Jayden Read online

“You seem to have something on your mind, Jayden,” she said.

  “Do you think he was scared? The woodsman, I mean,” Jayden asked, wondering if he could ever be that brave.

  “All of us are afraid at one time or another,” she said. “I think a person is very foolish if they’re not afraid in the face of danger. And not everyone reacts the same way. Some are small and weak, like Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother. That’s why it’s so important for those of us who are strong to protect others.”

  He sucked in his lips and thought about his small size. Lifting his gaze, he said, “I’d like to be brave, Miss Ethel, but I’m not very big.”

  Laughing, she replied, “Oh, my dear boy. You’re young, but I have no doubt you will grow to be big and strong and brave. I believe all my boys will discover their strengths and use them to help others.”

  She tucked him in before leaning over to kiss his forehead. “Don’t worry, Jayden. You’re my perceptive one. You are wise beyond your years. And just like your brothers, your protective instinct is strong.”

  Her words moved through him, warm, sliding deep inside. He felt her lips on his forehead and smiled. She walked out, flipping off the light switch, leaving the room illuminated by the small nightlight.

  As he drifted off to sleep, he dreamed of woods and wolves, a grandmother that looked like Miss Ethel, and a little girl dressed in red.

  Sitting outside the principal’s office in an uncomfortable plastic chair, Jayden sat erect, anger and adrenaline still coursing through his veins. At sixteen years old, he was already a big teenager and shifted in the seat of a chair that was meant for someone smaller. The sting of his knuckles drew his eye, causing him to flex them so that he could examine the red, swollen flesh.

  Hearing a noise near the office door, he looked up and observed Jaxon, Zander, Rafe, Cael, and Asher rushing through the door as one pack.

  “What are you boys doing in here?” the school secretary asked, jumping from her desk.

  Almost in unison, the five boys looked over at him, and Zander said, “We’re here for Jayden.”

  “No, no, no,” the secretary said, still standing but staying behind her desk, eyeing them suspiciously. Her hands fluttered in front of her, attempting to shoo them out.

  Each of them still had more filling out to do but were already over six feet tall. Zander, their leader and a senior, had already signed with the Army for after graduation. Cael and Rafe were both juniors, Cael already topping them all in height. Asher was a freshman, but Jayden noticed his quiet intensity was burning.

  His gaze naturally moved to Jaxon, the understanding of twins passing between them, no words needed.

  Before Zander had a chance to speak again, Jaxon said firmly, “We’re. Not. Leaving.” He walked over and sat down next to Jayden, the others filling in the chairs around them.

  None of them spoke, words were not necessary. If my brother needs me, I’m here. If I need them, they’re here. They sat quietly for several minutes, the only sound in the small office coming from the tick of the clock on the wall and the occasional huff from the secretary.

  The principal’s door opened, and their eyes turned in that direction. The principal was in the process of calling Jayden when he saw the others and snapped his mouth shut. They all stood at once, and he proclaimed, “Boys, this only concerns Jayden—”

  A soft voice could be heard from inside his office, saying, “Now, Mr. Thompson, you know what concerns one of my boys concerns all of them.”

  Without another word, Jayden walked into the principal’s office, followed closely by the other five young men. As soon as he passed through the doorway, his gaze landed on Miss Ethel, composed as ever. He was struck once more with the thought that she had not aged in the years they had been with her.

  She was standing, as unflappable as ever, and moved directly to him. She now had to look up to see the faces of her sons, this time her eyes searching his carefully. Jayden noticed she must have been satisfied at what she saw, because she patted his cheek and said, “Come sit down next to me.”

  Inhaling deeply, the scent of her rosewater perfume calmed him, and he followed her. He and Miss Ethel filled the two chairs in the principal’s office, and he stifled a grin as the other boys moved to stand behind them. The principal sat down heavily behind his large wooden desk, an unhappy look on his face. There was a window behind Mr. Thompson, and as Jayden viewed the reflection, he realized the seven of them presented unity. At this thought, his anger abated slightly.

  Clearing his throat, Mr. Thompson began, “Jayden, as the evidence has been presented to me, I understand that you were coming to the defense of one of our female students who appeared to be in trouble.”

  “Appeared to be in trouble? Appeared? Those two were trying to…hurt her,” he bit out, his anger ratcheting up again.

  “Yes, yes,” Mr. Thompson agreed, “but you should have tried to get help and not take it upon yourself to deal with them.”

  He opened his mouth to defend himself again when Miss Ethel laid her thin hand on his leg. He had not realized his leg had been bouncing, but with her calming touch, he let out a breath, forcing his leg to still.

  “I have always raised my boys to look out for those in need. I have also raised my boys to take action to help those in need. If he had done as you suggested, that poor girl might have been violated, more traumatized than I’m sure she already is.”

  “Yes, but he didn’t just get her free, he let his fists continue to do the talking—”

  “While I do not normally condone violence,” Miss Ethel stated, “I have lived my many years knowing that there are all sorts of people in the world. Thank goodness, most can be reasoned with, and a good, heartfelt conversation can settle differences. But unfortunately, not everyone can be reasoned with, and action is necessary. ‘Measure a man’s worth by his actions alone. For the devil also promises the moon!’ An excellent quote by Avijeet Das concerning actions speaking louder than words. Don’t you agree, Principal Thompson?”

  The silence in the room stretched for a moment. Jayden did not have to see his brothers behind him to know their mirth at Miss Ethel confounding the principal speechless.

  Finally, Mr. Thompson sighed. “Be that as it may, I must enforce consequences for broken rules. I promise the other two boys will be not only suspended from school, but the girl’s parents are filing charges against them. For you, Jayden, you will have a two-day suspension out of school. While I commend you for coming to the girl’s aid, we do have a policy to uphold.”

  Jayden did not say anything, instead taking his cue from Miss Ethel, who nodded quietly. She turned toward him and smiled. “I’m so very proud of you, Jayden.” Her eyes swept behind him toward her other boys and added, “I’m so very proud of all of you.”

  She nodded her head toward the door, and without another word, the boys filed out of the room. As Jayden moved through the door, he heard Mr. Thompson say, “You’ve done a good job with those boys, Miss Ethel.”

  She pinned him with her stare and replied, “I was gifted with good boys, Mr. Thompson. All I needed to do was handle my precious gifts with care.” With that, she stood and followed the boys out of the office. She nodded toward the secretary, whose mouth was standing open, and Jayden held the door for her.

  Once in the hall, they circled around her and headed outside. He had two days suspension, but as he walked next to her toward the old van, he held his head high. Miss Ethel placed her hand on his arm, and he looked down at her.

  “I don’t know the girl that you saved, but I have no doubt she will sleep easier tonight because you came to her aid.” Patting his arm, she unlocked the van.

  With the warmth from the sun on his face, his brothers at his side, and Miss Ethel’s words ringing in his ears, he felt like a hero.

  Every night, even though they were all teenagers, Miss Ethel still spoke to each of them before they went to bed. Zander’s nighttime reading had been replaced by each of them reading their own books which they often discussed or shared.

  That night, when she came to him, he spoke before she had a chance to say anything. “Miss Ethel, thank you for coming to the school today and speaking up for me. When I rounded the corner near the back of the school and saw those two jerks trying to go after that girl, I honestly didn’t think…I just jumped in to help her and didn’t care how much I hurt them in the process.”

  She patted his cheek and said, “As you continue to mature, you’ll learn that your strength will be a service to you and others. You must temper your strength so that you do not cause injury where you shouldn’t.” She stepped back, and her lips curved into a smile. “Do you remember how much you liked the Grimm’s version of Little Red Riding Hood?”

  He had not read that story in years, and his brow lowered in confusion. Nodding, he replied, “Yes, ma’am, although it’s been a long time since I read it.”

  She chuckled and said, “You never forget the classics, my boy.” She started to walk out of his room but stopped at the door. With her hand on the doorframe, she turned and looked at him. “You, my dear Jayden, are the woodsman.” With that, she turned and walked down the stairs.

  2

  Thirteen Years Later

  “Jayden!”

  He lifted his head from underneath the hood of the minivan he was working on, searching for who called him amidst the sound of engines idling and music blaring. He was trying to diagnose and fix the problem as quickly as he could considering the young mother, with a baby in a carrier and a toddler clinging to her leg, was currently sitting in his small waiting room.

  Building his own business, J.C. Tire & Auto, had been his dream ever since he watched Mr. Martin work on Miss Ethel’s old van many years before. He had been fasc
inated as the older man tinkered on the engine in her vehicle. He had watched, with envy, as new minivans pulled up to the school, letting kids out. But she had an old model that she had bought used, saying it held all of her boys.

  The mechanic had chatted with Miss Ethel, and it was clear that he knew she needed her vehicle fixed. Jayden did not know why she did not buy a new one, but when Mr. Martin said, “Don’t you worry none, Ms. Wiseman. I know you need this big ol’ tank to get all them boys around. It might not be fancy, but me fixing it is a lot less expensive than you trying to buy something new. Don’t you worry none. I’ll get it up and running.”

  Hearing the mechanic’s words, Jayden had learned at an early age that taking care of six, sometimes more, boys must have been expensive. He had looked up at Miss Ethel’s pensive face and declared, “I’m going to learn how to fix cars, and then I can always take care of yours.”

  Her face had relaxed into a soft smile, and she bent to cup his cheeks with her hands. “Oh, my sweet Jayden, you are such a dear. I want you to grow up and become whatever your heart desires. You don’t have to become a mechanic to take care of me. But if that’s your dream, then do it with all your heart.”

  His childish desire had never wavered, and when he left high school and joined the Marines alongside Jaxon, he worked as a mechanic. He spent time in Afghanistan, working on both diesel and gasoline trucks. The cold winters and hot summers had him longing to be back in Virginia, but his plans to open his own shop kept him motivated to learn everything he could.

  He saved every dime during his deployment and time of service, and when he was discharged, he took a job with old Mr. Martin who was looking for someone he could sell his business to and retire.

  That opportunity came five years ago, and Jayden had turned it into a booming business, offering excellent work at decent prices. Others had told him that he could charge much more, but he cared more about his customers being in safe vehicles than making more money than he needed.

  Hearing his name called again, he grabbed a cloth and wiped the grease off his hands. Seeing Jaxon walking over, he turned to his lead mechanic, Cas, and said, “Hey, can you keep working on this for me?” Castiel, another one of Miss Ethel’s later charges, had been working for him for a few months after being discharged from the Army. “I wanna get that mom back on the road as soon as possible.”

  “No problem,” Cas replied, looking up. He nodded toward Jaxon, greeting him with a wide smile.

  Walking over, Jayden grinned at the face as familiar as his own. Jaxon had his long curls tied back when he was on duty as an EMT, but other than that, they looked identical. He clapped his twin on the shoulder. “Hey, man, what’s up?”

  Jerking his chin around, Jaxon indicated an ambulance parked outside. “Think the tires need rotating,” he said. “It’s not quite time for the maintenance, but I felt it pulling a bit this morning. I checked with my captain, and he said since I was on this side of town, I could bring it to you.”

  “No problem, I can get someone on it right away.” Once Jaxon drove it into an empty bay and Jayden assigned one of his mechanics to begin the work, the two brothers walked into the office from the garage. His garage was simple in design, with four bays and a door leading into the office. Customers could wait in the small waiting room near the front, where there was also a door to the office. He settled into the squeaky, metal, rolling chair that had been part of the business when he bought it. Not caring about office furniture, he poured his money into modernizing and updating the shop.

  Jaxon poured a cup of coffee from the pot sitting in the corner and sat in the only other chair in the office. “Business good?”

  Nodding, he replied, “Yep. Pay my mechanics, pay my bills. I figure I’m doing pretty good.”

  “Shit, bro,” Jaxon laughed. “You can’t fool me. I know you still save every dime you make.”

  Lifting his shoulders in a shrug, he said, “Old habits die hard. Plus, I don’t have anyone to spend money on, like most of you.” In the last several years, many of his brothers had all fallen under the spell of wonderful women. Zander and Rosalie were married and now had a child. Rafe and Eleanor worked in her burn clinic and had just had a baby. Cael married Regina, now celebrating her continued good health after a battle against cancer. And recently, Jaxon had met Morgan, who also worked in Eleanor’s clinic.

  Their monthly gatherings with Miss Ethel now had them filling the room when they all got together. He knew Miss Ethel loved her growing family. “There’s always room for more at my table.” Her words resounded in his head and proved to be just as true now as when she was taking in boys years before.

  “You’re just not looking in the right places,” Jaxon quipped. “Other than coming into Grimm’s Bar where you just hang out with us, I don’t see you getting out much.” Jerking his head toward the waiting room, where the grateful mother was now paying since Cas was finished with her minivan, he added, “Not sure I see this place as a good setting to meet girls.”

  Chuckling, he replied, “You never know. Ms. Perfect might just need her car fixed one day.”

  Jaxon laughed, saying, “Well, if she does, I hope you recognize it and go for her.”

  Cas walked into the office and said, “Got ‘em back on the road.” He looked through the window into the shop and asked, “You want me to help with the ambulance?”

  “That’d be great,” Jayden agreed. “I don’t like having Jaxon’s wheels out of commission.”

  With a chin lift, Cas left the office. Jaxon asked, “How’s he doing?”

  “He’s good. He works hard, does everything I ask, but other than that, keeps to himself.”

  “He’s missed the last couple of gathering at Miss Ethel’s,” Jaxon stated, not telling Jayden anything he did not also realize.

  Turning the conversation to sports, they passed the time, the ease between twins obvious. Within the hour Jaxon was back on the road, and Jayden was close to shutting down the shop for the evening. Having said goodbye to his mechanics, he locked the door and climbed onto his motorcycle. He considered heading to Zander’s bar, Grimm’s, but turned toward his apartment instead, preferring a quiet evening over the noisy bar. I can always finish the book I started.

  Later, sitting on his balcony after a re-heated, leftover dinner, he propped his booted feet up onto the railing and sipped his beer. A park behind his apartment building gave him views of the sunset over the trees. Enjoying the peaceful evening, he finished his beer. As the sun moved beyond the horizon, he sighed. Is there someone out there who’d like my simple life?

  After the sun set, he stayed up late reading in bed. As he tossed the latest mystery to his nightstand, he spied a stack of classics by his bed and smiled at the memory of Zander reading to them as children. That night, for the first time in years, he dreamed of forests, and wolves, and damsels in distress.

  The rumble of the motorcycle underneath him propelled him down the familiar street. Each of Miss Ethel’s boys returned when they needed to talk, share a good meal, or just to check on her. But it was the monthly gatherings that always called to Jayden.

  The neighborhood had only changed slightly from when he was a child, the old houses now being bought by young families interested in both renovating an older home and providing their children with a safe neighborhood. As he neared the house at the end of the street, a smile slid across his face. There were several trucks and SUVs parked in front as well as Jaxon’s motorcycle.

  He parked along the street and headed up the front porch steps. Forgoing a knock, knowing it was not necessary, he moved to the front door and was immediately assaulted with memories that flooded every time he walked into her house. The light scent of rosewater perfume clung to the air, sparking a sense of contentment. It had changed very little in the last twenty years…hell, probably the twenty years before that.

  A new, dark blue sofa sat where the old one used to take a position in front of the window. She had finally given in to allowing them to buy her a few pieces of furniture for her Christmas present last year. But she insisted on never replacing the old, scarred, wooden kitchen table. She claimed it carried too many memories of too many wonderful meals for her to get rid of it.