Chapter 9
Sammy
Iwanted to hear what Gavrel had to say. Desperately. But I was also terrified of it. Because today, while walking through that second house, I’d pictured something dangerous I had no right imagining.
I’d seen myself in the kitchen, cooking breakfast while morning light poured through those windows.
I’d pictured Corey playing in the yard, building forts under the fruit trees I’d plant.
Swimming in the lake. And on the porch with the perfect sunrise view, I’d imagined two coffee mugs on a low table instead of one.
Mine and Gavrel’s.
The realization had hit me while I sat on the weathered bench, looking at the lake. I was falling for him. Maybe had already fallen.
Everything logical in me screamed that this was a mistake. My judgment about men had been proven wrong. I’d fallen fast before and believed promises that had only caused me pain.
But Gavrel felt different. The way he listened to Corey’s endless questions. How he’d helped with the irrigation system without making me feel incompetent. His patience when I rambled about the class trip. The gentle way he’d wiped dirt from my cheek before kissing me.
While flying with him today, wrapped in his arms with the world spread below us, I’d felt safe in a way I’d never experienced before.
That frightened me more than anything.
“Sammy,” he said, my name rough in his throat.
His finger stroked along my cheekbone, brushing hair back from my face. His tail did slow, deliberate swishes behind him, telling me he was happy. His wings spread partially, the metallic sheen catching the porch light.
“I need you to understand—”
Movement on the manor’s porch made me turn my head. An older woman descended the front steps, her heels clicking on the wood. She appeared to be in her sixties, and she wore clothing that probably cost more than my car. Everything about her bearing screamed money and confidence.
Gavrel’s entire body went rigid. His wings spread wider, creating a barrier between me and the stranger. A low growl rumbled in his chest, the sound vibrating through the air.
The woman stopped at the bottom of the steps, studying us both. Something about those eyes felt familiar.
“Are you Samantha Caswell?” Her tone came out formal, controlled.
Ice slid down my spine. I stepped closer to Gavrel, and his tail curved toward me.
“Who’s asking?”
“I’m Virginia Blaine.” She paused, her gaze flicking to Gavrel before returning to me. “Dennis’s mother.”
The world tilted.
Dennis.
“Corey’s father,” I whispered.
My whole body shook. I couldn’t seem to get enough air into my lungs.
That was why her eyes looked familiar. Corey had inherited them. She also showed the same determined set to her chin that my son got when he was concentrating.
“I was hoping we could talk.” Virginia’s gaze went to Gavrel again. “Privately.”
Gavrel moved between us before I could respond, his French accent thicker than usual. “Sammy doesn’t have to speak with you unless she wishes to.”
I was torn. Part of me wanted him here. His steady presence would make whatever was coming easier, and I knew it must be bad. But another part didn’t want him to see my past exposed, to witness whatever humiliation was about to unfold.
Virginia’s expression hardened. “This is a family matter.”
The word hit like a slap.
This woman was Corey’s grandmother, part of his paternal family, the one that had rejected him before he was even born.
But she was here now. That meant something, even if I didn’t know what yet.
Whatever she wanted to say, I needed a witness, someone who could verify what was said after she’d left. A person who could support me if this went bad.
I reached for Gavrel’s hand. “Gavrel will remain with me.” Looking up, I met his gaze. “Would you please come inside with us?” My voice shook.
His hand closed around mine. “Of course.”
We went inside and to the living room. I sat on the couch while Gavrel stood near the fireplace, his wings extending slightly.
Virginia took the chair opposite me. She crossed her legs, smoothed her skirt, and studied us both with the kind of confidence that came from never doubting your place in the world.
Everything about her screamed wealth, education, and privilege. All I wasn’t.
“I learned about the possible existence of a child several months ago,” Virginia said. Her hands remained folded in her lap, her posture perfect. “Dennis let it slip during an argument about grandchildren. He said if I wanted one so badly, I should find the child he didn’t want.”
Each word landed like a boulder on my chest.
“I hired a private investigator to locate you, Samantha,” she added.
“It’s Sammy.”
She nodded. “Sammy, then.”
I studied her face, looking for something beyond the cool exterior. Corey had her eyes and chin, but did she share the kindness in my son’s soul?
How did it feel, learning she had a grandchild this way? I didn’t ask. I was too scared of the answer.
Virginia leaned forward. “Dennis and his wife haven’t had children. I doubt they will at this point.” She paused. “I want to be part of my grandchild’s life.”
My stomach dropped. Every protective instinct I possessed roared to the surface.
Her lips thinned. “If you refuse, I’ll force the issue.”
My world tilted.
She meant lawyers. Court. People with money and connections tearing apart the life I’d worked hard to build for my son.
The safety I’d created for Corey could be taken away. They could prove I wasn’t enough, that Corey deserved better than a single mom barely scraping by.
I couldn’t breathe. My vision tunneled until all I could see was Virginia’s cool, determined face.
Gavrel came over to sit beside me. His tail rested against my leg, and his hand settled on my shoulder. Another low growl rumbled through him, showing Virginia I wasn’t alone.
Some of my panic receded. Not all of it, but enough that I could think again.
Until the front door burst open.
“Mom, you won’t believe what happened.” Corey’s voice filled the house, bright and excited. “Jake has this new game, and we played for like three hours and his mom made pizza and we watched a movie and—”
Time slowed.
Everything I loved about my son lived in that innocent voice. His enthusiasm. His joy. His complete trust that the world was safe because I’d made it that way.
Virginia rose from her chair and stared toward the entryway.
Corey appeared in the doorway, his backpack still on one shoulder. He stopped when he saw the stranger.
Virginia’s face transformed. The cool mask cracked, revealing longing, regret, and determination, all mixed together.
“There you are.” She held out her arms to him. “Come give Grammie a hug.”