press a kiss to the top of his head, holding him until the tremors leave his body.
Chapter fifteen
CHAPTER 15: Tanner
“Downtown?” Aiden questions with a cocked brow. “Are you sure about taking Lena and Sophie down there?”
“Why shouldn’t I be?” I reply, leaning back into the sofa. “Everyone has been on their guard since that asshole fucked with Lena, and I think the two of them could use a break from the state of vigilance they’ve been in since then. They haven’t seen the fun parts of Whitefish yet, have they? The farmers’ market will be festive today. They’ll enjoy it.”
Brody’s brows are furrowed together as his jaw clenches, his eyes flitting over to a quiet, but attentive, Lena, who’s sitting a comfortable distance away from me on the sofa. Her face is void of any emotion, her expression making it clear that she’s lost in thought.
“To be fair,” I begin, crossing my arms, “we could use a break, too. We have been relentlessly teaching Lena while also keeping watch during the night. It’ll be a fun, relaxing trip for all of us.”
“The market is crowded at this time of the year. Too many people, too many variables we can’t control,” Brody replies brusquely. What he means is that Lena’s psycho ex could stalk us into the market, where he would be able to sneak through the crowd and attack her.
“I think it’s a good idea,” Lena finally states her opinion. Aiden blinks at her. “I really want some good memories in Whitefish. Things up until now have been…hectic and stressful, to say the least. I think Soph would also prefer to be out of the cabin and around other people for a while. Plus, I’m not worried about being attacked, not with you guys being there to protect us.”
The honest trust and belief in her eyes floors me momentarily. Aiden nods, convinced. “So, we’ll go today?”
I grin widely, excited. Brody’s lack of disagreement is all we can hope to get from him, but it’s an affirmation, regardless.
Piling into my jeep and Brody’s car, we decide to head to town directly after lunch. Sophie is awake and active as usual, nearly bouncing around in the car as we drive.
Whitefish is beautiful as the fall extends into winter. Not too cold, and not too hot, either. The further we move away from the mountains, down into the flatter plains, the more signs oflife greet us. Houses appear, with people doing their thing out in their gardens and porches.
Roads are smoother, and the hustle and bustle of life welcomes us. Sophie’s face is glued to the window, her little nose pressed against the glass as she oohs and aahs at everything. Lena’s face is peaceful, a small smile gracing her gentle features as we drive through town.
The farmers’ market is at its busiest right now, with street performers standing at every corner. The stalls are full of vendors, chatting loudly with their customers. It’s lively, and exactly what Lena and Sophie need.
Lena heads towards the fresh fruit stalls first, making small talk with all the older ladies who have set up their stalls there. They coo over Sophie and compliment her beauty, which she very much enjoys. The softest shade of red colors Lena’s cheeks, and a soft but genuine smile decorates her lips.
She looks beautiful, like a flower blooming in spring for the first time. The three of us give her a wide berth, but we still hover around her in a triangle, keeping a sharp eye on everyone who comes close to her.
I protect her to the south while Brody and Aiden keep to her east and west sides, respectively.
Sophie soon grows bored, trying to get her mother to let go of her hand. Lena tries to be as patient as possible, reasoning with Sophie that she can’t have three candy apples at the same time.
Sophie starts to get more and more antsy as they move toward a vegetable stall, not interested in being with her mother any longer. She tries catching a glimpse of one of us, so we will rescue her, but her height limits her view.
“Soph, please,” I hear Lena reason with the child. “I told you just a bit more, baby, then we can go get your candy apple.”
“I wouldn’t have come with you if I knew you were going to be boring like this,” Sophie whines and tries to tug her hand away again.
“Soph, that’s not very nice, is it?” Lena reprimands.
“I don’t care! I want to hang out with Brody, or Tanner, or Aiden. They listen to me.”
Lena takes a deep breath and crouches down in front of her daughter.Ah, Sophie’s gonna get an earful, isn’t she? Lena is probably overstimulated with all of the noise and bustle around us, and Sophie has been of no help. This is going to be the first time I have seen her getting short with her daughter.
