Page 61 of Galen's Redemption
“Hi. I’m sorry for my rudeness.” He held out a beefy hand. “Dwight Kotke.”
Though he hesitated for a moment, Galen shookwith him. “Galen Merriweather. I’m sorry I’ve ruined everything.”
“Hey, you didn’t ruin anything at all.” Dwight put a hand on Galen’s back and directed him to a swing on the porch. “Have a seat.”
“I should really go.”
“Not until I have a chance to get to know you, okay? I don’t want you thinking badly of us.”
Of them?“I don’t understand, sir.”
“There are no sirs here, Galen. Not ever. Everyonein this house has a name. We’re no better than anyone and don’t deserve to be treated like we are.”
But they were. Robert’s entire family had more class and dignity than Galen’s father had ever shown. They were together; they showed love and compassion. Hell, Dwight had walked away from a dying man to comfort Galen.
“I really do need to go.”
“Okay, can you tell me why?”
There were so manyreasons. Where to start? “I’m not a good person. I’ve done some very bad things and hurt people who didn’t deserve it.”
“And do you regret those things?”
Did he? “Yes, sir… I mean, Mr. Kotke.”
“Dwight.” The voice was soft, lilting. Hard to believe it came from such a big man. “And if you regret it, then you can start making things right. Maybe not with the people you’ve hurt before but thepeople you’ll come to know in the future.”
“But what if I can’t? What if I’m just not a good person?”
Dwight slid an arm around Galen’s shoulder and pulled him in. There was a woodsy smell to him, and it tickled Galen’s nose. He buried his face into the broad chest and sighed.
“I’m going to tell you something, and I need you to listen good. Robert? He is an excellent judge of character. Heknows when people are genuine and when they’re trying to scam him. He’s coming to care for you, and that tells me everything about you I need to know.” He leaned back and looked Galen in the eye. “Don’t sell yourself short. I know who your father is. He’s mean and ruthless. If you were anything like him, you’d never have come here in the first place. So tell me, why did you come?”
Thoughts bouncedaround in his head, but there was only one answer he could give. “Because Robert asked me to.”
“See, now, I don’t think that’s why.”
The words were so soft, Galen couldn’t even register them enough to get angry about it. “Why, then?” He desperately wanted to know, because he wasn’t really sure himself.
“I think you came because you want Robert to tell you you’re not broken. You need someoneto seeyou—not the man who you think you are, but the one you want to believe you can become. And I’ll be honest with you. Robert is that person.”
Tears pricked at Galen’s eyes. Before he met Robert, he rarely cried. Now? It was like he couldn’t stop.
“Now, do you still want to go home, or would you like to come in and let us love on you for a while?”
“Love on me?”
“When you stepped throughthat door, you became family. And in our family, we look after one another. Today it’s our turn to look after you.”
“Oh, but Brian—”
“Is the one who sent me out here. He saw how hurt you looked when you walked out the door, and he told me I had to come and check on you. That’s how it is here. We are always there for one another. Face it, Galen. You’re stuck with us.”
They thought of him asfamily? Who the hell did that when they first met?
“But you don’t know anything about me.”
“Are you sure? Who do you think has been calling his mother to tell her about you? Robert wants her to know you because he cares for you. And Rachel wants the chance to find out about you on her terms. We can’t do that if you leave now.”
Dwight gave such an earnest look, Galen’s hesitancy faded. “Okay.”
“Good. Now come on, there are tamales with my name on them.”
Galen followed behind him, but his stomach was still churning. He hoped Robert still thought Galen was worth talking to when the night ended.
