Chapter Twenty-Six
“Is Caroline okay?”
I glanced out the screen door, watching Caroline play with Ethel on the porch before turning to Jax to answer his question. Every time I looked at him, I was left breathless. It was more than the bloodied cuts and bruises on his face. The happy, teasing, and flirtatious boy was gone and had been replaced by a broken young man.
“That’s the same thing she asked me about you,” I replied. Sitting beside him, I opened the first aid kit. “She’s a strong little girl.”
“She’s is.” His swollen lips curled into a smile. He winced.
“You’re strong too.” My voice was soft as I pressed a wet towel to his lip, gently wiping off the blood.
“I made it worse.”
“You were protecting your mother.”
“Do you think Charlie can convince her to get help?”
Blue pools lo
