Gavin blew out a breath. “I’ll admit I thought of you the day Sierra was born. Not in a good way. I wondered what type of woman could look at a baby and say, take it away, I don’t want it.”
“I don’t know what to say to that. I don’t know if I can ever explain my mindset at that time to your satisfaction, Gavin. Adopted kids, no matter how happy their childhoods with their adoptive parents, are resentful on some level. I talked to a counselor about that when I needed an unbiased opinion on how to handle you either being in our lives or not being in our lives.”
“You saw a counselor?”
“Yes. This hasn’t been easy on me, or on your father. Let me ask you a hypothetical question. If you would’ve tracked me down and discovered I’d married another man, and had children with him, would you feel differently? Instead of knowing I went back to your father and had three other sons with him?”
“Probably. Because I’m odd man out in any family situation.”
“Maybe it feels like that to you, but it doesn’t to the rest of us. Especially not to me. I finally feel like my family is complete.”
Gavin processed that. His family had accepted him with open arms and hearts. He liked them and his life was better for all of them being part of it. He didn’t want to give that up either.
“I know you’re wondering how this situation with Sierra popped up from out of nowhere. I think I can shed some light on that.”
“Really? Did she call you?”
“No, I talked to Carolyn today and she mentioned that Boone West just up and joined the army. He left for basic training yesterday.”
“Shit.” Gavin briefly closed his eyes. “Now it makes sense. She met Boone the night before last. The next morning she was packed and ready to go.”
“Boone must’ve told her that night he was leaving.”
“But why would she throw her life into upheaval over some boy?” Why wouldn’t she tell me?
Vi patted his leg. “Gavin. Sweetie. You aren’t that clueless. Think about what you just said.”
He frowned. “But she and Boone weren’t even dating.”
“That doesn’t mean Sierra didn’t feel something for him. Something big. Something that crushed her entire world when he took it away.”
“Like…love? For Christsake. She’s sixteen years old! How can she possibly know what real and lasting love is at that age?”
Vi remained quiet and a little stoic.
Gavin knew he’d stepped in it. “I’m sorry. I don’t get it. I never had that feeling until Rielle.”
“You didn’t feel that way about Ellen when you first met her?”
“I don’t remember. What happened after we got married tainted any good memories I had of her or us.” Gavin let out a slow breath. “Can you please explain this to me?”
“No, sweetie, I can’t. Because no matter how well I explain it, you’ve never experienced it so you won’t understand. I knew Charlie was the one for me at that same age. Charlie knew I was the one for him. Same with Quinn and Libby. To some extent, it’s the same with Tell and Georgia. The gut feeling that you’ve met the person who is the one for you is powerful and it’s very real.
“So it’s more than Sierra throwing her life and everyone else’s into upheaval over some boy. She’s devastated in a way you can’t understand. Not only has she lost him, she’s lost the potential of anything ever happening between them. It’s not trivial to her. So please, whatever you decide to do, don’t discount how serious this is to her. If you do, it will change your relationship with her—not in a good way. Especially since she hasn’t felt comfortable telling you the real reason for wanting to leave.”
“What am I supposed to do?”
“Love her. But be ready to let her go. She’ll come back to you.”
Gavin impulsively gave her a hug. “Thanks. You have no idea how much it means…how much I…” Just tell her. “You’ve been there for me every time I’ve needed you in the last year and you didn’t have to be.”
Vi smiled. “I am a little persistent.”
“I’m sorry I’ve been an ass to you. And I appreciate that you don’t let my shitty behavior slide. Christ, I’m a grown man who’s supposed to know better. Then I hear my mom’s voice in my head telling me to knock it off. I think the reason I’m so reserved with you is I’m constantly reminding myself that I can’t like you because it feels disloyal to my mother.”
“I know you were close to her, Gavin, and I’m not looking to replace her. That’s never been my intent. She raised you to be a good man. That was all her doing. I’m grateful to her, because she loved you enough to send you back to us.”
That choked him up a little.
She sighed. “So where does this leave us now that we’ve had this overdue discussion?”
“We can move on. The truth is I like you, Vi. A lot. I’m glad you’re in my life. Charlie too. So I’m, ah…working on the loving you part, okay?”
“Okay. In the meantime I’ll love you enough for both of us.” She patted his cheek. “Let’s stop with this mushy stuff. Let’s go back to the house. I baked a pie in my new oven.”
“Homemade crust?”
She peered over the tops of her glasses. “Not on your life.”
Gavin tracked Rielle to the garden. But she wasn’t on her hands and knees in the dirt. She rested her forearms across the top of the fence and stared at the recently planted alfalfa field across the road.
He took a moment just to watch her, the beautiful, amazing woman he’d fallen in love with. He’d made his decision after talking to Vi, but being here, seeing her, just cemented it.
Rielle finally noticed him. She smiled uncertainly. “Hey.”
“Hey.” He walked to the fence. “I missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too.”
“Have you immersed yourself in dirt therapy?”
“I’ve been trying to…but even that isn’t working. I’ve been wandering. Aimlessly.”
“Is that why you seem lost in thought?”
“Maybe I’m just feeling a little lost.”
“Ree. Honey. I’ve always been a little lost…and then I found you.”
Her gaze bored into his. “You’ve made a decision.”