“Careful,” Gavin warns as we wobble on the swing.
Then, Penny goes into a full-blown conversation, telling me about her mom. She shares what Gavin told her earlier, happiness glowing around her like a bright aura upon learning she does have a mother like all the other children. I smile as I listen to her. I can’t imagine what it would be like to suddenly learn you have a mom that isn’t in your life, but Penny speaks about her with pride.
“She doesn’t live here anymore, but Daddy said that if he marries someone again, she would be a different kind of mom.”
My breath catches in my throat as I make eye-contact with Gavin. His gaze is pinned on me like a bull facing a red, waving flag. Curiosity fills me as I wonder if he was talking about me.
“The person would be like a different mom, and I’m sure that she would love you very much and be proud to be in your life.” I squeeze Penny’s hand and feel a soft tickle on my shoulder. I look at Gavin again, who smiles at me with tenderness.
“It would be cool,” Penny sighs and leans back on the swing. I can’t help but giggle at her nonchalant comment, unaware of the weight of what she said.
I look out at the star-kissed sky and smile. I think back to my picnic date with Gavin and lying on the bed of his truck as we looked at the stars. This moment feels just as perfect.
Gavin
I never thought that I’d find someone who I’d want to spend my life with after Hadley left. The pain of losing her, of her leaving us, was monumental that it controlled me. It created a barrier made of fear that would repel anyone who attempted to get close to me. Even my family would tiptoe around me, careful about what they’d say.
For so long, Penny has been my only reason to live. She’s the reason I fight for a better life, so I can give her a healthy home and all the love she deserves.
Then, a sassy woman crashed into my life and reminded me of everything I had hidden from for all those years. I fought against her because I knew that she would leave, even if temporarily. The funny thing is, someone traveling isn’t the same when you know they’re coming back to you. And Sutton, I’m positive she’ll always come back to me.
I look at her, walking beside me, my hand linked with hers. Abbie called this morning and told me she would keep Penny overnight if I wanted to spend the day with Sutton, hinting at her demand to reach out to Sutton and make things right. What Abbie didn’t know when she called was that Sutton and I had already made things right.
When I saw Sutton on the other side of the door yesterday, my heart leaped in my chest like a wild horse that is caged in a tiny pen. Her apology was unnecessary. She stood up for us, she took her life into her hands and tried to make it better. I can’t be mad at her for that. It was admirable to watch. And if I hadn’t gotten the call from Penny’s school, maybe we would’ve talked sooner.
“What are you thinking about?” Sutton’s megawatt smile looks over at me.
“How we should spend the day.”
“I’m singing at Cocktails, Dreams, and Mischief tomorrow. Today, I’m all yours.” She extends the arm I’m holding as she moves further away from me. I smirk and pull her to me, wrapping my other arm around her waist and spinning her around. Her giggles make my smile grow wider.
“We’re dancing in the middle of the street, in plain daylight.” She looks up at me with those hazel eyes, green and golden specs swirling together.
“Who’s going to stop us?” This entire town witnessed the broken man that was left when his wife abandoned him with an infant. They helped me in any way they could. Now, they’ll watch me romance this woman off her feet.
“No one,” Sutton rests her head on my shoulder.
Holding her like this, not caring what people think or if photographers are taking our picture, feels right.
“How about we have breakfast first? Then, we can decide what to do.” I whisper into her ear and smile when she shivers.
“Beehive?” she asks about one of the local diners in town.
“Sounds perfect to me.” We walk toward Beehive, keeping my hand in hers and her body close to mine.
When we walk into the diner, we take our seats, and the waitress tells us their specials for the weekend. I look at Sutton over the top of the menu, smiling as I watch her intensely study the food choices.
I bite down my smile and lean back in my chair as I watch the way her eyebrows furrow the teeniest bit, and her nose scrunches up—the woman who opened my heart again and made me believe in more than painful pasts.
When Sutton places the menu on the table, she looks at me. “Are you staring?” She lifts an eyebrow, and one side of her mouth lifts in a crooked smile.
“Yes,” I don’t deny it. “What are you going to have?”
“The French toast. I don’t know why I bother looking for another option when French toast is my jam. How about you?”
“I’m having their banana pancakes and homestyle fries.” Sutton’s eyes widen as I respond, and I chuckle. “Do you want to share the fries?”
She nods eagerly. “Of course. Carb it up.”
I laugh deeply and reach for her hand across the table. Sutton laces her fingers with mine and holds our connected hands up. “I’m glad we were able to talk things through. It sounds silly saying it out loud, but knowing I had lost you hurt. I know we still have to learn how to navigate this relationship
