Carolina Wren

Chapter 37

Sean's POV

My footsteps echoed off the houses and rattled through the empty street as I made my way back towards Wren's house. Keeping my thoughts on Wren kept me from turning around and marching back into Nathan's living room to punch Owen in the face. We had given every boy on our team a choice on how to handle their home situations, trusted that with guidance they would make the choice that was right for them. Even Kota, who'd had a sweet, innocent younger sister to worry about.

Why couldn't we give Wren the same respect? Why couldn't we work with her to get her and those kids to safety? Why was throwing her away the only option that Owen could visualize?

My leaving the meeting might have saved Owen's face and our friendship, but I knew that leaving the boys in the house with him meant that he'd talk them around to his side. He'd convince them that it was what was best for Wren, and they'd trust him, no matter how wrong it felt. Sometimes I worry that his insistence on keeping himself separated from them as a leader has done more harm than good. We're supposed to be a family that works together, not idolizing our team liaison because we've essentially built him a pedestal to preen on when he feels he's correct.

We're brothers, we're supposed to be equals. I know that Owen means well, but he's letting his fear lead the team right now and taking advantage of the boys' blind faith in him. The debt they feel they owe for him pulling them out of their bad home situations. Yes, I was there. I played an important role but it's never going to be the same. Owen represented the stability they had lacked, and it has created a dynamic that I worry isn't going to survive the year if he convinces them to walk away from Wren.

When I got up to the door, I could hear pandemonium happening inside. Juni was screaming and I could hear Keegan wailing and coughing up a lung. Even as I rang the doorbell, I wondered if Wren would be able to hear me at all. How did Owen think she could possibly handle all of this on her own until we could get another team in place?

I had been prepared to wait however long it took for Wren to get things under control, but it wasn't long before the door was popping open and wide eyes behind glasses were staring up at me, giving me flashbacks to Baby Kota all over again. "Hi, Dr. Green," he said with a polite smile over the increased volume of noise. He repositioned his hand, bringing the open book, grasped between his fingers so he didn't lose his page, to my attention. "Wren's a little busy right now."

Before I could tell him that I'd wait, she appeared at the top of the stairs with a frown. "Dylan, I've told you a hundred times not to open the-- Sean? What are you doing here?"

Despite the confusion in her voice, the sound of my name tumbling from her lips sent shivers down my spine. She was holding a still crying Juni, who was only in her diaper. Keegan was behind her, peeking around her legs and wrapped in a towel, though he looked completely dry aside from the tear tracks down his cheeks. "You're so magnetic, I just can't stay away," I teased her. "I finished up what I was doing and decided to drop by to make sure things were going all right."

Her nose wrinkled and I would have thought she was annoyed or disgusted if I didn't know her well enough to know she was confused. Get used to it, Flower. I'll be inserting myself into your life as often as you'll let me.

"You didn't have to. You already helped all day, and you have a life," she said, like I wouldn't make her the center of my life if she gave me half of a chance. She shifted Juni higher up her hip and I winced in sympathy when the baby yanked on a handful of her hair. "You can come in."

Dylan gave me a little wave before disappearing back into the family room with his book as I closed the front door behind me. I took a moment to really take in Wren's appearance. Even with the help she had today, she looked exhausted and on the verge of falling asleep where she stood. "I'm guessing I've interrupted bath time?" I ventured and she nodded warily, trying to piece together my motive. "Let me take Juni so you can focus on Keegan. Has he had his medicine yet?"