Taking Heart Read Free

wanted to take a few weeks off work and stay at some training facility, fine. He’d see soon enough that this wouldn’t help.
    â€œFine.” Dylan shook his head in defeat and ran a hand over his close-shaven head. “I’ll have to call Dr. Miller and let him know.”
    â€œI’ve already called him.” Gage tossed a basket of Dylan’s laundry onto his bed and began to fold it. “For the record, he thinks it’s a great idea.”
    Dylan clenched his jaw. He appreciated his brother’s help, but he wasn’t completely incompetent. He felt the always-present anger simmering just below the surface. “I’m not an invalid. I can still do my own laundry.”
    Gage looked up, eyeing him curiously. “I know you can, Dylan. I wasn’t implying you couldn’t.”
    â€œThen stop coddling me like I’m going to break. I’m already broken.” Dylan felt the familiar curtain of rage coming down over him, but he was helpless to stop it. It didn’t matter how many pills they gave him or how many behavioral exercises he tried, when an episode came on it was like a flash flood that drowned him every time. He reached out, throwing the hamper from the bed. “This is pointless.”
    â€œDylan . . . ”
    â€œYou know damn well I can’t get on a plane, what that will do to me.”
    â€œFine, we’ll drive. It’s only all the way across the country.” Gage grabbed a pillow from the bed and slapped it into his brother’s hands. “You want to be pissed? Go ahead. You want to throw things? Be my guest. But use this, and you clean up whatever mess you make.” Gage turned on his heel and left the room.
    It wasn’t the reaction Dylan expected. But instead of cooling, the storm inside him built, gaining momentum until he felt it swirling in his chest. He growled in rage, throwing the pillow at the wall and looking around the room for something else to throw. It only pissed him off more that every surface was already cleared. His brother had learned that lesson after Dylan’s last episode. He clenched his fists, trying to still the fury building within. Every muscle in Dylan’s body seemed to tense as he fought for control, bracing his fists on each side of the door frame. He couldn’t stop his fist when it rose of its own accord and slammed against the wall, putting a hole in it.
    The pain radiating up his arm was enough to shake him from his fury, but self-loathing filled the vacuum left behind once his anger dissipated. He backed up until his legs hit the bed. His knees lost strength, unable to hold him as the adrenaline left him weak, and he dropped to sit on the edge of the mattress. Dylan looked at the bottle of pills on his nightstand, sweet oblivion that would make him forget, at least for a short while.
    Just this once.
    It was a lie. It wasn’t the first time he’d made that promise to himself, and he was sure it wouldn’t be the last, but he wasn’t about to take the steps down that dark path again. He looked away. He wouldn’t cave. Dylan buried his forehead in his hands, rubbing at his temples with his fingers, his right hand skimming the scar that ran from his temple to the back of his ear. He’d have been better off if that bullet had killed him.

Chapter Two
    â€œJ ULIA, YOU CAN ’ T just let two strange men stay here.” Her older brother, Justin, stood in front of her door, refusing to let her exit. His hulking frame would have been intimidating to anyone else, but she knew he was a pushover.
    â€œIt’s not the first time I’ve let clients stay, Justin. I just sent home a very sweet mother and her son last week.” She brushed past him and trotted down the porch steps, heading to the dog kennels with Tango on her heels. She didn’t need Justin reminding her of things she’d already put behind her. “We grew up on a dude ranch. We’ve