Deep River Promise (Alaska Homecoming #2) - Jackie Ashenden Page 0,62
hear me?”
Connor went still, that strong jaw of his tightening.
“Connor,” Damon said. “Look at me.”
Slowly, the kid turned his head, his blue eyes full of fury and pain.
Damon held his gaze, because if there was one thing the boy needed to know, it was this. “It’s not your fault. You know whose fault it is? It’s his. It’s Aiden’s. Not yours, not your mom’s. I’ve seen a lot of guys like him, think the world owes them a living. Think that people are their property. That they don’t have to answer to anyone. But they’re wrong. And they’re assholes.”
Connor bristled. “You don’t understand. I liked him. He was a nice guy to me. If I’d—”
“Why are you trying to take the blame? When he was the one who broke your trust?”
The kid tore his gaze away, staring down at the fire again. Every line of him was tense and Damon felt that urge again to lay a hand on the boy’s shoulder, tell him it was okay.
His fingers gripped the cool glass of his bottle instead, and he put every bit of certainty he could into his voice. “You’re a good kid. And questioning yourself even a little bit makes you better than most. You’re thinking of your mom and you want to do the right thing. You want to take responsibility. I admire that. I respect it. Some adults can’t do that, let alone a fifteen-year-old.”
Connor dug at the fire. He didn’t look at Damon, but something in his posture eased. He was uncomfortable with the conversation, but also, it was clear, he needed to hear what Damon was trying to tell him.
When was the last time the boy had had some male praise? Just a guy telling him that he was doing a good job and that he’d earned some respect? It wasn’t that praise from his mom wasn’t important, but Connor was a boy, and he needed some male attention too.
Damon wasn’t exactly the best man to get it from and he knew it, but he’d rather punch himself in the face than betray the trust of a child the way Aiden had. And he’d certainly never hurt a woman.
“But the fact is you are a fifteen-year-old. And back when this stuff was happening with Aiden, you were a little kid. You can’t take responsibility for something that’s not yours to take. Aiden was an adult. He should have known better. So I’m sorry you had to go through that, but there was nothing you could have done, understand?”
Connor stared moodily at the fire, sipping on the beer, but at last he nodded.
“Good. And as far as school’s concerned, you need to listen to your mother. It doesn’t matter that the year is nearly done. You still need to go.”
“I knew you’d take her side.” He sounded aggrieved.
“Yeah, well, sadly for you, I am also an adult and I know that staying in school is the best option for you long term. Can’t protect a town without a decent education.”
Connor scowled, clearly frustrated. “But I—”
“But I’ll make you a deal,” Damon interrupted, an idea forming in his head. “If you go to school, I’ll keep you in the loop about the decisions and discussion we’ll be having about the town. And if you have any suggestions, I’ll bring them to the relevant people.”
Connor’s blue gaze narrowed, suspicious.
But Damon understood where he was coming from now and it made sense; the poor kid had trusted once and it had blown up in his face. How could he ever do so again?
The same will be true for Astrid…
The wary look in her eyes, the veneer of cool, the bristly energy that gripped her that she didn’t do anything with, as if she was holding all her emotions inside…
Yes, it would be true for her too.
“You can trust me, Connor,” Damon said with quiet authority. “I’m not Aiden. I won’t betray your trust. When I say I’ll do something, I’ll do it.”
Something flickered in the boy’s eyes, that longing again. Connor wanted to trust him. He wanted to trust him desperately.
“I’ll stay another couple of days,” Damon went on, even though he knew he shouldn’t. “I won’t leave just yet. You can keep going to school, and I’ll make sure Silas and Zeke do things right, tell you everything that goes on. And I’ll take any concerns you have to them. I can’t guarantee they’ll do anything about them, but I’ll make sure they listen. Okay?”