“You have flashbacks?” Cool and calm, Sean reached across the table for a knife. “You weren’t the one covered in the kid’s blood.”
Catching sight of his mother’s white face, Tyler decided it was time to change the subject. “You may have fixed the boy, but I fixed the bike. I deserve some of the hero worship.”
“Last time I talked to his dad, everything was fine.” Sean helped himself to more food. “No ill effects and the kid’s still riding that red bike of his, so I guess the whole incident scared us more than it scared him.?
?
Tyler doubted his brother had been scared. Even as a child, Sean hadn’t been bothered by the sight of blood or bone. On the contrary, it had fascinated him, a factor that had no doubt influenced his decision to become a surgeon.
“You called him?” Jackson reached for his beer. “That was nice of you.”
“All part of the service.”
Walter glanced at his grandson. “How is the new job working out? Are you missing Boston?”
“I’m not missing the traffic. And it’s good to be closer to here.”
“We love having you close by.” Elizabeth sneaked more potatoes onto Jess’s plate. “You need to keep your strength up. We have a lot of baking to do on Sunday, sweetheart. You’ll need to come over early. And if you want to spend the night on Saturday, that’s fine.”
“I’m skiing. It’s race training. Dad’s coming.” Jess’s whole face lit up like a Christmas tree, and Tyler put his fork down.
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
“Will Brenna be there, too?”
“Yeah, she should be.”
“That’s good. She’s a good teacher.”
Jackson lifted his beer. “Which is why I suggested she coach the high school team. But you had to interfere.”
“That’s right. I did.”
“Mind telling me why?”
“Because it’s Brenna’s idea of a nightmare. You shouldn’t have put her in that position.”
“What position?”
“Asking her to do something that’s hard for her when she already does so much for you.”
“Why is it hard?” Jackson looked blank. “She’s the obvious choice. She teaches that age all the time.”
His temper started to simmer. “But not the high school team. You’re asking her to go into the school. That place doesn’t have good memories for her.” He wondered how Jackson could possibly have forgotten, and then realized his brother had barely come up for air since the shocking discovery that Snow Crystal Resort was in serious trouble.
As if to confirm that, Jackson stared at him for a moment, eyes blank and unfocused as if he’d suddenly walked into the light after a decade underground. “That was a long time ago.” He thought for a moment and then cursed under his breath, earning himself a reproving look from his grandmother. “It was thoughtless of me. So why didn’t she refuse?”
“Because she hates confrontation, you know that. And she wants to please you. You’re her boss.”
“I’ve known her since kindergarten.”
“Doesn’t change the fact you’re her boss.”
“So how did you know?”
“I took a look at her face.”
Jackson raised an eyebrow. “Since when have you been Mr. Sensitive?”