Chapter 7 #3
“Neither one of them saw me in the doorway, so I slipped away and called 9-1-1.”
“You didn’t get your mother?”
She shook her head. “No. I knew she wouldn’t do anything to help Shaw. She always said Ivan knew best. When the cops arrived, they saw Shaw’s injuries and arrested Ivan. They wanted to take Shaw to the hospital, but Mom said no. Said he was fine.”
“Was he?”
Gretchen sighed. “No. He wasn’t. But he was as resistant to seeking treatment as my mom. I tried to convince him, and that was when Mom lost her shit in a big way, turning everything around on me .”
“On you?” Theo barked. “What the hell had you done wrong?”
“I called the cops over something that was a family matter. Then she unleashed on both of us, calling me and Shaw ungrateful assholes. The cops looked a bit shell-shocked by how vicious she was, considering Shaw’s…injuries.”
Yeah. There was definitely something more to this story.
“After a few minutes of screaming at us, she turned to the police officers and told them to get us out of her house, or she was tossing us out on the street.”
“Jesus,” Theo muttered.
“The cops kept trying to get Mom to calm down, trying to explain that if they took us, we’d be put into the foster care system, but she didn’t care.
She got more and more furious. Finally, Shaw stepped forward, said he wanted to leave.
He said anywhere was better than there. After that, the cops stopped arguing with Mom and agreed to take us with them.
We went to our rooms, packed a few things and, despite Shaw’s protests, they took him to the hospital.
A social worker picked us up from there, and that was the first night we spent in the residential home.
Because of our ages, and the abuse Shaw suffered, they didn’t bother to look for foster parents. ”
“Why not?” Theo asked.
“The chances of finding someone who would take us both were slim, and they didn’t want to split us up. I was scared and clinging to Shaw, who wouldn’t let go of me.”
Theo was grateful she’d had that one fucking crumb of comfort—if he could call it that. “Shaw sounds like a good brother. I’m glad the two of you had each other.”
“He was the best brother. He really looked out for me those first two years…before he graduated.”
Theo heard the past tense, and he couldn’t help but wonder if it was only the physical distance that left Gretchen and Shaw estranged or if something else had happened.
“Anyway, Ivan spent some time in jail, and he lost his job. After that, he became even more bitter and angry, blaming me and Shaw for ruining his life. A few times since, he’s tried to hit me up for money, because God forbid he get another job.”
“Did you give it to him?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t have it to give. These days, he’s a heavy drinker, and my mom is still his biggest defender.”
“I hate that you went through all that.” Theo reached over to tap a finger on her clenched hands, which were squeezing the hell out of Boots.
His action drew her from her recollections, and she smoothed out the crushed cat. “I’m okay,” she said, her tone lighter than it should be, considering what she’d shared. “I learned how to live without parents a long time ago, so it’s not like I’m missing them or anything.”
She was missing something, but considering she’d never received motherly love, she didn’t realize it.
Leaning closer, he bumped his shoulder against hers. “I’m not sure you’re going to keep living without family. Edith has already claimed you as hers, and I have a feeling my mom is on her way to adopting you as well.”
Gretchen smiled, her hand rising to cover her mouth. “I’m claiming Edith, too, because she’s amazing. And I wouldn’t mind your mom adopting me,” she confessed. “Porch time is awesome.”
Theo chuckled. Gretchen had been introduced to his mother’s porch time earlier this week.
As part of the B&B’s offerings, Mom held what she called “porch time” every day starting at three-thirty for the guests.
It was basically a happy hour with Lightning in a Bottle wine and Rain or Shine beer, along with some light snacks.
Guests could join her on the porch for a drink and to enjoy the view and good conversation.
Gretchen had accidentally happened upon it this week when she walked over to the B&B to ask Mom a quick catering question. Ninety minutes later, Theo had been ready to send out a search party when a tipsy Gretchen returned, apologizing profusely, even as Theo laughed.
“Mom does love her porch time. I swear she purposely finds something worthy of celebrating every day of her life, simply so she can open a bottle of wine.”
“That doesn’t sound like a bad way to live,” Gretchen said.
Theo hadn’t really thought about it, but he realized she had a point. “You’re right. It doesn’t. Did I ever tell you the story of how my parents met?”
Gretchen shook her head.
“They met at the town’s annual Fourth of July picnic. Mom was staying in Gracemont that summer with her great-aunt.”
“She’s not originally from here?” Gretchen asked.
“Nope. Like you, she’s a transplant. Dad took one look at her and fell madly in love. He asked her out for a date right then and there, and two weeks later, he proposed.”
“Two weeks?!” Gretchen was as astounded as everyone else he’d ever told this story to. “And she said yes?”
Theo chuckled. “Well, yeah. Obviously. Dad said he wanted to propose at the picnic, but figured he should get a ring first.”
“Wow.” She leaned back, shaking her head. “So it was love at first sight, huh?”
He’d caught Gretchen reading romance novels on her lunch break on more than one occasion, so he suspected—hoped—she was a fan of the concept.
“Yep. Dad swears it’s a real thing. Levi, however, believes in something a little different.”
“What’s that?” she asked.
“Love at first touch. Levi has known Kasi her whole life, but this summer, when the heat got to her one day, she passed out. Levi caught her—and he said it was like he’d been struck by lightning.
He held her in his arms, and he just knew.
” Theo forced a carefree grin, not wanting to give away the fact he’d experienced the same earth-shaking realization the second he shook Gretchen’s hand.
“Knew what?” she whispered.
“That she was his.”
“It must be nice to be so sure of your feelings like that,” she said.
“It took Levi a bit of work to convince Kasi his feelings were sincere.”
“Longer than two weeks?” Gretchen asked, clearly joking.
“Yep. Took Levi three whole weeks.”
Gretchen’s eyes widened when her joke backfired. “Sounds like you Storm men are relentless.”
Theo laughed, tempted to start showing her how relentless they were.
Firsthand.
“That we are. But I haven’t finished telling you about my parents. Because Mom tells their love story a little differently.”
“How so?”
“When Dad introduced himself, he also included the fact that his family owned and operated a winery. According to her, that was all she wrote.”
Gretchen laughed loudly, covering her mouth again.
Theo reached out before he could stop himself and pulled her hand down. “Don’t do that.”
Her brows furrowed in confusion. “Do what?”
“You have a beautiful smile and a beautiful laugh. Why cover them up?”
Gretchen glanced down at their hands. “I didn’t realize I was.” He could see the earnestness in her response. “I’ll try to stop.”
“Good. You should never hide your happiness. And don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of chances to practice,” he reassured her.
“I will?”
Theo wrapped his arm around her shoulders, tucking her against him. “Of course. Because you’re hanging out with me, and I’m freaking hilarious.”
Gretchen giggled, her eyes twinkling with mirth. “I guess you are kinda funny…looking.”
“Is that right?” Theo tightened his grip, holding her in place as he ruffled her hair playfully, as punishment for her joke.
Gretchen froze for a split second, but the tension was mercifully brief before she started to fight him off, laughing loudly, the two of them tussling like a couple of teenagers.
They stopped when they heard the screen door open.
Edith spotted them, rolling her eyes in amusement at their antics. “When you’re finished flirting, Theodore Storm, I need help loading my pies into the car for tonight’s dance.”
They untangled themselves, rising, both intent on lending her a hand. Edith walked back into the house, but before Gretchen could follow, he reached out, lightly grasping her wrist.
“Save a dance for me tonight.” He probably should have worded that as a request rather than an outright demand, but he was desperate to hold her in his arms, and dancing felt like the easiest, quickest way to get there.
Gretchen pulled her wrist away, and he was subjected to the first serious bit of reticence he’d seen from her all day. “I don’t dance.”
“You do tonight. With me.” Theo stepped closer, slowly moving into her personal space. If she tried to put distance between them, he would stop, but Gretchen held her ground.
Actually, she did one better, drawing in a slow, deep breath, then shifting a miniscule bit closer to him, though her actions felt more like her testing herself rather than tempting him.
Even after everything he’d learned about her upbringing, Theo still felt as if he was in the dark. Today, he’d pulled back one layer of the onion, but there were too many left to go.
“Okay. I’ll save you a dance,” she whispered, her gaze drifting to his lips.
Fuck him. There was no way he was going to be able to hold himself back for much longer if she kept daring him to kiss her.
Unfortunately, she stepped away before he could throw caution to the wind, wrap his hand around her neck, and kiss her with reckless abandon.
She turned, starting to head into the house again. “After all, I suppose I should take pity on you. Since you’re so funny,” she paused for effect, “looking.”
“Shameless hussy,” he called out after her as she took off running, slamming the screen door in his face when he started to give chase.
Gretchen laughed loudly as she turned to face him through the door, her smile completely unobstructed by her hand.
Beautiful.