Chapter Ten

Aaron

I’m doing the most exhilarating mental calculations in the world as I stick both generators in my sidecar. If all she wants is an inexpensive ring, I can go down to the city and buy a nice one as soon as we’re through with this storm. I can do that on this next paycheck without dipping into savings much.

Moose looks at me and whines. “Sorry, big guy, no room for you and the cargo.”

Once he’s seen to and shut up in my trailer with the heat running, I take the bike down to the church. I’m determined to make sure that whatever happens with this storm, Julia and her dad will have power, heat, and light to spare no matter how many people shelter there.

As I drive, I’m going over my speech. “Reverend, I have to come clean with you. Your daughter and I are crazy about each other, and I want to marry her.”

Simple, straightforward. It’s probably best. Especially since, if I ask for his blessing now, it won’t matter anymore what Daniel says.

I’m starting to feel almost optimistic about my talk with the Reverend when I see a car parked almost sideways in the church driveway. It’s a brown sedan, battered, one tire flat, and the side window cracked. I stare at it, knowing a stolen and drunkenly parked car when I see one.

Daniel, you son of a bitch!

I park my bike and break into a run through the snow, thinking fast. I know the grounds; I know the building; I know that the storm doors on the house’s basement coal chute need to be replaced and will be unlocked.

I run around the side of the church toward the house, headed straight for that rust-colored, slanted door. I pull it open as quietly as I can, and scramble down the steps beyond. The basement is black, but I always have a light on my belt.

I don’t have any weapons, I think as I sneak up the basement steps and listen at the door. I can hear faint voices. Probably coming from the living room, by the sound of them. I quickly push the door open and sneak into the kitchen.

For a moment, I am tempted. The knife block on the counter is within arm’s reach. I could grab the biggest knife or the cleaver. I could end this in a very final way…

I could kill my brother in front of the love of my life and her pastor father, who is already nervous around me. Absolutely not. I’ll find another way.

As I make my way down the hall, I hear the conversation going on and my heart sinks.

“This isn’t a family meeting,” Julia insists. “This is a hostage situation. You’re not wanted here. The only reason we have to sit here is because if we don’t, you’re gonna beat the hell out of both of us. You said it yourself.”

“That’s right,” Daniel laughs. “I did. See, Reverend, my poor, stupid brother is gonna leave with me tonight, and we’re going down to New Orleans where the fucking Snow Queen isn’t on a cocaine binge and working overtime. If he doesn’t, I’ll make his life a living Hell. Starting with rearranging his little slut girlfriend’s face.”

“How dare you talk about my daughter this way!” The Reverend sounds ready to fall over in fear, but he’s still standing up for Julia. I admit I’m a little proud of him.

Outside, the wind is starting to really howl. It worries me, but nowhere near as much as the idea of my brother and Julia in the same room together.

I do a quick check around the door frame and see Daniel sitting with his back to me, idly holding Julia by the hair. His coat is off, in a pile on the floor. He doesn’t have a gun.

He does have his hands on my sweetheart, though.

“You tell your daddy what you’ve been doing, you little whore. Don’t make a liar out of me, or I’m gonna start knocking your teeth out.”

“Let go of me, you creep! Dad already knows I’m in love with Aaron—”

Daniel lets out a laugh as her sharp cry of shock—or maybe pain—cuts off her words. “But does he know you’re sneaking around behind his back fucking Aaron?”

Oh fuck, I think, wincing.

Everyone’s voice erupts at once; exclamations, arguing, total chaos. I see my chance, and bolt into the room.

Julia turns and sees me coming. Her face lights up, and she immediately elbows Daniel in the side and pulls away from him when his grip loosens. I crash into him from behind a second later.

Daniel yells in shock as I lift him entirely off his feet, “What the fuck!?”

“Sorry I’m late,” I tell the Reverend and Julia as my brother kicks and wiggles in my grip. “I was having trouble fitting both the generators in my sidecar.”

“How the Hell did you get inside the house?” Daniel is still struggling like a kid, but he’s getting nowhere.

“I’ve worked on the place for years,” I reply coolly. I look over at the Reverend. “I’m also sorry for any trouble this jackass has caused. He’s on his way out the door.”

The Reverend gets over his shock quickly and heaves a sigh of relief. “Yes, please get him out of my house.”

“Wait, wait, wait! Come on, now! Do you really want to take this guy’s side? He’s a felon! We’re in the same club!” Daniel probably weighs a ton as he twists around, struggling, but I’m so angry I can’t feel it. Instead, I’m fighting the urge to break his damn back.

“We were in the same club,” I growl. “I gave up my freedom to save yours, and now I’m done with you and that life.”

“Oh shut the fuck up, you stupid bastard. You chose to be a damn martyr. You chose to take the fall in my place. Yeah, I told you to do it, and I promised to take care of you while you were inside and to leave you alone once you were free. But you were the one who was dumb enough to believe me!”

His taunts hit home, hard. My muscles start to tighten around his ribs. I can literally break him over my knee if I want.

Julia and her father are watching me. I stop tightening my grip.

“So it’s true,” the Reverend muses. “He accepted incarceration so that you would remain free, when he did nothing to that man.”

“I told you—” Julia sighs and goes quiet, shaking her head.

“Look,” Daniel waves his hands, still looking ridiculous dangling from my grip. “We’re both criminals. We belong together, well away from decent people like you and your...lovely daughter. If you’re gonna throw me out, throw him out as well!”

My heart sinks. I sigh, and look at the Reverend. “I’ll leave if you want.”

He scowls at me, surprising me. “Don’t you dare. We have a lot to talk about. As for him...I’m calling Earl to come pick him up.” He walks over to the coffee table and picks up his phone. His hands are shaky, but he seems all right.

I nod and cart Daniel over to the door. “You can wait outside,” I tell him, doing my job even though it’s my night off.

“But wait, my jacket,” he protests as Julia gets up to unlock the door and open it for me. “Come on, man, I’ll freeze.”

“Earl will be up in five to ten minutes. This town is tiny,” I reply patiently as I step out onto the porch.

“It’s ten degrees out—” he yells in a final protest.

“Exactly.” I pitch him off the porch and into a snowbank. He lands safely but sinks deep enough that he’s stuck flailing like a turtle on its back.

I go back inside and shut the door on him. Good riddance to that relic of my past—now, to face my future.

I square my shoulders and walk back in to face the Reverend. Everything I rehearsed has fled my mind, but I still manage to look him in the eyes. “I’ll explain everything,” I start, but he shakes his head.

“I don’t want to hear it,” he replies in a low, tired voice. “I know I misjudged you in many ways. But whether Daniel’s accusation about you and my daughter is true or not, we’re not talking about that. I already have a headache.”

Julia sits quietly in a chair nearby, looking both nervous and determined.

“What should we talk about then, Reverend?”

“We’re going to talk about the fact that you are not laying another hand on my daughter unless you lead with a ring. That is one thing I will never compromise on, and if Julia weren’t so wildly in love, she’d likely agree.”

Julia speaks up. “Actually, I do agree.”

The Reverend blinks at her. “Oh.” Then he looks between the two of us. “And you? Are you ready to commit to her, and wear a symbol of that commitment?”

Damn. This is all happening fast. Except it isn’t. We’ve been in love for years. We’ve only just started finally admitting it and doing something about it.

“I guess I’m just surprised that you changed your mind so fast,” I admit.

“I haven’t changed my mind. Not entirely. But when I discovered that Julia was in love with you, I prayed for a sign. Tonight, I got it.” He takes a deep breath.

“You had every reason to run in here and do some violence to your brother that would silence him and vindicate you. He just taunted you more. And while he confirmed that you truly are a better man than he will ever be, he also admitted just how little he valued the biggest sacrifice of your life.” The Reverend goes over to the china cabinet and fishes out three snifters and a bottle of brandy.

He pours one for each of us as he goes on. “You did not avenge yourself. You just subdued him and got rid of him.”

Outside we can see flashing red and blue lights as Earl picks up my lightly chilled brother. For the first time in a long time, it doesn’t make me sick inside to see signs of a cop around. “I can’t claim to be a better guy than I was and then not act like one.”

“Well, I’m glad you did.” He coughs into his fist and starts passing out glasses. “Now, I am going to have a nice brandy, and then go to bed, because I have absolutely had it with this evening. I expect you two to behave while under my roof.”

“Yes, Reverend,” I chuckle as Julia, wearing a look of deep relief, comes to sit beside me. We clink glasses, and I take a welcome drink.

It’s going to be a test of my willpower to stay out of bed with my new love until the storm is over, and I can buy her a ring. But her father is right—it’s what she deserves.

The next year is going to be amazing. I can just tell. Even if the rest of the year is full of storms, we’ll weather them together.

Her hand slips into mine as her father turns to put the bottle away, and I give it a squeeze. Now I will have two things to thank God for every morning.

I’m looking forward to it.

The End.