Chapter Fifteen
When she parked the car outside her mom’s house, Everly cut the engine and sat there for a moment. She felt like she’d lived a whole lifetime in the last twenty-four hours. Yesterday, she’d woken up in Tanner’s arms, hopeful about what might happen between them going forward. Now, any hopes she’d had were in tatters. And even apart from that, she’d seen her dad – come face to face with him for the first time in several years. And just an hour ago, while she’d been driving home, her mom had called her to say that Joe’s mother had died.
Her mom had already booked a flight for tonight. Although it broke her heart, it turned out to be a blessing that things had worked out the way they did. She was home in time to pick Ashton up from school this afternoon. She was rostered off work until next week, and that would give her time to find someone to watch him when she had to go back.
The comfortable routine that they’d been living in was over. She knew that. She was so grateful to her mom and Joe for helping so much with Ashton while she worked. But Joe had been anxious to move back home to Hawaii for a while. Now, with his mom gone, Everly expected that he and her mom wouldn’t be back for months. She guessed that if they came back at all, it would be to sell the house.
She looked up when her mom came outside.
“Hi, sweetie. I’m so sorry about this. I really wanted you to have this week. But…”
Everly wrapped her in a hug. “My goodness, Mom! Joe’s much more important. Shoot. I don’t mean that to sound wrong. You know what I mean. His mom just died. He needs to be there. And you need to be with him. Me taking a few days off work doesn’t compare.”
Her mom squeezed her tight. “It matters, Everly. You matter. Of course, Joe’s important, and I want to be there with him. But his mom’s already gone, and she’s at peace now. His dad doesn’t really understand what’s going on anymore anyway.” She blew out a sigh. “Of course, I want to be with him, want to support him, but they had good lives, and sadly, this is all about their lives ending. You, you still have your whole life ahead of you, and I want to see you live it the best you can.”
Everly closed her eyes and rested her cheek on her mom’s shoulder as tears filled her eyes.
“Hey now! What’s wrong, sweetie?”
Everly lifted her head and sniffed. “Nothing. I think I’m just overtired.”
Her mom took her by the hand and led her into the house. “Is this about your dad? Did he upset you?”
Everly let out a choked little laugh. “Not intentionally, no. I… I did see him, yesterday morning.”
Her mom gestured for her to take a seat at the table in the kitchen. “I know. He called me. He told me all about it. I was waiting to see if you’d tell me yourself.”
Everly shrugged. “I wasn’t trying to hide it.”
Her mom raised her eyebrows. “Do you mean that you weren’t trying to hide what went on from me, or that you weren’t trying to hide the fact that you’re a mom from this Tanner?”
“Shoot!”
Her mom nodded. “It seems to me that this habit you have of not being forthright isn’t serving you too well.”
Everly closed her eyes. “Is it a habit?”
Her mom set a mug of coffee on the table in front of her. “It is, sweetie. You think that you’re doing the world a favor by keeping things to yourself because you don’t want people to have to deal with whatever you’ve got going on. You didn’t mention Tanner to me, because you didn’t want me to worry. You didn’t mention Ashton to him, because… Go on, explain that one to me. Your dad had a theory, but I don’t think I buy it.”
“What did he say?”
“That you hadn’t told Tanner about Ashton because you knew whatever the two of you had going wasn’t anything serious.”
“He’s kind of right. How could it be anything serious?”
Her mom gave her a stern look. “If you want it to be something serious, you’ll find a way. And besides, that’s not the reason that you didn’t tell him, is it?”
Everly shrugged. “It was at first, yeah. I thought he was… You know, just a guy. But it turned out he was so much more than that, Mom.”
Her mom reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “So, why didn’t you tell him about Ashton? Were you worried that he wouldn’t want you if he knew?”
“No. I really wasn’t. You have to remember that it all happened so fast. I only knew him for a couple of days. Like I said, at first, I didn’t think there was any need to tell him. Then, I kept trying to find the right moment, and we kept getting interrupted. It really is as simple as that. I didn’t intentionally deceive him.” She brought her hand up to cover her face as the tears that had been falling intermittently since she drove away from him yesterday started to run down her cheeks. “But he thinks I did.”
Her mom squeezed her hand again. “I’m sorry, sweetie. If I hadn’t needed you back here, you might have been able to work it out. You might still be able to.”
Everly shook her head sadly. “No. It’s not worth even trying. I hurt him. Why would he ever trust me now? I need to just put it in the past and get on with my life. Perhaps Ashton and I should follow you guys to Hawaii after all.”
Her mom frowned. “I don’t think so. I really don’t think that would be the best thing for you. Even if, selfishly, I’d love it. But this isn’t about me; it’s about you and our little man.” She checked her watch. “I’m going to have to get a move on if I’m going to get to the airport on time. And you… What are you going to do? Ashton’s supposed to be riding the bus back here all week. You could wait here for him, that might be easier than going to the school to try to intercept him.”
“You’re right. I might just wait here. I was thinking that I’d have to nab him at school before he got on the bus, but this will be easier.”
Her mom nodded. “You know the two of you can stay here if you want.”
“Thanks.” That was a topic that they didn’t need to get into. Her mom and Joe had suggested a while ago that she should give up her townhouse and move in here, to their place, if she wasn’t going to Hawaii with them.
It was a generous offer, one she appreciated, but she needed to feel like she was capable of providing for herself and her son.
“At least give it some more thought. You’d save yourself a bunch on rent, and we don’t intend to sell the place for a while at least.”
“Thanks, Mom. I’ll think about it.”
“Okay. Give me a hand taking my bags out to the car, would you?”
Everly frowned. “You’re taking your car?”
Her mom shrugged. “I know, it’s going to cost me a fortune in long-term parking, but you have to remember that I’m scrambling here. Up until yesterday afternoon, I didn’t know when I’d be leaving, but I certainly didn’t think that it would be yet.”
Everly frowned.
“It’s just one of those things, Everly. It’ll be fine. And don’t look like that – there’s no way that you can take me. You need to be here.”
“I know there’s no way I can take you, I’m just thinking that it’d be cheaper if we could get you some kind of a ride.”
“Probably. But I don’t have the time to mess around. I need to go.”
Everly helped her take her bags out and load them in the car. Her mom kissed her cheek. “I’ll let you know when I land. Give our little man a big hug for me.”
“I will. Safe travels.”
Her mom got in the car and put the window down. “Oh, and I forgot to tell you, I ran into Grady in the grocery store. Ava’s invited Ashton over to some little party she’s having after school on Thursday. And Grady said to tell you that he and Hannah are happy to watch Ashton while you’re working if you need them to.”
Everly smiled. “Aww, I love those two, they’re awesome.”
“They are. You have some lovely friends.”
Everly leaned in through the window to kiss her mom’s cheek one last time. “Be safe. Let me know when you’re at the airport, and when you land.”
Her mom chuckled. “I will. Love you.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
Everly got her own bag from her car and went back inside the house and flopped down on the sofa. She was going to have to figure out something more permanent for Ashton while she was working. Grady was a sweetheart – he used to live in a townhouse just a few doors down from her, and they used to help each other out with childcare when his niece, Ava, first came to live with him.
He worked in a restaurant in town, and for a while, they’d tried to juggle their shifts so that when he was working in the evening, Ava stayed with her and Ashton, and when Everly was working, Ashton stayed with them. Another friend, Mel, watched both kids when Everly and Grady’s shifts clashed.
Things had changed after Mel’s dad had a heart attack, and Grady met Hannah and moved in with her. Everly’s mom had stepped up to help her. But Ashton and Ava were still good friends, and still got together outside of school every now and then.
Everly reached for her phone. She should give Grady a call to make arrangements for Thursday. It wasn’t the most pressing thing that she needed to do, but it felt easier than anything else.
When the plane had landed, and she turned her phone back on, her heart had beat wildly while she waited to see if any messages had come in while she was in the air. She’d had a voicemail from her dad last night, while she was at the hotel in Bozeman. She hadn’t called him back. She hadn’t heard anything from Tanner – and that didn’t surprise her. She was still disappointed that she had no messages at all when her phone came back on.
She was surprised to see a whole bunch of new notifications now. A rush of warmth filled her chest when she saw that three of them were from Tanner. She opened her texts with shaking hands.
Tanner: Hey. I don’t know if you’ll want to hear from me after the way I acted yesterday. I just wanted to say that I’m sorry. I’d love to talk to you if you want to. If nothing else, would you shoot me a text to let me know that you made it home safe?
Tanner: I understand that you’re mad at me – I don’t blame you. I was just shocked. I get it now. Ford explained. You tried to tell me a few times – I know that now. Are you home yet?
Tanner: Not trying to be a pain in the ass here, but I’m getting worried. If you really don’t want to talk to me, would you let Corinne know that you’re home safe, and I can check in with her?
Everly frowned as she checked the timestamps. All three messages seemed to have come in at the same time – half an hour ago, while she was still on the road. She had to wonder when he’d sent them.
While she tried to compose herself and figure out what she wanted to say to him, she checked her other messages.
Shayna: Are you okay? Hope you made it home safe. I’m here for you if you want to talk. I don’t know what happened, but I’m sure you had your reasons for not mentioning your son. Hugs. oxo
Laney: What’s the deal? I don’t want to believe that you were just jerking him around. At least give him a call, would you?
Ford: Hi, honey. Hope you’re okay. You guys can work this out, if you want to. I told him what you told me – that you weren’t intentionally lying to him.
Tears filled her eyes as she reread the messages. Her phone mustn’t have connected to the network until she was almost here. All the messages had come in at the same time. She loved that Tanner’s family had reached out to her like that, and that he had them looking out for him.
She wiped her sleeve over her eyes. The trouble was, she wasn’t sure that it made any difference. Of course, she’d rather leave things with him on a less sour note. But it didn’t change anything. She still lived here in Napa, with Ashton. And Tanner was still a thousand miles, and what felt like a whole world away, on a ranch in Montana.
She traced her finger over his name on the screen, wishing that things were different. She smiled a sad little smile when she realized that she didn’t even have a photo of him. She wished that were different.
She should call him. She owed him that much. She checked her watch. Ashton’s bus would be here soon. It was probably a cowardly excuse, but she took it and decided to text him instead.
~ ~ ~
Tanner ran his hand down the mare’s neck. She was doing much better today. He wished that he could say the same for himself. He still hadn’t heard anything back from Everly. He couldn’t blame her. He’d checked in with Corinne a little while ago, and she hadn’t heard anything, either. There was no reason Everly should do as he requested and at least let her friend know that she’d made it home safe, but he was starting to worry.
Both Laney and Shayna said that they’d texted her, too, and neither of them had received a reply. There was a fair chance that she was just ignoring him, but that didn’t stop his mind from running wild. She might have been in a car wreck. Anything could have happened to her, and it’d be all his fault.
He looked up when a shadow crossed the doorway to the barn. Zeke was the last person he’d expected – or wanted – to see.
“Have you heard anything from her?”
“No. You?”
Zeke shook his head. “I spoke to her mother. Turns out she stayed in Bozeman last night to catch an early flight this morning.”
Tanner took his hat off and ran his hand through his hair. “Shit! I thought – I assumed – that she’d gone straight to the airport and flown right out of there.” He hated knowing that she’d still been here in Montana last night – within his reach, if only he’d known it.
“I thought the same.”
“If you’ve come to warn me off again, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I’ve sent her a bunch of messages, and she hasn’t replied.”
Zeke met his gaze. “I came to apologize.”
Tanner frowned. “Apologize?”
“Yeah. I was wrong to react the way I did. I don’t know if you can understand – maybe you will if you have a kid of your own someday. I’ve let that girl down all her life. I’m not proud of it. I’m trying to do better. But I know how much I’ve hurt her over the years. The one hope that I’ve hung onto is that one day she’ll meet a guy who’ll treat her right – who’ll treat her better than I ever did. When I arrived out here yesterday and saw her with you…” He shook his head. “I know you’re a good man, Tanner. I do. But I also know how you treat women.”
Tanner opened his mouth to protest but stopped when Zeke shook his head.
“I know. I’ve heard it from Ford, and I’ve heard it from Ty. It was different with Everly. I know why – it’s because she’s different. She’s one in a million, that girl.” He pursed his lips. “I don’t know if you’ll stand a chance with her now. I don’t know if you ever stood a real chance with her before I waded in – especially since she didn’t tell you about Ashton. I just wanted to let you know that if she decides to give you another go, I won’t stand in the way.”
“Thanks. I’m not sure it makes any difference now, but thanks anyway. And from what she told Ford, it wasn’t that she didn’t want me to know about Ashton, just that she hadn’t found the right moment to tell me yet.”
“Okay. So, what are you going to do about it?”
“I don’t know that there’s anything I can do. Like I said, I’ve sent her a bunch of messages, and she hasn’t replied.”
As he spoke, his phone buzzed in his back pocket, and he dug it out. A rush of warmth filled his chest when he saw her name.
Everly: Sorry. My phone didn’t get back online when I landed. All my messages came in just now. I wasn’t ignoring you. I’m home safe.
Tanner: Can I call you?
He held his breath as he watched the screen. For all he knew that message might be the last he ever heard from her – she might just be doing the decent thing – because she was a decent person – and letting him know that she was safe. Some of the tension left his shoulders when her reply came in.
Everly: Ashton goes to bed at nine. That’s ten for you. Do you want to talk then?
Tanner: Yes. Whenever works for you. I’ll text you first to make sure that he’s settled.
Everly: Thanks.
Tanner: Thank YOU! Talk to you later.
It was only as he slid his phone back into his pocket that he realized Zeke was still there – still watching him.
“I’m guessing by the smile on your face that was her.”
“It was.”
Zeke nodded. “Like I said, I shouldn’t have waded in the way I did. I won’t get in the way, if you’re what she wants. But…”
The look he gave Tanner sent a shiver down his spine.
“I won’t let you hurt them – either of them.”
Tanner nodded solemnly. “I give you my word. If she gives me the chance, I’ll be good to her – and to Ashton.”
“You’d better. She deserves the world, that girl.”
As Tanner watched Zeke turn and walk out of the barn, he silently promised that if she let him, he’d give her the world – and Ashton, too.