AllFreeNovel
Share Us
As she stepped in the shower, Hope couldn’t help but think about Grayson’s unexpected gesture. What did it all mean? Why would he want to be friends with her? Did he have a secret agenda? Humph! A man who looked like Grayson probably had women eating out of the palm of his hand.
In most instances, Hope would give someone the benefit of the doubt. But knowing that Grayson might negatively affect her ability to make a living stood in the way of her ever seeing past his surface. Her daughter’s sweet face flashed into her mind. Her number one priority in this world was making sure Ella was fed and happy and protected with a roof over her head. God help Grayson Holloway if his actions interfered with that.
**
Sending flowers to Hope had been a spur of the moment decision, Grayson realized. Seeing her so upset a few days ago had affected him way more than he was comfortable admitting. Even to himself. It was a strange feeling to care about someone you barely knew. Stranger still since it wasn’t Grayson’s way. Yet he had to admit it. He cared about Hope. It was odd considering it usually took him a long time to warm up to people. He’d been in more relationships than he could count with women who viewed him as emotionally detached.
He had never been in love. Not once. And sometimes it scared him
. Was there something wrong with him? Had his childhood impacted his ability to fall in love with a woman?
Seeing his parents’ marriage crumble had been devastating to him as a kid. Having a father who cared more about being adopted and his fame on that subject than being a dedicated father to his only child had wrecked Grayson. All in all, he’d never had the feeling that either of his parents had truly loved him. On an intellectual level he knew they had, but where it most counted—in the innermost regions of his heart—he’d never quite felt it.
The buzzing of his cell phone drew his attention to his shirt pocket. He reached in and pulled it out, letting out a groan when he saw his father’s number on the display. He had already called about a dozen times in the last few days. Grayson knew it was only a matter of time before he had to deal with him.
“Hello, dad,” he answered in a curt voice.
“Grayson!” his father barked. “I’ve been trying to reach you for days now. What in the world is going on with you? That message you left was fairly cryptic. You can’t be where I think you are.”
He let out a sigh. “I’m in Savannah. Tybee Island to be exact.”
Grayson held the phone away from his ear as his father erupted.
By the time he placed the phone back up against his ear, his father was still talking up a storm. “What game are you playing at Grayson? This is unacceptable. Are you going off the deep end or what? First you file a ridiculous lawsuit, then you disappear on me.”
“The lawsuit isn’t ridiculous. It’s my birthright,” he said in a raised voice. He wasn’t even going to apologize for exploding. His father was determined not to understand him.
“Grayson! We need to talk. Really talk. I can’t avoid this discussion any longer.” Tanner Holloway’s voice was filled with strain.
“What discussion? The one where you tell me I’m wrong to go down this road?”
For a few seconds there was complete silence on the phone.
“It’s more complicated than that, son. I need to be completely honest with you about a few things. Things I should have told you a long time ago. I wish you’d told me about the lawsuit sooner. I would have set you straight.”
Setting him straight was his father’s strong suit. He’d been doing it for all of Grayson’s life. Bitterness threatened to choke him. If only he’d grown up with a dad who showed him unconditional love and showered him with attention, perhaps he’d be in better shape today. Perhaps he wouldn’t be filing lawsuits in order to fill up an empty hole inside of him.
“I don’t need you to set me straight, dad,” he said through clenched teeth. “Let me tell you what I really needed back when I was a kid. I needed a dad who cared. One who showed me love and sat in the front row when I was the lead in Pippin. Or cheered me on when I was valedictorian.”
“Grayson, I can’t make up for those things, but if we both try I think we can move toward a better relationship.”
Grayson let out a hollow laugh. “If you want to do something for me then leave me alone. I’m a grown man who can make his own decisions.”
“This pursuit of Savannah House is going to blow up in your face!” Tanner cried out. “You can’t just go around trying to take what isn’t yours.”
Grayson winced at the all-knowing tone in his father’s voice. “Thanks, Dad. I can always count on you for support.” Grayson disconnected the call, knowing he couldn’t bear to listen to his father’s doubts any longer. Some things never changed, he realized. He’d spent the majority of his life trying to win his father’s approval, yet he knew he never would. Even though he was a successful, award winning artist and author, his father still treated him like the goofball kid who couldn’t get anything right. It was as if Tanner Holloway was perpetually disappointed with his son.
Knowing he needed to let off some steam, Grayson collected his emotions and began assembling his surfing gear. The water was still fairly cold, so he grabbed his full body suit and pulled it on. With his surfboard in the back of his Jeep, Grayson headed down the road toward his special spot.
Although his place was right by the water, the best place for surfing was on the stretch of beach closest to Savannah House.
An hour later and Grayson had rid himself of all the angst and pain associated with his relationship with his father. Many nights he had prayed for things to get better between them, but so far those prayers hadn’t been answered. No one could wound him more than his dad. At the same time, no one could lift him up more than Tanner Holloway. Hot tears burned his eyes as he held back the feelings of sorrow flooding through his soul.
He stuck his board in the sand and sat down next to it, digging into his bag for an apple. The scenery at Savannah Beach was spectacular. It rivaled his favorite spot on Earth—Martha’s Vineyard. They shared some similarities. Miles and miles of unspoiled beach. The scent of salt water drifting along with the breeze. The gritty sand he could burrow his toes in. Grayson knew there was something about the sea that called to him. He felt more at home when he was by the water than anywhere else on God’s green earth.
Grayson spotted a person walking down the beach in his direction. As they drew closer, Grayson realized it was a mother with a small child in her arms. A few heartbeats later, he recognized the graceful slope of Hope’s neck and the way she carried herself. Elegant, Grayson thought. And it seemed so effortless.
He knew the moment Hope recognized him. She stopped in her tracks and simply stared at him. He got the impression she was considering turning in the other direction. But in order to get to Savannah House, she had to walk past him. Dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, she looked fresh and natural.
