Billy surprised us all by laughing. “You think I couldn’t have fought back, old man? I was twelve, but I knew where the rat poison was kept. I let you beat me. It was the only way to get you out of our lives. You hit Momma, but she would’ve taken it forever. You hit one of her babies, she became a momma bear.”

I was gratified to realize that I wasn’t the only one staring at Billy with shock and wonder. It seemed none of my brothers had known that Billy was the architect of our freedom, and at twelve years old.

My father made a movement like he was getting ready to charge at Billy, but Jethro and Cletus blocked his path and pushed him back to his car.

“It’s time to go,” Jethro said, pointing at our father.

“Yes. It’s time for you to go,” Cletus said, then he pointed at the wheels of Darrell’s car and added, “But it might also be time for you to invest in a new set of tires. At least get them rotated for the safety of other vehicles on the road.”

Darrell scowled at his third son then he aimed his anger at me. “This ain’t over. I’ll be back.”

He slammed the door to his black Mustang and peeled out of our gravel driveway. We all watched the car until it left the property and pulled onto Moth Run Road. Then we waited until it was out of sight. Even then, we all stood in our places for several long seconds.

Cletus was the first to move. He walked to Drew and clapped him on the shoulder. “Welcome to the family, Andrew. You two will make beautiful children.”

CHAPTER 21

“Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike.”

? J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I was up in my room laying down when Drew found me.

“There you are.” He crossed to the bed, sat on the edge of it, and pulled me into a big bear hug. Then, he cussed. He cussed and he cussed, and he did this for a long time. He also mentioned my father’s name more than a few times.

Darrell Winston had left approximately two hours ago. I was the first one in the house, and I made a beeline for my room. I lay on my bed and stared at the ceiling. I needed some quiet time with my thoughts. I wasn’t hiding so much as trying to get my head on straight.

But I was also hiding. I didn’t want to face my brothers after claiming Drew as my man. Heck, I didn’t want to face Drew either.

I thought about Momma and the upcoming funeral.

Over the past forty days, I think I grieved for her every hour. In a way, I grieved for her before she died. And now that she was gone, I grieved for her still. Part of me wondered, however, if the grief would have been sharper, more debilitating, if I hadn’t been given the month to say goodbye.

I thought about her sickness and wondered if I could have done anything differently. Then I remembered one of the last things she’d said to me: not to feel guilty about things that were beyond my control. These words made feel better, steadier.

And then I thought about Chicago.

I thought about my life there, my friends, my job, my apartment, my books, my things. My job allowed three months’ leave of absence to take care of an ailing family member, but they only allowed five days for funerals and bereavement. It was quite likely that I would be back in Chicago in one week’s time or less.

This thought gave me pause. I was excited to see my friends. I missed them terribly. I missed the city. I also missed my apartment and my job, but to a much lesser extent.

This last month and a half happened. My mother’s sickness and death happened. The bonding and rekindling of my relationships with most of my brothers happened, the notable exception being Billy, who still seemed to hold me at arm’s length.

Also, Drew happened…and that’s where my brain stalled. Because I didn’t know what to think about Drew. I didn’t know how to feel about him or what I was allowed to feel about him.

He’d told me more than once that he didn’t need anything from me. He’d said that my life was in Chicago. What did that mean for us?

Furthermore, was there an ‘us’?

Or was all this just a good man trying to help his friend’s family through a difficult time?

Now, sitting on my bed, angry with my father on my family’s behalf, I felt absolutely no clarity on the issue. Drew holding me close made it especially hard to imagine a future without him in it.

My hands went to his hair and I stroked it back from his face, encouraging him to lean away so I could look at him.

My words were meant to sooth his waspish temper. “Hey, it’s over, yeah? He’s gone. He doesn’t know it yet, but there’s nothing he can do to hurt us. You and Momma made sure of that.”

Drew studied me; his eyes felt more vivid to me than before, hot steel and silver. “Ashley, let me take you home with me, just for the next few days until the funeral is over and the will is read and Darrell sees that there’s nothing for him here.”

His offer caught me off guard; I stared at him and he stared back. A little voice in my head wanted to say, You’re confusing me, Drew. You can stop taking care of me now. She’s gone. And I’m going to be okay.

I decided I didn’t know what to say or think about the two of us. Maybe there wasn’t anything to say. Maybe we would get through the funeral, he’d wish me well, I would board a plane back to Chicago, and that would be that.

This thought left me numb, so I opted for honest politeness. “Thank you, Drew. That’s a really nice offer. But I’m afraid I can’t accept.”

He winced at my words, blinking twice. His expression changed as he studied my face. “What’s going on, Ash?”

I disentangled myself from his arms and stood; I walked to my dresser and faced him. “I don’t want to leave my brothers alone, not now.”

Drew’s eyes narrowed as he watched me. “Darrell’s fixated on you. You can’t take a step outside this house, Ash; it’s not safe. He might charge in here.”

“I know, I know—it’s just, I left them before. When I went to college, I left them.” Billy had taken a beating for all of us. There was no way I was going to leave my brothers now.

“No, Sugar. You lived your life.” Drew stood from the bed and walked to me. He was reaching out for me, but he stopped when I crossed my arms.

Drew took a step back, frowning, but continued to press his point. “You didn’t abandon your brothers then, and you’re not doing it now. Just…come with me.”

“I did. I did abandon them.” I thought over the last six weeks or so and how Billy was perpetually irritated by my presence. “I can’t leave them now.”

“Your daddy’s focus will be on this place because he doesn’t understand yet. No one in town knows where I live. He can’t get to you up on the mountain. Plus, I think your brothers need this. They need a battle to fight. You come with me.”

“Drew….”

The door to my room opened. Jethro and Billy walked in, glancing from Drew to me then around my room.

Billy frowned at my suitcase, open and messy on my floor. “You getting ready to go?”

I surmised they were talking about Drew’s offer to take me to his house. I glared at Drew for a quick second to show my displeasure that he’d talked to my brothers about this before talking to me, and then I placed my hands on my hips and addressed Billy directly.

“No, I am not ready to go. I’m not going anywhere. And I do not enjoy being discussed while I am not present.” Then, not hiding my disappointment and frustration that he’d gone behind my back, to Drew I said, “You should have talked to me about this first.”

“Ashley Austen Winston, this wasn’t Drew’s idea. This was my idea. You cannot be here. You need to leave.” Billy’s quarrelsome tone was a surprise, and I found his eyes boring into me with stark exasperation.

After my initial astonishment wore off, a surge of heated irritation swelled, leaving me seeing red. “William Shakespeare, you quit being ugly. You’ve been throwing snarky remarks in my direction since I arrived. I know you don’t like me much, and I’m sorry that I left you all eight years ago, but I’m here now. And that’s got to count for something.”

Billy looked like he was ready to pitch a fit, but Jethro stepped between us, blocking our view of each other, and spoke to me in his most reasonable voice.

“Now, rest your feathers, Ashley. You know that’s not true. Billy loves you same as the rest of us. Honey, let Drew take you to his house. He explained everything, and I know he’s not your man. He’ll keep you safe from Darrell.”

I blinked at that, again taken by surprise, and opened my mouth to protest, but Jethro shushed me and pulled me into an embrace. “Listen, it’s just for a bit, maybe just one night. But I think we all would sleep better knowing you were out of our father’s reach.”

“I’m safe here,” I argued. “How much safer can I get? I’m surrounded by my six hillbilly brothers.”

He breathed a laugh and laid his cheek on the top of my head. “Ash, I honestly don’t know what Darrell is going to do next. He could break in here with a gun; he could try to set the place on fire. He’s crazy. What I do know is that Drew is a federal law enforcement officer and his daddy is a US senator. He can arrest Darrell on sight if he has to. Besides, he lives on top of the mountain at Bandit Lake. Navigating those roads is like trying to pee in a thimble while drunk and blindfolded. No one knows exactly where Drew lives except me and maybe Roscoe.”