Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 35040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35040 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 175(@200wpm)___ 140(@250wpm)___ 117(@300wpm)
“Yeah, I remember. You think you’d make it now?” Cyrus asked.
“Don’t know. I can take a beating, trust me. I help Jim out when his guys are sparring. He has some fighters he likes to train. Hardcore motherfuckers as well.” Ray shrugged. “I’m no longer afraid of a punch.”
“Do you miss Lost Creek?” Cyrus asked.
“You’re asking me all these questions, and I’ve asked you what has happened in the last year.” Ray laughed. “I’m making a salad with steak. You want some?”
Cyrus had already called Willow and let her know he’d be back late. He wanted to ask her to move in with him.
“Bethany Evans passed away,” Cyrus said.
“Fuck me, seriously? Damn, that woman...” Ray shook his head. “She was a good woman. Even put up with my sorry ass complaining. How’s Willow?”
“She’s mine,” Cyrus said.
Ray smiled. “About damn time. I always used to see you watching her.”
“What?” Cyrus asked.
Ray rolled his eyes. “I did do my job from time to time, and I saw the way you were always looking in her direction. You’ve always had a thing for Willow Evans. About time you acted on it. What else?”
“Willow got your job. She caught a girl giving that hand signal.” Cyrus flashed his hand. “Turns out the guy had kidnapped two additional women.” He gave him the details as he knew them.
“Wow,” Ray said.
Cyrus looked at his brother. Willow had been right. He didn’t realize how much he had missed his brother, but he saw it was also for the best. Ray had changed, a lot.
“Do you want me to give you a twirl?” Ray asked.
“I’m sorry. You look great.”
“Yeah, I’ve still got a lot of work to do. It does take a smack in the face at times to wake you the fuck up,” Ray said.
“And you miss home?”
“Yeah, the city life is fine, but it’s not home. It’s not Lost Creek. Besides, I owe Daniel and Amy for ... taking that thousand bucks.” Ray shook his head. He closed his fridge and moved across the floor, disappearing into the far room.
Cyrus waited, and seconds later, Ray came out.
“Could you give this to Daniel and Amy. Tell them I’m sorry.”
He took the envelope Ray offered and looked inside, shocked to see the money. There was close to five thousand.
“Ray, what the fuck?” Cyrus asked. “How did you get this?”
“I entered a few fights. Won them all and got the money. I’m collecting it so I can give it to Amy and Daniel for what happened to her café. That shit shouldn’t have happened. I’m learning. I’m accepting responsibility and I’m growing up. It’s what I’ve got to do.”
Cyrus was shocked. “No,” he said.
“Dude, come on. You’re going back to town.”
“And you should give this to them. Not me. You did this, and I will not take credit for it. Damn, Ray, you’ve worked hard, and I know if you want to come home, there’s always a place for you.”
Ray sighed. “What I did—”
“You fucked up, and yes, it was a big deal, but you’ve changed. I can see that. You are different. You want to come back home, then come back home. I know Mom and Dad miss you.”
“Please, Dad was happy to get me the fuck out of there.”
“To protect you, Ray. There was only so much he could do, but he didn’t kill you, and he didn’t leave you without the means to take care of yourself.” Cyrus ran fingers through his hair. “I was pissed at you, but you’re still my brother, and I don’t want anything bad to happen. Yeah, I lost my temper, and I said shit I didn’t mean. Well, I meant it at the time, but you’re my brother. We can say shit to each other we don’t mean.”
Ray laughed. “I’ll think about it. Are you going to stay for dinner?”
He looked at his brother. “Are you a better cook than the last time? That chicken you served me gave me food poisoning.”
Ray burst out laughing. “I am a better cook now. Trust me, vomiting and shitting yourself, you learn to cook. Anyway, how is Willow, is she as good a cook as her mother?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Man, you hit the jackpot. Are you going to marry her?”
“You’re damn right I am.”
Ray nodded.
This felt good. He sat with his brother, and much to his surprise, Ray had turned into an even better cook as well.
****
“Do you think he’s going to come back?” Willow asked.
“I don’t know. He has some money he wants to give to Daniel and Amy, but I don’t know if he will do it, or mail it. He’s like a totally different guy.” Cyrus reached out and grabbed his cell phone, bringing up the picture he had taken of Ray.
Willow saw the two brothers and they looked so happy. It was in a selfie-type pose. Ray was different. He had a smile on his face, which already made him different from the man she remembered.