I ran a hand up and down her arm. “Aidan’s strong. He’ll make it through. We’ll make sure of it.”
“He shouldn’t have to. How many times has he taken his father’s actions on his shoulders?”
“Probably more than he can count.” And the thought made me sick. “But that’ll ease with time and distance. Once Kenny’s in prison for good, those boys will really start to heal.”
Shiloh looked up at me. “They deserve a good home. The best. And not just a temporary foster placement.”
“You’re right about that.” It was something I’d been thinking about. The Millers were great, but they weren’t a permanent home for Aidan and Elliott. And finding someone who would take a teenager and a six-year-old together would likely be a challenge.
“We need to talk to Hayes and see what he says about making sure they end up somewhere amazing.”
“We’ll go this week.”
Shiloh nuzzled my neck. “Love you.”
My chest gave a painful squeeze. “It’s more than that.”
She smiled against my skin. “It’s everything.”
I headeddown the wide trail, Aidan at my side. I’d thought it might help to get out and moving, take the focus away from the pressure of a heart-to-heart. I’d discovered in the prison program that the words came easier when you were working on another task.
Sandy had been right about leaving Shiloh back at the ranch. I’d seen the relief in Aidan’s eyes when he’d seen that it was just me. But I hadn’t wanted to leave Shiloh alone after everything that had happened, so after much grousing, she’d agreed to invite her mom and Hadley over for brunch but not before saying, “If I poison them, their deaths are on you.”
I’d thrown together a breakfast casserole and told her that she wouldn’t have to worry about killing her family. I smiled down at my feet at the thought. Hell, I missed Shiloh already. Something was wrong with me.
“What are you thinking about?” Aidan asked.
I sent up a few silent curses. I needed to get my head in the game. “Nothing.”
“You were smiling this big, goofy smile.”
I grimaced. “I was thinking about Shiloh.” There was no sense in denying it. Aidan could read a lie from a million miles away.
“Is she okay?” he asked softly.
“She is. She has a few bruises, but that’s it. And I know she really wants to see you.”
Aidan’s mouth pressed into a thin line. “I wouldn’t want anything to do with me.”
“We’ve talked about this, A. Shiloh doesn’t blame you for anything your father did. You’re nothing like him.”
Aidan’s eyes reddened, but he didn’t say a word.
I grabbed his elbow gently, bringing us both to a stop. “Talk to me.”
He stared down at the dirt path. “I can get angry like my dad does. When I heard what he did to Shiloh, I wanted to pummel him.”
My gut twisted. This kid was so damn hard on himself. Held himself to standards no one could ever meet. Yet that was one of the reasons he’d never be like Kenny. “Anger’s natural. It’s what you do with it that counts.”
“If he’d have been standing there, I would’ve hurt him.”
“Because he hurt someone you care about. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to protect the people around you, the ones who are important to you. And it’s understandable to want some justice for all the times he hurt you, too.”
Aidan kicked at a rock. “I hate feeling all that…rage swimming around inside me. It’s like it’s eating me alive.”
God, I knew that feeling. So deeply—even if it had faded with time. “I hate it, too.”
He looked up at me in question.