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“Dad and I were saying tonight it’s been weeks since the three of us had di
“Mmm, ribs.” Even though he’d just eaten a huge meal, his mouth watered at the thought of his mother’s ribs. “You know how to get my attention.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Could I bring a friend?”
His question was met with dead silence on the other end of the line.
“Mom?”
“A female friend?” The hope he heard in her voice was like a punch to the gut, making him realize how little reason he’d given her to be hopeful where he was concerned.
“Yes, a female friend.”
“Of course you can bring her. Anyone we know?”
“You know her.”
“That’s it? That’s all I’m getting?”
“Until tomorrow.”
“Gavin, come on! You can’t leave me hanging for twenty-four hours.”
“It’ll be here before you know it,” he said, smiling. He’d smiled more today than he had in years.
“This is just mean.”
That made him laugh. “Patience, Mother.”
“Is this . . . Is it something serious?”
“Could be. It’s new, so don’t get too excited just yet.”
“I’m already excited that you like her enough to bring her here.”
“I like her a lot. I have for a long time.”
“Gavin Michael Guthrie! You are torturing your mother!”
His dad chimed in from the extension. “Hey, Gav, why are you torturing your mother?”
“Because I asked to bring a friend to di
“So do I,” his dad said, making Gavin laugh.
“See you guys tomorrow! Gotta run.”
“Gavin!”
“Love you.” He hung up laughing, which was another thing he’d done a lot of today. It felt good to have something to laugh and smile about again. It felt good to give his parents something to look forward to. It felt good to be around Ella, to be able to touch her and kiss her and not have to pretend any longer that he wasn’t crazy about her.
In particular, it felt good to not be so twisted up in knots of grief and rage as he’d been so much of the time lately. The downward spiral had come on quickly following the one-two punch of Homer dying followed by Ha
Then Homer died. Gavin could still remember the absolute devastation of hearing that his brother’s beloved companion was gone. As ridiculous as it might seem to some, it had been like losing Caleb all over again. The three of them had been constant companions in college and whenever Caleb was home on leave from the army. His brother had been absolutely crazy about the mutt he’d found by the side of the road, and the mutt had been equally crazy about Caleb.
The funeral Ha
Around the time Homer died, Gavin had found out that Ha
Their wedding day, however, had been far more difficult than Gavin had expected it to be. Seeing Caleb’s Ha
Yeah, he’d been batting a thousand lately. And now, despite all the reasons why she shouldn’t, Ella had given him this amazing opportunity to spend time with her, to see if what had been simmering between them for years might now turn into something lasting.
He had the worst fear that if he screwed things up with her, any chance he had to be truly happy would be lost forever. Not to mention the toll it would take on her if their fledgling relationship turned into another disaster. He couldn’t let that happen.
With his backpack on his shoulder, he locked up his house and headed across the yard to the big steel building where he kept the trucks and equipment for his logging company. He punched in the code that deactivated the alarm system and opened one of the big doors. Inside, he walked past the trucks with the Guthrie Logging name on the doors to the back corner of the big building.
Gavin pulled the tarp off his vintage Harley and wheeled it outside, closing the door behind him and resetting the alarm. Sitting astride the powerful bike, Gavin strapped on the helmet he wouldn’t have bothered with before his brother was killed and his parents were left with only him. Now he didn’t take chances with his safety the way he had before.
Before. And after. His life was divided neatly into two halves.
He fired up the bike and headed back to town, eager to be with Ella, to experience the sense of calm that came over him whenever she was close by. Navigating the winding roads between his home on the northern end of Butler and hers closer to town, Gavin knew a rare moment of excitement and anticipation.
He thought about what she’d told him earlier about wanting a big family. In the last few years, he’d been so focused on building his business that he hadn’t spent much time thinking about getting married or having a family. But now that he’d decided to take this chance with her, neither of those things seemed out of reach.
They were a long way from big decisions, but the fact that those things were even possible filled him with another emotion that had been in short supply recently—hope. He had something to look forward to. He had a reason to get up in the morning that didn’t revolve around his work. He had someone who cared about him—probably more than she should, not that he was complaining. He had someone counting on him for more than a paycheck in the case of his employees and an occasional visit in the case of his parents.
He pulled into Ella’s driveway and parked the bike in front of her car where it couldn’t be easily seen from the street. Bringing his helmet with him, he went up the stairs to her apartment and knocked on the door.
When the door opened, his mind went blank and his mouth went dry at the sight of her in a slinky sexy robe, her long dark hair shining like always. Behind her, the apartment was aglow with light from candles and the fireplace.
She reached for his free hand. “Come in.”
Struck dumb by the sight of her, he followed her inside, dropping his helmet and backpack inside the door.
“Are you okay?” she asked, gazing up at him with her heart in her eyes. She always looked at him that way, and he hoped she always would. He hoped he never gave her a reason to look at him any other way but with love and affection in her gaze.
“You look . . . God, Ella, you’re beautiful.”
“You should see yourself in that leather jacket with the bike helmet tucked under your arm. H-O-T. I didn’t even know you had a motorcycle.”
“I didn’t want to leave the truck with the Guthrie Logging logo on the side in your driveway overnight. We don’t need everyone talking about us until we’re ready for them to talk.”