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🕑 Added 2024-09-27 18:41:35 +0000 UTCWind in the Smoke
Chapter 6: The Day Doesn’t Matter
As he walked down the stairs to eat, Dante glanced at his sister, who was calmer, sitting in the living room, watching the flames peacefully dancing in the fireplace.
"Feeling more at ease, sister?"
Beth turned her face toward Dante, who walked up to the fireplace and tossed in the clothes he wanted to get rid of from his inventory, then said, "If I bothered you earlier, you know it wasn’t my intention."
"Enough with the apologizes. Forgive what happened before; you know there's no excuse; I had drunk way more than usual." Beth didn’t let Dante finish and interrupted him.
"Well..."
"By the way, why are you burning those clothes?" Beth pointed at the high flames that flared up when Dante threw his full suit into the fireplace.
Dante silently watched the fire for a moment and then said, "They were stained. Besides, they were a gift from an ex-girlfriend I despise."
Beth noticed the lie in Dante’s words but didn’t ask further questions. Maybe he had his reasons for hiding the truth.
"Today is our mother’s birthday. It should be a pleasant day for everyone, so try not to think about that poison that drives you crazy every time." Dante took the wooden box wrapped in a leather bag and handed it to his sister.
"Now you’re a psychologist?" Beth was surprised by the gift her brother had given her and opened it. Inside the wooden box, she found a necklace with a teardrop-shaped pearl. The pearl was crystalline, and it didn’t take an expert to know it was a diamond.
"Not exactly." Dante, this time without his father looking, poured himself a glass of wine.
"When?" Beth lifted the necklace, and it gleamed with just a light touch.
"The things I gift my family have no price when compared to you." Dante wouldn’t tell his sister that the necklace was worth over two million dollars. It wouldn’t be convenient to explain where he got that money, but he wasn’t hiding the fact that he had resources.
Beth didn’t respond to this, captivated by the necklace, which was quite beautiful and clearly expensive.
"Do you like it? I’m not very good at choosing gifts for people." Dante was curious, as this gift was by far the least expensive one he had chosen for his sister.
"I like it." Beth nodded as she put the necklace on herself.
Lee then entered, took off his hat and set it aside, and asked, "I could see that necklace shining from the door."
"Isn’t it beautiful?" Beth looked at her older brother, easily showing him the necklace Dante had gifted her.
"Don’t spoil her too much, little brother. You’ll have her clinging to you like a cat." Lee approached Dante to warn him.
But Dante, who also had a gift for him, pulled out another wooden box, this time containing a watch with Lee’s initials engraved inside.
Lee, who wasn’t expecting a gift, hugged Dante without even looking at it. "You didn’t have to spend money on these things."
"Just promise me you’ll take care of it."
"I will."
Beth watched her two brothers, who were as similar as Kayce. Jaime, on the other hand, seemed very different from the other four for some reason.
But no one cared about that, so the three of them walked to the dining room where the others were seated.
Jaime approached to greet Dante, whom he hadn’t seen until now, and Dante took the chance to give him a gift similar to the one he had given Lee: a watch.
"Thank you, brother."
"Our lawyer must wear the best watches. Wear it, brother."
"I will."
John, who was sitting nearby, looked at Dante, who handed him a wooden box. He didn’t bother to open it and simply said, "Thank you, son."
Dante nodded and walked to his seat at the table, avoiding the place where his mother used to sit, according to family stories.
"What’s for dinner?" John took the opportunity to ask.
"Steak, salad, and mashed potatoes."
Beth, who had been staying for a few days, was a bit annoyed by this and asked, "Red meat again?"
"A man needs meat to keep going. It’s the fuel we use each day." John hated eating salad, as his daughter always mentioned at every opportunity.
Dante looked at him, picked up the knife and fork, and began cutting the large steak served on his plate. His hands moved quickly, cutting it into even pieces. Then he took the plate, placed it in front of him, and instead took Beth’s plate.
"I’d forgotten you always did that for Beth. You’re the only one who dares treat her so gallantly." Jaime couldn’t help but tease, as his sister was like a lioness whenever she had the chance, but everything changed with Dante.
Lee looked at his brother and reminded him, "I wouldn’t tease her if I were you."
"Yeah..."
John looked at his family, almost entirely gathered, and couldn’t help but form a slight smile.
In the middle of the meal, with everyone in silence, Dante asked, "Lee, I heard there’s a horse no one’s been able to tame yet."
"Yeah, there is."
John remembered that stubborn horse that had thrown him off a few times. Lee hadn’t had any luck taming it either. That horse was a real beast.
"Do you need help?" Dante used to help the family on the ranch. He knew how to train a horse and, even better, understood the basics of taming one.
John smiled and leaned back in his chair to look at Dante, who hadn’t ridden a horse in at least two years.
"Are you sure? You might break a few bones." Lee wanted to see his brother give it a try.
Old John touched the corner of his mouth, thought for a while, and said, "Alright then, let’s do it. If you tame it in one day, I’ll give you a good horse."
Jaime, who nearly choked, said, "I wouldn’t recommend it, brother. I don’t think breaking a bone is a good idea."
"No, I’ll be fine. Let’s do it." Dante thought it would be fun. There’s nothing better than getting on the back of a furious, untamable horse.
This was also the main reason he had come home. He wanted to spend more time with his family and, with some luck, help them heal all their wounds.
He wasn’t someone who exclusively sought his family’s well-being, but he would do his best to make their problems a little lighter.
