Page 90 of Hollywood

“Stop worrying about me,” he said sharply enough that Ruby flinched. He rubbed her back, softening his tone. “Sorry, baby. I’m not mad at you. No, I never could be. You’re the best.”

He kissed the crown of her head. Ruby didn’t seem overlyupset. But she climbed off his lap, anyway, maybe sensing the tension in him.

She stopped by Knight, who looked nervous, then plopped down next to Biscuit and laid her head against his side.

“Aw. Adorable.” Aiden’s voice came out of the dark. He must have left his car at his place and walked. He came across the lot, dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt, hair looking freshly washed.

Knight brightened. “Hey, Angel. Come sit on me.”

“Whoa, there’s a child present,” Tex joked.

“Hilarious.” Aiden perched on Knight’s knee, leaning in for a quick kiss. “So, what did I miss?”

“We were just trying to talk to Joyride about what happened at the rehab center.”

“That must have been rough.” Aiden turned, voice soft. “How are you holding up?”

He groaned. “No one needs to worry about me, okay? I’m fine. I’m the one who fucked up. I don’t deserve pity.”

“If anyone’s throwing a pity party, it’s you,” Knight shot back.

He didn’t like anyone saying a word out of line to Aiden. But he wasn’t wrong. Joyride was wallowing in his pain.

Joy’s eyes gleamed in the firelight. “What should I do? I can’t change what happened.”

“You can’t hide from it,” I said quietly. “You have to face it.”

“Hollywood’s right,” Aiden said. “All this guilt serves no one. The more you try to push it down, the more it will eat you up. You’ve got to purge it.”

“How do I do that?” Joyride asked, voice flat and listless.

“Express it,” Ghost said, having drifted over from the grill. “Tell that woman how deeply sorry you are.”

“And what if she doesn’t want to see me?”

“Write a letter,” Knight suggested.

Joyride didn’t have an immediate rebuttal, which was progress.

“The important thing is to get your feelings out there,” Aiden said. “Even if you decide not to send it, you can write down your apology, your regret, and how you wish you’d handled it differently. You’d be surprised how healing it is to finally put those feelings into words.”

Joyride gnawed on his lip. “I guess I could try. It won’t heal Dakota, though.”

“There are some mistakes you can’t take back,” I said gently. “But it was an accident. You didn’t set out to hurt Dakota. Try to hold on to that.”

He shook his head. “It just doesn’t seem like enough.”

“Maybe it isn’t,” Knight said. “But you’ve got to start somewhere. If you let it, this kind of guilt will poison you.”

I glanced at Tex, thinking of him brooding over his father and holding it all inside. He looked thoughtful, like he was turning over what Knight said. Maybe Joyride wouldn’t be the only one taking some advice tonight.

“Okay, these salmon patties are done,” Ghost said. “I’ve got some side items in the house.”

Joyride jumped up. “I’ll get them.”

Aiden followed him. I hoped he’d give Joyride some of that comforting bedside manner he was mastering as a doctor. The kid could use a hug, if nothing else.

We spent the next few minutes loading paper plates with salmon patties, barbecue chips, and coleslaw. I took Ruby onto my lap and let her have bites of my food. The girl was developing quite an appetite, and Tex had to get me seconds because she ate so much of the salmon.