Hope Against Hope: The Hope Brothers Series by Honey Palomino Page B

something I had never seen directed at me before. “I want you to know I talked to him, for what it’s worth. He won’t be coming near you again.”
    “Beau, it’s okay,” I said.
    “No! It’s not okay, it’s never going to be okay, not in my book,” he said. “And Lee’s…well, he’s gone now, and I don’t think he’ll be coming back for quite a while. I just wanted you to know.”
    “Thank you, Beau, but it’s not necessary. I took care of it. I shouldn’t have said anything to Finn, I never meant to, but it just came spilling out of me. I suppose I needed to tell someone, but I never meant for Lee to leave town or anything.”
    “It’s probably best for everyone that he’s gone. He never does anything but stir up shit.” His eyes darkened, and I reached out and laid my hand on his arm.
    “It’s okay, Beau, really,” I said. He looked down at my hand like I’d shot him and I pulled away quickly.
    He looked up at me, his blue eyes meeting mine again, peering into them curiously.
    “You’re really something, aren’t you, Georgie?”
    “What do you mean?” I asked.
    “You’re the one who was attacked, on the worst night of your life - and you’re comforting me?” He shook his head and his eyes softened. I swallowed hard, my heart quickening in my chest.
    “I know you love Lee, Beau,” I said. “He was drunk, and yeah, it’s not an excuse, but it makes people do stupid shit.”
    “Yeah, Lee likes to drink. Lee’s done a lot of stupid shit.”
    I smiled and nodded.
    “That’s true,” I replied, laughing softly.
    “You okay, George? Really?” he asked, once again looking at me like he was trying to stare as deep into my soul as he could. Like he wanted to make sure I was really alright. “You’re going through so much, it’s just not fair…your folks…fuck, I can’t even imagine how you must feel.”
    “Yes, Beau. I’m okay,” I whispered, as my eyes filled with tears. He pulled me into his arms, and I settled into his warmth, inhaling the leathery scent of him as the tears slid down my face.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼ ☼

    My heart broke when Georgie started crying. Of course she wasn’t fuckin’ okay. She probably never would be again. I just didn’t know what to say, and I sure as hell didn’t know what to do. I wanted to help, and seeing her like that made me want to take all her pain away.
    I had always been that way about women. The need to protect them was just bred into me. My dad was the same. So was Finn. I guess with Lee it skipped a generation or something.
    But this was different. I’d watched George grow up. Had Christmas dinner with her every year. Went to every one of her birthday parties, and she was at mine. So seeing someone I knew so well hurting so badly and not being able to do anything to take it all away was torture.
    I let her cry in my arms, awkwardly patting her back and stroking her hair until she stopped and pulled away.
    “I’m so sorry, I don’t know what got into me.” She backed up, just slightly, and the absence of her body shot through me, making me highly aware of how much I had liked it.
    “It’s alright, darlin’,” I replied. I wanted to pull her back in, but I didn’t dare.
    I gazed down at her, and my heart skipped a beat. Her green eyes were shining up at me, full of trust. I reached up and wiped a tear from her cheek, and she gave me a half-smile.
    I swallowed hard and time seemed to stop around us as we peered into each other’s eyes for what seemed like forever. Finally, Cherokee whinnied and stomped his hoof on the ground, jarring us from our trance.
    What the hell was that , I thought, as my stomach flipped.
    I grinned, grabbed George’s elbows, and took a deliberate step back.
    “Call me if there’s anything I can do, okay George?” I said, trying to shake off whatever had come over me.
    She blinked and nodded at me silently.
    I tipped my hat and walked out of the barn, my gut all tied up in knots.

☼ ☼ ☼ ☼