AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“So, no I don’t want you to leave and I think I can speak for Braxton here too. Right, man?”
“Of course I don’t. We’re a team. I’m sorry about all the losses and what you went through but remember we are always around to hear you out,” Braxton said.
“I think I might be talked out for another decade or so, but thanks,” I told him. We all laughed at my dry attempt at humor.
“That brings me back to one more thing,” Gyth said. “Was that why you thought you should leave or is there more?”
“I thought that would make you want me to take a hike but when I said that I was thinking that Brinley didn’t want me around. She pretty much hates my guts.” Not that I could blame her. “And I think she needs all of you and your women in her life. I don’t want to scare her off.”
“She’ll come around,” Gyth said, confidently.
“You think so?” I cocked my head to the side pondering his words. “How do you know?”
“We’ve seen it happen multiple times around here and it started with me,” Braxton said, grinning.
It was kind of odd the way he’d put it.
But a guy could hope.
ChapterThirteen
BRINLEY
Decision.Decision.
Sometimes it was a toss-up on how I felt about being a grown-up.
Two more weeks slipped by and I knew I had to make a choice. I couldn’t just sit around and not work even if spending quality time with my son was the best thing in life. And it kept me busy. However, I wasn’t wired that way and had been taught how to be a hard-working responsible person. Something my mother instilled in me early and led by example herself. But it was time to create a new life with stability for Zander and me.
So, one evening I sat down and made a list of all the pros and cons of staying in Portland. But it didn’t seem like much of a list because in the con column there was only one word.
Rowan.
My hand hesitated when I’d written his name because even though I didn’t know that I could ever forgive him and I was scared to death about our past rearing its ugly head, part of me wished I could have my friend back.
But how was that even possible?
I had a lot to think about, but right then I had to get Zander over to Summer and Gyth’s place to play with their son. Gyth was going to watch the kids while I went to lunch with the ladies.
It was something they liked to do from time to time and I guess they wanted to talk to me about something. What that was, I had no clue, and I was a bit nervous to find out.
I’d been around them several times and while nothing seemed amiss to give me any indication that what they wanted to say was bad, I was still worried.
One thing I noticed was that the few times everyone had been together, most recently at a barbeque at Braxton and Jurnee’s place, Rowan had been very quiet. He’d also been giving me a wide berth and not pushing me to talk or interact with him.
What if the ladies wanted to tell me they didn’t think me being around was such a great idea? I mean Rowan was their friend before I ever stepped foot in town and he had his job with the guys.
While I may be overreacting or conjuring up issues that were not there, the fact remained that I needed to make up my mind anyway. Maybe after hearing what they had to say it would sway me in one direction or the other.
“Mommy, are we going yet?” Zander asked, looking up at me with his head cocked back dramatically as he inhaled deeply through his nose.
Before responding, he carried on.
“I like it at Dexter’s because Gyth is funny and plays with us. Can we get a daddy too?” he pleaded.
I’d never lied to my son about Luke being his father. He knew as he got older that I was married to him and he would have been a good daddy, but he wasn’t his biological dad. Zander wasn’t quite old enough to understand it all along the way but recently had been asking more questions and now being around other fathers, who happened to be amazing, it seemed he was wondering more.
I couldn’t blame him and knew the day would come when the harder inquiries would arise. I just wasn’t prepared for them to come at me like flying darts right then and hit me like a bullseye to the heart.
