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“I never personally met her, no,” I admitted, glancing at her standing beside us, only to turn back to her dad. “But our friends were trying to set us up together.”
Caught off guard by that, the captain pulled his face back and then shook his head, clearly bewildered. “Come again?”
“It’s my fault,” I confessed, unable to just shut up. “I didn’t want anything to do with a setup or blind date. I didn’t care how amazing they insisted she was. I just—that wasn’t for me, you know. Except they told her where I was.” Hearing my own voice shake, I started to rush my words. “I didn’t learn until the next morning, but she was in that car, on that road, because she was trying to finally meet me. So it’s my fault. You lost a daughter because of me, and the other’s life is hanging in the balance because I—I didn’t want to meet her.”
“Oh, Foster,” Raina said, shaking her head. “You didn’t have to tell him that. Because it’s not true. You’re not to blame. Not at all.”
In front of me, the captain was oddly quiet before he shoved his hands into his pockets and bowed his head briefly. When he lifted his face, however, he crooked his finger at me, beckoning me forward. “Come here, kid.”
Swallowing thickly, I took a step closer, and he reached out to hook a hand around the back of my head before he hauled me in and set his forehead directly against mine.
“Listen to me loud and clear on this, son,” he murmured, lifting a finger sternly, “because I’m only going to say it once. You arenotat fault for what happened. Not even a little bit culpable. Fuck, I don’t even know if the drunk driver who ran into them can be blamed. I’m sure he didn’t mean to kill anyone. It was all just a tragic accident that no one could foresee. It was…the shit side of living. So I’m going to need you to put all this guilt behind you because you’re too good of a boy to let something like this rule the rest of your life.”
I didn’t tell him it was far too late for that—blaming myself for Hayes had molded me into what I was today—so I merely nodded. “Yes, sir. I’ll try.”
“Good.” He pulled away and let go of my neck, patting me on the cheek as he went. “And for God’s sake, the next time my little girl wants to meet you, just fucking meet her. She’s an amazing young lady.”
With a small laugh, I bobbed my head. “Yes, sir. I will.”
“I actually do think you’d like her,” he told me as he pulled his door open and started to slide into his truck. “Raina’s incredibly easy to like.”
I gave another thick swallow, silently agreeing with him, and I nodded. “Drive safe, sir.”
I stayed standing there as he started the engine and backed out of the driveway.
As he disappeared down the street, I finally turned to give his daughter my full attention.
“Thank you,” she told me quietly. “Thank you for spending the day with him.”
After a small nod of acknowledgment, I glanced down at my hands and then back up again. “How’re you doing? You’ve been awfully quiet.”
Raina lifted one shoulder and turned her attention up toward the stars.
“I don’t know,” she murmured. “My whole world just kind of…altered. I had this hope that if I could only wake up in that hospital bed, things would go back to how they were again, but…” Her gaze sought mine before she shuddered out a breath. “That’s not going to be true now. No matter where I go from here, everything will be different. Kinsey will be dead and…”
Tears filled her eyes as she shook her head.
“What can I do to help?” I asked softly.
Raina laughed softly and wiped her eyes. “I don’t even know.” Glancing at me, she asked, “What did you do to move forward when you lost yourbrother?”
I scoffed. “Everything wrong. I had anxiety and panic attacks. My parents put me into therapy for five years, and I still don’t know if I’ve actually moved anywhere yet or not. So…” I rubbed my hands together. “Yeah. I’m not a great source of advice for healthy grieving.”
Raina blew out a long breath. “Well…”
Before she could say anything else, the front door of the house blew open, and Little shouted, “Foster!” from the doorway. “Can you read my bedtime story to me? Mama’s busy helping Brey with her hair. And Daddy’s listening to Reed read his new story.”
“You better go,” Raina told me.
But I faltered. “You coming too?”
She made a face, then returned her attention to the stars. “I might sit out here and enjoy the view for a little longer.”
“Okay.” I turned toward the house and added, “Let me know if you need anything, though.”
“Thank you, Foster.”
Inside, I hoisted Little up into my arms and carried her to her room, where she conned me into three stories instead of one. But life was so fleeting, why not make a little girl’s night and read her all the books she wanted?
