Redemption Hills: The Complete Collection

9. Trent

NINE

TRENT

LOS ANGELES, TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

The soft, soft voice pulled him from sleep where Trent was tucked in his bed. Their mommy sang her favorite song she liked to sing, Amazing Grace , her voice the prettiest voice in the whole wide world.

It touched his ears and whispered across his heart.

He felt light and heavy, his chest achy when his mommy sang like that.

He eased out from under the covers, sitting up so he could see where his mommy knelt beside the bed on the other side of the room. His whole body felt itchy as he stood up and shuffled across the carpet to where Nathan was asleep.

Her fingers brushed through Nathan’s hair as she kept singing those words like they would make everything better.

“Is Nafan sick again, Mommy?” he whispered, hatin’ when his mommy got sad, hatin’ more when his twin brother didn’t want to get out of bed to play some days.

She shifted her attention toward him, the smile on her face making his chest expand again. He loved when she looked at him like that. Like he was so, so special.

“He had a little bit of an asthma attack when we were playing out back earlier. That’s all. He’ll be just fine.”

His brother wheezed and coughed, and Trent eased in closer, worry filling him up, his heart doing that achy thing again. “You sure, Mommy? You want me to call the doctor?”

“Ah, my little protector, come on over here and see for yourself.”

Trent kept edging closer, peering down at his twin brother who was asleep. He was smaller than him by just a little. Other than that, they looked almost exactly the same. Their other brother, Jud, slept in the room right next to them, and everyone always made their mommy laugh when they asked if they were triplets.

But Jud was a year younger. Four and not five like Trent and Nathan. Except Trent was older by fifteen whole minutes, which meant he had to be the protector of ’em all.

“See, he’s just fine. Just like the rest of us are going to be.”

She reached over and set her hand on his cheek.

Trent’s chest felt so full.

“I’m the man now, right, Mommy?”

“That’s right.”

She pushed to standing, grunting as she straightened, her big, big belly poking out in front of her like a basketball.

Trent knew that was where his new baby brother was hiding until he was big enough to come out to play.

His mommy leaned over and brushed kisses to his brother’s forehead before she was wrapping her hand in Trent’s.

She squeezed it. “My big boy. Let’s get you back to bed.”

He followed her to his bed, and she pulled down his covers and tucked him in. Trent snuggled down into the warmth. The warmth of the blankets. The warmth of her green eyes.

Oh, he loved his mommy’s pretty eyes. The way they shined when she looked at him.

She leaned down and kissed him on the nose. “Such a kind protector,” she whispered, the edge of her mouth tilting up. “My sweet little warrior.”

“I’ll always save you,” he promised, grinning wide.

“I know it. And your brothers, too,” she teased, tickling him under his chin.

He giggled. “Of course, Mommy. You got nothin’ to worry about.”

“You get some rest now.” She pushed to standing, moaning all over again as she wobbled out the door. Trent sank into the comfort. The quiet. Until the rumble started to vibrate the floor and the sound of the loud motor shook the walls.

Fear clamped down on his heart, and he hugged the blanket tight, prayed for it to go away. For him to stay away.

But the sound got closer before it stopped and the back door in the kitchen banged open.

Trent squeezed his eyes shut like he could hide from it. From what was coming.

Because his daddy?

He was a bad, bad man, and he didn’t like it one bit when he came around.